The Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.

A new study from the Pew Research Center finds that young people today are confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and receptive to new ideas and ways of living. It is part of a series of reports - including the Pew Forum's recent report on religion among the Millennials - that explores the behaviors, values and opinions of American teens and twenty-somethings. Quiz: How Millenial are you?

Get to Know: Barbara Curtis

Barbara is a pro-life inspiration. Follow her MommyLife blog.

Video: Infinite Possibilities

This video from the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund is a powerful tool for any pro-life booth at civic events, fairs, and other gatherings.  Set this 6-minute video to loop, and draw passersby to the beautiful images of children born and unborn. YouTube

Get to Know: CompassCare Training

CompassCare is making the Optimization Tool available to PRCs around the country to achieve the same results. This 15-step patient flow process yields an increase in lives saves by reaching the right population of women: abortion-vulnerable and abortion-minded. OT training trains PRC executives, client service directors and nurse managers, and development directors in every aspect of service delivery with a focus on saving lives with the right support and right information. Contact CompassCare to get started or sign up for a free, 1 hour, live webinar hosted by CompassCare executives. Also, get to know Jim Harden's blog, The Effective PRC.

Baby Claire Beats the Odds in Vegas

Not many people in Las Vegas beat the odds. Last November, one yet-to-be-born baby with the highest odds stacked against her did, thanks to a couple of never-give-up pro-life people and her courageous mom. The dramatic intervention to rescue this baby is only part of the story. NC Register

Editor: I hesitated to post this article because of what I view as some egregious errors on the part of the pro-lifers. (How many can you count?) In the interest of holding PCCs to the highest standards, I place it here for your review and comment. For more on this issue, please see the previous post: MUST READ: State Regulatory Legislation Aimed at Pregnancy Centers. Don't miss the Planned Parenthood video of what's been heard at PCCs.

State of the Art Planned Parenthood Facility Now Open

Planned Parenthood of Western New York invited residents to participate in the Community Open House of its newly renovated and expanded health center. PPWNY received $725,000 from the "HEAL NY" program to improve the quality of health care. "Planned Parenthood has been located in this plaza for over 25 years. We have a strong following of patients. Many kids start off in pediatric practice and follow all the way into adulthood and we see them back in the reproductive healthcare." WGRZ

10th case: Planned Parenthood ignores sexual abuse

LifeNews, YouTube

Women Sue Birth Control Manufacturer over Serious Health Issues

Over 50 women in Indiana have filed lawsuits against Bayer Pharmaceuticals charging that use of the company’s Yaz and Yasmin hormonal birth control pills caused conditions ranging from gallbladder-related injuries to strokes. There are now over 25,000 similar reported cases across the United States. In December LSN reported that over 100 lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. against Bayer, alleging that the company has overstated the benefits of the drugs, downplayed the side-effects, and failed to conduct proper research before releasing them onto the market. LifeSiteNews

Abortionist under investigation for woman's death, frozen fetuses found

Philadelphia and federal authorities who raided a doctor's office after allegations a woman died following an abortion made a shocking discovery: more than two dozen frozen fetuses. The search came after a patient reportedly died following an abortion on November 20. The fetuses are now being analyzed to reveal if illegal late-term abortions may have been performed. Dr. Gosnell's license has been temporarily suspended. So far, he has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing. The investigation is ongoing. Philly 57

PCC survey: Youth and culture

Karen Lindwall-Bourg is a member of the Youth Advisory Board of HOPE Resource (Pregnancy) Center in McKinney, Texas. Their goals two-fold: 1) to increase our understanding of just what we can do to help pregnancy centers reach the youth of our age and culture, and 2) to write, conduct and possibly publish a survey given to youth based on what PCC directors desire to know from them.

If you're a director or staff member, please take a moment to answer a few brief survey on the website above (click the "take the survey" button). As a participant, you will be kept informed of the progress of the survey and will be given the survey results as soon as possible. If you have further questions, please call Karen at (972) 837-5580 or (972) 562-HOPE.

Women Really Want Abstinence-Based Empowerment

The National Organization for Women and other feminist groups who vehemently oppose abstinence education, fail to notice that a culture of casual sex hasn't been so liberating for women. LifeNews

Don't miss this article from the Guardian's archives: Thrill of the Chaste

Russian Teen Dies From Legal Abortion

A teenage girl died from a botched legal abortion at a hospital in Moscow on Wednesday, Pravda reported. They said the woman died from acute cardiovascular insufficiency and intensive blood loss, why typically happens when the abortion has caused damage to the woman's uterus or other internal parts and she suffers intense bleeding. Pravda indicates that another case recently occurred where a young woman died from a failed abortion. LifeNews

Why Do We Get Punished for What Adam Did?

Is it harsh for God to punish all of Adam’s descendants for something Adam did? . . . Since Adam and Eve had both sinned and been cursed then it would be impossible for their children to be perfectly free from sin. So the real question is why would God permit sin nature to pass along to Adam’s descendants? Doesn’t that seem harsh? AiG

Teen Pregnancy: Bogus Problem, Bogus Solution

Did teen pregnancy actually rise in 2006, as Guttmacher claims? It depends on what you mean by “teen.” For most people, “teen pregnancy” implies pregnancy among high-schoolers, girls under age 18. According to Guttmacher’s own data, the pregnancy rate for 15- to 17-year-old girls barely changed, and the rate for girls 14 and under (the group most affected by abstinence programs) actually dropped. By contrast, the pregnancy and birth rates for young adult women aged 18 and 19 rose sharply. The rise in pregnancies and births in this age range is part of a much larger story: the collapse of marriage and explosive growth of out-of-wedlock births in lower income communities. Robert Rector in National Review

See also: Guttmacher’s spin on ‘teen pregnancy’ and Evidence on the Effectiveness of Abstinence Education

Abortion has become 'plague' in Mexico City

The government of Mexico City noted in a report this week that abortion has become a “plague” in the capital, as 7 out of every 10 women who inquire about the procedure end up choosing abortion. The report says that the Beatriz Velasco de Aleman Clinic and the Ticoman General Hospital have become the two main locations where abortions are performed. CNA

