"...Reasonable People of Goodwill..."

I love that phrase... "...reasonable people of goodwill..." I've always thought the issue of abortion regulation, particularly as it pertains to partial-birth abortion and the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, was one of logic, reason, and common sense. Are we a people that condones the annihilation of term or nearly-term babies through partial-birth abortion? Are we the kind of people that would allow a baby to die alone (without attempting to save him/her) in a cold, stainless steel bowl simply because s/he survived an abortion? What kind of people would allow such atrocities to occur regularly? What kind of government would sanction such practices?

Well, come November you will have a chance to make a difference where such issues are concerned. Please exercise your right to vote. Please vote as "...reasonable people of goodwill...."

Following is a quote by Republican candidate John McCain. You decide.

"Americans expect more of their leaders . . . [Obama's] extreme advocacy in favor of partial-birth abortion and his refusal to provide medical care for babies surviving abortion should be of grave concern to reasonable people of goodwill on both sides of this issue. There is a growing consensus in America that we need to overcome narrow partisanship on this issue for both women in need and the unborn. We need more of the compassion and moral idealism that my opponent's own party, at its best, once stood for. No one is above the law, and no one is beneath its protection."

Indefensible: Barak Obama's REAL Stand on Abortion

I try to steer clear of politics as much as possible, but there are times when, as a conscionable Christian -- nay, as a conscionable human being-- I have to speak up. This is one of those times. See and hear the story for yourself. It is not graphic, but it will move you.

Question: Do we really want a man like this leading our county?

If you believe Mr. Obama is bad for our country forward this link to everyone you know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo

And God have mercy on us all if he is elected....

APA's 'Findings' on the Abortion-Depression Link

When I heard the American Psychological Association was investigating the link between abortion and depression I was hopeful; at the same time I didn't expect them to reverse their previous decision. (To my knowledge, Post-Abortion Syndrome wasvalidated in the DSM-III, but the APA removed it in the revised DSM-IV.)

Yesterday I received notice their 'findings' were that there was "no substantial link" between abortion and depression, etc.

Read the full report at LifeNews.com.

Even so, God is good ALL the time!

Abundant blessings in Him,
Mary

Good News (for a change!)

LifeNews reported the following story today.... It is good news for a change!

Little Rock, AR (LifeNews.com) -- A new abortion law in the state of Arkansas takes effect on Tuesday and it's one that could spark other state legislatures to head in the same direction. The statute seeks to help women by requiring abortion centers to post signs saying coerced abortions are illegal.

Under the measure, abortion businesses would be fined $1,000 for each day they do not post a sign indicating that women cannot be forced to have an abortion they don't want.

Visit LifeNews for the complete story and take a few moments to contact both Representative Rosenbaum and your state representatives to encourage them to take similiar actions. It's a small thing; a simple thing -- but what an impact it can have!

Note: A news release by Elliot Institute states that as many as 60% of abortions may be coerced or forced. For a more concise report, see their press release on this topic.

Oh -- and don't forget to post on our new forum/message board! Ask a question. Leave a comment. Start a conversation.... This forum is for you!

Abundant blessings in Christ,
Mary

Worldwide Abortion Statistics

I did a search this afternoon on abortion statistics around the world. Granted, these figures are from 1987 (Come on, people! Where are more recent figures?), but they speak to the incredible amount of people that have been affected by abortion. Keep in mind these stats* are for one year only.

Good News/Bad News: The APA and PAS...

After decades of legalized abortion and after years of women (and men) seeking help for abortion-related trauma --without any validation from the mental health community -- the American Psychological Association (APA) has finally agreed to examine the possible adverse effects of abortion on women's mental health. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the APA proudly acknowledges its pro-choice bias.

The question is, can a committee so biased toward abortion rights for women objectively study the connection between what scores of women and men have determined are the detrimental effects of abortion -- what we have come to know as post-abortion syndrome (PAS) ? Any thinking and fair-minded individual would have to agree the cards are stacked against us. Even so, those of us who have experienced PAS know it exists. We have experienced the depression, the lingering thoughts of worthlessness, the idea that we should be punished, the thoughts of suicide or harming ourselves, the eating disorders, sexual dysfunctions, sleep disturbances, and the list goes on -- all because of how abortion touched our lives.

The good news is that those of us who have suffered life-long feelings of regret, loss, grief, and guilt over our abortion encounters -- we have a voice. And now is the time to speak up. We need to let the APA know that we know there is a connection. We know what that abortion experience has done to us. And we need to let them know that we will not settle for a biased dismissal of what we know to be true and real.

My encouragement to you today is to contact the APA with your abortion story. Tell them how abortion has affected you. Tell them the truth -- there's no need to embellish or exaggerate -- the truth is powerful enough. And pray.

The best news is that our God is bigger than the APA's bias. Let us petition Him with all our hearts to intercede on our behalf -- and on behalf of all those men and women seeking help for their post-abortion trauma. Let's pray on behalf of all those that will pay heed to the APA's decision and choose abortion based on their declaration that there are no detrimental effects following abortion.

