Category Archives: Uncategorized

Politics and the Pulpit: Part Two: The IRS is Not the Law

February 24, 2014

Dear Friends,

Below is my latest column, Politics and the Pulpit: Part Two: The IRS is Not the Law, but first let me give you some other important updates.

First, if you have not signed onto my open letter to President Obama, please do so today! The letter points out the contradictions between what he said at the National Prayer Breakfast and his policies.  By signing on to the letter and encouraging others to sign it, you will draw attention to his contradictions which is important for the general public to see.  Sign on to the letter at LetterToObama.org.

Lent begins next week and I invite you to join in a Lenten Prayer for Life from March 5 – April 17.  Use the prayer in your family and prayer groups and ask you Pastor to have the congregation say the prayer after each Mass.  Find the prayer at PrayerCampaign.org.

Also, I have a surprise for you! I have taped a Rosary CD, complete with my pro-life meditations on the mysteries of the Rosary. We are finalizing the production of it right now and then will let you know how to order it. I know how devoted pro-life people are to the Rosary, and I have prayed the Rosary with so many of you in your homes, Churches, and at the abortion mills. Now, through this CD, we can pray it together every day! So please start spreading the word about this new resource! If you want us to reserve one of the very first copies for you, email us at Orders@priestsforlife.org.

Blessings,

pavonenew.jpg

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Praise for our Work: Please accept this donation in appreciation for all of the good works that Priests for Life does.  I would also like to submit this in thanksgiving for Fr. Denis Wilde’s December 8 visit to [my parish].  He made a beautiful and inspirational weekend event for my parish.  I will always remember both his homily, and the piano concert.   As Coordinator of our Parish’s Respect Life Group, I know that he enriched our parish pro-life efforts beyond measure. – Anne

Politics and the Pulpit: Part Two: The IRS is Not the Law

by Fr. Frank Pavone

The American people are more fed up with the IRS than ever before, and want to see an investigation into the abuses that have been — and continue to be — perpetrated there.

This frequent theme of news reports these days intersects perfectly with our ongoing series regarding the position of Churches regarding politics and the pulpit. So many pastors and their congregations are under the impression that they are going to “violate the law” if they distribute a voter guide or preach about the urgent importance of voting pro-life.

Nonsense, and it’s time we start saying so. This series of columns will tell you why.

As we will see in coming weeks, what the IRS restrictions on Churches are when it comes to elections are not so clear in the law, and what is usually described as “legal restrictions” are simply attempts to interpret the law by government agencies — like the IRS — that have little or no accountability, and whose interpretations end up making things more vague than they were before, and chilling the free speech which citizens and Churches enjoy under the First Amendment.

Let’s back up and start at the beginning.

The federal laws of the United States take their origin from two founding documents. The Declaration of Independence expresses the principles at the heart and soul of our system of government. This is the document that identifies the right to life as primary and unalienable, given by God and to be secured by government. The Constitution is the “how to” document, the practical mechanism by which a system based on these principles can work. This document tells us how laws are to be made and what the respective roles of the Congress, the President, and the Courts are. All of these branches of government, and all the laws that flow from them, are to correspond with their foundation expressed in the Declaration and the Constitution.

The federal laws of the United States are organized in the Code of Laws of the United States of America (the “U.S. Code”). It has some 51 sections, called “Titles,” dealing with subjects like the President, the Congress, Commerce and Trade, and so forth. One of those sections, Title 26, is the “Internal Revenue Code” (IRC), which deals with tax issues. Note that the “IRC” is distinct from the “IRS.” The “IRC” (“Internal Revenue Code”) refers to a set of federal laws. The “IRS” (“Internal Revenue Service“) refers to a government agency, a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, responsible for collecting taxes and for interpreting and enforcing the IRC. As we will see in more detail in further columns, the interpretations put forth by this agency are not law.

