No Easy Decision

On December 28th 2010 at 11:30pm the season premiere of MTV's "No Easy Decision" aired.

I felt it started out well intentioned as the couple found out they were pregnant for a second time and worried about what to do and recognized the 3 possible options (Keep the child, adoption, or abortion) and said they wanted to do what was best for their baby. After the "procedure" there was an argument between the couple after the "father" called their recently deceased child "nothing but a bunch of cells" and the "mother" got extremely upset basically saying that is was a baby and "that bunch of cells could turn into this" (as she points at her 1 year old daughter). She seemed heart broken at her decision, but MTV always has to put their editing skills to work to make it look as though everything is fine the next day. They bring 2 other "mothers" onto the show as they all meet and discuss with a doctor about their "heroic" choice for their "family". It was extremely upsetting how these women justified their abortion, one woman even said "I am proud of it" and could not understand why abortion is not a more acceptable choice in our society. The show is very upsetting and I found it sad to watch a teenage couple go through the pain of abortion. If you choose to watch this show, be mindful that MTV has no problem editing their footage to put out any skewed view/agenda they want or have in mind.

On a more positive note, I found it very encouraging to know that most of the viewers that wrote on the MTV community site were very displeased with what they saw and some even spoke out about their own pain from abortion or family members. I have yet to read a comment saying "I am also proud of my abortion" which I am happy to report.

Here is the link to the Fir st Episode:

http://www.mtv.com/videos/no-easy-decision-special/1654990/playlist.jhtml


Below is a link to the MTV blog if you have any comments or want to read others opinions and thoughts:

http://community.mtv.com/Discussion-Thread/NO-EASY-DECISION-WRONG-WAY/0D3FCFFFF02098AEE00090129B3BC

I would like to conclude by stating that the view of "killing your child and justifying it as doing what is best for them" is false and should not be recognized as a reason for abortion. The only time that it is not a sin for your baby to die before birth that is recognized by the Catholic Church is: due to miscarriage, during birth, or the life of the mother is at risk. Adoption is always an option and their are millions of people on lists that want a child that cannot physically get pregnant.
















Taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.⁷²

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."⁷³

Please continue to pray for all women that have had abortions and are considering it. Jesus guide them in Your Truth.

The Truth about the Lies: Lila Rose and Planned Parenthood

Lila Rose, a 20 year-old junior at UCLA, has been making headlines across the U.S. because of what she calls the "Mona Lisa Project” an undercover investigation of abortion clinics that openly violate certain laws within their clinics. This young woman and her group, Live Action, have been visiting Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics across the country, posing as potential clients and donors in order to uncover the truth about the abortion industry.

Here's what she found:

• Racism is still alive in Planned Parenthood clinics: Planned Parenthood employees accepted money that was specifically tagged for killing "a black baby."


• Some Planned Parenthood employees deliberately cover up cases of statutory rape.


• Clinics will break parental consent laws. (source: prolifeamerica.com)

Visit http://www.liveaction.org/ to see the footage of her Planned Parenthood visits for yourself. YouTube has banned several of her pro-life videos...

Lila Rose will be appearing as a guest on EWTN's "Life on the Rock" tommorow night, August 27th, at 8 p.m. EST.

"Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." - Pope John Paul II

Murder of George Tiller

You may have heard of the murder of George Tiller.  Who was he?  He was one of the very few abortionists in the United States that would perform late term abortions.  The pre-"aborted" child was so developed that he or she could survive outside the mother's womb.  So, you can see, that he was a very controversial person.  

I'm writing to tell you that the man who shot Mr. Tiller, Scott Roeder, has caused a great deal of scandal.  It is not our right to take another's life.  If we claim that it's our right, the core of our peace movement, the right to life, would collapse in self-contradiction.  There will be many that, because of this scandal, will paint right to lifers as mindless radicals.  I want to remind you that we are Christ-centered, peaceful people.  Think about Jesus when he was persecuted:  Did he act in violence or was he the model of peace, tranquility, faith and hope?  He bore all violence done to him for the sake of his Father.  We, too, are called to do the same when we are slandered.

Peace be with you.     

An Article of Hope

Here is an article about the conversion of an abortion doctor that should give all of us hope. Click here.

Fight the Freedom of Choice Act

If you have not yet heard about the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) that President Barack Obama promises to pass within the his first 60 days as president, please take the time to read about it and sign a petition against it by clicking here.

Changed Hearts

The way to overcome abortion is through the conversion of hearts. Read an uplifting story about how 200,00- student's effort on this past Tuesday's (October 21st) Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity changed the hearts of at least 32 women. Click here. We can make a difference.

A Previous Abortionist on Abortion

Check out the truth about abortions from a previous abortionist: here.

Mexico City

This morning I read an article about the abortion debate in Mexico City.

