Life Consistency

Will Iran Hold Up 'An Eye For An Eye' In Conviction?

2009-02-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

The courts of Iran plan to hold up an "eye for an eye" conviction. You won't believe this story, as I hardly can. Americans seem pretty split on the issue of the death penalty, but most agree that it is reserved for the most morbid and gruesome killers.

However, a woman in Iran-- who lived to take her attacker to court-- wants the man who poured acid on her eyes to be punished the same way. And the court agreed!

Her name is Ameneh Bahrami and she is now blind after a man she was not interested in marrying poured acid on her face. His name is Majid Movahedi and he claims he did it because he "loves" her. Both of these people really need an education in how to treat people!

Bahrami wants Movahedi punished in what CNN called "the ancient punishment of 'an eye for an eye,' and, in accordance with Islamic law, she wants to blind Majid Movahedi, the man who blinded her." A court of law actually honored her request by sentencing him in 2005 and rejecting his appeals since then.

CNN further reports, "Attack victims in Iran usually accept 'blood money': a fine in lieu of harsh punishment. With no insurance and mounting medical bills, Bahrami could've used the cash, but she said no. 'I told the judge I want an eye for an eye,' Bahrami said. 'People like him should be made to feel my suffering.' "

The court decides that Movahedi did in fact commit the crime. They decide it is wrong to pour acid in a person's eyes. Good. We all agree. Oh wait a minute... now the court will do what it just declared "wrong" and "illegal" by punishing the man with drops of acid in his own eyes.

Granted, I pity the poor girl who is now blind. She had every right to take her attacker to court, to seek punishment. But will "an eye for an eye" be true justice?

(Photos from CNN, above: Bahrami before her attack; below: Bahrami after her attack.)

CREDO Mobile and The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

2009-01-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

CREDO is a new rising cell phone company AND activism group. They are really changing the role of a mobile phone company! I have been following CREDO for many years and I'm excited to celebrate with them the achievement of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

CREDO members have been campaigning for two years for more laws about fair pay and woman's rights in the workplace. Their hard work paid off yesterday when President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. This is the U.S. President's first law. CREDO sent a celebratory email congratulating their members on a fight well fought:

CREDO activists like you have been working hard on this issue for nearly two years — thank you for being part of that fight. Here's just some of what you accomplished:
Nearly 100,000 of you signed petitions and sent faxes to Congress supporting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
More than 5,000 of you called your members of Congress to ask for their support.
You held in-state meetings with seven Senate offices, including one with Senator Lisa Murkowski herself — one of the few Republicans who was persuaded to vote for the bill.
This is an amazing victory — and an great example of what the CREDO community can accomplish when we organize and fight for what we believe in.

Congratulations to CREDO and members, and now to American women who are recognized through this law as equal in work ability and deserving (now, required by law) of equal pay.

I'd like to take a brief moment to highlight what CREDO is all about as a mobile phone company. The money that is made through the business is used toward liberal activism. CREDO has long fought for woman's rights and against abuse of the earth by way of global warming and other threats.

CREDO is a mobile phone company just like AT&T or Verizon - except, unlike AT&T or Verizon, CREDO actually fought to protect woman's rights to fair pay. (Also unlike AT&T, CREDO didn't give money to McCain/Palin and Bush/Cheney, but that's another story.)

CREDO's a pretty great company - they give 1% of their revenues away to amazing non-profits like Doctors Without Borders, and they've given away over $60 million over the last twenty years. They also do progressive activism on issues like protecting the environment and working to end the war in Iraq.

So why am I telling you about some phone company? Because they offered us a pretty sweet deal. Here's how it works:

If you sign up to be a CREDO customer, they'll cover the cancellation fee on your existing mobile contract and give you a free phone, plus they'll give me $100 for referring you. Pretty good, right? You can get all the details here.

If you're ready to sign up, just do the following:

First, call 1-877-76CREDO.
Second, give them this special offer code: 800333
Finally, let them know I sent you by giving them my personalized coupon code NCCUU

I figured I'd let you know about this great deal. I don't care about the $100, but I would like to see folks ditch corporate, heartless giants like Verizon and AT&T. I've been supporting CREDO for years, so if you want to use my code, that would be great too.

