New abortion clinic to open in Michigan

An early sign of health care reform's impact is Planned Parenthood's decision to open a new Oakland County clinic within the next 18 months, adding to 15 locations, including Detroit, Warren and Livonia. Unlike other Detroit area centers, the new location is likely to include abortion services. The Detroit News

Sounding the alarm on gonorrhea

Last year the media beat the drums for the H1N1 virus. In August, a White House council said the nation was facing a "plausible scenario" of as many as 1.8 million hospitalizations and up to 90,000 deaths just in the coming months. In February, however, the CDC said that if all swine flu events were counted (back to April 2009), fewer than 378,000 people were hospitalized and fewer than 17,160 people died, with the most likely toll being 11,690.

I haven't seen the American STD epidemic get upgraded to a pandemic, but with 19 million newly reported STD cases each year, it sure could be. And we are not talking about 19 million cases of annoying but nonfatal genital skin problems, either. Every year, 20,000 Americans die of diseases contracted by risky sexual behavior, says a 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Washington Times

See related: Congenital Syphilis Taking Toll on Mothers and Babies

Kenya Won't Change Pro-Abortion Draft Constitution Before Vote

The Kenyan government will not make any further changes to the proposed Constitution citizens will vote on this summer that overturns the nation's ban on abortions. The Kenyan Cabinet met on Tuesday and, afterwards, said politicians and church leaders opposed to the constitution will have to live with the document. LifeNews

Boyd & Co. Turn Albuquerque Into Late-Term Abortion Capital

Texas abortionist Curtis Boyd, who admits he committed illegal abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, has positioned himself to replace slain abortionist George Tiller as the “go to” man for the most controversial – and most profitable – of abortions, those done in the late-terms of pregnancy on viable babies who are able to survive outside the womb. Operation Rescue

Silly Putty Bible Study

Many Christians use their Bibles like Silly Putty. Just add the Spirit and the Bible becomes putty in their hands, able to be molded into almost anything at all. Rather than approaching the Scripture as a treasure of truth for all Christians, some Evangelicals have the dangerous habit of searching the text for a personal “promise” or “word” of guidance from the Spirit that is unrelated to the text’s original meaning. Often, the results turn out to be silly. Other times,
they are dangerous. STR

Promises, Promises worksheet

‘Hope and Change’ in Sex Education Leaves Kids with Big Change But No Hope!

“What you teach your kids at home might be different, but from this point on, if you want to receive grant money, you will have to teach students ‘safe sex,’ condoms, birth-control, the morning after pill, and abortion.” These words opened the latest national conference for abstinence-centered educators receiving federal grants over the past eight years. This message was given by a representative from the Department of Health and Human Services, which seemed to be a final blow after they all received notice by email just weeks before attending that all of their funding would be completely cut as of September 2010. “Hope and change” had reared its ugly head and changed their programs for the worse and left them with no hope at all. . . . Here is the truth: Abstinence works 100% of the time. Pam Stenzel, page 3 HLA Action News

Get to Know: Just Say Yes

Just Say Yes (Youth Equipped to Succeed) is your FREE connection to the nation's leading abstinence and character programs - speakers, curriculum and after-school clubs. They will customize a strategy for your school or youth group that reflects your goals and objectives. Their programs provide youth with factual and relational information equipping them to lead healthy and successful lives.

Claims Questioned On Vaccines Using Cells From Abortion Leading to Autism

Claims from a pro-life organization and pro-life blogger who say a new study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency shows a correlation between the use of cells from babies in abortions in vaccines to an increase in autism rates, are drawing questions and criticism. The study's author, Mike McDonald, and others, question that claim.

McDonald responded to the question, saying the claims "incorrectly represent, and far overreach, our study findings. Our study draws no causal linkages with anything and the recent increase in autistic disorder, and certainly not to the use of fetal tissues in vaccines. Without additional screening approaches there are potentially a huge number of possible exogenous factors and explanations that could be associated with autism. In no case is a correlation with any of these things, including with the timing of the change point, with some other occurrence any indication of causation."

The claims also came under fire from pro-life advocates. LifeNews

States seek new ways to restrict abortions

Dozens of states are passing or debating new restrictions on abortion, a trend fueled in part by passage of the nation's new health care law. Both sides of the hot-button issue are seeing new approaches to reduce abortions. USA Today

Next week is National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week

Thousands of young people across the country will take to the streets and the schools with a message for their peers: oppose abortion. National Pro-Life T Shirt Week is organizing youth and young adults in high schools and colleges across the nation to stand up for unborn children. In addition to wearing pro-life T-shirts next week, students are urged to engage in sidewalk chalking a pro-life message and standing in front of top government buildings with the shirts. LifeNews

Get to Know: PATH, a Positive Approach to Teen Health

PATH encourages abstinence from drugs, alcohol, relationship violence, and sexual activity outside of marriage. Why? Because these choices for teens bring freedom and opportunity for awesome lives. PATH equips youth to make healthy choices and to develop relationship skills through abstinence-centered services.