ESCR not a good investment

Embryonic stem cell research, regardless of the current presidential/congressional support, is in trouble. They have not figured out how to fix the problems (e.g. cancerous tumors), yet "adult" stem cells (e.g., from dental pulp, bone marrow, and fatty deposits) are consistently meeting or exceeding expectations. Motley Fool

MASH 2010 Spring Conference

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JUSTIN LOOKADOO
Justin is the author of Dateable and 97 Random Thoughts on Life, Love & Relationships. For more information, visit Justin’s website

Cost (Includes Lunch):
$35 for MASH members
$50 for non-members
$25 for students

Spring Arbor University’s White Auditorium, 106 East Main Street, Spring Arbor, MI 49283

VISIT WWW.MISEXUALHEALTH.ORG FOR INFO ON MASH MEMBERSHIP, SPEAKER BIOS, A FULL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AND MAPS.

MUST READ: State Regulatory Legislation Aimed at Pregnancy Centers

Many States have been entertaining legislation (usually informed by NARAL) to dictate, limit, or otherwise standardize the activity of pregnancy centers. NARAL continues to amass information about pregnancy centers using covert investigations, sending in volunteers under false pretenses as a woman concerned she might be pregnant. NARAL then uses the information to generate a base of information to support the restrictive legislation they propose. The legislation keeps getting more focused and more difficult to deflect. What are your thoughts? You can check out Jim Harden's latest blog post.

Abortionist Keeps License Despite Violations

Southern California abortion practitioner Andrew Rutland faced a court hearing yesterday, but a judge allowed him to keep his medical license despite violating a court order and the state medical board. Rutland killed a woman during an abortion by administering anesthesia to her and not knowing the proper dosage. LifeNews

Now Is The Time: Albertan Pro-Lifers Must Speak Up

Citing the growing popularity of a new socially conservative political party in Alberta, noted writer, lawyer, blogger and conservative political activist Ezra Levant told a meeting of pro-life activists last Friday that "for the first time in 40 years" a window of opportunity exists for pro-life activists in the province to get their views across to elected officials. “There is a new dynamic in this province." LifeSiteNews

Medical Aid to Haiti Delayed by Condom Overload

A glut of condoms at the central pharmaceutical supply center delayed the massive influx of aid pouring in from around the world, according to an inside source, and may have cost lives. The source reported that shipping containers of medical supplies were unable to be unloaded, sorted and distributed since an enormous supply of condoms clogged the facility till early February, when the condoms could be removed. The condoms were estimated to take up about 70% of the space in the 17,000 sq. ft. warehouse. LifeSiteNews

Women Must Have Access to Abortion and Contraception

The European Parliament last week adopted a new report on the equality of men and women that says women must have access to abortion and contraception. Leading pro-life international campaigners say the EP has overstepped its bounds because it has no purview on abortion. LifeNews

Partnering for Academic Excellence

Scott Phelps of A&M Partnership will host a Conference Call on presenting abstinence programs to school decision makers, focusing on the link between abstinence education and academic achievement. Thursday, March 4, 2010 11am EST/10am CST/9am Mountain/8am Pacific. Register

Bowling for abortions

The National Abortion Access Bowl-a-Thon is the first-ever national bowl-a-thon for abortion funding. Seventeen abortion Funds, members of the National Network of Abortion Funds, are hosting bowl-a-thons in their local communities during the month of April.

One woman explains why she had four abortions and why she is now childless

Terminating a pregnancy, is a decision no woman wants to have to make. However valid her reason for choosing an abortion, it is always a traumatic and terrifying experience. But Karen Collier, who has had four abortions in 14 years, says she has paid the ultimate price for ending her pregnancies as she now faces the prospect of being childless. Mirror

Video Debunks Overpopulation "Myth" with Simple Math

Armed with basic math and a wry sense of humor, the Population Research Institute (PRI) has released the second in a series of YouTube cartoons designed to refute the "myth" of overpopulation.

Spanish Pro-Lifers Deliver More than One Million Signatures against Abortion Law

The Spanish pro-life organizations HazteOir (Make Yourself Heard) and it's sister organization Derecho a Vivir (Right to Life) have announced the collection of over one million signatures against Spain's new proposed Abortion Law, which would legalize abortion on demand during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Although repeated opinion polls have indicated that Spaniards oppose the new law and would like to see it subjected to a referendum, pro-aborts have insisted on pushing it through. LifeSiteNews

Study raises adult stem cell questions

A new study has raised doubts about the creation of "ethical" all-purpose stem cells for use in research and treatments. The development of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells awakened hope that ordinary cells could be reprogrammed to act as stem cells. But new research suggests iPS cells differentiated less efficiently and less faithfully.

Scientists used different methods to coax five human embryonic stem cell lines and 12 iPS cell lines to start down the path of development to becoming neurons. The results suggest that unknown factors may undermine their usefulness both as laboratory research tools and potential treatments. Nevertheless, researchers believe the problems identified by his team were technical hurdles that would ultimately be resolved. UKPA

The abortion clinic and other novel ideas of Adolph Hitler

You sometimes hear that Hitler was "pro-life" because he outlawed abortion for Aryans. According to Jill Stanek, "Under Hitler's guidance, the Berlin Chamber of Physicians loosened the Nazis' abortion policy in 1933 so as to use abortion as a tool to exterminate nondesirables. It determined 'the health of the mother' - considered from all angles - is the decisive factor" for abortions." WND

NARAL grades: How's your state doing?

A pro-abortion group’s 2009 report giving a “D” grade to the United States on abortion suggests pro-life progress at the state level. NARAL Pro-Choice America’s report, “Who Decides: The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States,” laments the decreasing number of abortion providers in the country. It claims various states enacted 29 pro-life laws but only passed 21 “pro-choice” bills.

