EU Wants Catholic Doctors To Perform Abortions

From the Toronto Free Press:


Do abortionists wish each other a Merry Christmas?

Every year one in three pregnancies worldwide ends in an abortion. A total of 40 million abortions are performed each year, which means that since 1980 one billion children have not been allowed to be born. Contemplating Baby Jesus in the crib one may wonder whether the fact that there are 6.5 billion of us today instead of 7.5 billion is a human achievement or not. Some think it is, some think it is not. But why do those who consider universal legalised abortion to be a sign of progress want to force those who regard abortion as a crime to be a part of it?
A European Union advisory panel has issued a statement saying that medical professionals are not allowed to refuse to participate in abortions. According to the EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights doctors should be forced to perform abortions, even if they have conscientious objections, because the right to abort a child is an “international human right.”
The Network, which consists of one expert per EU member state, assists the European Commission and the European Parliament in developing EU policy on fundamental rights. The Network wrote a 40-page opinion stressing that the right to conscientious objection is not “unlimited.” The opinion was given in connection with a proposed treaty between the Vatican and Slovakia. This treaty includes a guarantee that Catholic hospitals in Slovakia will not be legally obliged to “perform artificial abortions, artificial or assisted fertilizations, experiments with or handling of human organs, human embryos or human sex cells, euthanasia, cloning, sterilizations, [and] acts connected with contraception.”
The Network states that agreements which guarantee Catholic doctors and nurses a right not to be involved in abortions violate EU law. Leftist groups have complained that some new EU members – namely Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia – are so overwhelmingly Catholic that far too few doctors are willing to perform abortions. This makes it hard for women who want an abortion to find a doctor who has no conscientious objection. In such cases, the EU experts say, doctors should be forced to abort:
“Indeed, the right to religious conscientious objection may conflict with other rights, also recognized under international law. In such circumstances, an adequate balance must be struck between these conflicting requirements, which may not lead to one right being sacrificed to another.”
The experts declare that the right to religious conscientious objection “should be regulated in order to ensure that, in circumstances where abortion is legal, no woman shall be deprived from having effective access to the medical service of abortion. In the view of the Network, this implies that the State concerned must ensure, first, that an effective remedy should be open to challenge any refusal to provide abortion; second, that an obligation will be imposed on the health care practitioner exercising his or her right to religious conscientious objection to refer the woman seeking abortion to another qualified health care practitioner who will agree to perform the abortion; third, that another qualified health care practitioner will be indeed available, including in rural areas or in areas which are geographically remote from the centre.”
Recently there was a row about a display in the building of the European Parliament in Brussels of a poster comparing abortion with the holocaust. The poster was part of an exhibition organised by Members of the European Parliament belonging to the League of Polish Families. When leftist MEPs tried to rip the posters down a tussle broke out between MEPs. A group of 500 self-proclaimed “women’s rights and human rights leaders” subsequently wrote a letter to Josep Borrell-Fontelles, the president of the Parliament, to express their “outrage”.
Apart from the right of a woman to an abortion, which according to the EU’s “experts on fundamental rights” overrules the right of medical professionals to conscientious objections, some argue that there is also the right of the unborn child to live. People who think so are looked upon as “rightwing loonies” by self-styled sophisticated secularists. The latter claim that the unborn have no rights at all. The EU experts clearly belong to this group. This explains why, in their search for an “adequate balance to be struck between conflicting requirements, which may not lead to one right being sacrificed to another,” they consider the rights of women and doctors, but do not mention the rights of unborn children. On Christmas Eve this may deserve some contemplation.

Do EU experts wish each other a Merry Christmas?

Request

Here is a letter from El Cafe Cubano to Fr. Frank Pavone(Priests for Life):

Fr. Frank Pavone,

First of all I want to thank you for your passion and endless work concerning the unborn. As a Catholic I support you and the cause 100%. The reason for this letter is that we need your help and prayers. A political prisoner in Cuba, Dr. Elias Biscet is holding on to his dear life in prison. His crime: He spoke out against abortion and the communist regime in Cuba. His prison term: 25 years! Most of the international and Christian community have no clue or have ignored this struggle. Here is an excerpt from Armando Valledares, who spent 22 years in prison :

"Valladares vividly expressed how much it meant the international reaction to the Cuban political martyrdom: "During those years, with the purpose of forcing us to abandon our religious beliefs and to demoralize us, the Cuban Communist indoctrinators repeatedly used the statements made by some representatives of the American Christian churches. Every time a pamphlet was published in U.S., every time a clergyman would write an article in support of Castro’s dictatorship, a translation would be given to us, and that was far worse for the Christian political prisoners than the beatings or the hunger. Incomprehensible to us, while we waited for the embrace of solidarity from our brothers in Christ, those who were embraced were our tormentors."