Dangers of alcohol during pregnancy

Did you know that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is worse than the "street" drugs we may think about? Learn more

The Pill's Deadly Affair with HIV/AIDS

More than 50 medical studies, to date, have investigated the association of hormonal contraceptive use and HIV/AIDS infection. The studies show that hormonal contraceptives—the oral pill and Depo-Provera—increase almost all known risk factors for HIV, from upping a woman's risk of infection, to increasing the replication of the HIV virus, to speeding the debilitating and deadly progression of the disease. Population Research Institute

Get to Know the Opposition: National Network of Abortion Funds

The National Network of Abortion Funds is a network that includes over 100 abortion funds in more than 40 states. Abortion Funds raise money from individuals as well as from some private foundations. Each year, member Funds raise and disperse over $2 million to pay for more than 20,000 abortions. To find out who's funding abortions in your area, search here.

Editor: I got a new computer, and when I set up my internet browser, a link to this site was on my toolbar!

Planned Parenthood closes Monticello, IA, facility

Planned Parenthood has closed its Monticello Health Center, according to a company press release. The decision was made to “help focus resources more efficiently” at Planned Parenthood locations in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. THOnline

More of what PP is up to: STOPP Report

Louisville, KY | Undercover Video Release

This undercover footage was taken by Live Action President Lila Rose and Live Action Actor Jackie Stollar who both posed undercover as minors with Rose telling the staff that she was 14-years-old and impregnated by her 31-year-old "boyfriend." In the state of Kentucky, sex between a 14-year-old and a 31-year-old is rape in the third degree and would reasonably be considered sexual abuse of a child which must be reported to law enforcement immediately. The clinic failed to ask the questions necessary to file a child sexual abuse report and did not communicate to Rose about the illegal or dangerous nature of her sexual relationship. Live Action

Irish Pro-Life Advocates Question ‘Non-Judgmental’ Catholic Crisis Pregnancy Service

Pro-life advocates in Ireland are questioning the methods of and the close association between the Catholic Church’s “non-judgmental” pregnancy counseling service CURA, and a government program for pregnant women called Positive Options.

Calling it a simple case of moral relativism, Sylvester Mann wrote that CURA’s use of the “non-directive counseling” technique undermines their commitment to Catholic teaching on abortion. CURA states on its website that it “upholds the right of every child to be born and to have his or her right to life recognised and respected.” But Charlotte Keary of CURA said no CURA counselor would directly attempt to dissuade an abortion-minded woman. She strongly denied there is any conflict between the non-directive counseling model and the strictures of the Church against abortion. CURA volunteer counselors, she said, “do not give abortion information. We don’t give contacts, numbers or set up any appointments” for abortions. Nevertheless, asked whether a CURA counselor would directly try to dissuade a woman from having an abortion, Keary said, “No. We would not say ‘Don’t do it’.”

What is at issue is CURA’s refusal to guide women away from abortion and its use of so-called “non-directive” counseling techniques. He pointed to the pro-life Irish Constitution and to the Regulation of Information Act of 1995 that “specifically directs that abortion-minded women be given pro-life information.” LifeSiteNews

NIH Panel Urges Return to VBAC for Most Women

A National Institutes of Health consensus panel concluded on March 10 that vaginal birth after a cesarean section is appropriate for most women and should be encouraged. F. Gary Cunningham, chairman of the panel, said that it was their hope that publishing the available data would prompt greater interest in the decline in vaginal births and lead to more research into the critical areas outlined in the consensus statement “Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: New Insights.” ObGynNews

Impact of Health Care Reform Issues for Nonprofits

The federal health care reform law will have a substantial impact on employers. Read more from ECFA

Other news affecting nonprofits:

• Rhode Island nonprofits may lose sales tax exemption: Read on
• Baltimore looks at property tax exemptions of nonprofits: Read on
• Boston wants tax-exempt organizations to pay 25 percent of what they would owe in property taxes: Read on

Teaching Abstinence in a Faith-Based Setting

What are the differences between teaching abstinence in a public school versus teaching abstinence in the church? Learn how to tailor your message to your audience in terms they will relate to and understand. Join this 30 minute call to transform your public school message to a faith-based audience.

Thursday, April 29, 2010 11am EST, 10am CST, 9am Mountain, 8am Pacific

Register Include your name, organization, and contact information. You will receive the dial-in instructions in an email confirming your registration. Space is limited.

Get to Know: The Love & Fidelity Network

There's a desperate need for today's college students to be well-informed about the lifestyles and behaviors that best enable them to live responsibly, reasonably, healthily and morally. They need an honest education about the effects of the sexual culture around them, and they need resources and support to live out their sexuality in a way that honors the full meaning and integrity of sex and human relationships. Providing these resources and support is what the Love and Fidelity Network is all about.

Our mission is to educate, train, and equip college students with the arguments, resources, and direction they need to uphold the institution of marriage, the unique role of the family, and sexual integrity on their campuses. We believe today's young men and women will form the nucleus of an articulate and effective new generation of leaders for marriage, family, love and fidelity at universities and in the public square.

