Monday, July 23, 2012

Nothing to be proud of

Canada is one of the best places in the world to live.

It has high regard for human rights. Unless you are a preborn citizen.

Canada shares its lack of legal protection for its preborn with North Korea and China.

How in heaven's name did we get here? Only God knows.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

The purest act of Faith

"...I had always trusted in God. I had always tried to find his will, to see his providence at work. I had always seen my life and my destiny as guided by his will. At some moments more consciously than at others, I had been aware of his promptings, his call, his promises, his grace. At times of crisis, especially, I had tried to discover his will and to follow it to the best of my ability. But this was a new vision, a totally new understanding, something more than just a matter of emphasis.

Up until now, I had always seen my role—man's role—in the divine economy as an active one. Up to this time, I had retained in my own hands the reins of all decision, actions, and endeavors; I saw it now as my task to "cooperate" with his grace, to be involved to the end in the working out of salvation. God's will was "out there" somewhere, hidden, yet clear and unmistakable. It was my role—man's role— to discover what it was and then conform my will to that, and so work at achieving the ends of his divine providence. I remained—man remained—in essence the master of my own destiny. Perfection consisted simply in learning to discover God's will in every situation and then in bending every effort to do what must be done.

Now, with sudden and almost blinding clarity and simplicity, I realized I had been trying to do something with my own will and intellect that was at once too much and mostly all wrong. God's will was not hidden somewhere "out there" in the situations in which I found myself; the situations themselves were his will for me. What he wanted was for me to accept these situations as from his hands, to let go of the reins and place myself entirely at his disposal. He was asking He of me an act of total trust, allowing for no interference or restless striving on my part, no reservations, no exceptions, no areas where I could set conditions or seem to hesitate. He was asking a complete gift of self, nothing held back. It demanded absolute faith: faith in God's existence, in his providence, in his concern for the minutest detail, in his power to sustain me, and in his love protecting me. It meant losing the last hidden doubt, the ultimate fear that God will not be there to bear you up.

It was something like that awful eternity between anxiety and belief when a child first leans back and lets go of all support whatever—only to find that the water truly holds him up and he can float motionless and totally relaxed.

Once understood, it seemed so simple. I was amazed it had taken me so long in terms of time and of suffering to learn this truth. Of course we believe that we depend on God, that his will sustains us in every moment of our life. But we are afraid to put it to the test. There remains deep down in each of us a little nagging doubt, a little knot of fear which we refuse to face or admit even to ourselves, that says, "Suppose it isn't so." We are afraid to abandon ourselves totally into God's hands for fear he will not catch us as we fall. It is the ultimate criterion, the final test of all faith and all belief, and it is present in each of us, lurking unvoiced in a closet of our mind we are afraid to open. It is not really a question of trust in God at all, for we want very much to trust him; it is really a question of our ultimate belief in his existence and his providence, and it demands the purest act of faith..."

From Walter J. Ciszek's book He Leadeth me

Friday, July 20, 2012

Gestational age abortions from Ontario; Quebec 2010 data coming

I'm not sure if I ever published this Gestational age data from CIHI for Ontario abortions in 2010. Here it is:


As you can see there were 358 late term abortions done in Ontario in 2010, and that's only those done in Ontario hospitals. 

Also, and as we already know, CIHI's last publication of abortion statistics for 2010 did not include information from Quebec.

I have been corresponding with CIHI to learn when we can expect to receive the 2010 Quebec data. This is the latest update from CIHI on when the Quebec data will be available. CIHI is:
"slated to receive the data in the fall. After we run it all through our data quality process (all the data we receive is checked thoroughly), we’ll be in a good position to make them public."

Banning late-term abortions: it's time

Mike Schouten and the WeNeedaLAW people explain their position in today's National Post: Why Canada should ban late-term abortions

And here on their website they have a Q&A with more information and answers to many people's concerns about gestational legislation: Frequently Asked Questions for We Need a Law

Here is an analogy they use for why their position makes sense:
"Working towards the goal of saving all pre-born children, but only being able to save some is not a compromise.