If you aren't ready to switch cell phone providers yet, that's ok too. Get signed up with CREDO to take part in their campaigns to better the work place, the government, the world, and the earth!

Economic Downturn May Cause Pets To Suffer

2009-01-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Although I'm usually one to seek to protect human rights before animal rights, this story really made me think. USA Today reports that animals are suffering as a result of the economic crisis.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 42 million American households owned a dog in 2007, the most recent year for which data are available. Households spent an average of $356 on veterinary visits that year, it said.
More than 37 million households owned a cat and spent an average of $190 on visits to the vet in 2007, the association said.

Those dollars, pet experts say, are becoming more difficult for some cash-strapped owners to pay.

Animals should always be treated as a member of the family, not as casual entertainment. To avoid pet neglect, use these helpful tips:

Contact local shelters or rescue groups to locate pet food pantries or to find pet-friendly apartments if you have to move. They can link you with programs that can help with necessary vet care, medications or low-cost spay/neuter. In an increasing number of cities, groups are forming to provide short-term foster care for pets whose owners need a little time to get stable again.

Go to the home page of the Humane Society of the United States (hsus.org) and click on Pet Tip, which offers a state-by-state, ever-growing list of groups offering free or discounted pet food, medical care or temporary foster care.

Families with economic struggles would be especially burdened if they struggled to provide for their pet too. I'm thankful to see shelters and local groups helping families out.

(Pets pictured are all available for adoption on petfinder.com)

Guantanamo Bay Prison To Close... And??

2009-01-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

On his first full day of office, President Barack Obama ordered that Guantanamo Bay prison be closed within a year. Great! Now what? The new president was unclear what steps would be taken next.

The SF Chronicle echoes: What now? What will happen to the 244 suspected al-Qaida prisoners in limbo at "Gitmo," as it is popularly called. Not to mention, there are more than 1,000 more prisoners in Afghanistan.

Many U.S. politians are doubting that the task can be completed in one year. House Minority Leader John Boehner keeps repeating that San Francisco's beautiful Alcatraz Island-- former prison, now a museum and National Park-- may be converted into a new prison for suspected terrorists. Everywhere from Fort Bragg to Fort Leavenworth-- the military's only maximum-security prison, to Camp Pendleton in San Diego has been suggested for the Guantanamo prisoner's new place of residence. Is it enough just to move the prisoners from Gitmo, or should their crimes be further investigated?

Gitmo has long been a sign of President Bush's unjust war on terror because of the lack of trials and the torture that went on there. But will prisoners return to a life of terrorism and pose a threat to national security?

Karen J. Greenberg, executive director of New York University's Center on Law and Security and the author of the forthcoming book The Least Worst Place: Guantanamo's First 100 Days, told the Washington Post about Gimo recidivism:

On recidivism, the Pentagon has said that 18 of the detainees are believed to have returned to terrorism. Another 43 are suspected but the Pentagon does not claim that they are engaged in terrorism. There are three cases of Gitmo detainees returning to the fight at high levels, according to reports. But the recidivism rate is relatively low, as 557 have been released overall. It's important to emphasize that good judgment is needed in terms of deciding who leaves just as it should have been more important in deciding who to send to Gitmo in the first place.

In the past week alone, two former Guantanamo Bay prisoners have reemerged as al-Qaida terrorists in Saudi Arabia, despite that prisoners who return to Saudi Arabia are put through "reprogramming" by psychiatrists, Muslim clerics and sociologists. AP reports that this "is part of a concerted Saudi government effort to counter the ideology that nurtured the 9/11 hijackers and that has lured hundreds of Saudis to join the Iraq insurgency. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were Saudis, as is the mastermind of the attacks, Osama bin Laden."

Will the detox at Guantoanamo Bay prison and the rehabilitation efforts by the government of Saudi Arabia be enough? Only time will tell.

However, families of 9/11 victims are encouraging Obama to not release the prisoners without a trial. Three families want to meet with Obama and "appeal his decision to suspend the trials of five detainees in Gitmo who have admitted they have some part in the terror attacks." They have written a public letter that can be read in full here.