Bristol Palin responds to Family Guy portrayal of brother Trig

"My siblings and I all have that, but insults directed at our youngest brother hurt too much for us to remain silent. People with special needs face challenges that many of us will never confront, and yet they are some of the kindest and most loving people you'll ever meet. Their lives are difficult enough as it is, so why would anyone want to make their lives more difficult by mocking them?" she responded. "As a culture, shouldn't we be more compassionate to innocent people – especially those who are less fortunate? Shouldn't we be willing to say that some things just are not funny?" LifeNews

Be Sure Your Organization is Listed on ServantMatch

Potential donors are clicking on 25,000 or more giving opportunities each month. ServantMatch is provided by ECFA to allow donors to quickly and easily find stewardship opportunities for participating ECFA members. Don't be left out!

Webinar on Religious Hiring Issues

Richard Stearns, President, World Vision U.S., and Steve McFarland, Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, World Vision U.S., discuss religious hiring issues for churches and nonprofits. Please save the date for this important discussion. The Webinar will be from 1 - 2 pm Eastern.

Cost for ECFA Members: $0.00
Cost for Non Members: $40.00
Click here to register for this event

Casting Too Wide a Net

With the battle over health-care reform winding down, the U.S. Congress is poised to tackle the financial arena. But ministries are crying foul over the potential reach of a proposed Consumer Protection Agency. ECFA's president, Dan Busby, is concerned about the effect it could have on churches and charities. The Agency would be given very broad authority to issue rules to promote "fairness," and being required to pay fees to support the Agency's budget. Christianity Today

President Proposes to Cap the Rate at which High-Income Households Can Itemize Their Deductions

Currently the value of a deduction is equal to the deductible amount multiplied by one's top income tax rate, which can range well above 28%. So deductions will be worth less to a high-income tax filer under the president's proposal. ECFA, letter to President Obama

One woman's journey

Planned Parenthood would have you think counseling, informed choice and the well-being of women are foremost in their minds as every woman walks through their doors. Abby Johnson has dispelled all those myths and is revealing the shocking truth about their real agenda. Life Issues Connector

Anthony Museum Opening Sparks Debate on Abortion

Plans for the Susan B. Anthony museum at the suffragist's birthplace sparked controversy almost as soon as Carol Crossed purchased the property at auction in 2006. A peace activist, Crossed has long been involved with groups advocating against abortion, including Feminists for Life of New York, which she intended to use the property in some way. iBerkshires.com

Jonestown man charged with assaulting pregnant girlfriend

Police say Levi R. Hogwood admitted to hitting his pregnant girlfriend several times Monday afternoon. According to court documents, he had just found out the girlfriend was pregnant and he “didn't handle it very well.” Hogwood is charged with simple assault and terroristic threats for trying to hit her in the stomach to harm the fetus. PennLive

Editor: Are these stories becoming more common, or is it just my imagination? Later: Here's one -- Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Forced Miscarriage, Gave Girlfriend Abortion Drug

Dutch Debate Ultrasound Use as Late Abortions Skyrocket

The Dutch government introduced the 20-week ultrasound for all pregnant women in 2007. Since then, the number of abortions between weeks 20 and 24 have doubled. Some lawmakers are pushing to postpone the official ultrasound to the 24th week. If the proposal fails to get support, pro-life legislators would work to cap legal abortion at 18 weeks.

Experts have also concluded that the ultrasound was one reason there were no reports of euthanizing newborn babies in 2008, as children who would have been euthanized for severe birth defects instead were killed in the womb. LifeSiteNews

"They're closed, and the better for you"

"Come upstairs, I can help you," she said through the open door on the 6th floor, never stepping off of the elevator. She's Linda, the director of our Pregnancy Center and Prenatal Clinic in Brooklyn, NY. But who was she talking to and what was closed? Well, we're in the same building as two abortion clinics. Today was Presidents day and both Planned Parenthood and Dr. Emily's were closed and young ladies unaware that PP wouldn't be taking walk-ins. Up on the 12th floor it was a different story, we were open for life saving. EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers

Lisa Stiefken, executive director of the PRC of San Bernardino, commented on my Facebook post: "We don't close on these kinds of holidays for just this reason. The women are out of school or off work and Planned Parenthood next door is closed. Their loss; clients' gain." What about your center? What's its holiday policy?

Kids and abortion: Start young

Elizabeth Trisler made national news after she was denied the chance to receive a legislative honor by the pro-abortion Ohio House Speaker. In an interview Friday, the teen said she was involved in the pro-life cause "before I was born." Then, her mother sat her down at a very young age to explain what abortion was. She had just been shooed out of the room after the topic came up on a Focus on the Family program.

"When I was really little, my mom told me about abortion ... that abortion was when they kill babies before they're born. And I said, 'That is wrong! I'm gonna stop that,'" said Trisler. "And you can picture: a little kid, they can stop anything! I made a list of people to call, you know - I figured if people knew, then how would they possibly let babies be killed?" she continued. "I made a list of phone numbers, I made this little trumpet thing, because I was going to announce it to the world." LifeSiteNews

What Is “Presuppositional” Apologetics?

When explaining their beliefs, Christians often feel they must first prove the Bible or prove the existence of God. This approach reveals that they do not yet understand the Bible’s approach, known as presuppositional apologetics.

The prophets and the apostles never tried to prove God’s existence. They started by assuming God’s existence, and they always reasoned from Scripture (Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19). By using the Word of God, we are actually pitting the unbeliever against God and not our own fallible thinking. Answers in Genesis

Mum's tragedy after abortion

A troubled mother hanged herself from a door in her room at a South Tyneside pub, a UK inquest heard. Heavy drinker Lyndsay Gardner, 31, was struggling to cope with the emotional impact of a recent abortion and losing contact with her three children. Her boyfriend told the inquest: "She was depressed after the abortion and depressed that she couldn't see her other children. She was concerned about the bairn being taken off us, so decided to have an abortion." ShieldsGazette

Center offers hope to women

Nearly two decades ago, the ministers of Sherwood Baptist Church recognized that women in the community facing pregnancy needed a place to go. Until that point, that need had gone unfulfilled. The Alpha Pregnancy Resource Center, based across the street from the church on Whispering Pines Road, now sees hundreds of girls each year. The Alpha Pregnancy Resource Center has been in Albany since 1991. Clothing and food items are among the dozens of items sold at the Alpha Pregnancy Resource Center’s “mommy and baby store” to assist women in the area facing motherhood. Albany Herald

Get to Know: RealChoice

The side of "choice" the American abortion lobby doesn't want you to see. RealChoice

National Black Leaders Join Georgia Legislators to End Ugliest Form of Racism

National black leaders gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to join a bipartisan group of black and white Georgia legislators to call for an end to the disproportionate levels of abortion in the black community in Georgia. Dr. Johnny Hunter, President of LEARN noted, "The civil rights activists did not fight to make lynching safe, legal, and rare. They ended it. We must fight to end the ugliest form of racism: abortion."