We can use analogies to help understand why saving some is not compromising the principle that every life is valuable. Imagine you are at the lake and witness a pleasure boat sinking. Upon seeing the crisis develop, you jump into your small inflatable dingy and paddle as fast as you can to the scene. When you arrive you see eight people without life preservers desperately trying to stay afloat.. Their boat is nowhere to be seen. Your dingy is much too small for everyone but you begin helping them from the water. You manage to fit three of the eight people in your small dingy and begin the journey to shore. When they are safely in the arms of onlookers you race back to get some more. Unfortunately they couldn’t swim and have disappeared to the depths of the lake. In the shock of what transpired you remind yourself that you did everything you could and saved as many as possible. You wanted to save them all, but considering the resources you had available (a small boat), you did what you could."

I think it's time we finally do something about getting behind legislation like WeNeedaLAW is proposing. The absence of legal protection for the pre-born has gone on long enough. 

And we know that 60% of Canadians would support such a law so what are we waiting for?

It's time to act.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Priests for Life Canada and what they support

This is what Priests for Life Canada support regarding incremental abortion legislation. This statement is dated July 12, 2012 and is on their website:

"Priests for Life Canada Answers Questions on Incremental Abortion Legislation (including the gestational limits approach)

Recently Priests for Life Canada was asked by a Canadian newspaper our position on incremental abortion legislation. Here are our responses.

1) Do you support gestational limits* on abortion. Would you like to state why? (* for the purpose of this survey, gestational limits means restricting abortion after a certain point, whether by trimester or some other time period.)

Priests for Life Canada supports progressively, restrictive, and realistically attainable political goals as laid out by Blessed John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae (paragraph 73) to save preborn children in a hostile parliamentary environment. As Blessed John Paul II clearly states: “A particular problem of conscience can arise in cases where a legislative vote would be decisive for the passage of a more restrictive law, aimed at limiting the number of authorized abortions, in place of a more permissive law already passed or ready to be voted on. Such cases are not infrequent. It is a fact that while in some parts of the world there continue to be campaigns to introduce laws favouring abortion, often supported by powerful international organizations, in other nations-particularly those which have already experienced the bitter fruits of such permissive legislation-there are growing signs of a rethinking in this matter. In a case like the one just mentioned, when it is not possible to overturn or completely abrogate a pro-abortion law, an elected official, whose absolute personal opposition to procured abortion was well known, could licitly support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such a law and at lessening its negative consequences at the level of general opinion and public morality. This does not in fact represent an illicit cooperation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects.” Therefore, Priests for Life Canada believes it is necessary to recognize that such activity and goals are morally sound, theologically approved and pragmatically achievable.

2) Do you support the "We Need a Law" campaign. Would you like to state why?

“We Need a Law” campaign is an attempt to raise consciousness about both the need for legal recognition of the preborn child and the woeful state of lawlessness in regard to abortion in Canada. Priests for Life Canada supports any consciousness raising activities whether in the streets, the media, the courts, or the legislatures. Publicly, pro-life groups of all stripes should never denigrate any other group’s efforts. The pro-life movement is diverse and therefore powerfully tenacious.

3) What kinds of incremental measures do you support. If yes, can you give an example? If no, why?

Priests for Life Canada supports efforts to restrict: funding for abortion and destructive embryonic stem cell research, extension of abortion to clinics, forced abortion procedure and assistance, and training for interns and nurses. Priests for Life Canada supports: efforts to promote informed consent; professionals' conscience rights; mandatory cooling off periods before abortions; recognition of the legal personhood of the preborn; restrictive efforts; and many other pro-life initiatives."

Sunday, July 15, 2012

End the killing in our lifetime

This was in our Church bulletin today at the Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church in Ottawa.