Please we are asking for your support moral, spiritual, or anything that will save Dr. Biscet's life!Here is a website dedicated to Dr. Biscet:
http://www.free-biscet.org/

Thanks and God Bless!- I urge you my fellow bloggers to write and spread the word. Even in the christian community their is widespread ignorance concerning Dr. Biscet and Cuba.

http://www.priestsforlife.org/index.html

mail@priestsforlife.org

Merry Christmas

To all my family, friends, readers, and fellow bloggers: "Merry Christmas." To the people of Cuba: that all free nations of the world will finally recognize that it's time for FREEDOM and JUSTICE, and finally "FELIZ NAVIDAD

Disgusting Ad

This is very sad that Our Lady is treated this way. The artist trying to make a point can use another method than trying using Our Lady.

A Jesuit magazine has apologized after inadvertently publishing an advertisement for a Virgin Mary statue wrapped in a condom that an artist intended as a protest against the church's opposition to condom use.
The Rev. Drew Christiansen, editor-in-chief of America, said in a note to readers that the condom was not visible in the black and white proofs that were used to review the final draft of the Dec. 5 issue, which appeared with color photos.
"We are returning payment for the ad and protesting the abuse to the artist," Christiansen wrote to subscribers.
The headline for the ad read, "Unique Contemporary Religious Art Work for Sale." In the text, the statue was called "Extra Virgin," and was described as "a stunning 22 cm high statue of the Virgin Mary standing atop a serpent wearing a delicate veil of latex."
The statue was made by Steve Rosenthal, who said he was an artist in London. Rosenthal released a statement Thursday saying he placed the ad as a protest for World AIDS Day against Vatican opposition to the use of condoms to stem the spread of the disease. World AIDS Day is Dec. 1.
"I at no time tried to dupe or deceive `America' magazine," Rosenthal said. "The description of the work was clear by both the text included and image provided."
The Rev. Jim Martin, associate editor, called the ad "a deliberate attempt to embarrass us and denigrate Mary."
"The word condom is not in the ad," Martin said Thursday. "The word `latex' for a celibate priest does not register as it might with lay people."
Christiansen said America was changing how it reviewed ads in response to the mistake. Martin said the magazine, which has a circulation of about 46,000, received a few dozen complaints from readers.
America previously had been the target of criticism from church officials.
The Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, pressed Jesuit leaders to remove the previous editor, the Rev. Thomas Reese, after the magazine published articles by scholars who took issue with Catholic teaching, according to sources in the religious order. Reese resigned in May.

Christmas is Forbidden

Click here for the story:

University Administrator Declares Christmas 'Forbidden'
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com CorrespondentDecember 16, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - An administrator at California State University, Sacramento has banned decorations pertaining to Christmas and the 4th of July, among other holidays, from her office because they represent "religious discrimination" and "ethnic insensitivity.""Time has come to recognize that religious discrimination, as well as ethnic insensitivity to certain holidays, is forbidden," Patricia Sonntag, director of the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities, stated in the directive she e-mailed to members of her staff on Dec. 9.Cybercast News Service obtained the directive from the non-profit Catholic League, which "defends the right of Catholics ... to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination," according to its website. The content of the e-mail was confirmed by the university.The memo specifically names Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine's Day, the 4th of July, St. Patrick's Day and Easter as the most offensive holidays, but Sonntag adds that they are "off the top of the list," implying that there may be others.She wrote that the ban was being implemented "in order to avoid offending someone else" because Sacramento State is "a secular university and we are a public service area that has a diverse employee and student populations [sic] even in our private offices."Sonntag noted that she is "the worst offender and celebrant," and apologized "if this offends anyone, but it is time to start the new year differently."A Nov. 28 profile of Sonntag in the university's faculty and staff newsletter stated that she and her office "Have been the cornerstone of equality and progress here on campus."But the university associate vice president for public affairs, Frank Whitlatch, distanced the university from Sonntag's policy, saying in a prepared statement that it "was well-intentioned but strays from the established practice."He stated that the university "has no guidelines prohibiting holiday decorations," aside from the responsibility of supervisors, "to ensure that employees do not spend an unreasonable amount of work time decorating."Whitlatch echoed Sonntag's sentiments that Sacramento State "is a public entity ... and employees do not endorse specific religious beliefs while on the job."Catholic League president Bill Donohue called the policy a violation of free speech rights. "It never occurs to these secular supremacists that it is their aversion to anything religious - or patriotic - that accounts for their desire to muzzle free speech."A receptionist in Sonntag's office told Cybercast News Service that Sonntage was on vacation. The office's assistant director, Teresa Mendick, did not return calls requesting comment for this article.