We cannot understand why it has taken so long for the prosecution of the detainees in cases where substantial evidence exists of direct or indirect involvement in the Terrorist Attacks at the WTC, Pentagon and Shanksville ... We have seen first hand -- the admission of guilt by individual detainees, and have heard their statements indicating they are proud of what they did to our loved ones on 9/11.

I am happy to see President Obama end illegal holding and torture-- the evil push-it-under-the-rug details of Bush's war on terror-- but I too hope that trials will be held. We should gather facts and finish prosecuting those behind 9/11. Should the evidence be scant, then we must answer for why these prisoners have been held for years.

One More Day Until Obama Is President

2009-01-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

Happy MLK Day! I'm so thankful for heros like Martin Luther King, Jr., who have the bravery and conviction to stand up for what is right.

It's only one more day until Obama will become the new U.S. President! I'm looking forward to the Inauguration celebration, which will include controversial speaker Rick Warren. I was pleased to see Melissa Etheridge and her lesbian partner defend the Christian speaker.

Rick Warren is someone I really admire. His response to AIDS/HIV worldwide makes me proud to be a Christian and I wish this whole gay controversy wasn't blackening his name. He has been very careful when it comes to the gay issue, much too careful for staunch conservatives. He wants his focus to be on evangelism and poverty, so to tie him to this I think is petty. His big issues for years have been peace, poverty, and AIDs. It's a shame that's so ignored now. He has never been anti-gay. It's shocking to see the anti-Christian response from SOME gay community, however. That is 100% unfair. I appreciated Etheridge's fairness and open-mindedness. Warren is a public figure who represents many in America, probably including Obama's more moderate Christianity. I'm not surprised he was chosen for the speech, only surprised by the nasty backlash. I appreciate people like Warren, Etheridge, and Ellen, who all care deeply about human issues, peace, and personhood. Work together!

I'm looking forward to the progress Obama will bring!

Human Rights Watch is expecting some advances in human rights on behalf of President Barack Obama too. According to US News & World Report, the Human Rights Watch 564-page World Report 2009 concluded, "If the incoming Obama administration wants to shift from the 'abusive policies' of its predecessor, it must put human rights at the heart of its policy."

Atheist Says Africa Needs God

2009-01-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

In a Times article called "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God," by Matthew Parris, an atheist contends for Christian mission work taking place in Africa. He writes,

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

This is fantastically open-minded article, yet it has an academic backbone to it. Read the full text!

60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

2008-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights! Let us remember those around the world who are suffering due to lack of basic human rights. May we continue to push our leaders and the U.N. to stand up for human rights!
With great power comes great responsibility...
This generation is able to see and stand up to human rights injustices due to great advancements in technology. Speak out, stand up!

Young Chinese Olympic Gymnasts Reduce Olympic Games To Childsplay

2008-08-12T13:22:00.001-07:00

They bring serious threat to the U.S. gymnastic team, yet they have everybody talking for a different reason: China's Olympic gymnasts looks young... very young. They may not only young, but be young too, according to sources.

The New York Times' Harvey Araton questioned the seemingly young girl's age and went on to suggest what is happening:

"When in North America, do as the North Americans do (overreact). When in China, do nothing. For better or worse, these are the shrug-and-don’t-tell Olympics, undoubtedly because it would be considered impolitic to embarrass the Chinese after they went to such great expense to throw the world this lavish party."

MSNBC's coverage of the events suggested that the girls began to train for this Olympic quest when they were only 3 years old. What country or parent would drive their children to this kind of success? The Chinese gymnasts are probably not even old enough to understand the success of their careers, or even possibly the many schooling opportunities they missed to become the best. Cuba's Olympic beach volleyball team has a 37-year-old. The United State's Olympic swimming team as a 42-year-old. There is just no reason to reduce the Games to bitty 13-year-old competition. Let the girls live normal childhoods and let them choose to train for themselves.

(Image kindly borrowed from Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images).

E.P.A. Says Oil Goals Are More Important Than Food Costs

2008-08-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Not too many issues make me more ANGRY than the rising price of food. With so many families barely getting by-- especially with through-the-roof gas prices too-- there is no way that rising food prices aren't going hurt the average American. Come on people!
You see, the EPA decided against making less Ethinol despite the damage it is causing the price of grain in the U.S. Although the EPA wants to save the planet, they forget that even though humans EATING may hurt the Earth too, we still have to eat.

