Sunday, August 31, 2008

Mosher on Population


In an interview on Fox News, Steve Mosher of Population Research Institute (see previous post) reacts to the news that the population of America is increasing, particularly among minorities.

Steve Mosher's major point is that people are an asset not a problem and an increasing birth rate is a sign of stability and optimism within a country. He compares America's positive population growth and economic situation with Europe, where 'they are opening cemeteries and closing maternity hospitals.' It is difficult to listen to as a European but rings horribly true.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

A Courageous Stand by a Courageous Bishop


John Smeaton reports the publication of a truly courageous and passionate document by Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue entitled Fit for Mission? Church. It is painfully honest in its analysis of what it means to be a Catholic today but full of hope and energy at the same time. Of particular interest to this blog is his call for Catholics to fight the culture of death by supporting pro-life groups and living out the Gospel of Life in their own lives.

My favourite passage states:

“The advocates and apologists for the culture of death dismissively accuse Catholics of being ‘indoctrinated’ or ‘brain washed’. They are wrong. The one thing we have in common is that we value human life, because we know how much God values every human life. The value of every human life is at the heart of the Gospel, ‘But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us’. (Romans 5:8).

“Every crucifix in church and home proclaims the victory of life over the culture of death. The paschal mystery of Christ, (Eucharist, passion, death and resurrection) are the ultimate expression of the Law of Self Gift:

“At every opportunity proclaim the right to Life – the most fundamental human right that underpins authentic work for justice and peace…"


Thank you Bishop O'Donoghue!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Mexico Sacrifices Unborn


Mexico's Supreme Court has voted 8-3 to legalise abortion on demand in defiance of the majority of Mexicans who oppose abortion. This makes Mexico the first country in Latin America to legalise abortion on demand, which brings with it the risk of a domino effect throughout the continent.

Fr Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, has described the decision as Montezuma's Abortion Revenge, pointing out that the evil of child sacrifice has blighted every age in human history, manifesting itself today in the form of abortion on demand.

Mexico's decision is, in Fr Euteneuer's words a 'catastrophic defeat for life', but it is by no means the end of the road. Having been ignored by the courts, Mexico's pro-life majority must now voice its opposition to abortion through conscientious objection in hospitals and surgeries, by promoting respect for life in schools and churches and by joining pro-life groups.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Sex Ed and Learning Disabilities

Catholic Action UK report that FPA (formerly Family Planning Association) used Sexual Health Week to launch a campaign promoting explicit sex education among children with learning difficulties.

The CD-Rom produced by FPA apparently contains explicit depictions of sex and masturbation and, according to Audrey Simpson of FPA: "It's more explicit than mainstream sex-education."

This is yet another aspect of the FPA campaign to sexualise children at an earlier age because of the self evident failure of previous programmes to reduce either teen pregnancy or STD levels

Despite the failure of the current approach the FPA recently called for parents to lose the right to take their children out of sex education classes and wants compulsory lessons to start at the age of four.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

American Psychological Association study on mental health and abortion: conclusions lack credibility

A draft report prepared by the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion was released Aug. 12 and its conclusions were presented at the association's annual convention in Boston. Incredibly the study found there is "no credible evidence that a single elective abortion of an unwanted pregnancy in and of itself causes mental health problems for adult women."

This conclusion seems to fly in the face of the facts considering that the research found, some women do experience sadness, grief and feelings of loss following an abortion, even "clinically significant disorders, including depression and anxiety," the study did not find sufficient evidence "to support the claim that an observed association between abortion history and a mental health problem was caused by the abortion per se, as opposed to other factors."

The APA has long held that abortion has no negative mental-health consequences for most women and claim it is crucial for women's mental health that they have access to safe, legal abortions.

David Reardon of the Elliott institute however questions the credibility of the report which he claims is tarnished by the fact that the lead author, Dr. Brenda Major, has violated the APA's own data sharing rules by consistently refusing to allow her own data on abortion and mental health effects to be re-analyzed by other researchers.
Reardon who co-authored a number of books on the issue also claims, the newly released report is flawed by a pattern of wording and reporting which tends to obscure rather than clarify what researchers have found about the mental health effects associated with abortion. The primary conclusion of the report, as highlighted in the APA news release, is that "There is no credible evidence that a single elective abortion of an unwanted pregnancy in and of itself causes mental health problems for adult women…"


According to Reardon, this nuanced statement is intended to convey a message that abortion has no mental health risks but those familiar with the literature will see that it actually admits that there is compelling evidence that there are negative effects for:


  • women who have multiple abortions, (which accounts for about half of all abortions); women who abort of a wanted pregnancy because of coercion or pressure to abort from third parties and may account for about 20-60% of all abortions; minors who have abortions; and
    women with pre-existing mental health problems in which case abortion may not "in and of itself" be the sole cause of mental health problems but may instead trigger or aggravate pre-existing problems.