Miracles from Weeping Statue?

Since tears of blood first appeared on this statue outside the Vietnamese Catholic Martyr's church in late November, many of the faithful say their prayers and petitions are being answered.

Click here for the article.

Messages

From PDT:

Joseph Terelya - Messages of Nov 15, 2005 in Marmora, ON, Canada
Joseph Terelya - Messages of Nov 15, 2005 in Marmora, ON, Canada

Joseph Terelya's (Ukrainian visionary) messages from Virgin Mary and St. Michaelin Marmora, Ontario, Canada November 15, 2005 - 3:00 p.m. Marmora, Ontario,Canada

I was praying alone at the 10th Station of The Way of The Cross A lightappeared and in it the Living Mother of God , Mary the Miracle Worker."Our Son, today is the last time I am giving such a prophecy: It is necessaryfor those who support evil in its manifestation through murder, sacrileges andheresies.It is important that those committing homosexual acts, lesbianism, thedifferent forms sexual perversions and the murder of the unborn, or those whocommit these acts, or those who have had or performed abortions, or those whouse the embryos, (e.g. like those in China who eat parts of aborted children) --all these shall suffer. They will suffer from sores that appear onthe skin or within the body, they will suffer greatly and society will cast themout like lepers.This will happen to those who commit the sin of sodomy.God is good and is ready to forgive those who repent of their sins. Thosewho change their lives through good confession and amendments of their lives,who will return to the bosom of the Church.These putrid sores will be accompanied by a fetid stench. This illnesswill violently attack the skin and those parts of the body that are involved insexual perversion. These people will be scared and no medical treatment will beavailable to them. They will die in horrible agonies which will be a testimonyof their deeds.I am sending these horrible diseases to give people to understand thegreat evil of Sodom and Gomorrah. Show them that their deeds are not acceptablebefore God. A disease that is not only lasting but also incurable will facehumanity. This is one of the disasters that were foretold in the prophecycenturies ago.Contemporary man no longer recognizes sin in the many forms inspired by Satan.Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, "The one who was to discover theremedy to Aids was aborted at birth." I tell you this is the true and now therewill be no remedy for Aids as there will be no remedy for the many diseaseswhich will come upon this earth.My dear children, this is not the end of the world, this is the end ofthis era. The Blessed Trinity has waited a long time for the hearts of men tochange, that the people acknowledge their sins, repent, pray and God willforgive you."My eyes were filled with tears and I felt chilled.It was then that I heard a pleasant voice (St. Michael):CANADA AND AMERICA! TO ALL AND EVERYONE! THEY ARE PREPARING NEW CHAINSFOR YOU. THE HOLY TRUTH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED IN OURSINFUL CIVILIZATION! THE SIGN AND NUMBER OF THE ANTICHRIST ARE ALREADYPRESENT IN THE WORLD! CHRISTIANS BATTLE WITH THE SHARP SWORD OF GOD'S TRUTH,KILLING THE LIE OF THE EVIL. (REV 13:17) "...SO THAT NO ONE CAN BUY OR SELLUNLESS HE HAS THE MARK OF THE BEAST THAT IS THE NAME OF THE BEAST OR THE NUMBEROF ITS NAME. READ THE PROPHECISES OF THE PROPHET DANIEL"

Josyp Terelya

Please pray for Joseph Terelya who suffered a heart attack. Read this incredible story of this devoted Catholic.