It is here that a lot of the battle is being fought for the freedom to speak in politics, and in particular in defense of the right to life. The battle has focused here precisely because of limitations placed on what Churches, organizations, and individuals can say and do regarding elections. And, as we will see, a major part of the battle is to eliminate the confusion regarding what those limitations are, how much weight they really carry, and whether they are in accordance with the documents and principles that are at the foundation of all American law in the first place. Moreover, as far as the Church is concerned, it is crucial to clarify how these limitations correspond, if at all, with the Church’s understanding of her own nature, mission, and ultimate loyalties.

More to come in the next column!

This column can be read and heard online.

Comments on this column? Go to Askfrfrank.com

Fr. Frank’s columns are podcast. See Priestsforlife.org/podcast

Remember to support our work at Priestsforlife.org/donate

La política y el Púlpito: Segunda parte: El IRS no es la ley

El pueblo estadounidense está más harto del IRS que nunca antes, y quiere ver una investigación sobre los abusos que han sido – y siguen siendo – perpetrados allí.

Este tema frecuente en los reportes de noticias en estos días encaja perfectamente con nuestra continua serie relacionada a la posición de las Iglesias con relación a la política y el púlpito. Muchos párrocos y sus congregaciones tienen la impresión de que van a “violar la ley” si distribuyen una guía para el votante o si predican sobre la urgente importancia de votar a favor de la vida.

Tonterías, y es hora de empezar a decirlo. Esta series de columnas les dirá por qué.

Como veremos en las próximas semanas, las restricciones del IRS a Iglesias a la hora de las elecciones no son tan claras en la ley, y lo que usualmente se describe como “restricciones legales” son simplemente intentos de interpretar la ley por agencias gubernamentales – como el IRS – que tienen poca o ninguna responsabilidad, y cuyas interpretaciones terminan haciendo las cosas más vagas de lo que antes eran, enfriando la libertad de expresión de la que ciudadanos e Iglesias disfrutan bajo la Primera Enmienda.

Vamos a retroceder y a empezar por el principio.

Las leyes federales de los Estados Unidos tienen su origen en dos documentos fundacionales. La Declaración de Independencia expresa los principios en el corazón y el alma de nuestro sistema de gobierno. Este es el documento que identifica el derecho a la vida como primario e inalienable, dado por Dios y para ser protegido por el gobierno. La Constitución es el documento del “cómo,” el mecanismo práctico por el cual un sistema basado en estos principios puede funcionar. Este documento nos dice cómo se deben hacer las leyes y cuáles son las funciones respectivas del Congreso, del Presidente, y de los Tribunales. Todas estas ramas del gobierno, y todas las leyes que se derivan de ellas, son para que correspondan con su fundamento expresado en la Declaración y en la Constitución.

Las leyes federales de los Estados Unidos están organizadas en el Código de Leyes de los Estados Unidos de América (el “Código de los EE.UU.”). Tiene unas 51 secciones, llamadas “Títulos,” que tratan temas como el Presidente, el Congreso, Comercio e Intercambio, y así sucesivamente. Una de esas secciones, el Título 26, es el “Código de Rentas Internas” (IRC), que trata de asuntos fiscales. Tenga en cuenta que el “IRC” es distinto del “IRS.” El “IRC” (“Código de Rentas Internas”) se refiere a un conjunto de leyes federales. El “IRS” (“Internal Revenue Service”) se refiere a una agencia del gobierno, una agencia del Departamento del Tesoro, responsable de la recaudación de impuestos y de la interpretación y aplicación de la IRC. Como veremos con más detalle en otras columnas, las interpretaciones presentadas por esta agencia no son ley.

Es aquí donde se está librando gran parte de la batalla por la libertad de hablar en la política, y en particular en la defensa del derecho a la vida. La batalla se ha centrado aquí, precisamente, debido a las limitaciones impuestas sobre lo que las Iglesias, organizaciones e individuos pueden decir y hacer con respecto a las elecciones. Y, como veremos, la mayor parte de la batalla es eliminar la confusión relacionada con lo que esas limitaciones son, cuánto peso realmente tienen, y si en primer lugar están de acuerdo con los documentos y principios que son la base de toda ley Americana. Más aun, en lo que se refiere a la Iglesia, es crucial aclarar cómo estas limitaciones corresponden, de ser el caso, con el entendimiento de la Iglesia de su propia naturaleza, misión y lealtades finales.