Dr. La Verne Tolbert, former board member of Planned Parenthood stated, "Abortions increase where clinics are located and where are those clinics located? Ninety-four percent of the clinics are located in urban areas where blacks reside. In my own neighborhood which is an African American neighborhood in California, there are three abortion clinics strategically located all in the same area." Christian Newswire

Texas adds late-term abortion clinic

Late term abortion services are being offered to women at the Southwestern Women's Surgery Center on Greenville Avenue. The center opened recently and is the only facility in Dallas to offer an abortion up to the 24th week of the pregnancy. In a YouTube video, clinic owner, Dr. Curtis Boyd can be seen talking about the day that abortion was legalized by the US Supreme Court. By law, Boyd is required to have a surgery center to perform the late term procedure.

Pro-life advocates say they are devastated to see the return of the late term abortion procedure. "There were 14 months where we didn't have this horrible practice", says director of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee, Karen Garnett. CW33

Help Wanted: Hannah's House Maternity Home

Alternatives Pregnancy Care Center of Kalamazoo, Michigan is in need of houseparents to move into our beautiful maternity home this April. If you have a passion for pregnant women and you want to really invest in someone's life during a stressful time you should learn more about our maternity home. You would be able to walk along side of women who are pregnant and in need of love, care, spiritual guidance and wisdom. Our home has been running for over 10 years and God has been faithful and good to us. Respite relief workers are available and a staff Social Services Worker works 3 days a week with the residents.

If you have ever thought about participating in this type of ministry, take a moment to learn more about this awesome opportunity! Call Cathy Stoner at (269) 345-1740, ext 15, or email for more information. Read what one woman had to say about her experience at Hannah’s House:

"From the first moment I walked into HH I found a sense of relief and peacefulness. But the things that I would have to say that I loved the most were the people that were involved in the ministry. First and foremost Starr Bull, I finally felt like someone actually understood me when I made the decision to give my son up for adoption."

"12th & Delaware" documentary competed at Sundance

On each side of 12th and Delaware, soldiers stand locked in a passionate battle. On one side of the street sits an abortion clinic. On the other, a pro-life outfit often mistaken for the clinic it seeks to shut down. Using skillful cinema-vérité observation that allows us to draw our own conclusions, the directors expose the molten core of America’s most intractable conflict. Sundance

Editor: The directors say the real frontline of the pr0-life movement is PCCs.

Chilean Maternal Mortality Study Undercuts Pro-Abortion Claims

Preliminary findings by a prominent biomedical researcher examining the dramatic decrease in maternal mortality, over the past fifty years in the Latin American nation of Chile, appear to undercut claims by global abortion lobbyists that liberal abortion laws are necessary to reduce maternal mortality rates. C-FAM

MASH 2010 Conference featuring Justin Lookadoo

March 25, 2010, 8:45 am - 4 pm, Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, MI

Sponsored by the Michigan Association for Sexual Health. This conference is open to all who wish to attend. Registration Form

Dawn Johnsen May Receive Recess Appointment, Perhaps Supreme Court Seat

Dawn Johnsen has been on the top of the list of pro-abortion appointees from President Barack Obama that the pro-life movement has opposed. Now, it appears Johnsen, who could become a top assistant attorney general who advises Obama on legal matters, could receive a recess appointment. Meanwhile, conservatives Ken Blackwell and Ken Klukowski, write in a new editorial that Obama could be grooming Johnsen for an appointment to either the Supreme Court or the most influential appeals court in the nation. LifeNews

AIDS in America — Forgotten but Not Gone

Over the past decade, limited attention has been paid to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in the United States. The global epidemic — particularly the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately two thirds of the world's population living with AIDS resides — has rightfully received most of the focus. Meanwhile, however, the prevalence of HIV infection within some U.S. populations now rivals that in some sub-Saharan African countries.

For example, more than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C., are HIV-infected — a prevalence higher than that reported in Ethiopia, Nigeria, or Rwanda. Certain U.S. subpopulations are particularly hard hit. In New York City, 1 in 40 blacks, 1 in 10 men who have sex with men, and 1 in 8 injection-drug users are HIV-infected, as are 1 in 16 black men in Washington, D.C. In several U.S. urban areas, the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is as high as 30% — as compared with a general-population prevalence of 7.8% in Kenya and 16.9% in South Africa. NEJM

Report from GR sidewalk counselors

The "Wednesday Group" of counselors reported this today: "I know many of you are wondering if the Heritage Clinic was open today. Yes, it was. And it was busy. There will be many tears shed tonight by women who just a few hours ago tried to convince themselves that abortion was their best choice. Sadly, the emotions they are experiencing right now point to a lifetime of realizing they couldn't have been more wrong. Please pray for these wounded souls tonight." We had earlier reported that this clinic hadn't seen clients for two weeks.

Americans Say Abstinence Effective, Want Parents Involved

A new Rasmussen poll shows a majority of Americans believe abstinence education programs are effect and a commanding majority would rather have parents than schools teaching sex education. According to the poll, released yesterday, 50 percent of American adults believe abstinence-only education programs are at least somewhat effective in preventing teen pregnancy. Some 15 percent say they are very effective. Just 42% of Americans disagree and a smaller 13 percent take the strongest position saying they are not at all effective. Overall, 68% of adults nationwide approve of health education classes teaching children about sex or abstinence while only 21 percent of Americans disapprove of teaching kids abstinence and 11 percent remain undecided. LifeNews

Need a smile?