"Even the modifier that there is 'no credible evidence' of mental health risks in the ideal case of a low risk abortion patient" according to Reardon, "is an admission that there is indeed some evidence that a single abortion can pose a risk to the mental health of a emotionally stable, adult woman,". "In fact, the report itself" according to Reardon, "identifies a whole host of studies providing such evidence, but it mutes a clear presentation of the findings of these studies by focusing on the limitations of each study's methodology, which all studies have, in order to justify ignoring their clear implications.

SPUC director John Smeaton has also posted an article on the issue, on his BLOG

Into the muddled mind of a pro-abortion Catholic


Fr Z has posted a transcript of an interview with U.S. speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi (Dem. -CA) on when life begins. It is difficult to tell, reading Ms Pelosi's claims about the position of the Catholic Church, whether the abortion lobby is genuinely incredibly ignorant about the Catholic Church's consistent teaching on abortion or whether they are deliberately trying to spread confusion so as to undermine one of the strongest voices in defence of the unborn. I would like to think it is the former, I suspect unfortunately it is the latter. It is also possible of course that abortion advocates have become so blinded by their own rhetoric they are unable to see beyond their frequently mouthed mantras.


Cardinal Edward Egan Archbishop of New York was among the many prominent churchmen who roundly rejected Ms Pelosi's comments, "What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age," Cardinal Egan said. Pointing to the fact that modern technology allows one to view a human baby in the womb, he continued by saying, "In simplest terms, they are human beings with an inalienable right to live, a right that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is bound to defend at all costs for the most basic of ethical reasons."


The Cardinal went on to strongly denounce Pelosi's pro-abortion position: "No one with the slightest measure of integrity or honor could fail to know what these marvelous beings manifestly, clearly, and obviously are, as they smile and wave into the world outside the womb. Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being 'chooses' to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name," concluded Cardinal Egan.

For further coverage see (lifesitenews.com)

And as Nancy Pelosi so rightly says:

"It is also true that God has given us, each of us, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions."



He has indeed.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Cardinal Sean Brady intervenes in Lisbon debate



In an important intervention in the debate on the Lisbon Treaty Cardinal Sean Brady Speaking at the Humbert Summer School in Co Mayo on Sunday (24 August), told the gathering, the EU's prevailing culture and social agenda seems to be driven by the secular tradition "rather than by the Christian memory and heritage of the vast majority of member states,".
Cardinal Brady continued by pointing out that there is "a fairly widespread culture in European affairs which relegates manifestations of one's own religious convictions to the private and subjective sphere."
The Cardinal warned that "Successive decisions which have undermined the family based on marriage, the right to life from the moment of conception to natural death, the sacredness of the Sabbath, the right of Christian institutions to maintain and promote their ethos, including schools - these and other decisions have made it more difficult for committed Christians to maintain their instinctive commitment to the European project."
The Cardinal stressed that in his view the difficulties would most likely continue, "Without respect for its Christian memory and soul, I believe it is possible to anticipate continuing difficulties for the European project," and also warned that "dangerous individualism that does not care about God or about what the future might have in store" would most likely continue to cause unease and difficulty in the EU's economic and social policies.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Marie Stopes a 'woman of distinction'?


In October, Royal Mail is issuing a series of stamps entitled 'Women of Distinction' which will include Marie Stopes, a eugenicist who was so extreme in her beliefs that she disinherited her son Harry for the 'eugenic crime' of marrying a woman who wore glasses.

A woman who continues to be lauded as a champion of 'reproductive rights' was not terribly bothered by basic human rights when they got in the way of her ideology and she campaigned openly for the "sterilisation of those totally unfit for parenthood (to) be made an immediate possibility, indeed made compulsory."