¡Más por venir en la próxima columna!

Esta columna se puede encontrar en la página de http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/document-sp.aspx?id=4896

Upcoming Special Media Appearances

See our full media schedule at our website.

On March 5, 2014, Bryan Kemper will be on “What Next God?” with Christine Watkins from 2:55- 3:50 PM (EST). Listening Area Nationwide. Http://radiomaria.us

Fr. Denis Wilde, O.S.A. will celebrate the EWTN live televised Mass on March 11, 12, 13.  The Mass airs live at 8 am and repeats at 12 noon, 7 pm and 12 midnight (all times Eastern).  Repeat airing times are subject to change.  See the airing schedule on the EWTN website for final repeat airing times

Priests for Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 888-PFL-3448
718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
www.priestsforlife.org

Quinnipiac Poll

Quinnipiac Poll Proves Planned Parenthood and FitzGerald Are Out of Touch

75 Percent of Ohioans Disagree with Ed FitzGerald on Abortion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT: Laura Beth Kirsop

DATE: Monday, February 24, 2014                                             PHONE: (614) 547-0099 ext. 309

COLUMBUS, Ohio–Today, Quinnipiac University released a poll demonstrating that 75 percent of all Ohioans want abortion to be restricted in some or all cases. Only 19 percent of Ohioans want abortion legal in all cases. This poll sheds light on the most current gubernatorial race where the Planned Parenthood-supported Democratic candidate, Ed Fitzgerald, holds the view of only 19 percent of all Ohioans who want unrestricted abortions.

“Considering that abortion-on-demand is the primary focus of the Fitzgerald gubernatorial campaign, this recent poll only goes to show that Fitzgerald is out of touch with Ohioans and where they stand on the abortion issue,” said President of Ohio Right to Life, Mike Gonidakis. “Ed Fitzgerald identifies as ‘100% pro-choice,’ which would include abortions through the ninth month of pregnancy. But three in four Ohioans reject that extreme position. They have their limits, where FitzGerald does not.”

 

Last summer, FitzGerald made abortion one of his platforms when pro-life Governor John Kasich signed legislation that protects the conscience rights of taxpayers and holds abortion clinics accountable to health and safety standards. His campaign re-focused the election on the abortion issue when he chose Sharen Neuhardt as his running mate. Neuhardt served on the board of Planned Parenthood and is known as an “abortion-rights activist.”

 

“Our common sense pro-life legislation strategy has positively impacted Ohio. This poll appears to demonstrate that, minimally, Ohioans would prefer to see abortion restricted. That is what our legislation has done, and that is what FitzGerald opposes–the bear minimum,” continued Gonidakis. “Ohio remains an overwhelmingly pro-life state. We are confident that the outcome of this gubernatorial race will reflect the outcome of this poll.”

 

To view the latest Quinnipiac Poll, click here.

 

 

Founded in 1967, Ohio Right to Life, with more than 45 local chapters, is Ohio’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement in Ohio, ORTL works through legislation and education to promote and defend innocent human life from conception to natural death.

 

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To learn more about Ohio Right to Life please visit our website at www.ohiolife.org.

An Olympic Champion’s Greatest Inspiration

NRL News Today
February 19, 2014   People with disabilities

An Olympic Champion’s Greatest Inspiration

  Editor’s note. This comes from the wonderful blog “Reflections of a Paralytic,” written by Chelsea Zimmerman. This post can be found at reflectionsofaparalytic.com/?p=10681

Alex and Frederic Bilodeaure

Alex and Frederic Bilodeau

Admittedly, I have not watched a lot of this year’s Winter Olympics. I’m more of a summer games kinda gal, myself. But an image from the games this week captured my attention, as did the story behind it.

