Friday, March 25, 2011

Lifeissues Newsletter #518

Lifeissues.net: clear thinking about crucial issues

Dear Friends For Life,

Dr. M. Bhatia at McMaster University in Canada has produced an amazing breakthrough: turning skin into blood cells. Using a miniscule piece of human skin, he has been able to transform these skin cells into blood cells which then can be re-injected into the same patient. Thus a leukemia victim could, in effect, treat himself with his own genetic coded cells.

How was this done? From the tissue they extracted fibroblasts, multiplied them using growth factors, and then added a protein to reprogram them into blood cells. Previously, such cells had to first be broken down into an embryonic-like state and then re-grown. In this case mature skin cells were transformed directly into adult blood cells. This removes the danger of uncontrollable growth including growth into cancer cells which hampered the use of pluripotent and similar skin cells. This success shows that embryonic cells, obtained by killing a human embryo, will now be unnecessary on a practical level, as well as being morally undesirable.

In China, forced abortions continue. Chinese construction worker, Luo Yanquan, spoke out on a TV interview detailing his wife being taken kicking and screaming from their home by Chinese police. She was subjected to a forced abortion on October 10 for having committed the crime of having more than one child. This TV footage was shown on television.

In the Netherlands, a Dutch woman kills four children. Even though infanticide is legal in the Netherlands, we recently heard of a woman being arrested for killing her four newborn children and packing their remains away in suitcases. Apparently, it is all right to kill babies in the Netherlands; you just need a license to do it.

God Bless,
Jerry Novotny, OMI

(A Thought) "I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least." - Dorothy Day
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For clear thinking about crucial issues, visit LifeIssues.net
(Due to volume of spam received, do not reply to this message but instead send all emails to jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. Thank you!)


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Lifeissues.net Newsletter #518
March 27, 2011

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(TABLE OF CONTENTS):

1. Too Many Men: The Shocking Effects Of Abortion In Asia
2. Brain Death & Organ Harvesting
3. Sex trafficking can be stopped, and we can help
4. Trial to Open in Lawsuit Connected to Hospital Deaths
5. Separate and Unequal
6. Scientists Warn Against Stifling Effect Of Stem Cell Patenting
7. 'China's coerced abortions violate human rights'
8. Flourishing surrogacy business raises fears
9. South Dakota Governor Signs Screening Bill
10. US Accused of Falsely Stating Vatican Position
11. Why Do We Let Them Dress Like That?
12. US Bishop: Pro-abort politicians cannot receive Communion


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(Focus on Asia): "Death and devastation in Japan" - Looking for a way to donate... Google's Crisis Relief page outlines a number of ways to make a difference.

**Should Assisted Suicide be legal? Vote NO - The poll is at the bottom of the article.

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ITEM #1: Too Many Men: The Shocking Effects Of Abortion In Asia

A new study out of Canada paints a grim picture: Abortions of female fetuses have led to a massive surplus of young unmarried men in India and China, raising fears of an outcast group that could threaten the social fabric, a study said Monday.

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ITEM #2: Brain Death & Organ Harvesting

Is brain death real death? Until recently, I was under the impression that donating organs if you're definitely dead is a noble act since you're helping to breathe life into several people who are in vital need of a heart or kidney or liver or eyes.

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ITEM #3: Sex trafficking can be stopped, and we can help

It's dangerously easy for Cowichanians to shrug off the risk of sex trafficking here in the relative safety of the valley. We tend to view this form of modern slavery as an issue in far-away places. But sex trafficking isn't simply a problem for Asia or Eastern Europe.

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ITEM #4: Trial to Open in Lawsuit Connected to Hospital Deaths After Katrina

Comment: Note this quote: "The bodies of 45 patients were discovered at Memorial Medical Center after the August 2005 storm, far more than at any other hospital, and some doctors subsequently acknowledged that they had injected patients with drugs to hasten their deaths. No criminal charges were brought. Last year, a relative of a patient who died filed a civil claim of euthanasia against a Memorial doctor. It was dismissed and is on appeal." This is a travesty of justice and shows how that even laws to protect patients from euthanasia/assisted suicide are useless unless utilized by the authorities. -Nancy Valko, RN

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ITEM #5: Separate and Unequal

The movement to end the death penalty and to reform the criminal justice system has to be a movement to fight racism and segregation. We know that access to resources, including quality education, could help prevent violent crime. Take a look at Bob Herbert's article about separate and unequal education in our society. This country needs to put a priority on integrating the classroom and giving students equal opportunities rather than locking people up.