It’s deceiving to even call it a debate. The article quoted the president of Catholic lawyers and he said it well: “It’s a debate over absolutes. It’s not really a subject to debate.” It’s important not to be deceived. A great trick of the Enemy is when he tempts us to think that God’s laws are open to debate. The right to life is necessary.

Also, there were others quoted that confused their religion with their fallen feelings. One woman said: “I am Catholic, but I have convictions.” Another was quoted: “I’m Catholic, but now that the law has passed [I’m having an abortion].” Are these Catholics uninformed? Regardless, once again, the media is sending mixed messages. Say, for example, you were an uninformed Catholic that reads the papers more often than you listen to your pastor. One would think, after reading something like this, that it’s okay to profess to be Catholic and supportive of something so grave that the Church condemns. It’s not okay.

The good news, though, is that 85% of the doctors in Mexico City won’t perform the abortion. Alleluia!

Please remember Mexico City in your prayers.

God Bless.

There was an article in The Catholic Telegraph about a book entitled Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses. I have not read the book, but I think that the author, Donna Freitas, discovered an interesting point. Through her discussions and survey, Freitas discovered that many college students today cannot make a connection between their faith and their sexuality.
Today, our culture works hard to separate the two. Our society down plays God's role in our sexuality. "If it feels good it must be right." But who created and gave us our sexuality? God. So, would He not also know best what is the meaning and purpose of our sexuality? Our sexuality is so much more than a feeling.
The connection between our sexuality and our faith is crucial to understanding the true meaning and purpose of our human sexuality. Only God can reveal to us the true beauty and depth of our sexuality as men and women and how the two really complement each other.
The article reports Freitas saying that students are struggling to deal with the disconnect between what they really want and what they think is expected of them. So what do college students really want? Like all of us, they want authentic love - love that is real and total. Who wants to be loved for just their body and what it can do for another? I dare say no one. What is expected of them? The college environment expects them to join the party scene of excessive drinking and excessive casual sex with whomever, thus, denying themselves their true worth.
It is hard when the pressures of our society pull us in one direction and the yearning of our hearts pull us in a different direction. Wouldn't it serve us better to listen to our hearts so we can really live to the fullest?

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Protect Cincinnati

News has been circulating for quite awhile that Planned Parenthood is building a new clinic in Price Hill. The news is quite disturbing, and fortunately, pro-life advocates have been hard at work to spread the word and fight the abortion giant's unwelcome arrival in the neighborhood. You can learn more about what you can do at the Protect Cincinnati website.

An abortion survivor speaks out

Gianna Jessen was aborted. The procedure used is no longer common, but it involved the use of saline, which basically burns the unborn child. Miraculously, Gianna survived and was placed for adoption. Watch her discuss her story here.

Abortion changes you

Ever wonder what people think after having an abortion? Abortion Changes You is a new website that gives men and women a forum to express their feelings through art, poetry or written testimony.

Men's rights in abortion

After discussing the lack of men’s legal rights in abortion in school for the past couple of days, I tackled my old text books and notes from my Life Issues and the Law class in college. Here are some important points, mostly dealing specifically with married men’s rights (or lack thereof), though they imply a great deal about non-married men as well:

In a 1976 Supreme Court case, Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, a decision was handed down regarding fathers’ rights in abortion. One of the findings was that a man’s right to know about his wife or daughter’s abortion is “unconstitutional.”

• The Supreme Court refused to hear the Conn v. Conn. case regarding a man who won a court order in 1988 barring his wife from having an abortion. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, the woman defied court orders and had the abortion anyway. Her lawyer “stated in legal documents that ‘she did what she had to do to protect both her physical and emotional health’” (The Facts of Life: An Authoritative Guide to Life and Family Issues by Brian Clowes, Ph.D., page 31). But court documents “showed that she had the abortion because she had planned a trip to the beach and wanted to look good in her new bathing suit!” (ibid).
  
• The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear this case implicitly proved that fathers have no legal rights when it comes to abortion.
• The Supreme Court decision, Casey v. Planned Parenthood in 1992 also commented on this issue. They considered it an “undue burden” on women to have to share their abortion decision (or even notification) with their husband. They relied heavily on the argument that it may cause psychological or physical abuse on the part of the husband. Part of the decision said, “The husband’s interest in the life of the child his wife is carrying does not permit the State to empower him with this troubling degree of authority over his wife. … A state may not give to a man the kind of dominion over his wife that parents exercise over their children.”
• In Casey v. Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court also said that if this were the case of a woman notifying her husband about taking action regarding their “living child,” then the mother and father would presumably have equal interest in the matter. However, they stated that, “It is an inescapable biological fact that state regulation with respect to the child a woman is carrying will have a far greater impact on the mother’s liberty than on the father’s.”
• These cases all applied to husbands. If a married man is given no say in abortion, then neither is a single man.