No hooking up for some coeds

Casual hook ups fueled by alcohol may be the norm across college campuses, but Frannie Boyle, now a 21-year-old junior at the school, chose to stop. Her reasons to quit hooking up echo the emotional devastation of many college students, particularly girls whose hearts are broken by the hook-up scene. "I saw it [hooking up] as a way to be recognized and get satisfaction," said Boyle, shaking her blond ponytail. "I felt so empty then." The hook-up culture on campuses may seem more pervasive than ever, especially as media outlets, books and documentaries rush to dissect the subject, but some college women and men are saying no. Newsweek

Related: STDs--The downside of 'friends with benefits'

Fetuses 'found dumped' in India

Authorities in the western Indian state of Gujarat say they have recovered more than a dozen human fetuses from a rubbish bin in the city of Ahmedabad. They suspect the fetuses could have been dumped by local abortion clinics which have been conducting illegal sex determination tests. BBC

Why young voters are lukewarm on abortion rights

"How can the next generation defend abortion rights when they don't think abortion rights need defending?" What a quandry! The Newsweek article goes on:

"When the history of the 21st century is written, March 21, 2010, will go down as the day Congress cleared the way for health-care reform. Yet for those in the abortion-rights community, March 21 will mark a completely different turning point: the day when they became acutely aware of their waning influence in Washington. . . . So if Democrats won't stand strong for abortion rights, who will? . . .

"This past January, when [NARAL president] Keenan's train pulled into Washington's Union Station, a few blocks from the Capitol, she was greeted by a swarm of anti-abortion-rights activists. . . . 'I just thought, my gosh, they are so young. There are so many of them, and they are so young.' . . .

"New NARAL research, conducted earlier this year and released exclusively to NEWSWEEK, only amplified Keenan's fears. A survey of 700 young Americans showed there was a stark "intensity gap" on abortion. . . . Worse still for NARAL, the millennials surveyed didn't view abortion as an imperiled right in need of defenders. As one young mother in a focus group told NARAL, it seemed to her that abortion was easily accessible. How did she know? The parking lot at her local clinic, she told them, was always full.

"Millennials are more likely than their boomer parents to see abortion as a moral issue. In the NARAL focus groups, young voters flat-out disapproved of a woman's abortion, called her actions immoral, yet maintained that the government had absolutely no right to intervene. As one young woman in Denver said, 'I only get mad when [a friend] tries telling me, "It is like nothing, oh well, it is just an abortion."?' It wasn't the abortion itself that seemed to trouble the woman; rather, it was her friend's nonchalance. 'Even if it was like nothing,' the woman told NARAL, 'it was something.'"

Register for the Summit: Mapping the Future

Where have we been? Where are we going? How do we get there? The 2010 Partners in Ministry Pregnancy Care Center Summit will give you direction for future ministry, so set your compass for Grand Rapids, MI, on July 22-23 and discover how to thrive with speakers Dinah Monahan and Dr. Stan Haegert. Register online

Friday is . . . Day of Purity

Liberty Counsel is encouraging young people to take an abstinence pledge before Valentine's Day. April 23 marks the seventh year Liberty Counsel has spearheaded the Day of Purity, the observance that challenges young people to pledge to remain sexually pure until marriage.

This is National Volunteer Appreciation Week . . .

What are you doing to thank your volunteers? Post comments!

Missing girls in Vietnam: is high tech sexism an emerging reality?

Studies indicate that 46% of all pregnancies in Vietnam were terminated in 2002. The lowest sex ratios reported in Vietnam was 78 girls to every 100 boys. Despite women being economically empowered they continue to be disadvantaged and discriminated against. The decline in numbers of girls seems to stem from the preference for son’s which is embedded within the patriarchal Confucian tradition. This preference combined with the availability of modern techniques to simply and cheaply determine the gender of the foetus seems to be resulting in sex-selective abortion. Eldis

April is . . .

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April is STD Awareness Month. While the government, schools and Planned Parenthood tout their failed "safe-sex" and "get tested" solutions to the STD epidemic, you can use this topic to spread the message of chastity - the only truly healthy response.

It's also National Child Abuse Prevention Month - Abortion is child abuse. Since the 1973 decriminalization of abortion, child abuse has skyrocketed. A 2005 study found that woman who had a previous abortion were 144% more likely to physically abuse their children. Rock for Life

New Global Study Shows Maternal Mortality Significantly Lower Than Previously Thought

A new study out this week shows maternal mortality rates have been significantly overestimated by United Nations (UN) agencies. Pro-life critics of the maternal mortality numbers have long complained that the 500,000 number was likely too high and based on ideological assumptions. The American Academy of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) said, “This study uses the best statistical methods currently available and clearly demonstrates that worldwide legalization of abortion is unnecessary to bring about significant decreases in maternal mortality." C-Fam

Some advocates for women’s health tried to pressure The Lancet into delaying publication of the new findings, fearing that good news would detract from the urgency of their cause. “I think this is one of those instances when science and advocacy can conflict,” said researcher Dr. Richard Horton. The advocates, whom he declined to name, wanted the new information held and released only after certain meetings about maternal and child health had already taken place. NY Times

