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Creating customers not cures – OTC birth control pills proposed

admin — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:53:56 +0000

November 21, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Creating customers not cures – OTC birth control pills proposed

By Catholic Online

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – Birth control pills can have serious health side effects. There is now a growing concern over related staph infections. The carcinogenic effects of some of these pills has long been reported.

In addition, the use of some forms of chemical and device artificial birth control can cause human embryonic life to be killed before that human life can even be implanted in his or her mothers womb.

In 1987, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Holy See issued an “Instruction on the Respect for Human Life in its origin and on the Dignity of Procreation”

Among the many questions it answered with absolute moral clarity was: “What Respect is due to the human embryo, taking into account his nature and identity?” The answer given by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church: “The human being must be respected – as a person – from the very first instant of his (her) existence.”

In a 2008 Instruction on the Dignity of the Human Person, considering “Certain Bioethical Questions” we find a thorough treatment of many Bio-Ethical issues of the hour. We also find a simple insight which cuts right through the fog surrounding this matter:

“It must be noted, however, that anyone who seeks to prevent the implantation of an embryo which may possibly have been conceived and who therefore either requests or prescribes such a pharmaceutical, generally intends abortion.”

Yet, some Doctors belonging to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) are suggesting that access to birth control should be made easier for everyone.

Unfortunately, this approach could also put the patient outside of a doctor’s care, while making the pills more accessible to people with undetected health conditions and even teens who choose – or are forced to be sexually active.

The proposal would build upon the availability of the already sometimes deadly abortifacient known as the “morning-after pill” which is available over the counter without a prescription.

These Doctors who favor this approach say making the pills more available could reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies by as much as fifty percent. This would also, theoretically reduce abortions.

Yet, is this argument of utility the solution to the challenge? The U.S. Federal Government unilaterally decided to define pregnancy as beginning at implantation not fertilization.

Additionally, birth control pills carry a risk of creating blood clots in women, hence part of the reason for a doctor’s supervision. Also, women’s gynecological care should always be managed with the expert help of a physician. Making these pills available over the counter removes this necessary layer of protection. Thus, this would not be an advancement for women, but rather a setback.

Naturally, the moral issue is the central issue. To become a doctor, one must declare a solemn oath to protect life. Following a course of action designed to prevent the implantation or formation of life, and to take a life which has been created, is a clear violation of this oath.

Some Doctors seek to circumvent this by claiming various doubletalk ideas as to when life begins.

The recommendation of over the counter availability also extends the notion that pregnancy is somehow a medical problem a disease or something “bad”. Or, that new human life is an inconvenience, or something to be “managed” as part of a “health care plan.”

However, pregnancy is natural, beautiful – and the reason you’re here to read this article.

The proposal ignores safer alternatives to artificial means of birth regulation such as abstinence and natural family planning. In fact, both abstinence and natural family planning appear to have passed out of the national conversation in some medical circles, as though neither alternative existed, despite their medical efficacy and moral appropriateness.

Of course, the medical-industrial complex doesn’t seem so interested in developing affordable solutions and advocating morally responsible lifestyles. They seem to have little interest in alternatives to drugs. Instead, the focus appears to be on creating customers, which is precisely what the proposal by the ACOG would do.

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Thousands in over 145 cities rally against HHS birth control mandate

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 22:15:48 +0000

October 23, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Thousands in over 145 cities rally against HHS birth control mandate

LifeSiteNews.com - Thousands of Americans in dozens of cities took a stand against the Obama administration’s HHS birth control mandate on Saturday.

Marching at noon local time, people in 145 cities protested the mandate as part of the nationwide Stand Up for Religious Freedom movement. The protesters object to the requirement that all employers, including most religious employers, provide coverage for sterilization, contraception and abortion-causing pills free of charge to their workers.

Organizers say the event was well-attended, with even small-town rallies boasting participation in the hundreds.

Particularly large was the crowd in President Obama’s adopted hometown of Chicago. The local ABC affiliate, WLS-TV, reported that thousands came out for the protest. Carrying signs that read “Vote for Life and Liberty” and “Stop Obama’s HHS Mandate,” the protesters marched from Federal Plaza to Daley Plaza, where they heard speeches by religious and pro-life leaders.