Good to see that Fr. Yves chose to do this. Choice. It's sometimes a wonderful thing.

"THE NEW ABORTION CARAVAN

This summer two dozen young adults travelled from Vancouver to Ottawa as, The New Abortion Caravan, an initiative of the Calgary-based Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR).

Along the way they gave presentations about the facts of abortion, and participating in "Choice Chains", using graphic images and engaging passersby in discussions about the harsh realities of abortion. The use of these graphic images is controversial even within the pro-life movement, but CCBR explains how their presentation is well-researched, based in history and the effectiveness of graphic images in changing public opinion about various historical injustices.

The website addresses the issue of the use of graphic images in fighting the war on abortion. The CCBR presenters stated that, The New Abortion Caravan, was just the beginning of the "End the Killing" youth movement's campaign. Their goal is to end the killing of preborn children in Canada "in our lifetime."

Abandon self to the Father's will

"...Suddenly, I was consoled by thoughts of our Lord and his agony in the garden. "Father," he had said, "if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me." In the Garden of Olives, he too knew the feeling of fear and weakness in his human nature as he faced suffering and death. Not once but three times did he ask to have his ordeal removed or somehow modified. Yet each time he concluded with an act of total abandonment and submission to the Father's will. "Not as I will, but as thou wilt." It was not just conformity to the will of God; it was total self-surrender, a stripping away of all human fears, of all doubts about his own abilities to withstand the passion, of every last shred of self including self-doubt.

What a wonderful treasure and source of strength and consolation our Lord's agony in the garden became for me from that moment on. I saw clearly exactly what I must do. I can only call it a conversion experience, and I can only tell you frankly that my life was changed from that moment on. If my moment of despair had been a moment of total blackness, then this was an experience of blinding light. I knew immediately what I, must do, what I would do, and somehow I knew that I could do it. I knew that I must abandon myself entirely to the will of the Father and live from now on in this spirit of self-abandonment to God. And I did it. I can only describe the experience as a sense of "letting go", giving over totally my last effort or even any will to guide the reins of my own life. It is all too simply said, yet that one decision has affected every subsequent moment of my life. I have to call it a conversion..."

From Walter J. Ciszek's book He Leadeth me

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Defending the most vulnerable

In this article written by Jeff Turnbull, past president of the Canadian Medical Association, Canada defends the most vulnerable, Dr. Turnbull talks about the plight of the homeless in Canada. Good and honourable and I agree with Dr. Turnbull.

I wonder if Dr. Turnbull considers preborn citizens as being part of Canada's most vulnerable? Because the parallel is striking.

Dr. Turnbull says about the homeless: “The poor pay for their poverty with their health.” The preborn pay for their inconvenience with their life.

He says that “...our most vulnerable citizens experience health outcomes that are often worse than those where I have worked in the developing world. I don’t believe this is the legacy my generation wants to leave for our children.”

In Canada, our most vulnerable preborn citizens experience health outcomes that include being ripped apart in their mother’s wombs, an outcome worse than those in the developing world and the first world.

Then Dr. Turnbull says this, “Rather, we must stand up and be remembered for how we as a society...embraced the vulnerable, the disabled and the mentally ill as our own...and for how we insisted that health and justice be meted out fairly, independent of income and postal code.”

I say, as a society we will be remembered for ignoring the continued and unabated destruction of our vulnerable preborn children, some of whom were aborted because they were disabled, or simply unexpected. There is neither health nor justice for aborted persons.

Dr. Turnbull says, “I reject the argument that economic prosperity is the sole prerequisite for strong social programs. The immense economic growth that Canada has enjoyed over the years has not been translated to the most disadvantaged around us, nor equally distributed throughout the country. Yet a more equitable society is more secure, more united and economically stronger. Compassion, equity and fairness not only make for good social policy, but are a long-term fiscal imperative.”