On Monday Alex Bilodeau won gold in the freestyle skiing moguls competition — and he shared much of the spotlight with his brother Frederic:

NBC did a great feature on the Canadian skier in which he revealed that his older brother Frederic, who has cerebral palsy, is his greatest inspiration:

“The motivation that he has, if he had had the chances like I did, he would have been four times Olympic champion. He’s a great inspiration, a great person and he’s going to be an inspiration for me after my career also,” the 26-year-old said.

Frederic Bilodeaure

Frederic Bilodeau

“Every little thing in life is hard for him, whether it’s going from his seat to go and see me here, walking in the snow, it takes so much energy, it’s very hard.

“I always complain, and he has every reason in the world to complain and he never does. And why is that? He enjoys life, he takes the best out of it.”

Watch the video atwww.nbcolympics.com/news/disabled-brother-inspires-alex-bilodeaus-gold-medal-run.

Alex isn’t the only successful brother. Frederic is an artist. And he sells his paintings to benefit the Quebec Cerebral Palsy Association.

I always find stories like this to be a stark reminder of the great tragedy of abortions for genetic abnormalities like cerebral palsy. Supporters of the practice want people to believe that these abortions eliminate disease. Hardly.

These abortions, like all abortions, eliminate people. Joyful people. Talented people. People who inspire and bring utter joy to the people around them.

Washington Post Distorts Yet Again What Catholics Believe About Abortion

NRL News Today
February 19, 2014   Media Bias

Washington Post distorts yet again what Catholics believe about abortion

 

By Dave Andrusko

WaPobuilding2

The inestimable Mark Twain once wrote, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” I wonder what he would have done with the chart that appeared in last Sunday’s Washington Post.

The chart accompanied a story headlined, “Pope Francis faces church divided over doctrine, global poll of Catholics finds” and based on a new poll commissioned by the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision.

NRLC is a non-denominational, non-sectarian organization which takes no position on most of the “social issues” Catholic respondents were asked about. We do have a position on abortion.

Stay with me on this, because the way the question was formulated and reported is staggeringly deceptive. It reads thusly:

“Do you think abortions should be allowed in all cases, allowed I some cases such as when the life of the mother is in danger, or should it not be allowed at all?

Pope Francis

Pope Francis

So seemingly we have the two polar opposites—allowed in all cases or not allowed at all. Only a miniscule percent of Catholics worldwide (9%) say abortion should be allowed in all cases. Exactly a third (33%) say abortion should not be allowed at all!

What about the “middle” ground? According to the poll, 57% say abortion should be allowed in some cases.

But what is the example of allowing abortion “in some cases”? When the life of the mother is in danger! That’s hardly an example of someone occupying the “mushy middle.” It is a hard-core pro-life position.

However the summary over the abortion question reads “65% of Catholics say abortion should be allowed in some or all cases.” If you hadn’t read the question, you’d think, wow! There really is a gap between Catholics in the pews and church doctrine on abortion (which, of course, is the whole point of the Post running the story in the first place).

Obviously a more honest, straightforward headline would read “90% of Catholics would not allow abortion at all [33%] or only in some cases [57%].” And, oh by the way, the example of “some cases” is when the mother’s life is in danger!

I know this shouldn’t bother me. Like you, I’ve been reading distorted poll data for decades.

But this example is so egregious and its motivations so obvious that it just about gags you.

Please join those who are following me on Twitter at twitter.com/daveha. Send your comments todaveandrusko@gmail.com.