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Editor’s Pick: Self-Denial by Deacon Antonio

admin — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 21:14:39 +0000

August 2, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Self-Denial

By Deacon Antonio Sandoval

A young woman had just given birth to her first child. Knowing that sex causes so many problems among the young, she decided that this was not going to happen to her child. She planned to provide him with the best sex education possible, from a Christian perspective. So she went to her parish priest and asked him, “At what age should I begin the sex education of my child?” Her parish priest told her, “At age one”. The young mother blushed and asked, “but Father, what can I tell my baby about sex at age one?” The priest said, “Nothing, because the problems with sex are not caused by a lack of knowledge; they are caused by a lack of self- control, and self-control is learned only by the practice of self-denial. Training in self-denial can begin in infancy”.

In an episode from the comic strip, Pogo, it was suspected that an enemy was advancing towards the community, so Pogo and his companions were sent out to scout and locate the enemy. Sometime later they radioed this message to headquarters, “WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND IT IS US”. How true! We are our own worst enemy because no one can make us sin without our consent. If we sin, it is because we have surrendered to the desires of the flesh, or the sinful allurements of the world, or the temptations of the evil one. We have not trained ourselves well for the fight for holiness by prayer and self-denial. Therefore, in the thick of battle we have not put up a valiant effort nor summoned divine assistance through prayer to make up for what is lacking in our human fortitude. The battle for our immortal soul does not end until death. A life of prayer and sacrifice, from beginning to end, is our only assurance of ultimate victory.

When life is made too easy for us, it makes us weak. Doing only what feels good and avoiding pain is not gain for the individual and does not contribute toward the common good. If we read the lives of the saints we find that they were strangers to vice, but not to sacrifice (another name for self-denial).

Even in the Church, there are few demands for sacrifice and self-denial. When I was a child, fasting before Communion began at midnight. Now it’s only one hour before receiving. During Lent, even children had to fast. Maybe this wasn’t a universal practice, but it was true in New Mexico where I grew up.

The people I admire most are those who sacrifice for a higher good. My godmother, Ignacita, was one of those persons. As an adolescent she decided never to marry so that she could take care of her parents, my paternal grandparents, in their old age. She never veered from her decision even though she had several marriage proposals. (She is the one who taught me how to serve Mass.) My grandfather died in a car accident, but she took care of my grandmother until she died.

In view of the fact that external demands for prayer and self-denial are not placed on us, we have to place them upon ourselves and convince others to do the same. We should join together with people of like mind until the whole world is conquered for Christ.

Pope Paul VI and The Prophetic Witness of Humanae Vitae

Staff — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 14:35:32 +0000

July 15, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Pope Paul VI and The Prophetic Witness of Humanae Vitae

By Catholic Online

GLADE PARK, CO (Catholic Online) — Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, promulgated three years after the close of the Second Vatican Council, rapidly became at the time of its release the most intensely mocked and reviled Church document in centuries, perhaps amassing more derision than any other solemn teaching of the Church in the entire history of Christendom. To this day, many Catholic proponents of Pope Paul’s teaching hesitate to mention Humanae Vitae to those who grew up in the 60s and 70s for fear of the averse reactions which not infrequently follow.

On the other hand, Catholics who broach the subject of Humanae Vitae with those whose birthdate allowed them to be spared the brunt of the 60s sexual revolution and acute-suspicion-of-authority influence, experience a different reaction: Paul VI’s encyclical is often not part of their vocabulary because they have never heard of it. So the first step is to invite them to read it.

The situation with these Catholics, especially those who are approximately thirty years of age and younger, is both interesting and encouraging: once they are properly catechized on the theology of the human body and the spiritual language it speaks, along with the consequences of making a lie of one’s body during the marital act through the use of artificial birth control, treating fertility as if it is a disease, objectifying one’s spouse and refusing to be open to life, they very quickly recognize the profound worth of Pope Paul’s teaching. And not only that; as a result they often develop a deep and lasting appreciation for the Church. They begin to see that the Church is our mother who desires to take us into her womb and, by nourishing her children with the words of truth and the sacraments of life, raise us to new and eternal life in Christ.