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ITEM #6: Scientists Warn Against Stifling Effect Of Stem Cell Patenting

[Hmmmmmmmm. So, every human embryo or human fetus, whose "stem cells" have been used in any experimental or therapeutic research or in any clinical trials, or whose whole bodies have been "donated" for research after abortion or "infertility treatments", or whose cell or tissue "parts" have been used to produce cell culture media, cell culture feeder cells, experimental "controls", DNA-chips, and other assays "have an interest in the future of their genetic material and, by law, have certain personal rights that must be respected"? So, by law, they or their legal representatives should also share in the enormous financial profits gained with intellectual property patents? Why not! -- Dianne N Irving, Ph.D.]

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ITEM #7 'China's coerced abortions violate human rights'

"Any woman being forced or coerced against her will into terminating a pregnancy is a human rights atrocity. Unfortunately, human rights experts agree that this cruel practice remains very prevalent in China where the Communist government continues to impose its One-Child Policy", Gay Mitchell MEP said.

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ITEM #8: Flourishing surrogacy business raises fears

Buying a baby is quite possible with several developing countries offering "take home baby" surrogacy services for international clients.

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ITEM #9: South Dakota Governor Signs Screening Bill

"If a woman is pressured or coerced into an abortion or undergoes an abortion without having information about alternatives or the potential physical and psychological impact, her rights have been violated," he said. "This is coercion, not choice."

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ITEM #10: US Accused of Falsely Stating Vatican Position to Win Votes for Resolution

The US Department of State is telling Latin American delegations to the United Nations that the Vatican has changed its position on a sexual orientation declaration that was just released at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, according to diplomatic sources in New York.

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ITEM #11: Why Do We Let Them Dress Like That?

But it's easy for parents to slip into denial. We wouldn't dream of dropping our daughters off at college and saying: "Study hard and floss every night, honey - and for heaven's sake, get laid!" But that's essentially what we're saying by allowing them to dress the way they do while they're still living under our own roofs.

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ITEM #12: US Bishop: How long will pro-abort politicians be able to receive Communion

"One must honestly ask, how many times and years may a Catholic politician vote for the so called right to abortion, - "murder" in the words of John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, and still be able to receive Holy Communion?"


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YOU CAN CHANGE SOCIETY:

1. BE INFORMED: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6. Visit Lifeissues.net Website for insights into current Life Issues www.lifeissues.net. Access to all prior Newsletters is located in the Archives on main page.

2. PRAY DAILY: for the courage to be God's presence in society and to strongly support those who are deemed "unworthy of life". "If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

3. BECOME INVOLVED: Several years ago Fr. Jerry created a project entitled, "Journey for Life into the Heart of Asia". The project appeals for donations to help finance plane travel for lectures and seminars to developing countries in Asia. Strong focus is centered on reaching Asian Catholic Major Seminaries, Universities, Parishes, Hospitals and Family/Pro Life related groups. The lectures place emphasis on "The Asian Family at Crossroads: Life Issues, Trends and Challenges".

For information about no-cost Pro Life Talks to your group in Asia: contact Fr. Jerry at jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp.

To become a supportive Missionary participant for this Asian project, kindly send your donations to:

** Fr. Jerry Novotny, OMI

** LifeIssues.net, Editor

** Akebono-cho 1-15-9

** Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072

(or transfer donation directly to ProLife bank account: Jerome Novotny, Shikoku Bank, Asakura Branch, No. 102-1-0080824)

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Contact EDITOR:

Jerry Novotny, OMI

Akebono-cho 1-15-9

Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072

[tel/fax: 088-843-0406]

[email: jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp]

["Due to volume of spam received, we're asking you not to reply to this message but instead send all correspondence to jerry@shirt.ocn.ne.jp. Thank you! Editor"]

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Websites by Editor:

English LifeIssues Site: http://www.lifeissues.net,

Japanese LifeIssues Site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,

OMI Site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html

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