Let’s Move — Childhood Obesity Prevention from Pregnancy and Infancy Onward

Factors associated with increased risk for overweight or obesity in infancy and early childhood include excessive maternal weight gain or smoking during gestation, shorter-than-recommended duration of breast-feeding, and suboptimal amounts of sleep during infancy. NEJM

Planned Parenthood to blame for STD epidemic

In the 1960s, gonorrhea and syphilis appeared to be the only well-known STDs and could be treated with penicillin, but today there are over twenty-five STDs, some of which are incurable. From Planned Parenthood's early push to sexualize children in the United States, to the Griswold v. Connecticut decision in 1965, which decriminalized the use of the birth control pill in the United States, to its current push for family planning money from the government so it can continue to encourage young people to participate in sexual activity at an early age, Planned Parenthood has brought about the STD epidemic. ALL

Get to Know: Pure Love Club

Pure Love Club is the abstinence outreach program founded by Jason Evert. Evert is the author of nine books, including If You Really Loved Me and Pure Love, which challenge young people to embrace abstinence. After giving nationwide school presentations solo for three years, Jason teamed up with Crystalina Padilla, who was trained as a chastity speaker by the Challenge Task Force on Chastity. As a married couple, they now speak internationally to over 100,000 teens each year in junior and senior high schools, as well as universities. In their highly popular abstinence seminar, "Romance without Regret," the duo provides compelling and uplifting reasons for abstinence until marriage.

North Dakota Measure Seeks to Ban Decapitation, Skull Crushing during Abortions

A measure to prohibit physicians from decapitating and crushing the skulls of live unborn children during abortions is seeking clearance to begin gathering signatures for the November ballot, a North Dakota grassroots pro-life organization has announced. LifeSiteNews

Spring issue of At the Center online now

Find these and other great articles:

• Centerboard:Pro-Life to the Core By Tom Lothamer
• Serving Teenage Men: A Pregnancy Center Priority By Dr. David E. Whitaker
• StandUpGirl.com By Paul Harmon
• Bring the Gift of Hope to Our Clients By Dianne Pomon
• Handling Board and Organizational Conflict: The Board Chaplain By Thomas A. Glessner, J.D.
• Are You Obtaining Words, Graphics, and Pictures Legally? By Amanda Naugle and Jerry Thacker
• Does Bigger Always Mean Better? By Mark Hiehle
• Marketing 101: Extending Your Network By Jerry Thacker

Read the latest from The Comforter's Centre in Kampala, Uganda

The Comforter's Centre blog

Nebraska First to Allow Women to Sue for Psychological Injury After Abortion

Judicial rules normally do not allow women to sue for psychological injuries after abortion unless the injuries stem from a physical injury. The new Nebraska law is the first law in the country to eliminate the requirement that the woman must prove that psychological injuries from an abortion stemmed from a physical injury. Elliot Institute

Polish President Mourned by Pro-Life Groups

President Lech Kaczynski of Poland is being noted for his staunch opposition to abortion. World Congress of Families director Larry Jacobs said, "President Kaczynski was one of the strongest pro- family leaders in Europe. Despite intense pressure from the European Union, he stood firm for the right to life." Janice Shaw Crouse of Concerned Women for Amesaid, "President Kaczynski was an outstanding leader for pro-life, pro- marriage, and pro-family issues in Europe."

50-Yr. Sentence for Murdering Unborn Baby

Last Friday, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Greta Curtis Fall sentenced a 32-year-old man to 50-years-to-life imprisonment for killing his girlfriend's unborn baby by stabbing her in the stomach with a 13-inch butcher knife. Danny Ray Poplin Jr. attacked his girlfriend, Vanessa Roberts, thinking that her six-month old unborn child was the child of another man. DNA tests later confirmed the child was his own. He will serve the sentence for murder only after serving 12 years for injury and assault. LifeSiteNews

The New Health-Care Fight: Abortion Coverage in State Exchanges

While the congressional fight over health-care reform has wrapped up and legislators moved on, a new, state-level battle over abortion coverage has just begun. Section 1303 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (page 779 here) reiterates states’ rights to regulate abortion coverage among their insurers: “A state may elect to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in such State if such State enacts a law to provide for such a prohibition.” This provision actually does not give states any rights they didn’t have before. Newsweek blog

Resources for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is May 9th and fast approaching. Caleb Ministries wants to make their materials available at at discount. Women who've lost babies, are struggling with infertility, or are post-abortive find this day particularly difficult. Along with FOCUS PUBLISHING, they're making their resources available at a discount between now and May 4th.

Editor: I highly recommend their eight-week post-abortion Bible study, Living in His Forgiveness.

Abortionist Kills Wrong Twin in 'Selective Reduction,' Loses License

A Florida-based abortion practitioner lost his medical license this weekend after the state medical board evaluated his license. Matthew Kachinas was supposed to abort one twin who had Down syndrome, but wound up killing the other. The Florida Board of Medicine met over the weekend, according to the Miami Herald, and revoked Kachinas' license for that and other cases that have come to its attention where Kachinas engaged in shoddy medicine.

