Saturday, December 17, 2011

Lifeissues Newsletter #556

Lifeissues.net: clear thinking about crucial issues

Dear Friends For Life,

Mental Health Risk from Abortion: The British Journal of Psychiatry (September 2011) has published a new study by Dr. Priscilla Coleman of Bowling Green State University. In it she demonstrates that women who have an abortion subsequently face almost double (81%) the risk of mental health problems as compared to women who carried their babies to term. Her study reports on an analysis of 22 separate clinical studies which in total examined the pregnancies of 877,000 women who had a total of 163,000 abortions. Of the 81% increase, nearly 10% of the mental health problems were shown to be directly attributable to abortion. The problems included a 34% incidence of anxiety disorders, 37% of depression, more than double the risk of alcohol abuse, a tripling of the risk of marijuana use, and 155% greater risk of attempted suicide

Pro-Life Counseling in England: Members of the British Parliament are formulating a plan that, if realized, would require all women in England who are considering an abortion to have pre-abortion counseling. If this were done objectively by neutral counselors, they claim that it could stop as many as 60,000 abortions annually.

Let's continue to work to save the lives of the many babies who desperately depend on the voices of you and me to speak on their behalf.

God Bless,
Fr. Jerry, OMI

(A Thought) "Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions." - G.K. Chesterton
*************
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!)


****************************************
Lifeissues.net Newsletter #556
December 18, 2011

****************************************

(TABLE OF CONTENTS):

1. Sex-selective abortion causing massive gender imbalance in Taiwan
2. Philippines among 7 countries with steady increase in HIV infections
3. Study shows fatherless boys more prone to delinquency
4. Pope: 'Remember that the first of all rights is the right to life'
5. When Care Is Worth It, Even if End Is Death
6. Is the Red Cross About to Declare Abortion a Human Right?
7. Doctors: Speak Out Against Assisted Suicide, Protect Patients
8. Pressured to abort twin daughters, woman fights India's sex-selective abortion epidemic
9. Mum, Dad, we are still hurting from your divorce
10. Teaching Moments on Sexuality
11. HIV/AIDS on the rise in Europe and Asia
12. INDONESIA: HIV traps women and girls in poverty - report


****************************************
(ASIA): "India's Deadly Secret" -  Why an estimated 40 million girls have gone "missing" in India. [Comment: I'm surprised but delighted that the general media is finally paying attention to this. The pro-abortion groups don't want to talk about sex selection abortions. - Nancy Valko, RN]

****************************************

ITEM #1: Sex-selective abortion causing massive gender imbalance in Taiwan

A report released December 7 from the Control Yuan, the Taiwanese government's highest watchdog body, warns that sex-selective abortion is creating a serious gender imbalance in the country, second only to China.

****************************************

ITEM #2: Philippines among 7 countries with steady increase in HIV infections

The Philippines is one among seven countries in the world with a steady increase in AIDS cases. Other countries with steadily increasing HIV cases are Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan and Tajikistan.

****************************************

ITEM #3: Study shows fatherless boys more prone to delinquency

A study carried out by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne has found that adolescent boys who have a father figure in their lives are significantly less likely to engage in subsequent delinquent behavior than are their peers with no father in their lives. "The sense of security generated by the presence of a male role model in a youth's life has protective effects for a child, regardless of the degree of interaction between the child and father," said Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark, Director of the Melbourne Institute and lead author of the study.

****************************************

ITEM #4: Pope: 'Remember that the first of all rights is the right to life'

Speaking at his Angelus address today to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's square, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the 63rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Welcoming many pilgrims from the "Movement for Life" across Europe, the pope said, "Dear friends, on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, remember that the first of all rights is the right to life." Pope Benedict from the beginning of his pontificate has used many opportunities to raise the right to life, demonstrating his primary concern for what he considers the most basic human right.

****************************************

ITEM #5: When Care Is Worth It, Even if End Is Death

Comment: Several months ago, I had an elderly man in our ICU who had a massive surgery to save his life. He almost died more than once and some of my colleagues were ready to give up on him. But we didn't. It took awhile but he did recover and, as he wrote us later, he completed a master's degree he always wanted and was so happy to be alive. I do worry that people like this man will have his care rationed in the future because of advanced age. This is one reason I am so glad that this doctor wrote this common sense article. -Nancy Valko, RN

****************************************

ITEM #6: Is the Red Cross About to Declare Abortion a Human Right?

A recently issued report from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent has caused concerns that the organization may start advocating for abortion rights.

*article:  The Letter - A Short Film

A real letter written by a young mother to her aborted baby.

****************************************

ITEM #7 Doctors: Speak Out Against Assisted Suicide, Protect Patients

As physicians, we took an oath to strive, to the best of our abilities, to help patients and to make every reasonable effort to do no harm. Physician-assisted suicide is incompatible with that goal, and is the means to an end that we have no right to employ.

*article:  Attitude of Pakistani Doctors Towards Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

The total response rate was 66% and male to female ratio was 7:1. Most of the respondents were muslims and had familiarity with the subject. Seventy seven percent believe that the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide was not ethically justified, while 9% were in its favor.

****************************************

ITEM #8: Pressured to abort twin daughters, woman fights India's sex-selective abortion epidemic

"Female foeticide is a thriving industry in India," writes Mitu Khurana, whose story has attracted widespread media attention, on her blog. "The practice is rampant. Private clinics with ultrasound machines and other latest technologies are doing brisk business, making a complete mockery of law. Everywhere, people are paying to know the sex of an unborn child and paying more to abort the female child. The technology has even reached remote areas through facilities like mobile clinics."

****************************************

ITEM #9: Mum, Dad, we are still hurting from your divorce

We are 34, 38 and 41 years old, and still feel the consequences of your divorce when we were 6, 12 and 14 years old, respectively. To outside observers, we were no different than the children of intact families, but that wasn't really the case.

****************************************

ITEM #10: Teaching Moments on Sexuality

On several occasions, Catholic parents have approached me about how to talk to their heterosexual teenagers about homosexuality. Many teenagers are very accepting of the homosexual orientation; they think it is just as natural as a heterosexual orientation.

****************************************

ITEM #11: HIV/AIDS on the rise in Europe and Asia

Some 34 million people are infected worldwide with HIV/AIDs and 30 million deaths have occurred since 1980. More than 1.8 million people die each year. These are the figures published recently by the United Nations, on the occasion of World Aids Day 2011, under the motto "Getting to Zero". Yet these numbers, alarming as they sound, actually constitute an improvement compared to the epidemic's outbreak in the 1980s. Since then, 60 million people have been diagnosed with the immune deficiency syndrome and 30 million have lost their lives to it. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the years between 2001 and 2010 showed a 250 per cent increase in the number of people living with HIV.

****************************************

ITEM #12: INDONESIA: HIV traps women and girls in poverty - report

The number of reported HIV cases has tripled in Indonesia in recent years, curtailing productivity and trapping affected girls and women, especially, in poverty, according to a recent UN Development Programme (UNDP) report. "Discrimination against people with AIDS is still very strong in Indonesia, especially for women. Many HIV-positive women are being called 'bad women' or 'bad girls', but at the same time, many of them have to work more after their husbands were diagnosed with HIV," said Chya Wibisono, an HIV-positive officer at the local NGO, Indonesia Women's Positive Network.

*****************************


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)

------------------------------

Get a weekly dose of clear thinking: subscribe to our free Lifeissues newsletter! Sign up at www.LifeIssues.net. Pass this free service to your friends and various groups.

------------------------------

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"]

------------------------------

Websites by Editor:

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

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

HIV/AIDS Site: http://capcha.org

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

------------------------------