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The Truth About Roe v. Wade

The Truth About Roe v. Wade

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 Roe v. Wade is the single-most destructive Supreme Court ruling in history. It is responsible for the death of over 55 million human lives, and harming millions of women and men whose “choice” has caused them immeasurable pain. The supremely wrong decision (like many other Supreme Court rulings in American history) allowed the killing of an unborn child through the 7th month of pregnancy (the point of viability). Based on a complete lie (Jane Roe had originally claimed she had been raped) the justices never even heard from the actual plaintiff. She was merely a pawn. Jane Roe is actually Norma McCorvey. Many people don’t realize that she actually gave birth to her child and placed her for adoption. Due to the influence of pro-life advocates, in 1995, everything changed.  She became a Christian (Roman Catholic) and was Roe no more. Today, McCorvey passionately defends women and their unborn children and is fighting to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Texas urges that, apart from the Fourteenth Amendment, life begins at conception and is present throughout pregnancy, and that, therefore, the State has a compelling interest in protecting that life from and after conception. We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins.” –Justice Harry Blackmun in his majority Opinion in Roe v. Wade decision

The Supreme travesty (ruling 7-2) found that Texas violated ”the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which protects against state action the right to privacy, including a woman’s qualified right to terminate her pregnancy”.1 The effect of that decision struck down state laws across the nation that charged doctors with a felony that resulted in imprisonment of at least a year, fines and in some instances cancellation of their licenses. Some states elevated the penalty against a physician to the level of murder when the mother was also killed.

Picture ©Boston Globe

Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey) and Gloria Allred celebrating legal abortion before Norma’s conversion. Image ©Boston Globe

But here’s the painful irony.  The ‘Due Process Clause’ was the foundation for Roe v. Wade, forming the majority opinion. This phrase is found in the 14th Amendment,2 one of the Reconstruction Amendments–amendments that finally ascribed humanity and personhood to black people. Yet, in some perversion of justice, this amendment was twisted by our Supreme Court and used to strip any humanity and personhood protections from the unborn. This bizarre reasoning made a right to abort from these words: “Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law”. This is perplexing. A right to kill an unborn life culled from words that forbid it. This amendment was passed in 1868 and ascribed citizenship to Black Americans. Yet, 36 states did not change their abortion laws because there was no right to abort inherent in either the 14th amendment or the Constitution.3 The authors of the 14th amendment never intended for it to be related to the matter of abortion in any way.  And now, 55 million lives later, people still don’t know the simple truth about how Roe v. Wade was a supreme abuse of power.

Today, Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) is now a passionate prolife advocate.

Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) never had an abortion. She placed her daughter for adoption. Today, Norma is a passionate prolife advocate and devotes her life to her “Roe No More Ministry”

The motivation behind the Roe case however, was less about women’s rights and more about continuing the motivating force behind the Birth Control movement–eugenics–a racist pseudoscience that sought to control certain populations.  As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg revealed in a July 7, 2009 New York Times Magazine article, she and others commonly believed “at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of.”4 Roe was the case the pro-abortion community showcased to ensure population control of blacks, the poor and other minorities.  Norma McCorvey was on drugs, an alcoholic and was homeless.5 But as is the case with Planned Parenthood, charity and solving the root of the problem wasn’t their concern (see section on Margaret Sanger).  The right to exterminate life, even while a women’s life is falling apart, is all that mattered.

  • FALSE Roe v. Wade allows abortion up to 3 months. TRUE It allows abortion through the 7th month.
  • FALSE Jane Roe’s pregnancy was a result of rape.  TRUE This pregnancy was not due to rape.
  • FALSE Jane Roe aborted her child. TRUE She gave birth to her child & placed her for adoption.
  • FALSE Jane Roe is the poster girl for abortion. TRUE In 1995, she became a ProLife advocate.

Doe v. Bolton – The nail in the coffin

A companion case to Roe, Doe v. Bolton, removed the restrictions a state might place on when an abortion could be performed. It allowed for abortion at any stage to protect the “mother’s health.” This case was decided on the same day as Roe on January 22, 1973, and originated in Georgia.  Just as Norma McCorvey, Doe in this instance (Sandra Cano) was duped and used by her lawyers.  She never even wanted to have an abortion.6

Her appeal to the Supreme Court was refused and dismissed in 2006, although the woman behind the law that allowed Partial Birth Abortion, never personally testified in court in the original case.7 Those who champion women’s rights (especially of a right of a woman to be heard in her own legal case) are painfully silent about this travesty of justice. This is the sham of so-called “women’s rights”. You have rights as long as, ideologically, you agree with NOW, NARAL “Pro-Choice” America or Planned Parenthood. Women were disempowered by Roe while men were empowered to have sex and run. Roe’s impact on our society is widespread, from rampant abortions to devastating fatherlessness, exponentially higher STDs and increased poverty among women and children. This is not “reproductive freedom” but reproductive self-destruction.