How I praise God for each of you and for the work you are doing for His glory and on behalf of those wounded by abortion. Let us also not forget that what we do today affects our children and their children. There are many that have not been through the experience of abortion yet.... Let's pray for God to impact our world on their behalf as well.

What an awesome God we serve! What a privilege to serve Him... Please let me know how I can serve you as well.

Abundant blessings in Christ,
Mary

See the complete story including the APA's response in their own words.

APA contact information:
Mailing address: American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
Telephone: (800) 374-2721 or (202) 336-5500

NOTE: Always be kind, courteous and a good representative of Christ when communicating with others about your abortion experience. Be prepared for your emotions to run high.... Pray about what God would have you to write; write it out, then sleep on it a couple of days. Pray over it again before sending it. Remember, we are God's hands and feet in this world, and oftentimes He will speak through us. Allow Him to speak through you in this situation, then leave the results in His hands. They are big enough to handle it!

A Truck or a Baby? The Seduction & Demise of A People

I don't know why, but God has placed a burden on my heart lately for the African American community. Perhaps it's because people like Dr. Lillie Epps have been pulling back the curtain on what abortion has done and continues to do to the Black community at large. In her recent story for Black History Month she quotes some staggering statistics.... For instance:

Abortion Sympathy Cards Receive More Attention

Apparently I was not the only one "up in arms" about the abortion sympathy cards. For well-balanced, reasonable responses from others in the Christian community, read the responses linked below.

Focus on the Family's Citizen Link

LifeNews.com

Great News for Oklahomans!

LifeNews.com reports today that Oklahoma has passed two important pieces of legislation regarding abortion, Praise God!!!

Two new abortion laws approved by the Oklahoma state legislature are now in effect, including a measure requiring the consent of one parent before a teenager can have an abortion and another giving women the option to see an ultrasound of her unborn baby before the abortion is done. Last week, the Oklahoma Board of Health approved the consent form parents must use to allow a teenager to have an abortion. Abortion practitioners are required to keep the forms on hand for five years to prove they obtained the required consent....

To read the entire story go to LifeNews.com.

The elections last week may have been discouraging in a lot of ways, but this kind of legislation is vital. Now we need to share information with parents of teens regarding the devastating, long-term affects of abortion. Too many parents are still opting for abortion for their pregnant teens as a measure of protecting them from the difficulties of teenage parenting.

So as good as this news is, we still have much work to do!

Blessings!
Mary

Clergy Helped Pave the Way for Legalized Abortion!?!

Today I learned some very disheartening facts about early legalized abortion in the U.S. I share this information with you not to point fingers at the Church, but to remind all of us of the cunning ways of our enemy. I'm sure the people in this group felt they were doing a good deed for women....

Below is the brief article I found online:

Founded in 1967, the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion was a network of clergy who referred women to safe (though still illegal) abortions. There were 26 ministers and a rabbi at the founding of the network, and more than a thousand when the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision made the organization unnecessary.

The existence of a group of clergy willing to refer women to abortion services was important primarily for two reasons:

Good News for the State of Oklahoma!

I just received notification from the Elliot Institute of a current ruling that positively affects my home state. Just thought I would pass on the information. We need to celebrate the small victories and continue to pray for our leaders. Following is the entire notice from Elliot Institute:

Oklahoma Parental Notification Law Can Be Enforced During Lawsuit, Court Rules

A federal appeals court has ruled that an Oklahoma law requiring abortion businesses to notify the parents before performing an abortion on a minor girl can be enforced despite a legal challenge by an abortion business.

A three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request for an injunction to prevent the law from being enforced while the legal challenge moves ahead. Nova Health Systems, which owns Reproductive Services, a Tulsa abortion business, is challenging the law on the grounds that there are no deadlines for judges to approve judicial bypass requests, which are often used by abortion advocates to get around notification laws.

The law requires that parents be notified 48 hours before a teen has an abortion and also allows prosecutors to charge perpetrators who injure or kill an unborn child with two crimes, earmarks state "family planning" funds for crisis pregnancy centers, and requires abortion businesses to tell patients that unborn children can feel pain and allow them to see an ultrasound photo and have fetal anesthesia before the abortion on request.

Elliot Institute News, Vol 5, No 7

Subscribe to the Elliot Institute Newsletter for regular news and updates from this leader in research pertaining to abortion and life issues.

Yale Medical Students Learning to Perform Abortions

God have mercy on us and on these medical students...!

Life News.com reports the following:

New Haven, CT (LifeNews.com) -- Yale University has partnered with a Planned Parenthood affiliate to create a residency training program teaching second-year medical students how to do abortions. School officials appear satisfied with the program and happy that medical students are doing abortions. Planned Parenthood of Connecticut established a medical residency training program with the Yale School of Medicine to makes sure that students who want to learn how to do abortions can receive proper training. Medical students have the option of completing two four-week rotations at PPC where they will do abortions on Connecticut women and any who come from other states. A second Yale University abortion program involves a program affiliated with Griffin Hospital, in Derby, Connecticut where several fourth-year residents participate in a month-long residency program also co-sponsored by PPC. Yale officials are not only satisfied with the program but elated that Yale students are doing large number of abortions. Dr. Men-Jean Lee, the program director at Yale University Medical School, told Planned Parenthood, "Yale is very satisfied with the experience and training the residents are receiving at PPC and are especially happy with the number of patients the residents see."