These Catholics, then, come to recognize that the teaching of the Church is about eternal salvation; it’s about realizing the gift of unending, perfect happiness; it’s about concern for the whole and complete truth of the human person and the relationships which follow; It’s about building a better world; it’s about understanding and actualizing true human freedom — just as is Humanae Vitae.

Once the light about the Church’s true nature penetrates the soul, which is a gift of the Spirit, a refreshing vision of the Bride of Christ is unveiled before one’s eyes with astonishing clarity. No longer is the Church viewed through an hermeneutic of suspicion, but rather she becomes a “holy temple” and “dwelling place of God among men” (LG 6 § 4; Rev. 21:3), who is the “kingdom of Christ now present in mystery” (LG 3). Transformed by the Spirit, who reveals Christ and his Church in full and penetrating light, the eyes of the soul are opened to the true nature of the Church as the “spotless spouse of the spotless Lamb” (LG 6 § 5; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9; 22:17). Praise God!

But if Humanae Vitae’s release had occurred a mere fifty years earlier, when the American populace’s views on sexuality, marriage and children were net yet so tainted, things would have been different. The dissenting cry of the 60s and 70s would likely have been replaced with approbation, since both Catholics and Protestants frowned on the use of mechanical devises and dangerous chemicals before, during and after sex in an attempt to frustrate procreation.

The fact is, Christendom was in general agreement on the sinfulness of contraceptives up until the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops in 1930. While the conference strongly condemned the use “of any methods of conception control from motives of selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience,” emphasizing abstinence as the primary method to avoid parenthood, “in those cases where there is such a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid” the generation of children, the Anglican bishops deemed that “other methods may be used.” That of course opened the door. Once the birth control pill was legalized in 1960, it became the “other method.” Obviously, it was not only Protestants who began to embrace the use of hormonal contraceptives, but many Catholics as well — although the Church has never approved of man’s attempts at driving an artificial wedge between the marital act and procreation.

It is, then, no surprise that in 1968 Humanae Vitae met up with blatant outrage, since “methods of conception control” had long stemmed not only from selfish motives of “luxury” and “mere convenience” but from the mistaken conviction that men and women had a “right” to enjoy unrestrained sex without being “burdened” by the potential for an unwanted pregnancy. Fertility had come to be viewed as an hindrance rather than a blessing. “How dare the Church insert itself into our bedrooms!” cried the voices of dissent. It would have been more honest if those same voices would have simply admitted their intolerance for any advocates of self-discipline in the area of sexual pleasure.

Today, however, things are changing. Catholics and other Christians in growing number are recognizing the perennial and prophetic witness of Humanae Vitae. What was before despised is now in many cases revered. The whole encyclical is overflowing with profound and wise teaching on the crucial importance of cooperating with the Creator in free and loving obedience, the natural moral law, Catholic anthropology, the transmission of human life, marriage, human fertility, and so forth. It is a must read for anyone who wants to know how to live a fully human life of happiness.

When we read the encyclical, it is in a way difficult to imagine it as a source of previous scorn. For instance, in the opening paragraphs we read of Pope Paul’s sincere love and concern for married couples, including the lives and happiness of all human beings:

“The transmission of human life is a most serious role in which married people collaborate freely and responsibly with God the Creator. It has always been a source of great joy to them, even though it sometimes entails many difficulties and hardships.

“The fulfillment of this duty has always posed problems to the conscience of married people, but the recent course of human society and the concomitant changes have provoked new questions. The Church cannot ignore these questions, for they concern matters intimately connected with the life and happiness of human beings.”

In section II, titled “Doctrinal Principles,” Pope Paul taught that when considering the question of human procreation and the use of artificial birth control, since it is a question which touches on human life itself, it is “the whole man and the whole mission to which he is called that must be considered: both its natural, earthly aspects and its supernatural, eternal aspects” (HV 7). Stated another way, the human person is a moral agent who possesses the capacity to shape his character and father his own being by his choices, actions or inactions, and thus seal his eternal destiny by either collaborating with God’s plan of wise goodness or attempting to frustrate and undermine it. There are consequences for heedlessly ignoring or rejecting the natural moral law.