LEARN MORE:

http://www.toomanyaborted.com/roevwade/

The Heart Cases: I Am Not The Rapist’s Child

The heart cases: I am not the rapist’s child

BY RYAN BOMBERGER

  • Fri Feb 21, 2014 11:28 EST
Wow! I hate that phrase. “Rapist’s child”, “rapist’s baby”, “rape baby”, or “product of rape”—all equally despicable, yet intentional, pejoratives used by abortion activists to debase those conceived in such horrid violence. As if these revilers had any control over the circumstances of their own conception, they stand as judge and executioner of human beings with the exact same cellular makeup.

Do we refer to children as the “drug dealer’s child” or the “adulterer’s child?”  President Obama’s alcoholic father was married multiple times. In fact, his NOT-THE-RAPISTS-CHILD-FB

father was married to two different women concurrently. Do we call Obama the “bigamist’s child” or the “alcoholic’s child”? That would be horrible. Granted, people hold various views of our Commander-in-Chief, but who would call him the Abandoned-in-Chief because of his deadbeat dad (no matter the wishful dreams he had of his father)?

When do we ever define an innocent child by the crimes of either parent? This is only necessary to those whose ideology demands the dehumanization of that life to justify killing via abortion. It assuages those who demand that certain human life have zero civil rights.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, celebrated as one of America’s most pivotal moments. Most don’t realize that it is nearly a mirror copy of the Republican-only passed Civil Rights Act of 1875, championed by famed abolitionist (and my hero) Frederick Douglass. The act was later ruled, in 1883, unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. (They have often been Supremely wrong!) February is Douglass’ birth-month as well as President Abraham Lincoln’s. Both men changed the trajectory of our nation’s civil rights. Lincoln’s conscience was reshaped by Douglass, a man whose name is synonymous with abolition (despite Steven Spielberg’s grotesque omission of him in his award-winning eponymous film). Lincoln’s heart was moved by the eloquence and conviction of a man who wasn’t even considered human. The leader of the Party created to abolish slavery was compelled to rethink his views of humanity and equality by a former slave who abortion activists, today, would call a “rapist’s child.”

Frederick Douglass, racially mixed, was born as a result of the rape of his biological mother, a slave, by her slave master. But Douglass is defined by his greatness, his achievements, by something other than the crime that caused his conception. He wasn’t the “slave master’s child” but a resilient human being who fought to ensure the dignity of all human life. He was a man who rose from the seemingly impossible to be an incomparable orator, author, newspaper publisher, women’s rights advocate, ambassador, abolitionist, and…Presidential advisor.

We all have that capacity within us. We’re all created equal, which means the beautiful possibility that is within that child who was “planned” is no different than that which was instilled in me despite myviolent conception. My biological mother was strength personified. She chose to be stronger than her circumstances. I am beyond grateful for her courage and the incredible gift of life and love she gave to me, especially through adoption. And as I’ve discovered by talking to rape survivors across the country at events on college campuses, in churches, in schools, and in adoption-related conferences, there is a common thread. Children conceived in rape are often considered by their biological mothers as the only redemption amidst the horrific devastation of rape.

According to a published study* in the Journal of American Obstetrics and Gynecology an estimated 50% of women who conceive after being raped choose abortion, but that’s not the end of the story. Surprisingly to some, 32.2% choose to continue their pregnancy and parent the child with 5.9% opting to make an adoption plan, according to the same study. Nearly 40% choose life! I continue to meet these women, both post-abortive (who often express their regret) and those who gave birth to their child. To add a little more context, abortions due to rape constitute 1% of all abortions nationwide. But these are stories worth knowing, perspectives demanding more than a soundbite or the exploitation by a “pro-choice” politician trying to scare the public into embracing abortion.

