January 3, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The list of 2013’s top 10 most-read articles, opinion pieces and blog posts on LifeSiteNews.com covers a lot of ground, from heart-warming stories that revealed the beauty of life and the humanity of the unborn child, to grisly tales of the macabre that shocked readers and exposed the true face of the culture of death.
In any case, each of these stories somehow resonated with our readers, to the point that they felt compelled to share them with their friends and family, ensuring that hundreds of thousands – or, in one case, over a million – people read them and were exposed to the pro-life and pro-family viewpoint.
And so, without further ado, the list of the ten most-read stories of 2013, in descending order, with the first two or three paragraphs, and then links to the original:
10) Why my support for abortion was based on love…and lies – Jan. 24, 2013
When I was younger, I was always particularly shocked when I heard about societies where it was common to abandon or kill unwanted newborns. In college I once read a particularly graphic description of a family in ancient Greece “discarding” a newborn baby girl. I was shocked to the point of breathlessness. I was also horribly confused: How could normal people be okay with this, let alone participate in it? Nobody I knew would do that! Were people that different back then?!
Because of my deep distress at hearing of things like this, I found it really irritating when pro-lifers would refer to abortion as “killing babies.”
Read more here…
9) Marriage one man and one woman for nurturing children: Pope Francis’ first encyclical – Jul. 5, 2013
In his first encyclical letter, released this morning, Pope Francis has reiterated that marriage is a union of one man and one woman for the procreation and nurturing of children.
This lifelong pledge is possible only in the light of a greater plan for marriage, he said: “Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love.”
Read more here…
8) Abortionist who kept 36 bags of aborted babies in storage unit found dead – Nov. 25, 2013
Authorities say an abortionist with a history of tax evasion, botched abortions, and unusual disposal of aborted babies has died.
Police found the body of Dr. Joseph Booker Jr., 69, at his home Thursday night after relatives complained they could not reach him. Investigators said Booker suffered a stroke and drowned in his shower in his Madison, Mississippi, home.
Read more here…
7) Archbishop prays while topless gay activists shout curses and douse him with water – Apr. 23, 2013
In an astonishing display of gentleness in the face of a vile attack, the head of the Catholic Church in Belgium, Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard, remained calmly seated with eyes closed in prayer Tuesday as four topless women attacked him with shouts and curses and doused him with water.
It’s not the first time the bishop has been attacked for standing up for the Church’s teachings on homosexuality and expressing his concern for those who live the homosexual lifestyle.
Read more here…
6) Korean pastor fighting epidemic of abandoned babies with anonymous ‘Baby Box’ – May 28, 2013
Lee Jong-rak is a Korean pastor in South Korea. A simple man with a huge purpose, Pastor Jong-rak saw a devastating problem. He thought of a way he could change it, and he became a prophetic voice to his society. His story is a story of faith. A story of hope. A story of love. And when you hear this heroic tale, you just may never be the same.
Lee Jong-rak is the creator of the Baby Box. His Baby Box is the first and only box in Korea that is for collecting abandoned babies who are physically or mentally handicapped or are just unwanted by their mothers.
Read more here…
5) ‘They’re already born, but they might not know it yet!’: amazing video of newborn twins goes viral – Nov. 15, 2013
A video of a set of newborn twins being bathed by a nurse in France has taken Youtube by storm, earning over 4.2 million views in the space of just a few days.
The nurse, Sonia Rochel, says the babies were only a few days old when she gave them a type of immersive bath using warm water that she says causes babies to move as they would in the womb.
When these twins were immersed in the water, they clung to each other in a tight embrace, their eyes closed peacefully.
Read more here…
4) Horror: Violent mob of topless pro-abort feminists attacks praying men defending cathedral (VIDEO) – Dec. 2, 2013
Extremely disturbing video footage from Argentina shows a mob of feminists at a recent protest attacking and sexually molesting a group of Rosary-praying Catholic men who were peacefully protecting the cathedral in the city of San Juan from threats of vandalism.
The women, many of them topless, spray-painted the men’s crotches and faces and swastikas on their chests and foreheads, using markers to paint their faces with Hitler-like moustaches. They also performed obscene sexual acts in front of them and pushed their breasts onto their faces, all the while shouting “get your rosaries out of our ovaries.”
Read more here…
3) Our 19-week son lived only minutes after birth, but has touched thousands (PHOTOS) July 2, 2013
Friday June 14th did not turn out as I expected.
I started the day enjoying a pedicure with the bride to be and very good friend Megan along with her mom Cathy and all of her bridesmaids. We had an enjoyable lunch and ran a few errands and then were headed home to start preparing for the rehearsal. Starting on the Tuesday before I had some mild spotting.
It was never anything much and dark brown, a normal pregnancy occurence. I never had any pain at any point. On Friday I noticed that the spotting started to turn a little more pink. When I returned home to gather all of my camera equipment for the rehearsal I decided to call my midwife to see what she thought of the spotting just for my own peace of mind. I knew I was going to be on my feet a lot the next day, probably about 12 hours.
Read more here…
2) Jury awards couple $50 million in ‘wrongful birth’ lawsuit – Dec. 16, 2013
A jury in Washington has awarded a whopping $50 million settlement to a couple that says, if they had known their five-year-old son would be born with a genetic defect, they would have aborted him.
Brock and Rhea Wuth sued Valley Medical Center and the Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) for the “wrongful birth” of their son, Oliver.
The couple, both of whom are teachers, had their child tested in utero for any genetic abnormalities. Tests conducted by LabCorp said the child would have a 50-50 chance of being born without any issues.
Read more here…
1) That Victoria’s Secret baby is just the tip of a disturbing trend – Oct. 17, 2013
Today the body of a baby was discovered in the bag of a 17-year-old teen suspected of shoplifting at a Victoria's Secret store in Manhattan. People are rightly shocked by this event.
However, what if I told you that this sort of thing is happening routinely, all across the country, as well as in other parts of the world? And that the only reason that it's making national headlines this time is because the discovery of the baby's body was at a Victoria Secret store, which gives the story that extra bizarre twist, with just a hint of weird sexuality, that will grab attention?
Take a look at the following list…which is far from complete. I've simply compiled some of the most shocking, and most recent incidents.
Read more here…