The New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency rejected on Thursday a request to cut the quota for the use of ethanol in cars, concluding, for the time being, that the goal of reducing the nation’s reliance on oil trumps any effect on food prices from making fuel from corn.

I for one am offendede at the complete lack of concern for American families who are struggling to pay the bills and eat. I'm talking about working families with children. What do we have to do around here to eat: Go into the oil business?

Blogging For Human Rights

2008-05-15T14:40:00.001-07:00

Well, that is what I usually do but today it's extra important. May 15 is Bloggers Unite For Human Rights day!!! This event has spread like wildfire thanks to Amnesty International and Facebook. Check it out here.

Some the issues the group is hoping to see blogs promote are:

1. Human Rights in China. This is especially on our minds after their tragic 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck over the weekend. Amnesty hopes you will sign a petition to Yahoo! to protect Internet free speech in China.

2. Check out tearitdown.org to find how to campaign for an end to the Guantanamo Bay detaining center.

3. The crisis in Darfur, Sudan, which includes civil war, genocide, poverty, rampant AIDS, and a serious lack in education and military stability. Amnesty has a petition you can sign to protect Darfur.

Planned Parenthood Wishes You A Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is a story of near hilarity and yet awful, gut-wrenching sadistic irony.

Recently, the nation's top provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood sent out an email to supporters encouraging them to donate in honor of Mother's Day! What a warped thing to do.

The American Life League commented, "This same organization is asking for donations to celebrate Mother's Day? Of course! You wouldn't expect anything less from a baby-killing, pornography-pushing, rapist-protecting, $1-billion-in-assets business."

I wonder what they were thinking. I think this group does not honor Mothers but rather deems motherhood as a correctable curse and degrading position in society. Perhaps PP perpetrates the idea that motherhood takes away from womanhood, thereby increasing its staggering wages and profits!

Chinese Government Expands Censorship to America

2008-04-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

China has been in the news a lot lately. As she prepares to host the summer 2008 Olympics many are decrying the government's infringements on human rights and their involvement in Darfur, Sudan, Africa.

Today the Chinese government is angry with CNN for calling its government as a "bunch of goons and thugs." China refused to accept this apology. Ummm, freedom of speech and freedom of the press?? It's obvious those are big no-nos in China if their government is trying to stop CNN from its thoughts on China. Citizens in China are censored from CNN anyway.

Nice.

In the mean time, freedoms of speech and press are going to live on in America, thank you.

Sign A Petition!
Reporters Without Borders has been outspoken about China's repressiveness in media (and otherwise). The activist group has a petition to world leaders to boycott the summer 2008 Olympics which can be signed here. They are working hard to make sure Olympic sponsors measure up to human rights expectations.

Fifteen thousand have already signed the petition at Care2.com, criticizing China for discriminating against Tibetans and withholding health care and education from them.

Over 1 million have signed this petition to the Chinese government against their repression of Tibet. That's 1,649,163 signatures!

Hooray for freedom of expression.

Religious Persecution in North Korea

2008-04-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

A religious watchdog group has tracked religious persecution against Christians for years and for the past six years, North Korea is the top offender. They are calling for action as the persecution turns into a huge refugee problem.

Carl Moeller, President/CEO of Open Doors USA, says: "It is certainly not a shock that North Korea is No. 1 on the shame list for the sixth year in a row. There is no other country in the world where Christians are being persecuted in such a horrible and systematic manner."

Leader Kim Jong Il is said to demand the worship of himself from citizens. It is reported that despite incredible hunger and poverty in the country "nearly 40 percent of the country's budget is spent on Kim-family deification" and "there are some 30,000 monuments to the current leader."

Tightly ruled Northern Korea has made Christianity illegal except through the State, a system identical to China's. Its regime has been brutally cracking down on believers, imprisoning them and sending them to forced labor camps. They estimate hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have escaped as refugees to China, a country not well-known for its friendly treatment of the religion either.