Kachinas was one of the few abortion practitioners in Florida to engage in second-trimester abortions or the practice known as selective reduction. The pregnancy in question involved unborn children conceived through in-vitro fertilization. Records show that after the "wrong" baby was killed in the first abortion, a second was done to kill the disabled unborn child as well. The babies were 15 weeks along at the time of the abortion. LifeNews

Abortion clinic doctor infected women with hep C

Fears of a public health threat are being hosed down by authorities in Victoria, Australia, after the revelation a doctor has been suspended from practice because 12 of his female patients have contracted Hepatitis C. The anaesthetist has the disease and police and the Medical Practitioners Board are investigating how it was transmitted to the women. ABC News

Next week is National Volunteer Week 2010

April 18 – 24, 2010

Celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things to transform their communities! Share your stories, videos and photos of outstanding volunteers here. Find inspiration as you scroll through compelling stories from across the nation.

How will you celebrate your volunteers?

Second Wisconsin Planned Parenthood Caught Misleading Clients

A new undercover video reveals medically inaccurate abortion counseling at a tax-funded Milwaukee Planned Parenthood clinic. The video, released by youth-led pro-life group Live Action, records Planned Parenthood staff distorting basic facts of fetal development and pressuring a woman to have an abortion.

British Woman Dies of Blood Clots after Ten Years on the Pill

A 28 year-old UK woman has died of deep vein thrombosis after taking birth control pills for a decade. She died suddenly when blood clots that formed in her legs spread to her lungs. Her sister Suzanne confirmed that doctors said the clots were “possibly caused by the contraceptive pill.” Studies increasingly show connections between hormonal contraceptives and a range of serious health risks. LifeSiteNews

Austin PRC responds to forced signage

Lori DeVillez, the Executive Director of the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center said her organization was taken completely off guard by the new law. “I’m still surprised at what happened here. We had no idea. There was no warning or information given to us,” she said. “We are as honest as honest can be. We let people know exactly who we are. Anyone who calls, and they’re requesting an abortion, we let them know that that’s not what we do. We’re certainly very up front with what we do.”

The director said that her organization’s mission is simply to provide free resources to pregnant women. “We have a clothing boutique. We partner with medical care in the community so we can get her a good doctor in the community. She’s scared, so she doesn’t know what to do, and we help her with that. We are a pregnancy resource center. That’s what we do. We provide resources for pregnancy. How much clearer can you be? I don’t understand it.”

Jonathan Saenz, director of legislative affairs at Liberty Institute, asks, "Why is the City of Austin so hostile to the needs of pregnant women served by charitable pregnancy centers?" Liberty Institute also pointed out that “there is no corresponding requirement that abortion facilities post signs about the services they do not provide.” DeVillez echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “I don’t know of any other group, non-profit or not, that has to put on their building what they don’t do. That doesn’t make any sense.” LifeSiteNews

Latest edition of The Elliot Institute's research on forced abortion in America

Please accept a complimentary advance copy of our newest edition of Forced Abortion in America ... heartbreaking to read, but powerful in its truth and potential. Look for a new special section on teens at risk ... subjected to coerced abortions and left alone to deal with the dangerous aftermath. As one woman reported, "Children are suffering adult-sized pain with a child's coping skills."

Consider a donation to the Elliot Institute.

This STD could be the next superbug

An alarming new superbug may be on its way — an incurable form of gonorrhea. The disease, once easily killed with a shot of penicillin, is increasingly becoming drug-resistant. In recent years, as the disease has evolved, medications once proven to kill the bacteria have become less effective except one, a class of antibiotics called cephalosporins. Now some strains of gonorrhea are showing signs of being resistant to even that.

Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States. Not all of those who are infected know it, contributing to the problem. Undiagnosed cases, or infections that are unsuccessfully treated and then linger without obvious symptoms, can create serious health problems.

Teenage girls between 15 and 19 account for more cases than any other age group. If they aren’t cured, they risk pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility or ectopic pregnancies. People infected with gonorrhea are also about three times more likely to become infected with HIV should they come into contact with the virus. MSNBC

Editor: Truly alarming.

British Life Chain in April

The British the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children is sponsoring a Life Chain in England that is similar to the one that takes place annually in October in the United States. On Saturday, April 24th, supporters will form a chain, standing at intervals holding placards "which bring home the reality of abortion," the group added. The 1967 Abortion Act came into effect on April 28, 1968. Since then, more than six million unborn children have been killed through registered abortion in Britain. LifeNews

Dawn Johnsen Withdraws Name from Consideration for Justice Department Slot

Dawn Johnson, the ardently pro-abortion Indiana University law professor who once comparing pregnancy to slavery, has withdrawn her name from consideration to be confirmed as head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, but she withdrew on Friday because of the “lengthy delays and political opposition” to her stalled nomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee twice confirmed her nomination on partisan votes, but it has been delayed for about a year because of her radical pro-abortion views. LifeNews

The 'humble hound' leadership style

She believes we only progress through a series of regulated errors. Every move is a partial failure, to be corrected by the next one. Even walking involves shifting your weight off-balance and then compensating with the next step. . . . She tries not to fall for the seductions that Collins says mark failing organizations: the belief that one magic move will change everything; the faith in perpetual restructuring; the tendency to replace questions with statements at meetings. NY Times

Austin Forces PCCs to Post Signs

The state capital of Texas is now the second city in the nation -- following Baltimore, Maryland -- to force pregnancy centers to post signs saying they don't do abortions. The city council voted unanimously 7-0 this morning to approve it, affecting the four or five pregnancy centers in town.