This is Absurd!!!!!

For a performance in its "winter program," a Wisconsin elementary school has changed the beloved Christmas carol "Silent Night," calling the song "Cold in the Night" and secularizing the lyrics.

Read this story here.

War on Christmas

Los Angeles, December 5, 2005 -- Beyond Belief Media has formally declared war on Christmas, the December 25 holiday in which Christians celebrate the birth of the mythical figure Jesus Christ, the company announced today.“Christian conservatives complain nonstop about the ‘War on Christmas,’ but there really isn’t any such war,” said Beyond Belief Media president Brian Flemming, a former fundamentalist Christian who is now an atheist activist. “So we have decided to wage one, to demonstrate what it would look like if Jesus’ birthday were truly attacked.”As its opening salvo, Beyond Belief Media has purchased advertisements this week in the New York Times, USA Today and the New Yorker magazine. The company’s 300-member volunteer “street team” is also descending on Christmas-themed public events with random “guerilla giveaways” of Beyond Belief’s acclaimed documentary THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE.“No Christmas pageant or Nativity display is safe from our troops,” said Flemming. “Wherever the mythical figure Jesus is celebrated as if he were real, we will be there with an information barrage. We will undercut the idea that there is any point at all to celebrating the ‘birth’ of a character in a fairy tale.”THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE is a taboo-shattering documentary that Newsweek says “irreverently lays out the case that Jesus Christ never existed.” The film includes interviews with some of the top religion experts in the world. Directed by Flemming, the movie is also highly critical of the modern Christian right and explores the dangers that religious belief poses to society. The movie has been praised by critics but condemned by pro-theocracy groups such as James Dobson’s Focus on the Family.“Obviously our ‘War on Christmas’ is a bit tongue-in-cheek,” said Flemming. “But the Christian myth does dominate U.S. culture, and there’s no time better than Christmas to take a fresh look at that myth and see it for what it is.”The print ads, which encourage giving THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE as "the perfect holiday gift," may be viewed at http://www.thegodmovie.com. The New Yorker magazine ad appears in the Dec. 12 issue, going on sale today. The New York Times ad appears on Dec. 6, the USA Today ad on Dec. 9. The “guerilla giveaway” raids on Christmas pageants and mall Santa locations begin today and continue through Christmas.ABOUT BRIAN FLEMMINGBrian Flemming’s fictional work has been called "a parallel universe" by the BBC, "jaggedly imaginative" by the New York Times, and "immensely satisfying" by USA Today. The Fox News Channel dubbed him "a young Oliver Stone." He wrote and directed the independent feature NOTHING SO STRANGE, which won the 2002 New York Times Claiborne Pell Award for Original Vision. A playwright as well as a filmmaker, Flemming is the co-author of the hit play BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL, which played eight months in New York in 2001 (Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical). John Landis (BLUES BROTHERS) will direct the film version of BAT BOY, expected in 2007. Flemming’s previous nonfiction work, including many segments for the magazine- style show “Split Screen,” has aired on Bravo, the Independent Film Channel, ABC.com and Beliefnet.com.ABOUT THE GOD WHO WASN’T THERE“Provocative -- to put it mildly,” said the Los Angeles Times about THE GOD WHO WASN’T THERE. Since its world premiere in May 2005, the film has had theatrical exposure in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and dozens of other cities. THE GOD WHO WASN’T THERE won the 2005 Best Documentary prize at the Grassroots Cinema Festival.Partial cast list:--Sam Harris won the 2005 PEN Award for his uncompromising book The End of Faith, which argues that religious faith poses great dangers to the human race.--Robert M. Price is Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute and a fellow of the Jesus Seminar.--Richard Dawkins, possibly the world’s most famous atheist, is an evolutionary biologist and author of several best-selling books.--Alan Dundes was Professor of Folklore and Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.ABOUT BEYOND BELIEF MEDIAThe mission of Beyond Belief Media is to provoke conversation about the dangers of religious belief.

Read the story here.

Weeping Statue

Check out the video of the weeping statue. You have to find the frame " Weeping Mary" and click it on.