Well I reject the argument that women’s rights be the sole prerequisite for the social program that is fully funded legal abortion during all nine months of pregnancy. Canada’s economic growth has translated into more tax dollars than ever before paying for our most disadvantaged and vulnerable being aborted. A more equitable society would be more secure, more united and economically stronger when all its citizens are finally granted the right to life. Compassion, equity and fairness to the preborn not only makes for good social policy, but also good fiscal policy with an increased workforce of some 100,000 each year.

Dr. Turnbull tells us that, “Simply put, the poor pay for their poverty with their health.”

I counter with, the preborn pay for “choice” with their life.

Dr. Turnbull feels that “Fundamental change can only take place when individuals and organizations representing large sectors of our society set out expectations for our elected officials and hold them accountable for meeting them.”

I would like to see fundamental change for preborn citizens. And it can only take place when individuals and organizations speak out for them to our elected officials and hold them accountable for finally granting them legal protection.

Dr. Turnbull talks about leaving a legacy. “As I reflect on the legacy that we will leave to future generations, I realize that my good fortune is a product of the vision and sacrifice of those who came before. It was their legacy to us. I can only hope that we, as the current custodians of our collective identity, have the vision, courage and leadership to make those who will follow us proud of our enduring legacy to them.”

As I reflect on the legacy I would like to leave to future generations, I realize that my good fortune is a product of the fact that I was born at all and that I am actually able to write these words today. I can only hope that we, as the custodians of all children, have the vision, courage and leadership to allow these children yet to be born, to be allowed any legacy at all.

I don't know where Dr. Turnbull stands on the topic of abortion. But all of our vulnerable citizens, those born and those not yet born, are equally worthy of our protection, care and compassion.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Banning third trimester abortions

Mary Ellen Douglas from Campaign Life Coalition comments on the latest Ipsos Reid/Postmedia poll, which states that some 60% of Canadians would support an abortion law that would ban third trimester abortions.

Ms. Douglas states:
"For some to suggest that they would only like to see babies in the womb protected in the third trimester is to suggest that we should establish a pro-abortion law in the absence of any law which would allow the killing of unborn babies from the time of conception until 26 weeks."

CLC does a lot of good work, like the Annual March for Life every year, an event I strongly support. But I must respectfully disagree with Ms. Douglas on this subject.

We would not be establishing a pro-abortion law, because we already have a pro-abortion law in Canada, one of the most extreme pro-abortion laws in the world, where not one preborn child is legally protected.

Protecting preborn children after 24 or 26 weeks does not "allow" the killing of unborn babies before that time. We already allow their killing before that time, as well as after that time. A gestational law would simply put some restrictions on our existing legal abortion situation where children in all three trimesters are currently unprotected.

Ms. Douglas goes on to say that:
"Pro-life groups in countries that take a time limit approach note from experience that it is very difficult to uphold the law because unscrupulous doctors and abortion-minded women can fudge the conception date and how far the pregnancy has proceeded."

Yes people lie, it happens all the time and we can't stop people from doing so. But that isn't a reason for not engaging in the art of what is doable. As we have learned from this most recent poll, getting a broad consensus on preventing third trimester abortions in Canada is possible. Whether or not someone will lie about the gestational age of the fetus is something we cannot control, in this situation, just like we can`t control it in any situation.

At CCBR's recent presentations in Ottawa at the culmination of the New Abortion Caravan, there was a short video clip of a doctor examining a 24 week old dead fetus. I can’t get that picture out of my head.

The doctor turned this fully formed baby over a couple of times, probably examining her to ensure that all of her body parts had been removed from her mother's womb after the abortion. He then enfolded this tiny human being in a white sheet, presumably to “dispose” of her remains.

That picture will haunt me for a long time.

I would do anything to protect that tiny child. I would also like to protect all the other tiny preborn children from such a fate. But at the moment, our legal situation in Canada is that none of them are protected. With a third trimester protection law, at least some of these tiny lives would be saved because many "pro-choice" people would agree with me that, that 24 week old fetus should be protected.