I don’t understand how a father can be given no legal rights when a child is just as much his as it is the woman’s. Obviously the child is living inside of the mother’s womb, but it is not part of her body. It is upsetting to know that informing a baby’s father about an abortion decision is legally considered an unnecessary burden on women. Fortunately, no law can stop a man from expressing his views concerning abortion.

How much do you know about Roe?

As the 35th anniversary of the legalization of abortion through Roe v. Wade draws near (January 22), take a few minutes to test your knowledge about the Supreme Court's decision with the Roe IQ Test. I admit, I got a couple questions wrong. Let me know if you beat my score!

What if the baby is going to die?

We are constantly confronted with well-meaning people asking if abortion is OK if the baby will "die anyway." My answer always includes the question, "How do we know for sure that they will die and does their possible death give their life less meaning?" Here is a wonderful article and video about a girl celebrating her 16th birthday after her mother had been pressured to have an abortion because of poor fetal health.

Make sure to watch the accompanying video (it's on the top right).

Is pro-choice, pro-abortion?

C.S. Lewis, the author of the Chronicles of Narnia, used to talk about verbicide (the killing of words). The basic concept is that we use words that typically have another meaning to “sugarcoat” new concepts (eg. “gay” used to mean happy but now means actively homosexual). So, we now say pro-choice to sugarcoat being pro-abortion.

The only choice we are talking about in this instance is the choice to have an abortion. I think everyone should be pro-choice in the sense that we all want choices – what am I going to eat, what should I wear, which movie do I want to watch – but when we say pro-choice we are only advocating the ability to make one particular choice, regarding abortion.

What does freedom really mean? Surprisingly, freedom isn’t doing whatever I want, whenever I want, with whoever I want. Freedom, instead, is the ability to choose the good. For example, if I have a car that runs only on unleaded gas, but I feel suppressed by such a condition that I decide to use diesel instead, how “free” will I feel when my car is unable to move? True freedom would be the ability to freely choose to buy the unleaded gas, which in the end will allow me to accomplish much more than the diesel would. Over the summer, a local teenager drove a car that crashed. He had the freedom to obey the speed limit or not. By not choosing what was good, his “freedom” (in the let-me-do-whatever-I-want-sense) resulted in the death of two other teens.

So, is choosing abortion freedom? To answer that, we would have to look at whether or not abortion is good. I would argue that it is not good on four counts:

1) It ends the life of the child, whose life has begun at the moment of fertilization.

2) It destroys the emotional (and sometimes physical) health of the mother. (See http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/testimonies/index.html and http://afterabortion.com/sharing.html; also http://cuf.org/LayWitness/Online_view.asp?lwID=42 – this was written by a friend of mine)

3) It is emotionally damaging to the father. (See above links)

4) It is destructive of society, which has a lower respect for life in general and does not have the blessing of those 47 million people who God created for a reason.

What good could supporting the choice of abortion do? It seems like a quick fix, but after sidewalk counseling in front of abortion clinics and talking to many women who have had an abortion, I know that it doesn’t fix anything. In fact, it just creates more problems, physically and emotionally. In my time outside of abortion clinics, I have seen women cry, scream, become physically violent and even be carried out of the abortion clinic in a stretcher. After experiences like this, I have encountered face-to-face that abortion does not make someone’s life easy. Of course, adoption and parenting are not easy decisions either, but they are decisions that a woman can live with.

This plays a huge role in why we do the In Control program – we don’t want anyone to be put in this situation to begin with. If someone is facing an unexpected pregnancy, then we can reach out to them in love by helping them to find options that are truly loving and life-giving. True freedom would give these women the ability to freely choose the good – life.

Think back to the legalization of slavery or during the Holocaust. Would anyone today say that it would have been OK to be “pro-choice” in supporting slavery or the Holocaust? Doubtfully. We recognize that those things were horribly wrong and we can’t even imagine someone saying that it would be OK if it was someone else’s choice.

I was able to go to Poland last year. Standing in the Auschwitz concentration camp I could not believe what a horrible place it was. Another girl from my school told me that maybe a reason God had me there was to share with others the similarity of the acceptance of evil during the Holocaust and the acceptance of the evil of abortion. I read a book about the Holocaust in which one man was quoted as saying that the reason he got involved in standing against the work of Hitler was because he couldn’t imagine his future grandchildren asking him what he did to stop the evil, if his answer would be, “Nothing.” I think the same is true today.

Saying, I’m against abortion but I’m pro-choice is like saying, I’m against parents shooting their teenagers, but I’m for the choice of other parents to shoot their teenagers if they get frustrated with them." If killing babies through abortion is wrong, then it can never be right. Therefore, being "pro-choice" is being "pro-abortion."