Many call these situations the hard cases. I call them the heart cases, because it takes more than numbers to sway people to reconsider what society offers as “healing” to women so horrifically violated. It takes sharing the other side of the story, showing people the tangible reality of that 1% and the beautiful Possibility that every life possesses. The violence of abortion, on both the child and the mother, does nothing to punish the rapist. According to many post-abortive rape survivors I’ve talked to, it doesn’t erase the emotional or physical trauma either.

I am not the “rapist’s child”. I was her child. I am God’s child. I’m one of thousands, every year, given the opportunity to live, love and redeem what the rapist tried to destroy. Our stories are full of hope, full of love, full of purpose. And, when given the chance to share our experiences, we change people’s hearts and minds about the heart cases proving that triumph can rise from tragedy.
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Cute as a Button: A Sweet Video About the Unborn Child’s Nine Month Journey

NRL News Today
February 21, 2014   pregnancy

Cute as a button: A sweet video about the unborn child’s nine month journey

By Dave Andrusko

pregnancy4There are a lot of ways to “document” the nine months of pregnancy. You can go heavily into prenatal development, providing pictures and/or illustrations that take you from well before the union of sperm and ovum to the conclusion–the birth of a child. A great example is “The Biology of Prenatal Development,” which is 42 minutes long, although it is so breathtakingly beautiful, it seems more like ten minutes.

Or you can take the approach of this light-hearted video here.

In a dash over a minute and a half, we see the mom from barely showing to very large and about to deliver to the arrival in her arms of their little one. The video is very sweet and is subtly built around the continuity of the baby’s development and the constancy of the couple’s love for one another and their baby.

Very nice. Take 1:36 seconds and watch the video.

WATCH VIDEO & LEARN MORE:

A Father’s Powerful, Heartfelt Letter to the Unborn Son his Family Had Lost

NRL News Today
February 21, 2014   Celebrities

A father’s powerful, heartfelt letter to the unborn son his family had lost

By Dave Andrusko

Shayne Lamas-Richie and husband Nik Richie

Shayne Lamas-Richie and husband Nik Richie

It was about as bad as things could possibly get. Shayne Lamas-Richie, 16 weeks pregnant with her second child, is rushed to the hospital February 9, suffering from internal bleeding around her uterus.

Lamas, known for her appearance on The Bachelor, has an emergency hysterectomy to stop the massive bleeding and to save her life. But, tragically, she loses her baby.

Doctors put her into a medically induced coma to help her body heal. Unexpectedly, her heart stops beating February 14, but she rallies, comes out of her coma Thursday, and is released.

Along the way we learn that her husband, celebrity Nik Richie, had penned a touching, endearing, and heartstrings-tugging letter to the son they had lost. Richie asked TMZ to share it. (See below.)

How this letter came to be written is a story in itself. Nik told TMZ after the baby died “a social worker from the hospital, along with someone involved in the religion affiliated with the hospital, came to him and asked if he wanted to know the gender of his baby.”

After saying yes and being told the baby was “a beautiful boy,” he was asked if he wanted to see his son. Nervously, he said yes. “Nik says they asked him to hold the baby while they prayed.”

But “it wasn’t over, TMZ reported. “Nik was then told he needed to name his child so they could fill out a birth certificate. Nik, who was overwrought with emotion, told them he always wanted a son named Rex, so he named the boy Rex Jagger Lamas-Richie. He chose Jagger because of Mick. Nik says he’s glad he got to see his son but it was the hardest thing he’s ever done.”

Here is Nik’s letter:

Dear R.J.,

I’m writing this to say thank you, to let you know how truly blessed I am to be your father. You brought meaning to your parent’s life in a way you’ll never know and you’ll always be in our hearts and thoughts.

I named you Rex Jagger, R.J. You had a name, a family, and a life ready for the taking. I’m realizing that life doesn’t always work out the way you imagine. I’m sorry.