This video will brighten your day.

Costa Rica Elects Pro-Life Laura Chinchilla as its First Woman President

The central American nation of Costa Rica elected its first female president in Laura Chinchilla and she is a pro-life advocate. Chinchilla received 47 percent of the votes from Sunday's election.
Costa Rica has long been one of the top pro-life countries by virtue of its prohibiting abortions and its pro-life advocacy at the United Nations. Chinchilla campaigned as a pro-life candidate during the election and talked about advancing the interests of women in her victory speech. LifeNews

Hodari's Livonia Clinic Closed

Embattled abortion practitioner Alberto Hodari has at least temporarily closed his abortion center in Livonia, Michigan. Hodari is the abortion business owner who has been disciplined by the state, faces multiple lawsuits, and has killed at least three women in botched abortions. Local pro-life advocate Lynn Mills notified LifeNews.com over the weekend that it appeared the abortion center had closed. "They have been for a month. There were not enough patients to keep it opened," she said.

Editor: Sidewalk counselors in Grand Rapids report that the Fulton Ave. abortion clinic run by Dr. Gordon has seen no clients for two weeks! The reason is unknown.

Day of Purity Urges Youth to Take Abstinence Pledge Before Valentine's Day

As Valentine's Day approaches and many youth and young adults decide whether or not have to have sex for the first time, the Day of Purity presents a pro-abstinence response. A project of the Liberty Counsel, the projects asks youth to make an abstinence pledge on February 12. The Day of Purity marks its seventh year this year with its calls for youth of all ages to remain sexually pure until marriage. LifeNews

United Nations Urges Nicaragua to Legalize Abortion

The United Nations' "High Commission of Human Rights" (OHCHR) is urging Nicaragua to legalize "therapeutic" abortions, as well as abortions in rape and incest cases. In addition to the United States, the OHCHR was reportedly joined by Mexico, Canada, Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and France in urging Nicaragua to relax its protections for unborn children. The government of Nicaragua responded with a strong defence of its pro-life position. LifeSiteNews

Indian Court Rules Born and Unborn Are Equal

The Delhi High Court has ruled that an unborn child can be considered equivalent to a minor child and has directed an insurance company to pay compensation of 250,000 rupees a man who lost his pregnant wife in a road accident a year and half ago. "This court holds that an unborn child — aged five months onwards in the mother’s womb till its birth — is treated as equal to a child ... the fetus is another life in a woman and loss of the fetus is actually loss of a child in the offing," Justice Midha stated. LifeSiteNews

Super Bowl Ad Nets Big Traffic for Focus

Focus on the Family officials say they received considerable traffic on their web site by people following up from the ad and watching a longer video with the Tebow family that is much more explicit in terms of the conversation about Pam Tebow's decision to not have an abortion during a crisis pregnancy situation. The Focus web site logged 500,000 hits and 50,000 unique visitors just during the hour the Super Bowl ad aired. Traffic was also up considerably during the pre-game show when a different version of the commercial aired. "Our traffic jumped to 40 times its normal volume," Focus spokeswoman Monica Schleicher told the Denver Post. "In the hour during the pre-game (broadcast), when the other ad aired twice, our Web traffic was 20 times our normal volume." LifeNews

Planned Parenthood Loses Latest Skirmish Over California Sidewalk Counselors

Officials at a California Planned Parenthood abortion business have lost their latest attempt to banish sidewalk counselors from in front of its center near San Francisco. Its latest effort appeared likely to go down in defeat after a judge made a preliminary ruling that the abortion business failed to prove its case. LifeNews

Obama Administration Admits It Wrongly Tracked Abortion Groups in Wisconsin

The Department of Homeland Security admitted today that it improperly conducted a threat assessment on pro-life and pro-abortion groups in Wisconsin. The Associated Press reported today that the department said in a memo that it "destroyed all of the copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence gathering guidelines about 'protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security.'" LifeNews

Pregnancy Centers Get Boost in Oklahoma

While abortion advocates like NARAL are targeting pregnancy resource centers and their life-saving work in states like Washington and Virginia, those same centers got a boost this week in Oklahoma. On Rose Day, the annual pro-life lobbying day in the Oklahoma legislature, the Senate unanimously passed AUL’s model resolution supporting the state’s pregnancy centers. AUL

National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day

. . . is Tuesday, April 27th! Now all t-shirts on this page are on sale from Heritage House.

Dove Super Bowl Ad Knows When Human Life Begins

It is good to see that Dove is pro-science and understands the biology of when human life begins. Their Super Bowl ad correctly captures the scientific understanding of when human life beings. LiveAction

Editor: As one Facebook commentator noted, this ad isn't exactly pro-chastity. The Doritos ad made that point better.

Another good one: Google’s Parisian Love Story (nominated by Operation Rescue's Troy Newman.

New country star climbs charts with pro-life song

Matt Kennon’s birth mother had made plans to abort him. But unlike the story Kennon sings about in “The Call”, his own birth-father never intervened. Kennon’s mother did not go through with the abortion only because her doctor said she was two weeks past the legal limit. LifeSiteNews

'Abstinence Education Done Right,' according to the NY Times

The ongoing debate over sex education has been rekindled by a provocative new study suggesting that teaching abstinence can delay the start of sexual activity among inner-city youngsters — if it is freed from the moralistic overtones and ideological restrictions that were the hallmark of abstinence-only programs under the Bush administration. . . . The only program that successfully delayed the start of sexual activity was the abstinence-only instruction. By the end of two years, only a third of the abstinence-only group had engaged in sexual intercourse compared with almost half of the control group. . . . Under current federal law, supported by the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress, abstinence-only programs that seek federal support must meet several rigid requirements that essentially make them abstinence-until-marriage programs. They must teach, for example, that abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the “expected standard” for all school-age children. This new study would have failed that test. It did not advocate abstinence until marriage but urged students to wait until they were more mature. It encouraged abstinence as a way to eliminate the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, had youngsters draw up lists of the pros and cons of sexual activity, and taught strategies for resisting pressure to have intercourse. NYTimes

Editor: Abstinence-until-marriage works because it gives young people an objective indicator of when maturity has been reached.