Open Doors has organized a call for letters to U.S. Representative urging them to co-sign a letter with Congressman Frank Wolf to President Hu Jintao asking for these North Korean refugees to be protected. The petition letter can be sent here. For now it seems only the refugees can be protected... Heaven help those suffering in North Korea.

Sudan Genocide Wages On

2008-03-17T18:27:00.001-07:00

Sudan's Darfur, worse than ever, is still amidst genocide and civil war that often than not don't make headlines in Western media. TIME published a heart-wrenching 23 photographs describing the worsening violence, pillaging, and chaos the area now faces with little to no help whatsoever. Not recognized by world organizations as the crisis it is there is no stability or hope to be found in the country. A corrupt government and oppressive regime led America into the Iraq war, but it is not enough to draw America to action in Sudan's Darfur.

In recent months, western Sudan has witnessed a surge in violence not seen since the early days of the conflict in Darfur. The government and its surrogate, the Arab militias called janjaweed, have laid waste to areas where they claim rebels are in control. As before, the primary victims of the attacks are the defenseless civilians who inhabit the region. (TIME, see link below)

When will someone powerful step in? Do the powerful countries of the world continue to stain their hands with blood as they wait for somebody else to stop this?

TIME photospread: Darfur Descends Into Chaos

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

2008-01-24T21:46:00.000-08:00

This Sunday many will be celebrating National Sanctity of Human Life Day, honoring the God-given dignity of all people including fetuses. This holiday falls on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision. That case 35 years ago wrote policy that is still in place today- a woman may choose to have an abortion for any reason. Just as Reagan allowed on-demand, no-fault divorce, so too did Roe v. Wade allow more choice and responsibility to a ruthless and irresponsible nation.

Second Look Project Tells the Truth About Abortion and Roe v. Wade

2008-01-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of The Second Look Project? This website touts abortion realities and abortion policy education. The group encourages citizens (most of whom are against abortion at an early point) to learn more about the reality of abortion in America in order to better consider Roe v. Wade. Although this blogger doubts state-by-state voting rights on abortion are a right citizens were granted by Founding Fathers, I did learn a [shocking] handful of abortion facts-- the kind that leave a real bad taste in my mouth.

Abortions are rarely done for maternal or fetal health problems, or in
cases of rape or incest.

The U.S. abortion rate is among the highest of all developed countries in the world.

Most abortions are done after the fetal heart has begun beating.

Nearly half of all abortions are performed on women who have had at least one.

There is nothing like a woman's right to chose abortion as her preferred method of birth control, huh? Who has recently been termed "poor-choice advocates" have long been trying to dilute the health risks of abortion to women in order to sell abortions. This somewhat scarier reading should also be taken by up anyone who believes abortion is a grand blink-of-the-eye TV fix for society.

Tell World Congress Of Families That UNFPA Deserves Some Credit!

2008-01-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO TELL WCF TO GIVE UNFPA SOME DESERVED CREDIT!

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a great resource for learning about what is going on in the world. They are studying current issues worldwide in humanitarian and human rights issues. Some of their most interesting projects include the sex-ratio imbalance in Asia, Manila slums, HIV in Latin America, and Fistula worldwide.

The organization was recently criticized by pro-life groups! It is reported,

An international network of pro-family groups is calling on the UN Population Fund to place development before its promotion of abortion and contraception under the agency's "reproductive health services."

The criticism from the World Congress of Families International (WCF) comes in response to the UNFPA's recently released annual report which stated that "reproductive rights" and contraception are the primary focus of the organization's work....
"UNFPA acts as if this was one of the great tragedies to befall humanity – that a woman is expecting a child whose conception wasn't planned," commented Allan Carlson, secretary of the pro-family network.

UNFPA reports:

-Every minute of every day...
one woman dies from a treatable complication of pregnancy
-Every minute of every day...
9 people contract HIV and 6 die of AIDS
-Every minute of every day…
2 billion struggle to survive on a dollar a day or less
-Every minute of every day…
190 women get pregnant without intending to

With HIV/AIDS as the biggest international problem, I'm not surprised this group is trying to address the pandemic and its awful effects. HIV/AIDS certainly seems like a prime candidate for the worst population crisis today. UNFPA spends $148 million annually on reproductive health programs, compared to only $51 million on development programs. World Congress Of Families International seems to suggest this is a bad thing.