Ms. Douglas ends with this:
"The pro-life movement wants to protect all human life from the time of conception to natural death. A gestational limit would give the illusion of providing some protection to a tiny number of children in the womb and send the wrong signal to the general public that abortion is restricted in any meaningful sense."

Yes the pro-life movement wants to protect life from the time of conception to natural death. And we will continue to fight for that protection. But I posit, that not advocating for what is possible [by creating third trimester legal restrictions], gives the illusion that pro-life people will only ever accept, what may never happen.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Humility is truth

"...God must sometimes allow us to act on our own so we can learn humility, so we can learn the truth of our total dependence on him, so we can learn that all our actions are sustained by his grace and that without him we can do nothing—not even make our own mistakes.

Learning the full truth of our dependence upon God and our relation to his will is what the virtue of humility is all about. For humility is truth, the full truth, the truth that encompasses our relation to God the Creator and through him to the world he has created and to our fellowmen. And what we call humiliations are the trials by which our more complete grasp of this truth is tested.

It is self that is humiliated; there would be no "humiliation" if we had learned to put self in its place, to see ourselves in proper perspective before God and other men. And the stronger the ingredient of self develops in our lives, the more severe must our humiliations be in order to purify us. That was the terrible insight that dawned upon me in the cell at Lubianka as I prayed, shaken and dejected, after my experience with the interrogator.

The Spirit had not abandoned me, for the whole experience had been his work. The sense of guilt and shame I felt was rooted in my failure to put grace ahead of nature, my failure to trust primarily in God rather than in my own powers..."

From Walter J. Ciszek's book, He Leadeth me

Sunday, July 8, 2012

It's the message

Open letter to the Canadian Media,

I attended an important event Monday July 2, 2012. It was in Ottawa and it marked the end of the New Abortion Caravan campaign.

I wish you would have been able to attend.

This group of young, energetic Canadians from the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (led by Stephanie Gray and Jonathon Van Maren) have set a deadline of 18 years, for the pro-life movement to end the killing of preborn children in Canada.

CCBR has a vision and strategy to do it. I hope you watch the presentations. The words "history in the making" spring to mind.

Here is a short compilation video.

And the full presentations.

These people are peaceful, compassionate, and dare I say it, full of humility. They are also very committed to their goal.

CCBR believes abortion to be the social justice issue/human rights issue that cannot be ignored any longer.

They speak the truth with compassion. They tell us that Canada's killing fields of abortion will end. They are already changing hearts and minds of people, one person at a time. They will continue to do so.

The truth is a powerful tool in this battle to stop the killing of preborn children. Stephanie quoted Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788 - 1860):
"Truth passes through three stages. First - it is ridiculed. Second - it is violently opposed. Third - it is accepted as being self-evident."

There were the expected pro-abortion protesters who did their best to prevent the guests from driving into, or out of the parking lot where the presentation took place. These people engaged in the usual angry, loud and intimidating chants.

I think these protesters are afraid of CCBR's message. They didn't want anyone else to hear it either. So they did the only thing they know how to do. They lashed out. Sadly, they can't handle the truth. I think they are afraid of it.

All of this, just as we learned this week from a nationwide survey commissioned by Postmedia News and Global TV, that 60% of Canadians would support a law that places limits on when a woman can have an abortion during her pregnancy, such as during the last trimester.

The evening marked the end of the beginning [of the New Abortion Caravan]. It also marked the beginning of the end [of the 18 year campaign to end the killing of preborn children].

I hope you watch the presentation. It may change your mind about abortion.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

CCBR in Ottawa July 2, 2012, Highlights

Below is a video with highlights from CCBR's final presentation in Ottawa, July 2, 2012.

And here is an excerpt of a letter written in the Toronto Daily Star May 19, 1970, after the the old Abortion Caravan's Toronto Rally:

"Consummate actresses that we are, if we women keep pushing and screaming, we shall succeed in pulling off the most stunning piece of legislation ever. Abortion on demand.