WHAT DO WE KNOW? Facts and figures on circumstances affecting Muslim women and girls in the US

Muslim girls and women in the United States face unique obstacles and challenges as a result of their cultural and religious background. In European countries, governments, social workers, and teachers have increasingly devoted attention towards helping girls and women from an Islamic background. By contrast, efforts in the United States are lagging behind.

The AHA Foundation has found that forced marriages, female genital mutilation, and acts of honor violence and honor killings take place in the United States more often and with a greater degree of severity than is commonly assumed. Social workers and educators often miss warning signs that indicate something is going wrong in Islamic families and Islamic communities. This document contains information meant to raise awareness of the issues that girls and women from an Islamic background in the United States may face – issues and actions that are in violation of U.S. laws.

Colts Coach Clyde Christensen Was Also Spared From Abortion

Clyce Christensen, the assistant head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, has his own potential abortion story that changed his life. His mother was an unwed teenager who gave birth to him when she was 15. "I can't help but think of a 15-year-old, unwed, pregnant teen who made a courageous decision not to abort her child, but instead gave him a chance at life that over 50 million children since have not had. That child was me," he said.

Christensen and his wife Debbie are so concerned about the unborn children who are killed in abortions that they are very involved in Life Centers, the network of pregnancy centers in the Indianapolis area. Debbie has been a regular peer counselor at the West Pregnancy Center. LifeNews

Planned Parenthood Launches Its Own Football Ad

Striking back at the pro-life Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America has issued its own abortion-themed football video, claiming that the true lesson of Tebow's story is that society should "respect and trust women" to make the decision to abort their child. A coalition of 30 pro-abortion groups, led by the National Organization for Women, the Women’s Media Center, and the Feminist Majority Foundation, have strenuously fought the advertisement, but Super Bowl host CBS has stood its ground in allowing the spot. Planned Parenthood responded by launching a video on YouTube, in which former NFL player Sean James and Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner directly address the Tebow ad. LifeSiteNews

Military bases to stock morning-after pill

Officials at the Pentagon have decided to require U.S. military bases all over the world to provide abortifacient morning-after pills, or emergency contraception, reports the Associated Press. Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the Pentagon was following through with a recommendation by an independent panel of doctors and pharmacists, who recommended the morning-after pill be included on the list of required medications stocked at military facilities. LifeSiteNews

The raw politics of abstinence education

Between 2003 and 2009, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter obtained nearly $10 million in earmarks for abstinence education. Then he became a Democrat. Since switching parties last spring, Specter hasn’t sought a dime in earmarks for abstinence education — a dramatic reversal that critics describe as a case study in the cynical politics of pork-barrel spending. As an abortion-rights Republican facing primary challenges from the right, Specter could use the abstinence education earmarks to show social conservatives in his party that he was sensitive to their concerns. But as a relatively conservative Democrat, he doesn’t have to worry about a challenge from the right — and has to be careful not to offend liberals, who generally prefer a broader approach to sex education. Politico

Black abortions affecting population?

Whether you agree with it or not, call it murder or choice; abortions are contributing to a slow growing Black population. Thirty-seven percent of abortions in the U.S. come from African American women, but Black people only make up 12% of the population. Black women have the highest rates of abortion at 50 terminated pregnancies out of 1000 (White women 11 in 1000, Hispanic women 28 in 1000). With varying reasons for population growth and stagnation within the African American community, Black abortions may have a significant impact. Nearly 14 million Black pregnancies have ended in abortion since 1973. Our Weekly

Message from Care Net's Delahoyde

Every day, pregnancy centers support women like Pam Tebow – women who bravely choose to carry their pregnancy to term, even in dire circumstances. Their courageous stories are just as inspirational as Pam's, and likewise, frustrated abortion groups are trying to "censor" their message, too.

For example, in the Virginia Legislature last month, NARAL announced that pregnancy centers in that state were up to no good and introduced a bill attacking these organizations. However, women who had been helped by pregnancy centers showed up to oppose the bill, and their message was uncensored. One former client, a refugee from Congo said:

"I found myself pregnant, and my fiancé ran away from me because I chose to keep my baby. The pregnancy center helped me to pay rent, clothed my son and I, fed us and supported me throughout my pregnancy. Once I had my baby, I passionately volunteered at the pregnancy center. … I refer people to the pregnancy center, and I am now one year from graduating from university. …" (Listen to her story at 8:15 minutes into this Youtube clip.) WND

Tebow spotlight falls on CA PCC

Cindy Broese Van Groenou, executive director of the PCC in Eureka, CA, took the opportunity the Tebow ad controversy presented to write about her center in the local paper: "Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the 'Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life' commercial to be aired during the Super Bowl this Sunday. . . . Through these discussions, the work of pregnancy care centers nationwide has also been in the spotlight. This gives me the opportunity, and pleasure, of sharing a little about what we do here locally." Times-Standard

Pendergraft Loses License

Embattled Florida abortion practitioner James Pendergraft is has lost his medical license in the past and the Florida Department of Health has again suspended it -- this time for a period of two years. After Pendergraft serves his suspension he will be required serve an additional three years of probation. Then, he will only be allowed to operate under the direct supervision of a board certified OBGYN, who must also share an office with Pendergraft to ensure he operates properly. Pendergraft must also pay $20,000 in administrative costs by February 25.

