 |  | |
Dear Friends for Life,
This week I share with you an observation made by Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:
"One of the greatest joys of the priesthood is becoming aware of the many ways in which Christ, by using our gifts and talents, and by transforming our human weakness into strength, can bring hope and encouragement to his people. But it is, as you know, not always easy, in practice, to keep hope alive within our own hearts. The increasing pressure of work in the parish, the disturbing shortage of vocations to the priesthood, or the breaking news of some new scandal within the Church, all these things can make us anxious and disheartened. And it's then that we need more than ever, of course, to make time for prayer and meditation. ...A single tree falling in the forest creates more noise and rumour than an entire forest as it grows up in silence. Yes, as one commentator has observed, taking up this image, the Church is, sad to say, represented on occasion by those of its members who are seen to fall dramatically, and whose misdeeds, as a result, receive enormous attention. But the Church is also that 'entire forest' of good men and women, their lives, their deeds unsung and, for the most part, unnoticed by the wider world, countless hundreds and thousands of them, flourishing with their own grace, their own courage: an entire forest growing up in silence."
God Bless,
Jerry Novotny, OMI
(The Difference is LIFE) "Tell me, when you give alms do you look into the eyes of the man or woman to whom you give alms? And when you give alms, do you touch the hand of the one to whom you give alms, or do you toss the coin?" - Pope Francis.
July 07, 2013 ******************************
(TABLE OF CONTENTS):
1. Are We Really Working for a Culture of Life?
2. Rapper's heartbreaking video on regretting abortion has 6+million views
3. Battles over gay marriage loom in U.S.
4. Memo to Lady Gaga: "born this way" doesn't mean "act this way"
5. Babies can read each others' moods by five months of age, study finds
6. Men will be 'wives' and women will be 'husbands' as British gay marriage laws rewrite the dictionary
7. Indian Study: Abortion Increases Breast Cancer Risk Six-Fold
8. Looking at the Bottom Line on Marriage
9. The gay marriage debate, brought to you by contraception
10. Did you know that some vaccines are made using aborted fetal cells?
11. Capitalism, Families and Fathers
12. Oops! Who Knew? The Cosmic Comedy of Fatherhood
******************************
******************************
ITEM #1: Are We Really Working for a Culture of Life?
Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his Evangelium vitae, urges us to be on the side of the Culture of Life. We know that pride can blind. The Pharisees, no doubt, believed they were on the right side of the Lord, but they were victims of self-deception. Abortion and euthanasia advocates assert that they have taken the higher moral ground because they are motivated by compassion, mercy, courage, and love.
******************************
ITEM #2: Rapper's heartbreaking video on regretting abortion has 6+million views
What causes this song to continually draw in viewers? Along with the rapper Piper's skill and talent, there is the content of the rap he's performing. The song "Happy Birthday" is about a man apologizing to the child he aborted. The haunting song is about regret over making a mistake that cannot be changed and the loss of a child who was never known. The lyrics are raw and personal, leaving listeners with a heavy heart.
******************************
ITEM #3: Battles over gay marriage loom in U.S.
Even as they celebrate a momentous legal victory, supporters of gay marriage in the U.S. already are anticipating a return trip to the Supreme Court in a few years, sensing that no other option but a broader court ruling will legalize same-sex unions in all 50 states.
******************************
ITEM #4: Memo to Lady Gaga: "born this way" doesn't mean "act this way"
It remains unclear whether sexual orientation is genetically determined. Even if it is, that doesn't justify advocacy for same-sex marriage.
******************************
ITEM #5: Babies can read each others' moods by five months of age, study finds
A new study shows that babies can detect and understand the emotional status of other babies at a younger age than ever believed.
******************************
ITEM #6: Men will be 'wives' and women will be 'husbands' as British gay marriage laws rewrite the dictionary
Wives can be men and husbands could be women under bizarre word play introduced by the government. The introduction of gay marriage means old laws which gave protections or benefits to husbands or wives will become outdated. So ministers have drawn up 'gobbledegook' rules which overrule the dictionary and scrap the centuries-old definitions of male and female spouses.