A stroke of the pen, and absolute power over life and death is ours. What a heady triumpth, Why I can almost taste the glory. Even God will envy us."

(July 22 update: The author of this letter was Aileen Sivell)



Videos by Patricia Maloney
Editing by Maureen Ward

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

CCBR in Ottawa July 2, 2012

The New Abortion Caravan: Presentation - Ottawa Ontario , July 2, 2012 - Introduction of the Team

This amazing team tells us how they are changing hearts and minds, one human being at a time.
Introductions:



Jonathon Van Maren tells us about Canada's abortion killing fields, Part 1:



Jonathon's talk, Part 2:



Stephanie Gray tells us that CCBR has set a deadline of 18 years to end the killing of preborn children.

Stephanie also says:
"It is time to take this sacred cow of Canada's abortions rights movement, and redeem it."

Stephanie's talk, Part 1:



Stephanie's talk, Part 2:

Stephanie quotes Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788 - 1860):

"Truth passes through three stages:
First - it is ridiculed
Second - it is violently opposed
Third - it is accepted as being self-evident"



Stephanie's talk part 3, where we go from here:
"If we can't face it, we can't fight it."



Q&A, part 1:



Q&A, Part 2:



Videos by Patricia Maloney
Editing by Maureen Ward

Does SOGC speak for you?

The recent publicly stated position of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) against Stephen Woodworth's Motion 312 is very troubling. For a couple of reasons.

First, in their statement SOGC says that Mr. Woodworth's motion is:
"yet another attempt to circumvent the direct decision taken by Parliament and the Courts to define legal status and rights as accruing at birth."

No such decision has ever been taken by Parliament regarding the legal status of a human being at birth. In fact, what the Supreme Court actually did rule, was that Parliament is precisely where a conversation regarding unborn children should take place. It never has.

All topics should be open for debate in a democracy. When we allow any discussion to be silenced, democracy ceases.

Second, SOGC states that a woman's:
"interests, needs, or choices would be considered in treatment decisions, but these would be subject to the rights of the foetus she is carrying. The foetus’ unexpressed wishes would be interpreted by proxy by courts and legislators."

The "foetus’ unexpressed wishes" is exactly why Mr. Woodworth's motion is so important. He is trying to change the current situation whereby the most vulnerable of human beings in Canada—voiceless children in the womb—are not recognized by our legal system. A just society demands that we protect and defend the vulnerable and be a voice for the voiceless.

M-312 gives us an opportunity to simply begin a national conversation about how we can best protect and defend vulnerable preborn children’s “unexpressed wishes.”

Third, this is our medical profession speaking. The very people who we entrust our health and our lives to. They are also the people who we entrust the lives of our preborn children to. Why do these doctors not advocate for the other patient in each and every pregnancy? That thought frightens me.

Fourth, the SOGC says:
"This motion opens the door for the further restriction of women’s reproductive and sexual rights and decision-making."

Since there are no legal restrictions on our any-time-any-reason-no-reason-publicly-funded abortions in Canada, this statement is disingenuous.

How can we further restrict something that has absolutely no restrictions? Further restrictions implies that legal restrictions already exist. They do not.

Finally, does this position statement really reflect the views of all members of the SOGC? If it does not, I hope that we will hear from those doctors who do support Mr. Woodworth's motion.

Even better, I hope these doctors write to their society and insist they start speaking for both patients: mother and child. And I hope these doctors will tell their society that their "Position" does not represent their own.

Notes:
1. I had actually believed that doctors took the Hippocratic Oath, which says "First do no Harm". I have discovered that in most cases doctors do not take this oath. But one doctor, Dr. John Patrick has started the Hippocratic Registry for doctors who practice according to the Hippocratic Oath and who would like to honour this oath:
And more information on the Hippocratic Oath here.