We live in an age where millions of women around the world continue to suffer as a result of state-enforced sterilisation and abortion and where a supposedly developed country like Britain kills the overwhelming majority of babies with disabilities before birth because society has still not faced up to the inherent evil of eugenics. Marie Stopes and the other architects of this society should be treated with the contempt they deserve not be honoured for promoting policies that continue to cause so much suffering.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Kenyan Abortion Bill Opposed

John Smeaton reports that a bill to decriminalise abortion in Kenya is being opposed by Esther Murugi the Gender and Children Affairs minister. The bill contains coercive elements and would allow abortion virtually on demand.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Open letter to Minister Harney


Here is the text of an open letter sent by European Life Network to Irish Health Minister Mary Harney following an announcement that a cervical cancer vaccine is to be made available to girls in Ireland aged 12 and over. Please consider sending similar letters to Minister Harney (contact details at the end of the letter)

Dear Minister Harney
In light of your recent announcement that the new HPV vaccines will shortly be made
available in Ireland for young girls from 12 years of age I wish to draw your attention to recent controversies that have arisen with regard to these vaccines and to appeal to you to urgently reconsider your decision to approve them for use in Ireland.

A report based on freedom of information obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by Judicial Watch, details many adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine, Gardasil. This report may be accessed on the following website. http://www.judicialwatch.org/documents/2008/JWReportFDAhpvVaccineRecords.pdf
Briefly the adverse reactions since last September (2007) include 10 deaths. The FDA also produced 140 "serious" reports (27 of which were categorized as "life threatening"), 10 spontaneous abortions and six cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome - all since January 2008. The watchdog group says the number of deaths associated with the vaccine is at least 18 and possibly as many as 20 in the US alone. The serious adverse events include anaphylactic shock, grand mal convulsion, foaming at mouth, coma, paralysis, and death.

Judicial Watch also found 8,864 Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) records associated with Gardasil. Eleven deaths occurred less than a week after receiving the vaccine. Seven women died in less than two days. The most common diagnosed cause was blood clotting. One woman died from a clot within 3 hours of the vaccine. One 20-year-old woman, with no medical history reported, died April 4, 2008 just four days after receiving Gardasil.

The human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are a group of approximately 100 sexually transmitted viruses, a small number of which can increase the risk of a woman developing cervical cancer in later life. Use of this vaccine in this way is unacceptable given the risks to the life and health of young girls directly from the vaccine.

Apart from the serious threat to the life and health of young girls, use of this vaccine raises major moral questions, such as, the apparent condoning of pre-marital sex rather than teaching children the value of chastity. There is also the question of the morality of allowing this vaccine to be marketed and used in Ireland, in the knowledge of the history of adverse reactions associated with it. Moral issues aside, very few properly informed parents would be willing to risk their daughters'lives or health, when the safety of the vaccine is in question.

I would also suggest Minister that unless this decision is reversed as a matter of urgency it has the potential to become another major national scandal and could open the Irish exchequer to future claims of a substantial nature, given that the information in regard to these adverse reactions is already in the public domain.

Contact details for Minister Harney 'minister's_office@health.irlgov.ie'

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Chinese dissidents silenced


Whilst the world celebrates the Olympic Games, Chinese dissidents continue to be silenced so as to avoid any embarrassing protests. The Chinese authorities did of course promise, prior to the Olympics, that protests would be allowed in designated areas, but at present the number of approved protests runs at precisely....none. Instead, according to a BBC report, the torturous application process is being used to intimidate and arrest activists for the crime of applying for the right to hold a protest.

One such protester, Zhang Wei, was arrested last week after petitioning repeatedly for the right to demonstrate. Her family have not heard from her since.

Still, Giselle Davies, spokeswoman for the International Olympics Committee, has praised Beijing for the smooth running of the Games so far. At least some one is happy with the way the Chinese authorities are behaving.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Unacceptable moral confusion over IVF in Ireland


An article published in the magazine Intercom has severely criticised the widespread acceptance of IVF in Ireland. Margaret Byrne, a PhD student in moral theology at Maynooth draws attention to the apparent lack of appreciation among Irish people that there are serious moral problems with IVF such as the destruction of 'surplus' human embryos, the screening out and destruction of embryos with genetic problems and the damaging conviction that children are commodities to which adults have a right.

Margaret Byrne points out that Donum Vitae "makes it very clear that no one has a right to have a child, as a right to a child would be contrary to the child's dignity and nature. A child is not an object to which one has the right to, a child is a gift."