******************************
ITEM #7 Indian Study: Abortion Increases Breast Cancer Risk Six-Fold
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer reports on a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine (May, 2013) whose authors found a 6.38-fold greater risk of breast cancer among women with histories of induced abortion. The study, led by Ramachandra Kamath, MD (Department of Public Health, Manipal University), found induced abortion was the most important risk factor.
******************************
ITEM #8: Looking at the Bottom Line on Marriage
There are those who attack traditional marriage and say this sacred institution should no longer be defined in terms of the procreation of the human race and the mutual love and support of a man and a woman. Such advocates of "redefining" marriage fail to understand that we do so at great risk.
******************************
ITEM #9: The gay marriage debate, brought to you by contraception
Advocacy of contraception undermines the case for traditional marriage. Being open to life in the marital act, as Catholic spouses are obligated to be, is the only philosophy of sexual intimacy that holds moral weight in the debate over marriage. If we cannot define marriage by its openness to children, we cannot really define it at all. Without such a definition, there's simply no chance we will prevail in preserving the integrity of this institution which can (and has) become whatever people want it to be.
******************************
ITEM #10: Brazil is Getting Ready for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics but so are Pedophiles and Child Sex Traffickers
"Last March, Brazil's Higher Court of Justice ruled that adults having sex with children was not necessarily a crime. Since 2009, the age of consent in the country (Brazil) has been 14." Palosh Ghosh -- International Business Times.
******************************
ITEM #11: Capitalism, Families and Fathers
To rail against the collapse of marriage and the family without seeing that collapse in the context of the larger social and economic changes of the last century is not only to misdiagnose our social pathology but to fix the blame upon people who are in part the victims.
******************************
Official statistics show that almost half of embryos used to help a women conceive through in vitro fertilisation were thrown away during or after the process. The embryos are created from female eggs and male sperm during the IVF process, with some introduced into the womb, put into storage, discarded as unwanted or used in scientific experiments. Campaigners last night described the figures, released in response to questions from peers about the level of waste generated in hospitals and fertility clinics, as disturbing.
*****************************
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.ne
HIV/AIDS Site: http://capcha.org
OMI Japan/Korea Site: http://omijapankorea.net/
This week I share with you an observation made by Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:
"One of the greatest joys of the priesthood is becoming aware of the many ways in which Christ, by using our gifts and talents, and by transforming our human weakness into strength, can bring hope and encouragement to his people. But it is, as you know, not always easy, in practice, to keep hope alive within our own hearts. The increasing pressure of work in the parish, the disturbing shortage of vocations to the priesthood, or the breaking news of some new scandal within the Church, all these things can make us anxious and disheartened. And it's then that we need more than ever, of course, to make time for prayer and meditation. ...A single tree falling in the forest creates more noise and rumour than an entire forest as it grows up in silence. Yes, as one commentator has observed, taking up this image, the Church is, sad to say, represented on occasion by those of its members who are seen to fall dramatically, and whose misdeeds, as a result, receive enormous attention. But the Church is also that 'entire forest' of good men and women, their lives, their deeds unsung and, for the most part, unnoticed by the wider world, countless hundreds and thousands of them, flourishing with their own grace, their own courage: an entire forest growing up in silence."
God Bless,
Jerry Novotny, OMI
(The Difference is LIFE) "Tell me, when you give alms do you look into the eyes of the man or woman to whom you give alms? And when you give alms, do you touch the hand of the one to whom you give alms, or do you toss the coin?" - Pope Francis.
*---*(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!)
******************************July 07, 2013 ******************************
(TABLE OF CONTENTS):
1. Are We Really Working for a Culture of Life?
2. Rapper's heartbreaking video on regretting abortion has 6+million views
3. Battles over gay marriage loom in U.S.
4. Memo to Lady Gaga: "born this way" doesn't mean "act this way"
5. Babies can read each others' moods by five months of age, study finds
6. Men will be 'wives' and women will be 'husbands' as British gay marriage laws rewrite the dictionary
7. Indian Study: Abortion Increases Breast Cancer Risk Six-Fold
8. Looking at the Bottom Line on Marriage
9. The gay marriage debate, brought to you by contraception
10. Did you know that some vaccines are made using aborted fetal cells?
11. Capitalism, Families and Fathers
12. Oops! Who Knew? The Cosmic Comedy of Fatherhood
******************************
******************************
ITEM #1: Are We Really Working for a Culture of Life?