God has a plan for us all. He gave me an amazing son who will always watch over our family. Your saved your mother’s life with your passing and I will never forget how much this means to me, R.J. In family, we sacrifice for each other. You gave your life for us. You showed me how to live.

I need you to know that I held you, spoke to you, kissed you and that you’ll be remembered. You are perfect. You will always be my son. I’m proud you, always. I love, you Rex Jagger-Lamas-Richie.

Dad

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Lila Rose Featured on ‘The Brody File’

Published: February 21, 2014 11:05 am

Lila Rose featured on ‘The Brody File’

Brody FileLila Rose, the president of Live Action, featured on the February 20, 2014 episode of the Christian Broadcasting Network’s The Brody File.  Calling her a “pro-life prodigy,” Brody joined Rose in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she spoke to students at Sacred Heart Catholic School about the need to play an active part in the “spiritual battle” against the evil of abortion.

When it comes to the pro-life movement, according to one teenager at the Minneapolis talk, “there’s definitely passion.  Like, everyone I talk to – everyone who supports the cause is just super-into it.  There’s no one who’s just, like, mediocre about it.”  This is exactly the phenomenon Nancy Keenan lamented while stepping down as president of NARAL in 2012.

Brody says of Rose: “Lila Rose is to Planned Parenthood what Jerry was to Tom, and Roadrunner was to Wile E. Coyote.”  Considering Live Action’s explicit goal of defunding the abortion industry of all taxpayer money, this is a fair assessment.  But the real thorn in Planned Parenthood’s side is the truth – about abortion, about human embryology, and about human dignity.  And Live Action is simply one of the most effective vehicles for delivering that truth.

You can watch The Brody File here, and read the accompanying story here.  Rose’s segment starts at around the 15:00 mark.

LEARN MORE:

http://liveactionnews.org/lila-rose-featured-on-the-brody-file/

‘Heartbeat’ Bill Aims to Protect Unborn Children in Alabama

Published: February 18, 2014 10:41 am

‘Heartbeat’ bill aims to protect unborn children in Alabama

heart-babyThis week in Alabama, four pro-life bills are having public hearings, and one of them could profoundly affect abortions in the state.

House Bill 490, known as the “Fetal Heartbeat Act,” would eliminate many abortions in the state. The bill says:

Fetal Heartbeat Act, prohibits physician from performing abortion without first determining fetal heartbeat, physician who does not make determination or who performs abortion when heartbeat detected is guilty of Class C felony.

The bill was read last week and referred to the House of Representatives Committee on Health. HB 490 is sponsored by pro-life  Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin (R-Pelham), who made news last year by sponsoring the law which required physicians to have admitting privileges at hospitals if they performed abortions. HB 490 would make abortion more limited, since a heartbeat can be detected at about 7-8 weeks, before many abortions are often performed.

McClurkin says:

This bill specifically deals with killing a person with a heartbeat. We wouldn’t kill a person in a hospital with a heartbeat, we just wouldn’t. It is just simply a bill that will require abortionists to check for the heartbeat, let the mother hear the heartbeat, and then, if there is a heartbeat, he cannot do the abortion.

The Times-Daily reports that “[t]he bill would require that the physician document the procedure used to determine a heartbeat. Not determining the presence of a heartbeat or performing an abortion when a heartbeat has been determined will be a Class C felony, according to the legislation, unless the abortion was medically necessary because the woman’s life or health were at risk.”

The prosecution for this felony, however, would be for physicians defying the law, not the woman having the abortion.

In addition to McClurkin’s bill, three other pro-life bills will be heard Wednesday morning in public hearings, including one sponsored by Rep. Ed Henry (R-Hartselle) that would change the waiting period for an abortion from 24 hours to 48 hours.

‘Heartbeat’ bill aims to protect unborn children in Alabama

LEARN MORE:

http://liveactionnews.org/heartbeat-bill-aims-to-protect-unborn-children-in-alabama/