With HIV/AIDS ruining families at an extraordinary rate, especially in most of Africa and Asia, it would seem that a pro-life group like the WCF would support such their gallant effort. HIV/AIDS is also to blame for failing economies in those areas, not to mention a high rate of orphans, sex slaves, poverty, and genital mutilation.

I think some pro-life groups need to get over contraceptives and look at some of the real issues in developing countries. Not only do these areas need contraceptives, they also need clean medical equipment, trained midwives and nurses, and educators to teach prevention. UNFPA's mission statement: "UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect."

This is not a group just trying to give out contraceptives or promote abortion. They are trying to fight AIDS, poverty, and the lack of medical services. Giving out contraceptives reduces the chances of passing on HIV/AIDS and having an unwanted pregnancy.

CLICK HERE TO TELL WCF TO GIVE UNFPA SOME DESERVED CREDIT!

Subject: Give pro-life UNFPA some credit!
Message: UNFPA does uphold pro-life values, as exemplified in their mission statement (http://www.unfpa.org/about/mission.htm). WCF should seek to work together with UNFPA to address issues of family, development, and international humanitarian efforts.
Thank you for your consideration,
NAME
and Life Consistency (http://lifeconsistency.blogspot.com/)

Sudanese Muslims Want First-Grade Teacher Executed!

2007-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Several thousand Muslims stood in protest yesterday in Sudan. They weren't protesting the AIDS crisis so prevalent in their country. They weren't even protesting the armed conflict in Darfur which is rising up child soldiers and sending many families into refugee camps. No, this protest was about a first-grade teacher.

Gillian Gibbons, a British woman, was sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation for allowing her 7 year-old class to name a teddy bear "Muhammad". The protesters of yesterday, wearing the Muslim color of green, thought the sentence was not stringent enough. They claim she has insulted the Prophet Muhammad of the Muslim religion.

The crowd shouted obscenities such as "No tolerance!", "Execution!" and "Kill her!"

This is of course unbelievable to many Westerns. America especially has been bombarded with messages of tolerance, peace, and unity when it comes to Muslims. We have been urged not to profile at the airport and not to fear the religion of Islam. Even during so much turbulence in the world today, we hear shaky voices saying that Islam is a religion of peace. As I have grown in tolerance and have been made to feel bad about my (seemingly understandable) fears of this religion, it is disappointing that they have not been growing in tolerance for the West.

Gibbons is not a Muslim. How could she know anything about insulting the Prophet? That is a fair question. Her intention was not to be disrespectful. As an outsider in a Muslim country I'm sure she took extreme steps to be respectful and proper at all times. Her innocence seems obvious and the anger on her seems misdirected. Perhaps Muslims of Sudan are angry at the West for our religion, our politics, and our concern for the serious atrocities taking place in Sudan right now. Gibbons will leave the country with her life, but will the burning anger of the area fall on someone else?

Abortion Clinic WILL Be Investigated

2007-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

If a Kansas abortion clinic has nothing to hide an investigation will prove that. Today the Kansas Supreme Court in Topeaka, KS, rejected the attempt by an abortion provider to stop a grand jury investigation of a Wichita clinic. This means that abortion advocate and provider agency Planned Parenthood will be investigated by a grand jury on Dec. 10.

George Tiller, an abortionist at Women's Health Care Services, is suspected "of breaking state laws on late-term abortion. Kansas is one of few states that allow citizens to prompt grand juries through a petition," reports the Kansas City Star. Tiller tried to stop an investigation by calling it "harassment" but the investigation will go on. Late-term abortion is now allowed in Kansas past 21 weeks, unless the life of the mother is in seriously compromised.

Planned Parenthood must think it is above the law or something. Tiller's useless appeal was a time-waster and probably a distraction and time-buyer. If citizens have real concerns and want the place investigated it should be. Should it have nothing to hide it will be pronounced cleared of the charges.