In article 12, Paul VI notes that the conjugal act is ordered toward both the union of the spouses and human procreation, which constitutes an inseparable, fundamental connection inherent in the marriage act. This fundamental connection between an intimate union of the spouses and openness to new life is ordained by the will of God according to eternal law. Simply stated, in creating man and woman, God has wisely written laws into their nature for their own good. It is no accident or mere coincidence of evolution that the human sexual faculties are what they are and do what they do. God has a purpose for human sexuality. When that purpose is thwarted or circumvented by the use of artificial birth control, the will of God, who is the Author of Life, is contradicted (HV 13).

Again, Pope Paul is concerned for the eternal well being of the human person and his or her happiness: the “fundamental nature of the marriage act, while uniting husband and wife in the closest intimacy, also renders them capable of generating new life — and this as a result of laws written into the actual nature of man and of woman. And if each of these essential qualities, the unitive and the procreative, is preserved, the use of marriage fully retains its sense of true mutual love and its ordination to the supreme responsibility of parenthood to which man is called.”

The natural moral law reveals that man does not have unlimited dominion over his body or his sexual faculties (HV 13), for both of these must be used within the limits of the order of reality established by God (HV 16). When these limits are ignored, rejected or exceeded, horrifying consequences result. Here we are brought to Pope Paul’s prophetic words in article 17:

“Let [responsible men] first consider how easily [artificial birth control] could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings . . . need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.

“Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife” (HV 17).

Many of these predictions have come to pass in one form or other: the grave moral decline of contemporary society; the promotion of false notions of freedom which are detached from the moral law; the wildly out-of-control transmission and use of pornography; the devaluation of the institution of marriage; skyrocketing divorce rates; the “friends with benefits” (FWB) phenomenon in which friendships are arranged to include sexual activity without commitment to emotional or any other bonds.

Just a few years after Humanae Vitae the wedge of artificial birth control was driven so deeply between the marital act and human procreation that it spawned the unspeakable evil of legalized abortion in the U.S. under the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. The logical extension of the contraceptive mentality is the abortion mentality.

Further, we are now confronted with the HHS mandate, the attacks on the right to exercise freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, and a President who adamantly insists that it isn’t fair for the Catholic Church to refuse to provide abortion inducing drugs, contraceptives and sterilizations to insurance recipients. We have to wonder, what is next?

Not until men and women begin to understand that they are bodily and spiritual beings, moral agents whose bodies must always be used to speak the language of truth, will we see the terrifyingly steep moral descent of America begin to flatten out. The more people who embrace the Church as the city of truth in Christ, a holy womb of love in which men are taught how to live and how to die, the more will society become aligned with the will of our loving God, who “works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

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F. K. Bartels is a Catholic writer who believes the Catholic faith is the greatest gift he could have ever received. He is also a contributing writer to Catholic Online. Visit him also at joyintruth.com

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Planned Parenthood Accused of Massive Medicaid Fraud in Texas

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:19:22 +0000

November 3, 2011 | LifeNews.com

(Houston) - The Planned Parenthood abortion business in yet another state is facing accusations of massive Medicaid fraud related to billing for abortions and birth control — at a time when Congress is launching an investigation.

According to pro-life blogger Jill Stanek, a former employee of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast has filed a whistleblower’s complaint with the Attorney General of Texas and the U.S. Department of Justice. The PPGC employee alleges that the abortion business engaged in an elaborate Medicaid fraud scheme.

Stanek writes: Karen Reynolds, who worked as a “health care assistant” from 1999 to 2009 at the Lufkin, Texas, branch of the affiliate formerly known as Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas, has submitted company memos and emails to support her charge that PPGC has engaged in a systemwide scheme to bilk Medicaid, Title XX, and the Women’s Health Program of tens of millions of dollars over the course of at least a decade.

Reynolds alleges bosses trained employees to bill government agencies for medical and family planning services not rendered, for services no reasonable medical personnel would provide, and – the biggest bombshell – for abortion-related services fudged to appear as if they were not.

The complaint alleges Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast had a policy of providing abortions and medical services based on the ability of customers to pay — similar to the sliding scale policies of most Planned Parenthood abortion businesses. The complaint says patients were paying out of pocket, then only “services based on medical necessity” were provided. However, if patients were relying on Medicaid or another government program to pay the Planned Parenthood bill, then planned Parenthood would run up the costs “often provid[ing] services on an ‘across the board’ basis even when such services were not medically necessary.”