The vote came despite testimony form pregnancy centers and their supporters -- who pointed out that the proposed law does not require abortion centers to inform women that they don't provide pregnancy assistance. Under the terms of the ordinance, not posting a sign constitutes a Class C misdemeanor and centers would face fines of up to $450 each time they fail to post the signs. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell must sign the new ordinance into law, but NARAL indicated before the vote it expected him to do so. LifeNews

Abortion Clinic Sign Proposal Goes to TN Gov

Legislation that would require abortion clinics in Tennessee to post anti-coercion signs is headed to the Gov. Phil Bredesen for his consideration. Under current law, any type of coercion to have an abortion is prohibited. But sponsors say some women may not know that and the sign spells out what's in the law. The legislation would require clinics to post signs that read in part: "It is against the law for anyone, regardless of the person's relationship to you, to coerce you into having or to force you to have an abortion." Facilities that don't comply could be fined as much as $2,500. WRCB

Research: Chemotherapy Has No Detrimental Effect On The Foetus

In her PhD dissertation on chemotherapy during pregnancy, Kristel Van Calsteren presents new scientific discoveries. She concluded there is no increased risk of congenital defects in children who are exposed to chemotherapy during pregnancy. Nor do these children suffer from any discernible negative effects in the long term.

The primary explanation for this reassuring discovery is that the placenta functions as a filter for most of the products researched and that it protects the foetus against the damaging effects of chemotherapy. A second important criterion is that chemotherapy is not administered during the first trimester, which is the most vulnerable period of a pregnancy. MedicalNewsToday

URGENT prayer request from Lori DeVillez

Lori is the executive director of the Austin PRC in Austin, Texas. The Austin City Council will be voting today on an anti-PCC ordinance pushed by NARAL. She has drafted some talking points to use in response:

1. We are serving our community with excellence.
2. We are always upfront with anyone who contacts us of what our services are and that we do not perform nor do we refer for abortions. Our mission at the APRC is to help women have their babies and we provide all the compassionate support from good referrals for prenatal care, baby items such as diapers, formula, etc. all at no charge.
3. We are not a medical facility.
4. All of our services are free of charge.
5. We are financially supported by individuals and churches.

In the meantime, please join APRC in prayer over this battle for truth and life.

Online registration for The Summit

Online registration for the 2010 Summit is now available. (If you tried this link earlier, please try again -- it's been fixed!)

WHEN: July 22-23
NEW LOCATION: Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, MI
WHAT: The Summit is a two-day conference for pregnancy care center directors, volunteers, staff, and board members.

Our brochure is at the printer and will be in the mail ASAP, but you can sneak a peak of the full lineup of workshops and speakers.

Obama Administration Pressures Kenya to Adopt Constitution Legalizing Abortion

Kenya's parliament recently approved a draft Constitution that would overturn its historic prohibition on abortions. While pro-life groups have been working directly with local pro-life advocates in Kenya to urge the nation's residents to reject the proposed constitution when it comes up for a vote, the Obama administration is working for its adoption. US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger is calling on Kenya's political leaders to rally the people to pass the referendum. LifeNews

Contraceptive Maker Sued for Pressuring Employee to Abort

The Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Novartis is the subject of a class action lawsuit in the U.S. The lawsuit claims that the company has sexist practices that discriminate against women in areas of pay, promotions, and pregnancy-related matters. Among the allegations is that at least one employee was pressured to abort her baby. The 17 plaintiffs, women who worked for the drug giant in the United States, claim they are representing 5,600 of their colleagues and are seeking total damages of $200 million. LifeSiteNews

Prom season alert

With Prom season around the corner, now's the time to review with teens the reasons to avoid risky behavior on their special night. Click the titles below for charts, quizzes and studies from Concerned Parents Report.

• Parents + Abstinence Education = Lowest Risk of Teen Pregnancy and STDs
• Sexual Risk Exposure Chart
• Sexual Health Quiz
• STD Epidemic Statistics Chart
• Contraception Failure Rate Chart
• Health Consequences of Contraceptive Use Chart
• Health Consequences of Abortion Chart

Sex Education Could Mean Charges for Teachers

A Wisconsin prosecutor is warning sex education teachers they could face charges if they follow a new state law that allows them to instruct students about proper contraceptive use. A letter sent to five school districts said the instruction could amount to contributing to the delinquency of a minor if teachers know students are sexually active. Southworth also argued that teaching contraceptive use encourages sexual behavior among children, which equates to sexual assault because minors can't legally have sex in Wisconsin. FoxNews

Interview with Peter Kopf, Austin abortionist

"Abortion is birth control. Adoption is giving up your child and not accepting your duties as a mother. Most women are not interested in that. It's only in a religiously-altered mind that that's a true option. . . . If you have a late-term abortion, that's euthanasia. I mean c'mon, let's face it. You do an abortion at 30 weeks, you know, you could do a C-section and you have a little baby in your hands. That's euthanasia." Examiner.com

The Shadow Practice: Cash-only abortions for immigrants

By the time Dr. Andrew Rutland's license was revoked over shoddy abortions, he had a lengthy case history on the CA medical board’s website. He was able to shake off bad press by slipping into the shadows and tapping into the often cash-only market of immigrant patients in Southern California.