One of the problems with the abortion laws these days is that very few records are kept. Medical records are important and should be kept up-to-date. There is quite a danger in lax abortion record keeping because of the health dangers posed to women. If I get my tires on my car rotated or my teeth cleaned at the dentist, it goes into a registry and it kept on a permanent record. Although private, abortion clinics should be keeping track of abortions, injuries and medical histories. According to a website investigating Tiller, Kansas does not keep records of abortion injuries. This is so dangerous!

Abortion clinics are often one of the hardest places to investigate. Getting an investigation going is time-consuming and tedious. It is good to know that Kansas citizens have stepped up to those vices with their concerns and their concerns have taken voice. They will soon have the answers they deserve of the local abortion clinic in their community.

There Are Starving People In The U.S. Too

2007-11-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

In what is mostly a forgotten trend, poverty and hunger as been found to be a trend in America. The U.S. Agriculture Department has published a study that finds 1 in 10 Americans went hungry sometime in 2006. These findings are at the same rate as 2005. That's 35.5 million Americans struggle to eat, or 12.1% of the population. Of those people, 11.1 million reported they had "very low food security," and 12.6 million were children.

These statistics do not include the homeless.

In the age of plenty these people get lost in the land flowing with materialism and greed. The homeless, sick, aging, and poverty-stricken are pushed aside, hidden from us. We rarely see anyone in these circumstances, perhaps because they can hide it better or because we fool ourselves.

Plan B Up To Pharmacists!

2007-11-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

The emergency morning after pill Plan B can withheld from being sold, a judge ruled Thursday. A pharmacist can refuse to sell the emergency contraception pills if they are morally or religiously against it. The pill has been highly controversial because of its nature. Taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, it can end the beginnings of a pregnancy.

Plan B was rejected by the FDA for over-the-counter use in 2004 and 2005, but August of 2006 saw the beginning of the more available over-the-counter version.

Pharmacists found themselves in a bind-- whether or not to dispense a medicine that some of them morally objected to. This week they are off the hook and no longer in that bind.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton wrote in his ruling, "The regulations appear to target religious practice in a way forbidden by the Constitution" and "appear to intentionally place a significant burden on the free exercise of religion for those who believe life begins at conception.”

There are many dangers associated with Plan B, so many pharmacists prefer that women use standard forms of birth control regularly to prevent pregnancy instead of using post-coital contraception or abortion as a means of birth control. The main ingredient and only active ingredient of the pills, levonorgestrel, was seen to cause side effects such as significant weight gain (on average 15 pounds), depression, ovarian cyst enlargement, gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, respiratory disorders, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and death. These risks could be avoided by using standard birth control methods or abstaining from risky sex.

Pharmacists can now use their judgment, wisdom, and morals in their job. This is especially relieving because their goal is to dispense medicines that are good for the body and improve vitality and life. Plan B does just the opposite by ending pregnancy and endangering the life of the mother.

Another Jehovah’s Witness Dies

2007-11-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

In a story that should break the heart of all compassionate humans everywhere, a Jehovah’s Witness mother, Emma Gough, died a month ago after refusing a blood transfusion. The loss is devastating, especially for her newborn twins and husband. The publicity given to the case, and to the Canadian sextuplets case-- three of whom were seized and given the lifesaving transfusions-- has caused a battle between medical institutions and the Jehovah's Witnesses. The group believes blood transfusion to be unbiblical, even in lifesaving cases. The government reserves the right to seize a child and give him/her a transfusion if is the only option for life. Unfortunately doctors cannot perform the same lifesaving procedure on an adult who chooses to abstain from blood This the freedom of religion and people are entitled to that for themselves. But the guilt, shame, and social pressures that keep Witnesses from taking blood change the nature of refusal. The JW Church should be held accountable for this, allowing each person to clearheadedly choose blood or not.