ACTION: Contact Yale School of Medicine officials and indicate your opposition to their abortion training program. Yale University School of Medicine, PO BOX 208055, New Haven, CT, 06510. Contact Dean Robert J. Alpern, M.D at 203-785-4672 or email robert.alpern@yale.edu. Read the complete story.

'Anguish of abortion is worse than miscarriage'

Another new report shows the painful after-affects of abortion.

"Women who have an abortion can suffer mental distress, anxiety, guilt and shame at least five years afterwards, researchers say today. (Filed: 12/12/2005)"

Read the full story here. Pass it on.

Abortion...Rebirth?

Well, we returned from a very good holiday yesterday, delighted that the weather didn't prevent our journey home. It was good having a few days "off" to concentrate on family and to catch up with extended family we don't have the opportunity to see much of these days.

Alas, although I chose to take a few days off, my email box has been open for business...! One of the many messages I received was a bit sobering (even enraging!), and as much as I hate to, I must share it with you.

The following link is one you might not want to read, but I recommend it anyway. It is the story of a doctor in Arkansas -- an abortion doctor -- and the "noble" deed he has performed for girls and women over the past few decades. There is much to see in this story that is not written with words; the messages are nonetheless there for those who are able to "read between the lines."

Do we have our work cut out for us? YES! Yes, indeed....

O God, have mercy on us...!

Girls, Inc. ALERT!

I received an email a few days ago alerting me to the fact that American Girl has linked itself with Girls Inc. Girls Inc. appears on the surface to be a pro-girl organization with many positive goals and ideals. However, on further inspection their true colors are revealed in their support of the pro-choice, pro-homosexual agenda.

I have emailed American Girl about this affiliation , but have not received their reply as of this writing. I will post their response once I receive it. My own daughter loves American Girl's dolls and we have several of their books. I will exercise my own freedom of choice in the future, however, as to where we will shop for our daughter. Bottom line: I will not patronize American Girl if Girls Inc. represents their ideology. Period.

Below is a quote concerning Girls, Inc.'s position on "Reproductive Freedom" that I found at their web site:

Girls Incorporated supports a woman’s freedom of choice, a constitutional right established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 in Roe vs. Wade.

[Click here for the full explanation of what Girls Incorporated supports.]

BTW: This is not a political statement. As the mother of an impressionable daughter, this is completely personal.

Why Women Abort - (One Reason)

Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) -- New details are emerging in a case in which a Pennsylvania man is charged with killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Local authorities say Stephen Poaches, the father of the baby, has admitted to killing his girlfriend, LaToyia Figueroa, because she refused to have an abortion.

Stories like the one above seem to be occurring at an alarming rate.

One myth about abortion is that it is "a woman's choice." Sure, sometimes it is her choice and she makes it entirely on her own. But many times women choose abortion because of pressures from the baby's father. Because abortion has been so accepted by our society and because the repercussions of abortion have been so minimized, many men believe it is as inconsequential as a trip to the dentist. When weighed against the seemingly greater consequence of fatherhood, child support payments, etc., these men can be quite adamant that their girlfriend or wife abort when the timing of the pregnancy does not suit them.

LaToyia Figueroa chose to keep her baby in spite of her boyfriend's demand that she have an abortion. LaToyia Figueroa died as a result.

...A woman's choice indeed....

Click here to read the full story.

The Invisible Truth that's Missing in the Abortion Debate

The Elliot Institute reported the following in their most recent newsletter (Volume 4, Number 10).

United Nations Member Says Abortion is Bad for Women
Calls Choice an "Illusion" at UN Committee Meeting on Women's Rights

A member of a United Nations committee that is known for advocating abortion has said that abortion is "bad for women" and that she hopes that one day it will be seen in the same way that people now regard torture.

According to the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, the comments came from a member of the UN committee that oversees compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination of Women (CEDAW). Krisztina Morvai of Hungary was quoted as saying during a committee session, "One thing that is invisible and lost in the debate is that abortion is bad for women. . . . No woman actually wants to have an abortion. We have this illusion that women have free choices. But abortion is a terribly damaging thing psychologically, spiritually and physically." [Emphasis mine.]

Morvai also reportedly stated in an earlier session that the majority of women undergo abortions because their partners don't support the pregnancy and called for more emphasis to be placed on "the responsibility of men." She is one of 23 committee members who are elected from among the 180 countries that support CEDAW.

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Information about the harm abortion does to women is documented in Detrimental Effects of Abortion, a 365-page bibliography published by the Elliot Institute, documents hundreds of studies from around the world showing the risks that abortion poses to women's physical and emotional well-being. To order a copy, contact Acorn Books at 1-888-412-2676. Visit www.afterabortion.info for pricing information.