It’s an ignoble tradition, where the patients can’t read about their doctors’ misdeeds because they don’t know the language or the customs for finding that information. And the doctors who can’t treat anyone else turn to treat some of the most vulnerable members of society. Reporting on Health blog, part one; links to parts two-six

The rules have changed

Today's STDs are a "game changer." Dr. Meg Meeker explains the serious consequences of a hidden epidemic.

Time for the truth about Gardasil v. Toyota

As of Jan. 31, 2010, 49 unexplained deaths following Gardasil injections have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. By contrast, 52 deaths are attributed to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, which triggered a $2 billion recall. (Cervical cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of all cancer deaths.) Washington Examiner

Teen Birth Rates Fall in 2008 After Two Year Increase

Teen birth rates fell in 2008 after increasing during the two years prior, the Centers for Disease Control said today, and backers of abstinence education credit their programs as making an impact. The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reported today that the full birth rate fell two percent in 2008. LifeNews

Online registration opens for The Summit

Online registration for the 2010 Summit is now available.

• WHEN: July 22-23


• NEW LOCATION: Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, MI


• WHAT: The Summit is a two-day conference for pregnancy care center directors, volunteers, staff, and board members.

Our brochure is at the printer and will be in the mail ASAP, but you can sneak a peak of the full lineup of workshops and speakers.

News from the states

• Tax-Funded Abortions Drop 4% With MN's Positive Alternatives Program
• New Jersey Gov Eliminates Waiver for Planned Parenthood Funding
• Oklahoma Governor Signs Three Pro-Life Bills
• Abortion issue on Mississippi's 2011 ballot

Sustainability: Strategies for Surviving Grant Termination

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM CDT

All grants end! That’s life. So what happens next? Are there ways to continue your abstinence program when your current grant is over? In this practical session sponsored by the Abstinence Clearinghouse, Calvin Edwards will explain what grantees are doing to continue their programs and will synthesize their approaches with other ideas from nonprofit experts. Seven key strategies will be outlined along with useful steps to implement them. This session is constructed to offer valuable advice and to strengthen your sustainability plan. Register

What About Abortion in Cases of Rape and Incest?

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Many people, including those whose mission is to help women and girls who are victims of sexual assault and abuse, believe abortion is the best solution if a pregnancy occurs. Yet research shows that most women who become pregnant through sexual assault don't want abortion, and say abortion only compounds their trauma. LifeNews

Check here for BFL's web page on abortion for rape and incest.

Abortion Advocates Target Pregnancy Centers in Austin, Texas

On April 8, pro-abortion Austin City Council members will introduce an ordinance to require pregnancy centers to display similar signs. The Texas affiliate of NARAL is behind the effort.

The ordinance requires pregnancy centers to prominently display, at the entrance of their office, two black and white signs -- one in English and one in Spanish -- saying: "This center does not provide abortions or refer to abortion providers. This center does not provide or refer to providers of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved birth control drugs and medical devices." Each sign must be at least eight and one-half inches by eleven inches and the text must be in a font size of at least 48 point, the proposal stipulates.

Reflection from Lori Smith

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us." (1 John 3:16)

The rest of that passage is such a wonderful parallel to that very great and, my personal favorite, passage (probably the first verse most of us ever learned) in the Gospel of John -- 3:16. God so loved us that HE gave.

In 1 John 3:16 we see God's great sacrificial love demonstrated by the death of Jesus on the cross, but we also see the impacting result that should have in our lives.

"And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither love in tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." (1 Jn 3:16-18)

God's amazing love gift should compel us to reach out to minister to others in love. Make a Difference blog

Lilith Fair turns into an attack on PCCs

The pro-choice, multi-city concert phenomenon that is Lilith Fair momentarily allowed fans to vote on which charities their ticket purchases would support. A dollar each would go to the top nominees. Well, lo and behold, little old Metro Women's Center in Crystal, MN, was nominated.

Director Colleen Tronson knows not by whom, but was willing to accept any donations. She also too visited the Lilith Fair No Money for Crisis Pregnancy Centers fan page that sprang up in defiance of this nomination, and wrote about the pro-woman nature of her center.

Her post has since been deleted, and the site is triumphantly reporting that no longer will fans be able to choose to support the odious PCCs. So much for pro-choice. And so much for their concern for women. (Note musician Sarah McLachlan's profile photo on the page -- she of animal welfare fame.) So much for the rights of unborn babies.