The suspension is the result of a complaint filed April 14, 2008, that states Pendergraft illegally prescribed controlled substances without proper DEA licensing, OR indicated. The board also said Pendergraft committed medical malpractice in a botched abortion of a 19 week-old unborn child in February 2006. LifeNews

Hodari Faces Lawsuit Over Improper Abortion

Michigan abortionist Alberto Hodari is facing yet another lawsuit related to a woman who suffered a botched abortion at one of his Detroit-area abortion centers. The lawsuit filed last week sues Hodari for negligence and incompetence. The suit says he subjected a woman to an unnecessary abortion procedure after failing to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy. LifeNews

Liverpool schools to offer pregnancy testing to kids

Liverpool NHS Primary Care Trust has confirmed that plans are afoot to establish sexual health drop-in clinics in five of the city’s secondary schools. The controversial scheme gives pupils on-site access to pregnancy testing, contraceptives, the morning-after pill and advice on sexually transmitted infections. However, critics have warned that the scheme will normalise underage sex and increase promiscuity. Christian Institute

Maryland's Montgomery County Enacts New Sign Rule

Montgomery County officials in Maryland gave final approval to a new county ordinance that targets pregnancy centers located in this suburb of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Centers would be required to tell potential clients they should go elsewhere for medical advice. Pregnancy centers must post a disclaimer if they don't have medical professionals on staff and would refer them to a center with licensed medical professionals.

John Naughton, a local pro-life advocate, said the resolution would "dramatically impair the operations of the four county pregnancy centers which have offered free services to approximately 195,000 women for a combined total of 108 years without complaint." LifeNews

Pro-life group aims billboards at black community

An anti-abortion group has begun putting up dozens of billboards around metro Atlanta, declaring black children to be “an endangered species.” The billboards were announced at a state Capitol news conference at which Georgia Right to Life announced that it would back legislation this session that would make it a crime to “solicit a woman to have an abortion based on the race or sex of the unborn child.” AJC

Transform the hearts and minds of teens

At age 15, 13% of all teenagers in the United States are sexually active. By age 19, seven in 10 will have engaged in sexual intercourse. This notion of "sexual freedom" is the leading cause of abortion in our nation--50% of all abortions in the U.S. are performed on young women between the ages of 13 and 24. To meet the rising demand and help teens understand the root of abortion, HLA released the 2010-2011 Just for Girls/Just for Guys teen abstinence magazine almost six months ahead of schedule.

Client-focused vs. Problem-focused Pregnancy Center

If a PRC attempts to engage each woman as she comes with no clear, distinct path of helping her understand the nature of unplanned pregnancy and what her options are in terms of solving the problem, it is difficult at best to consistently see women at risk for abortion having their babies. Without a plan and process for solving the problem every woman faces it is almost impossible to have a relevant solution for any woman. It is only after we become experts at solving the problem of unplanned pregnancy that we are free to engage each woman’s unique situation. The Effective PRC

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56% of Young Adults in a New Sexual Relationship Infected with HPV

A groundbreaking study of couples found more than half of young adults in a new sexual relationship were infected with the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. Of those infected with HPV, nearly half (44 per cent) were infected with an HPV type that causes cancer. The study is the first large-scale study of HPV infection among couples early in their sexual relationships when transmission is most likely. LifeSiteNews

Abortion rights pioneer dead at 102

Ruth Proskauer Smith, a longtime reproductive rights advocate who helped found what is now Naral Pro-Choice America, died Jan. 22 at her home in Manhattan. She was 102. In 1969, Ms. Smith and 11 others formed the first steering committee of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, as the organization was then known. In recent years, Ms. Smith remained involved with Naral Pro-Choice New York, an affiliate of the national body. She was also active in the right-to-die movement, advocating that physician-assisted suicide be legally available to terminally ill people. Boston Globe

Abortion chain owner Susan Hill is dead

Susan Hill died on February 1. She was president of the National Women's Health Foundation, which collected donations to fund abortions of poor pregnant mothers, and the National Women's Health Organization, "a pioneering group of [abortion] clinics." At one point Hill/NWHO owned 11 mills but were down to four at the time of her death, including the last mill in Mississippi, located in Jackson. Two weeks after Roe v. Wade, Hill and a partner opened the first mill in Florida, now owned by James Pendergraft. Hill, a social worker by trade, is said to have been responsible for the deaths of 400,000 children aborted at her mills. Jill Stanek

Group exposes media malpractice

LifeSiteNews, YouTube

Magazine Fined for Calling Abortion “Killing” becomes #1 Weekly

Gosc Niedzielny (Sunday Visitor), published by the Archdiocese of Katowice in southern Poland, and which became famous last year after its editor was fined for calling abortion “killing,” just became the country's best-selling weekly. The magazine has just surpassed the leftist publication Polityka, which held the monopoly on #1 selling weekly for over 20 years. LifeSiteNews

Got a source for that image?

Seen this photo? Do you know who the photographer/Photoshopper is? (This person, who posted it on his/her Flikr page admitted he/she didn't know, and that it came with no attribution.)

There's a lot of controversy on the web over it, with many cogent explanations of why it must be a Photoshopped hoax (also here and here). Others are disappointed their unborn babies don't behave as profoundly when the cameras are rolling. Apparently, no one has yet come forward to claim or verify it. My advice (and plea) is don't use any image unless you know its provenance and can credit the source.

Turning abortion into an online game show

When the president said he wanted "to find ways to communicate about a workable solution to the problem of unintended pregnancies," Dominic Iocco conceived "Bump." He and co-executive producer Christopher Riley want to see whether stories can succeed where four decades of rhetoric and politics have failed. They fashioned their experiment in a way that would be most appealing to the wired, reality-show generation.

Beginning Feb. 1, episodes will appear each week on Mondays and Thursdays, both on BumptheShow.com and on YouTube, and spectators are invited to comment. A pilot, which appeared on the eve of the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, already had drawn 147 comments by Friday, ranging from criticism of the acting and the doctor's make-up to heartfelt accounts of personal experiences with abortion. WashingtonPost

Report from a Liberian PCC

Aaron Garyemah, executive director of New Hope Pregnancy Services* in Gbarnga, Liberia, reports the following for 2009:

• 48 new clients registered
• 164 return visits
• 14 salvation decisions
• 3 spiritual decisions/rededication
• 38 clients viewed extra materials
• 14 clients received supplies
• 18 participated in Bible studies

Pregnancy outcomes:

• 14 births
• 0 abortion

Brother Aaron says, "We are also pleased to note that the NHPS was incorporated with government, and the board installed. We see these as answers to prayers; given that the ministry is only a year and half old. May you know however, that your prayers are even more needed in this 2010. Our prospect for 2010 is to extend presentations to schools, churches and the communities around us."