John Smeaton
has condemned the silence by religious leaders and the pro-life movement over the destruction of over two million embryos by the IVF industry, which has undoubtedly added to the fatal moral confusion many people, including those who oppose abortion, are experiencing over IVF. We have a moral duty to defend human life from the moment of fertilisation - all human life - and to warn people that the IVF industry is as anti-life as the abortion industry.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

The Organ Donor Dillemma


An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine has re-opened the debate about the ethics of organ donation. The article warns that organs can be - and are being - harvested from the bodies of patients who cannot be convincingly termed 'dead'. The authors do not oppose organ harvesting on these grounds, stating:
The uncomfortable conclusion to be drawn from this literature is that although it may be perfectly ethical to remove vital organs for transplantation from patients who satisfy the diagnostic criteria of brain death, the reason it is ethical cannot be that we are convinced they are really dead.

However, as SPUC points out, "the acknowledgement of the inadequacy of such criteria significantly undermines the ethics of organ donation."

The July/August 2008 edition of the Faith magazine contains a paper by Bernard Farrell-Roberts analysing the ethics of organ donation.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

SPUC Conference


SPUC is holding its national conference over the weekend of 5 to 7 September. One of the main speakers will be U.S. scientist Dr James Sherley, leader of the human adult stem cell research laboratory in the Programs in Cancer and Regenerative Biology, at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute.

Further information and booking forms are available from the SPUC website.

Friday, August 15, 2008

I know I made the right decision...


'Elizabeth' was sixteen when she was dragged into the back of a van by three men and gang raped. Some time later, when the police investigation had petered out, she realised she was pregnant. Everyone except her mother felt strongly that she should have an abortion and reacted with horror when she expressed her wish to carry the child to term. However, in her own words:
'Everyone, save for mum, thought I should have an abortion. My dad even made an appointment at the clinic, and they showed me the little blob on the scan, I presume, to convince me that it was just a mass of cells and the whole thing would be over quickly.

'But I couldn't go through with it. At school, my friends - most of whom didn't even know about the rape - couldn't understand why anyone my age would want to have a baby rather than an abortion.

'And the few I did tell about what had happened were even more horrified that I would want to go through with the birth.

'But I did. And I don't regret it for a moment. Every time I look at Phoebe, I know I made the right decision. I never wanted to end my baby's life just because of how she came to be.


One of the most shocking aspects to Elizabeth's story was the hostility she had to bear from members of her own community, particularly members of her church. Many of them appear not to have realised she had been raped and dismissed her as a 'silly teenager', condemning her when they should have been offering support. Even those who knew the terrible ordeal she had suffered appear to have been horrified that she refused an abortion rather than saluting her courage.

The abortion lobby is very good at using the suffering of rape victims to further their own agenda, whilst young women like Elizabeth who challenge assumptions about the 'hard cases' are simply ignored. Her final words on the subject are particularly moving. When asked what she will tell her daughter if she asks about her father, she says:

'If I have to, I will say that she was the good that came out of something bad. And I will tell her that, however she came to be, I have never ever regretted having her, and I would not be without her for the world.'

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Prayers for Northern Ireland


John Smeaton has offered his support to a paper calling for forty days of prayer and fasting to stop the Abortion Act being extended to Northern Ireland. He points out that SPUC is not a religious organisation but there are precedents for actions such as these during times of crisis. King George VI called the people to 'prayer and dedication' during the Normandy Landings of 1944.

The proposed period of prayer and fasting is between 20th August and 4th October (excluding Sundays).

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Secret Abortions challenged


Planned Parenthood in California has failed in a court bid to suppress a leaflet opposing secret abortions for underage girls. Planned Parenthood objected to references to a 15-year-old girl called Sarah who died when she developed complications following a secret abortion and other equally damning case studies, such as a minor who was taken for a secret abortion by a man who was sexually abusing her.

We have to acknowledge that for many teenage girls, telling their parents that they are pregnant would be a terrifying prospect for all kinds of reasons. However, the 'don't worry, nobody needs to know' approach only exacerbates an already lonely and distressing situation, depriving parents of the opportunity to help their children and leaving vulnerable girls open to continued abuse and the emotional and physical dangers of undergoing an abortion.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Remembering Tiananmen


Following the SPUC protest outside the Chinese Embassy in London, Fiorella Nash spoke about meeting a man during the demonstration who was keeping a silent vigil nearby. He was a former student activist in China who witnessed the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and was a prisoner of conscience before escaping China in the early 90s. He has lived in exile in London ever since and campaigns for democratic change in China.