My hour with an abortion doctor

Dr. Deborah Oyer’s radical roots run deep. Grass roots activism was a defining part of her upbringing, but she was “not really a good person out at rallies.” Instead she sought to make a difference by practicing medicine: “I tend to try and make my mark this way as opposed to that.” Oyer started out in family medicine, but soon “felt incompetent all the time” due to the breadth of expertise required in general practice. She preferred instead to focus on one area, learning “a lot about a little.” This is what eventually led her to become an abortion provider: “I love what I do, it allows my political activism to be my day-to-day life.” Terra Mork blog

Editor: This is part 3 of Terra's reflections on a pro-choice seminar she attended.

The paradox of the cross

What does it mean to “die to self?” So much could be said, but allow me to give you a few practical examples of how this would work in day-to-day living.

To bear the cross means forgiving, instead of harboring that grudge.

It means resisting that temptation to do what everybody else does.

It means not having sex before marriage, and being faithful to your spouse after.

It means putting down the remote control and picking up your Bible.

It means praying when you would rather be sleeping.

It means “swallowing your pride” and telling someone about Jesus.

It means doing what God wants you to do, instead of what you want to do.
EPM, page 6

Same words, different meanings: Defining truth in postmodern Christianity

When it comes to the issue of objective truth, this is where some churches
seem to me to be stepping over the line. Truth is an issue of seismic proportions, and if we have eyes to see, it is everywhere around us. Often we don’t see it, though, because we can have nice conversations at church in which we assume that those we’ve talked with meant the same thing we did when they used certain words. But in fact, they didn’t. EPM, page 14

Kenyan Parliament Approves Pro-Abortion Constitution

The Kenyan Parliament passed a Draft Constitution which will enshrine a right to abortion in the highest law of the land. The constitution does not contain any meaningful restrictions on abortion, despite recognition of the right to life from conception. Section 26 contains language allowing abortion when in the "opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law."

This is a reversal of previous law on abortion - which required the opinion of two medical doctors who agreed an abortion was necessary for the life of the mother- and will open the door to abortion on demand. Abortion is also advanced in Article 43 of the Draft which states: (1) Every person has the right- (a) to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care.

According to Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues Director Marie Smith, "This section can fool those unschooled in pro-abortion deceptions but in the US we know that reproductive health is defined by pro-abortion advocates at the highest level of government as including access to abortion. Hillary Clinton believes it does and as the US undertakes a new Global Health Initiative, Clinton is in a key position as Secretary of State to make sure her definition is imposed on US-sponsored health programs globally, including in Kenya."

An intense campaign to protect the unborn and their mothers from the violence of abortion will soon begin in Kenya as the nation moves to a referendum on the new constitution in July. LifeSiteNews

Planned Parenthood deepens link to breast-cancer group

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has a noble mission, "to save lives and end breast cancer forever." But for years pro-lifers have opposed contributing to SGK because it not only denies that induced abortions may cause breast cancer, it also bestows financial grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates.

Between 2003 and 2008, SGK gave $3 million to Planned Parenthood. In Fiscal Year 2008 alone, Planned Parenthood got $805,000 from SGK. SGK now has a webpage dedicated to defending its involvement with Planned Parenthood, including message points and a letter from a "pro-life Catholic." WND

Governors Declare April as Abortion Recovery/Awareness Month

Governor Rick Perry of Texas and Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota have declared April as Abortion Recovery/Awareness Month. "Ending a pregnancy through abortion interrupts the natural birth process and creates significant trauma and stress for those involved in the pregnancy. An abortion is a tragic ending, not only because of the loss of a life, but also because of the physical and psychological trauma caused by the procedure itself," said Governor Rick Perry of Texas. Christian Newswire

Leadership Institute’s High Dollar Fundraising School

April 20-21, 2010. Learn how to: Organize your development department; Raise funds through personal solicitation; Conduct an effective fundraising event; Write successful grant proposals; Raise large donations from annuities, donated assets, and bequests. The cost is $200 which includes meals, course materials, and lodging (space limited). Register by April 6, 2010 to receive an early registration discount of $50!

In addition, the Leadership Institute will be offering a new training, the Event Planning Workshop. The workshop will provide you with everything you need in order to conduct effective fundraising events. $50 ($35 if you register before April 6); free to all High Dollar Fundraising School attendees! Register now!

For more information, call (703) 647-3563 or email.

Babies' Bodies Found Dumped in Chinese River

The bodies of 21 infants were found floating or lodged in the mud of a river near the eastern Chinese city of Jining last weekend. The bodies—some in diapers, some in plastic bags marked "medical waste"—were found under a bridge over the Guangfu river. The grisly discovery has sparked outrage all over China, with Chinese-language news services and Internet websites denouncing the hospital and the morgue workers.

Reports suggest most of the dead babies were females who had been allowed to die or were aborted and dumped because parents wanted to keep the option open for a male child within China's coercive one-child system. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, police have arrested two hospital morgue workers who had "privately struck oral agreements with the families of the deceased babies to dispose of their remains and had taken payments from them. They took the corpses to near the Guangfu River and disposed of them. They failed to bury them properly, so that they were exposed to view and discovered." Xinhua then blamed the incident on "local custom and a lack of regulation." LifeSiteNews