Rachel Underhill, former Witness, claims religious leaders put Witnesses in a mental state in which they cannot make decisions. She has started an on-line sanctuary for those leaving the Witnesses, especially for safer medical reasons and clearer thinking. Her website, exjw-reunited, is full of respite. She had a similar situation, nearly dying in the birth of her twins. She says of it,

“I can even remember the anaesthetist waving her arms up and down saying, ‘Do you realise you are going to die, do you realise you are going to leave your babies motherless?’. I was terrified. But because of the religion I was brought up in, because of what I had been told to do, and because I was not in a fit mental state to change my mind, I refused to accept blood....
“I suspect the Jehovah’s Witness Hospital Liaison Committee was there when [Gough] went, ensuring she did not have a transfusion, offering an alternative, in this case useless suggestions, stipulating to her and her husband what should and should not be done, instead of letting medics do the job they are supposed to do — save lives.”

Study Says: 1 in 5 Pregnancies Worldwide Ends in Abortion

2007-10-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

Heartbreaking, shocking, daunting!

The facts from a study by Gilda Sedgh of the Guttmacher Institute and colleagues from the World Health Organization:

One in five pregnancies worldwide and more than half of pregnancies in eastern Europe end in abortion, according to a new study that examined abortion trends from 1995 to 2003.

The study, published Friday in a special maternal health edition of The Lancet medical journal, also found that a vast majority of abortions (35 million) were in the developing world and that nearly 97 percent of the estimated 70,000 women who die every year from unsafe abortions were in poor countries.

Furthermore, while more countries are allowing women to have abortions legally and the number of worldwide abortions has dipped from about 46 million in 1995 to just under 42 million in 2003, there was no change in the rate of unsafe abortions.

They cite as the reason for these countless abortions on the lack of access to contraception in developing countries. The statistics continue to shock:

Still, the research found that there were more abortions than live births in eastern Europe with there being 105 abortions for every 100 live births. Western Europe, in comparison, witnessed 23 abortions for every 100 live births....

“The widespread preference for small families in this region indicates a high level of need for effective contraception," they added.

The study also reported that 33 abortions were performed in North America for every 100 live births. And in Africa, where abortion is illegal in most countries, there were 17 abortions for every 100 live births.

For me this devestating news is still fresh and raw-- I have not become so numb to the dissipation of human life and the soul. That is good. But today this news comes as a hefty, balloon-popping, jaw-dropping shocker. That is just far, far too many abortions. All of the people they could be! Half a generation each year is a substantial amount aborted-- it will surely have long lasting economic effects. But we are more than dependents of the economy. There is personhood and the dignity of human life. My life matters not because I made it out of the womb but because I've been endowed with a soul. A unique mark of personhood. The ability to reason. These things are precious, God-given gifts that are being spent to waste. Tragedy of tragedies!

Reports Of Torture Leave Lasting Stain On Bush Administration

2007-10-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Who Has Betrayed Us? (by Brian McLaren)

I remember about eight years ago when then presidential candidate George W. Bush repeatedly claimed that he would restore honor to the presidency, soiled as it had been by our previous president's infamous affair. I remember hoping he would succeed. But a new kind of shame has come to the office and to our nation as reports surface about our government's secret authorization of torture. We all share in this shame.

As I continue to see on the news more and more stories of torture and needless violence (in Iraq and otherwise), I begin to feel a deep and groaning shame. I voted for President George W. Bush because he promised to get rid of abortion. I was a single-issue Evangelical voter. I'm a bit smarter now. I know that Bush hasn't kept that promise, but has blood on his hands of many more unforseen lives. The death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to mount, all while Americans continue to wonder why we are over there. We have become disenchanted with the War on Terror, to say the least. There is continued torture and illegal holding taking place at Guantanamo Bay. Those "prisoners" have a right to a fair and speedy trial. They don't deserve to be tortured, and certainly without charges brought against them. American companies are making a lot of money off the war in Iraq.

All the while I can see more and more everyday people like me wondering WHY. This is not the way it is supposed to be. God help our nation to see that.

Pro-Lifers Demonstrate In Numbers

2007-10-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, millions of pro-life advocates stood in peaceful protest against abortion. They marked the 20th anniversary of the National Life Chain, a pro-life group promoting prayer and demonstration. Christians, and churches from over 1,300 cities in the United States and Canada participated.

In Long Island, over 750 people participated. They held signs such as “Love them both” with a picture of a mother and child, “Abortion Kills Children", and "Adoption: The Loving Option". Messages were displayed in English and Spanish.

The group's mission statement is shown below.

Photo from Front Line.