Nearly twenty years on, the hundreds of young people who were injured, imprisoned or killed for engaging in peaceful protest, have been largely forgotten by the world. However, their mothers are still campaigning for justice, gathering information about the atrocities carried out and calling for the right to mourn their loved ones. Please consider signing their petition

Monday, August 11, 2008

"I don't know how she does it!"


...and increasingly, she doesn't know how either. Managing the stress of a full-time job on top of caring for young children has always been an unenviable challenge for mothers. According to a new study from Cambridge University, which analysed social attitudes towards mothers going out to work, there are increasing fears among both men and women that mothers working full-time is detrimental to the welfare of children.
As Jacqueline Scott the University's professor of empirical sociology puts it: "When it comes to the clash between work and family life, doubts about whether a woman should be doing both are starting to creep in."

In other words:
"It is conceivable that opinions are shifting as the shine of the 'super-mum' syndrome wears off, and the idea of women juggling high-powered careers while also baking cookies and reading bedtime stories is increasingly seen to be unrealisable by ordinary mortals."

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Du Bist Deutchland

I came across this post on Felix Randal, the blog of a young Irish teacher who comments on the lack of awareness among his students that they may become parents one day. He includes a German video (subtitled), entitled 'You are Germany', which offers a touching and humorous vision of parenthood.

For children growing up in a world where procreation is increasingly seen as an irrelevant and undesirable aspect of sexuality, videos like this offer a welcome introduction to the exhausting, awe-inspiring, maddening and overwhelmingly beautiful experience that is parenthood.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

...and in London


The SPUC Youth and Student Division's protest outside the Chinese Embassy took place yesterday in London. Fiorella Nash, the event organiser, said: "The demonstration was a great success. There was a lot of interest and support from passers-by and people involved in other protests and we have been encouraged to demonstrate again in the future."

Friday, August 8, 2008

Student Protest in Sydney


The student protest in Sydney against China's repressive population policy was a great success, according to Paul Smeaton, the event organiser. In a press statement, he said:

"Today is about expressing our opposition to the one child policy and the indirect support it receives from most leading Western governments, including Australia. We are bearing witness to our hope that the Chinese government will end the terrible violence inflicted upon their own people and embrace a culture that respects the dignity and rights of all human beings."


The students held banners, handed out hundreds of leaflets and engaged in discussion with passers-by.

I feel privileged to know Paul Smeaton, who came to work for me at the United Nations during his gap year. It is heartening to see a new generation courageously bearing witness to a truth many in the West find it impossible to confront. Long may it continue.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Voices for the Voiceless


The Chinese authorities have arrested British and American activists for demonstrating in support of human rights, ahead of the opening of the Beijing Olympics tomorrow. Among the activists detained by police were three Americans who protested in Tiananmen Square against the country's repressive population policy and the persecution of religious groups. They said in a statement:

"Today we stand as a bold and prophetic witness against the tyranny and brutality by the Chinese government against their own people. As the Summer Olympics are being celebrated, millions of Christians and those with other faith traditions are routinely oppressed, tortured and jailed by Chinese officials. It is a privilege and honor to be able to stand with those who are persecuted.

"China also promotes the barbaric practice of forced abortion and sterilization, while those who speak out against human rights abuses by the Chinese government are crushed and trampled. And, the peaceful citizens of Tibet have been brutalized by Chinese leaders."


As they held their banner, they called out: "End the brutality. To those who are forced to go through forced abortions and have no voice, we are your voice."

I commend the courage of these people in drawing the world's attention to an atrocity the West continues to support. In London and Sydney, Australia, groups of young people are to hold silent demonstrations outside the Chinese Embassy in these cities. They are calling for an end to human rights abuses in the name of the one-child policy and stand in solidarity with those who face torture and imprisonment for daring to criticise the Chinese authorities.

As Fiorella Nash, the co-ordinator of the London event said: "As a mother, it is incredible to me that any government regards itself as having a right to prevent women from having children. Many people I have spoken to about this subject, including women who would regard themselves as feminists, shrug their shoulders as if it isn't that important. I wonder if people would be so accepting of such an abuse if it were going on in England? Would people still shrug their shoulders and refuse to comment if, during my second pregnancy, my husband had been told he would be thrown out of Cambridge University if I didn't abort, or if I had been forcibly detained at Addenbrooke's hospital during an ante-natal check and woken up from the sedation to find my baby had been killed and I had been sterilised? Reproductive rights just aren't that important when the woman actually wants to have a baby. The hypocrisy is disgraceful."