*2009 Summit attendees may recall missionary Carolynn Sharp's compelling presentation about this minstry.

What Tim Tebow's Super Bowl ad can teach the pro-choice movement

Who said this? "Women's and choice groups responding to the Tebow ad should take a page from the Focus on the Family playbook. Erin Matson, the National Organization for Women's new vice president, called the Tebow spot 'hate masquerading as love.' That kind of comment may play well in the choice choir, but to others, it makes no sense, at best; at worst, it's seen as the kind of stridency that reinforces the view that pro-choice simply means pro-abortion." Kate Michelman and Frances Kissling, in the Washington Post. Surprised?

Get to Know: Banquet Success

While traveling coast-to-coast speaking at banquets over the last few months, we’ve been able to implement a few of the proven Banquet Success strategies we used to grow our own fundraising banquet from $24,350 to $312,964. As a result, we’ve seen many groups experience amazing fundraising results — even in the midst of this challenging economy.

Wisconsin Senate Passes Bill Banning Abstinence-Only Education in Schools

Last Thursday the Wisconsin State Senate passed the "Healthy Youth Act" mandating that all sexual education classes in public schools teach about contraception. Wisconsin Governor James Doyle has said that he will sign the bill. The bill takes from local school boards the power to determine the content of classes. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, which had been pushing for the bill, had identified several schools that taught abstinence-only programs. LifeSiteNews

Abstinence-Only Education Linked to Decreased Promiscuity in High-Risk Teens

Theory-based, abstinence-only intervention has been linked a lower rate of sexual involvement among African American preteens, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a publication of the American Medical Association. The study found that the probability of ever having sexual intercourse was approximately 15 percentage points lower among teens in the abstinence-only program than those in condom-promoting courses or those undergoing no sex education. LifeSiteNews

Abortionist Hodari Under Investigation by Michigan Officials

Michigan-based abortion practitioner Alberto Hodari has a troubled history as an abortion practitioner that has seen him kill three young woman botched abortions and he faces accusations from another that he forced her to have an abortion. Now, Michigan officials are looking into his abortion practice. The Michigan Department of Community Health has confirmed in two separate letters that Hodari is officially under investigation by the Bureau of Health Profession for his involvement in the forced abortion. In November, Hodari put his abortion facilities up for sale along with his collection of expensive classic cars and hastily filed for divorce from his wife of 29 years. Local pro-life advocates are concerned he is attempting to flee the country to return to his native Argentina. LifeNews

Ireland: Rights body calls for legalized abortion

In a report by Human Rights Watch, Ireland is accused of violating a long list of human rights in its treatment of abortion. The report says the actions of the Government in the face of the "need for abortion" have been "erratic and divisive" and it calls for a change to its restrictive abortion laws to meet its obligations under international law. Irish Examiner The SPUC responds that "there is no such thing as a right to abortion under international law."

Abortifacient Ellaone Billed as Better Morning After Pill

Abortion advocates are pushing a new drug that they say is an expanded morning after pill, or emergency contraception. Ellaone can be used up to five days after rape or unprotected sex. The drug is becoming popular in Europe and abortion advocates there are pushing it as a better version of the morning after pill.

But Josephine Quintavalle, of the Pro-Life Alliance, says Ellaone is not an emergency contraception because it causes an abortion rather than preventing pregnancy. "If you take a morning-after pill within 24 hours, there is always the argument that the sperm may not have fertilized the egg by then, meaning pregnancy has not yet happened. But if this pill works for five days there is no argument. This is not a contraceptive, it is an abortive agent."

Dr. Donna Harrison, the president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees. "I think it's important that the pro-life community recognize exactly what Ulipristal is, and how it works, so they are not fooled." LifeNews

Councilors to Planned Parenthood: Go away

Six members of the City Council voted Thursday to draft a resolution urging the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts to abandon its plan to locate in Fitchburg, after the organization announced plans to open an office on Main Street earlier this week. Sentinel & Enterprise

Criticism of PCCs "nonsensical"

“We’re scratching our heads as to why anyone would attack Pam Tebow’s courageous story or hinder a message of hope to other women facing similar circumstances,” said Care Net's Melinda Delahoyde in response to all the fuss over the Tebow ad. “As an organization that helps provide support to women with difficult or unplanned pregnancies, Care Net is even more confused why any group advocating for women would criticize the compassionate, practical help offered by our nation’s pregnancy centers. Part of the reason why our country is increasingly pro-life is because of the positive, volunteer-led work of pregnancy centers in communities across the country." InspireLife

Documents Raise Spectre of Fetal Harvesting at UWisc

Pro-life advocates say they have obtained documents that raise serious questions over the possibility of fetal harvesting and conscience violations behind the University of Wisconsin's plans to begin performing late-term abortions at the Madison Surgery Center. In addition, they say, certain communiqués raise fears that UW researchers could use the tissue of babies aborted at MSC for medical experimentation. LifeSiteNews

Getting Away With Murder -- Ruth Barnett and the Illegal Abortion Trade

Over the years pro-abortionists and pro-lifers have often squared off over the history of abortion. . . . [P]ro-life guesstimates often fall short of reality when citing abortion figures in some cities. Their figures too are frequently not a clear reflection of the "demand" for and availability of services to rid women and society of unborn babies. Life Advocate

Sex Ed in Washington

Last week’s news that teenage birthrates inched upward late in the Bush era, after 15 years of steady decline, was greeted with a grim sort of satisfaction. The new numbers, declared the president of Planned Parenthood, make it “crystal clear that abstinence-only sex education for teenagers does not work.” In reality, the numbers show no such thing. Abstinence financing increased under Bush, but the federal government has been funneling money to pro-chastity initiatives since early in Bill Clinton’s presidency. If you blame abstinence programs for a year’s worth of bad news, you’d also have to give them credit for more than a decade’s worth of progress. NY Times