Blessed Pope John Paul II, in his Evangelium vitae, urges us to be on the side of the Culture of Life. We know that pride can blind. The Pharisees, no doubt, believed they were on the right side of the Lord, but they were victims of self-deception. Abortion and euthanasia advocates assert that they have taken the higher moral ground because they are motivated by compassion, mercy, courage, and love.
******************************
ITEM #2: Rapper's heartbreaking video on regretting abortion has 6+million views
What causes this song to continually draw in viewers? Along with the rapper Piper's skill and talent, there is the content of the rap he's performing. The song "Happy Birthday" is about a man apologizing to the child he aborted. The haunting song is about regret over making a mistake that cannot be changed and the loss of a child who was never known. The lyrics are raw and personal, leaving listeners with a heavy heart.
******************************
ITEM #3: Battles over gay marriage loom in U.S.
Even as they celebrate a momentous legal victory, supporters of gay marriage in the U.S. already are anticipating a return trip to the Supreme Court in a few years, sensing that no other option but a broader court ruling will legalize same-sex unions in all 50 states.
******************************
ITEM #4: Memo to Lady Gaga: "born this way" doesn't mean "act this way"
It remains unclear whether sexual orientation is genetically determined. Even if it is, that doesn't justify advocacy for same-sex marriage.
******************************
ITEM #5: Babies can read each others' moods by five months of age, study finds
A new study shows that babies can detect and understand the emotional status of other babies at a younger age than ever believed.
******************************
ITEM #6: Men will be 'wives' and women will be 'husbands' as British gay marriage laws rewrite the dictionary
Wives can be men and husbands could be women under bizarre word play introduced by the government. The introduction of gay marriage means old laws which gave protections or benefits to husbands or wives will become outdated. So ministers have drawn up 'gobbledegook' rules which overrule the dictionary and scrap the centuries-old definitions of male and female spouses.
******************************
ITEM #7 Indian Study: Abortion Increases Breast Cancer Risk Six-Fold
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer reports on a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine (May, 2013) whose authors found a 6.38-fold greater risk of breast cancer among women with histories of induced abortion. The study, led by Ramachandra Kamath, MD (Department of Public Health, Manipal University), found induced abortion was the most important risk factor.
******************************
ITEM #8: Looking at the Bottom Line on Marriage
There are those who attack traditional marriage and say this sacred institution should no longer be defined in terms of the procreation of the human race and the mutual love and support of a man and a woman. Such advocates of "redefining" marriage fail to understand that we do so at great risk.
******************************
ITEM #9: The gay marriage debate, brought to you by contraception
Advocacy of contraception undermines the case for traditional marriage. Being open to life in the marital act, as Catholic spouses are obligated to be, is the only philosophy of sexual intimacy that holds moral weight in the debate over marriage. If we cannot define marriage by its openness to children, we cannot really define it at all. Without such a definition, there's simply no chance we will prevail in preserving the integrity of this institution which can (and has) become whatever people want it to be.
******************************
ITEM #10: Brazil is Getting Ready for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics but so are Pedophiles and Child Sex Traffickers
"Last March, Brazil's Higher Court of Justice ruled that adults having sex with children was not necessarily a crime. Since 2009, the age of consent in the country (Brazil) has been 14." Palosh Ghosh -- International Business Times.
******************************
ITEM #11: Capitalism, Families and Fathers
To rail against the collapse of marriage and the family without seeing that collapse in the context of the larger social and economic changes of the last century is not only to misdiagnose our social pathology but to fix the blame upon people who are in part the victims.
******************************
Official statistics show that almost half of embryos used to help a women conceive through in vitro fertilisation were thrown away during or after the process. The embryos are created from female eggs and male sperm during the IVF process, with some introduced into the womb, put into storage, discarded as unwanted or used in scientific experiments. Campaigners last night described the figures, released in response to questions from peers about the level of waste generated in hospitals and fertility clinics, as disturbing.
*****************************
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.ne
HIV/AIDS Site: http://capcha.org
OMI Japan/Korea Site: http://omijapankorea.net/