The protest in London will be held tomorrow between 2pm and 8pm.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Aleksander Solzhenitsyn R.I.P.


Aleksander Solzhenitsyn died on Sunday after years of declining health. His bestselling books - The First Circle, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Cancer Ward, Gulag Archipelago - drew the world's attention to the brutal oppression being suffered by millions of people in the Soviet Union and made him a household name. He has claims to being one of the most significant figures (alongside John Paul II) in the fall of Soviet Communism and will be remembered as an unfaltering witness for the truth.

He was not only the Soviet regime's harshest critic. He was not afraid to challenge western corruption, materialism and atheism, as in the devastating analysis of western spiritual and moral disintegration he gave at Harvard in 1978, for which many westerners never forgave him. He returned to his native land in 1994 and lived out the remaining years of his life in relative obscurity, a prophet unwelcome in his own country.

Of all the many insightful and compelling words Solzhenistyn wrote and said during his distinguished career, a comment from his Nobel lecture strikes a particularly strong chord:

Let the lie come into the world, even dominate the world, but not through me.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Save the Females


...and by way of follow-up from the previous story, the British Conservatives want to encourage young men to face up to their responsibilities. Michael Gove, the shadow Education Secretary, criticised lads' mags like Zoo and Nuts for promoting irresponsible sexual behaviour, particularly for portraying women as "permanently, lasciviously, uncomplicatedly available." He goes on:
"We should ask those who make profits out of revelling in, or encouraging, selfish irresponsibility among young men what they think they're doing. They celebrate thrill-seeking and instant gratification without ever allowing any thought of responsibility towards others, or commitment, to intrude."
Mr Gove's comments have, predictably, been dismissed by the industry, but it is time and gone time that the people behind these publications were called to account.

As Kathleen Parker pointed out in her article, when men are deprived of any sense of identity or purpose within society, women as well as men suffer the consequences. No one is pretending that banning magazines of this nature will cause a revolution in behaviour between the sexes, but if we are to create a society in which men and women respect and value one another, the battle must begin with the media.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Save the Males


Valle Adurni reports on an excellent article in The Times by author and journalist Kathleen Parker. Parker argues that feminism has waged a war on masculinity which has left men disenfranchised, causing serious harm to men, women and families. She warns:

As long as men feel marginalised by the women whose favours and approval they seek; as long as they are alienated from their children and treated as criminals by family courts; as long as they are disrespected by a culture that no longer values masculinity tied to honour; and as long as boys are bereft of strong fathers and our young men and women wage sexual war, then we risk cultural suicide.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Stand Up Girl


Of the many pro-life websites I come across during the course of my work, I was particularly impressed by Stand Up Girl, a site designed for young woman facing a crisis pregnancy by those who have been there.

Unlike so many sites for young people which claim neutrality whilst transparently selling abortion as the only realistic option, Stand Up Girl empowers young women to keep their babies and offers support and information about pregnancy, child development and parenthood.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

100 Million 'missing' girls


In June, I reported on a Parliamentary meeting discussing the subject of Asia's missing daughters. The Population Research Institute has produced a video to raise awareness about sex selective abortion around the world. It makes the point that, whilst China and India have serious problems with gender imbalance as a result of sex selective abortion and infanticide, sex selective abortion is practised in many countries, including the United States and Britain.

The UN estimates that there are 100 million 'missing' girls around the world. Sex selective abortion is the greatest possible injustice against women and a crime against humanity that targets the most vulnerable human beings. As Steve Mosher points out in the video: if feminists cared about women, sex selective abortion would be illegal.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Call for end to coercive population control


The U.S. House of Representatives has voted in favour of a resolution calling on China to end its coercive population control policy. Chris Smith, a co-sponsor of the resolution and expert on China's one-child policy, drew particular attention to sex selective abortion and the continuing mistreatment of women in the name of the policy. He said:
"China’s coercive population control program has imposed unspeakable violence, pain and humiliation on hundreds of millions of Chinese women, many of whom suffer lifelong depression as a consequence. Massively violated by the state, it is no wonder more women commit suicide in China than anywhere else in the world."
He added:
"With its heavy reliance on forced abortion, involuntary sterilization and ruinous fines for illegal children, the policy, in effect since 1979, constitutes one of the greatest continuous crimes against humanity in human history."


The resolution was passed by 419 votes to 1.