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Tuesday November 9, 2004

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U.N. Demands Poland "Liberalize" Abortion Laws, Implement Sex-Ed, Contraception and Gay Rights Programs

LifeSiteNews.com today reports on a disturbing Nov. 4 United Nations Human Rights Committee statement that attempts to bully Poland into legalizing abortion and implementing very liberal policies on sex education, contraception and homosexuality.

See the Full SPECIAL REPORT:
U.N. Demands Poland Overturn Laws Against Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/041109a.html

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Gay 'Marriage' Court Challenge Coming to Ireland Courtesy of Canada

DUBLIN, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Lesbian activists in Ireland who came to British Columbia in September of 2003 to "marry" have now demanded that their "marriage" be recognized in Ireland. Irish High Court Justice Liam McKechnie ruled today that the case can go forward for a hearing.

Ann Louise Gilligan and Katherine Zappone are demanding that they be allowed a tax break by filing joint taxes with the nation's Revenue Commissioners. Justice McKechnie however noted in his decision that the challenge means far more than taxes. He said a ruling in the case would have "profound ethical, cultural and religious'' ramifications.

The couple is by no means in need of a few dollars in tax-breaks. Zappone sits on the Irish Government's Human Rights Commission, and Gilligan, is a Dublin philosophy lecturer. They have secured Gerard Hogan, a top constitutional lawyer, for their case.

Jhw

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Nine More States Promise Constitutional Gay "Marriage" Ban

WASHINGTON, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Nine more US states have pledged the introduction of constitutional amendments to ban same-sex "marriage."

Legislators in the states of Alabama, Idaho, South Carolina and Washington have promised to introduce amendments in the coming weeks, while Texas and Virginia representatives have begun the process with "pre-filed" constitutional amendments.

Massachusetts, Tennessee and Wisconsin amendments have already passed a first vote and require one additional vote in either of the legislative assemblies, before going to voters for final approval.

The overwhelming success of marriage amendments in all 11 states that proffered them November 2, "will encourage legislators in other states to follow suit," Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Glen Lavy said. The approval of traditional marriage as typified by the vote last week "was an overwhelming endorsement of the idea that marriage is what it always has been - [the union of] a man and a woman," Lavy said, as reported by The Washington Times.

The success of the amendment vote last week should give lawmakers "some confidence that this is an issue that the American people are behind and are willing to support," Institute for Marriage and Public Policy in Washington legal analyst Joshua Baker said.

Constitutional amendments banning same-sex "marriage" have already passed in 17 states, including: Hawaii, Alaska, Nebraska, Missouri, Louisiana and Nevada. Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah all passed their amendments November 2.

Canadian Conservative MP Rob Moore introduced a private member's bill Friday, allowing Parliamentarians the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage for Canada.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Voters in 11 States Ban Homosexual "Marriage" Despite Massive Media Bias
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110304.html
Canadian Conservative MP Introduces Bill on Definition of Marriage
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04110806.html

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Abortion-Support Threatens Arlen Specter's Political Future

WASHINGTON, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-life groups have kept up an impressive barrage of calls, faxes and emails all centered on quashing Senator Arlen Specter's chances of becoming the chair of the Judiciary Committee. While Senate Majority leader Bill Frist was first deluged by communications, now all Senate Republican leaders and members of the Judiciary Committee are hearing from grass-roots America that Specter should not be appointed to head the Committee.

As soon as the rumble of opposition began to be heard, Specter furiously attempted to distance himself from his warning to President Bush not to appoint any pro-life nominees to the Supreme Court. However, Specter's consistent record in support of abortion has come back to haunt him.

"Senator Specter is a longtime defender of Roe v. Wade," the National Right to Life Committee informs its supporters. "He played a key role in defeating the nomination of Judge Robert Bork (a Roe opponent) to the Supreme Court in 1987."

Only last week Specter said that Roe is "inviolate." NRLC also points out that "Contrary to the impression people might receive from some news reports over the past week, Specter has NOT promised to support President Bush's nominees to the Supreme Court."

Human Events is reporting that none of the Senators on the Judiciary Committee are willing to publicly support Specter. Specter, the Pennsylvania Senator has even failed to get firm support from Pennsylvania junior senator, Rick Santorum, who, Human Events reports, is officially "undecided" about supporting Specter's bid to chair the Judiciary Committee. Santorum is outspokenly pro-life.

All contact information for the Senators is available here:
http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/issues/alert/?alertid=6611956&typ...

jhw

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White House Appeals Oregon Assisted Suicide Law to Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - US Attorney General John Ashcroft requested Tuesday that the US Supreme Court hear an appeal of the May federal court ruling upholding Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law. Tuesday was the deadline for filing an appeal.

In August, Ashcroft's request for an appeal of a May ruling upholding the law was rejected. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that a majority of 25 judges had voted against holding an appeal.

In May, Attorney General John Ashcroft had challenged Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law, arguing that the prescribing of lethal medications by doctors was in contravention of the federal Controlled Substances Act. Two of three state judges disagreed, arguing that the regulation of medical practice is outside the jurisdiction of the federal government. The Justice Department requested a new decision, because there were only three judges that decided the case -- they requested at minimum a full panel of 11 judges revisit the hearing.

More than 170 Oregonians have succumbed to physician-assisted suicide since the law was introduced in 1998. The Supreme Court will announce in early 2005 whether it will hear the appeal.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Dept of Justice Appeals Oregon Assisted Suicide Ruling
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jul/04072003.html
Oregon Assisted Suicide Headed for Supreme Court
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/aug/04082305.html
Appeals Court Rejects Justice Department Request to Reconsider Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/aug/04081705.html

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Arkansas Governor Promotes Covenant Marriage

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is promoting "Covenant Marriage" by converting his own traditional marriage to a covenant type by joining 1,000 other couples in a mass ceremony planned for Valentine's Day 2005.

Covenant Marriages were enacted in the state in 2001, to foster renewed commitment to lasting marriages. They require much more stringent criteria for divorce. Adultery, felony, abuse, or long periods of separation are conditions. Couples must also certify that they have attended approved pre-marriage counselling before taking a covenant vow. Covenant Marriages are also recognized in the states of Louisiana and Arizona.

The Arkansas marriage rate is nearly double that of the US -- but it also has one of the country's highest divorce rates, at 6.5 per 1,000 population, compared to a 4.2 per 1,000 national average.

Huckabee pointed out that, since its inception in 2001, only 400 couples have opted for Covenant Marriage, versus the 40,000 couples who are normally married there each year.

For more information on Covenant Marriage, visit:
http://www.divorcereform.org/cov.html

See local coverage:
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,137995,...

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Catholic Insurance Plan now Option for Illinois Federal Workers - Planned Parenthood Angry

CHICAGO, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Federal workers employed in 27 counties in Illinois are now able to choose a Catholic insurance plan that does not cover contraceptives, sterilization, fertility treatment, or abortion.

The insurance, offered by OSF HealthPlans, is owned and operated by an order of Catholic nuns - the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. OSF HealthPlans is being touted as an example of the faith-based initiatives favored by President Bush.

Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the plan was an "inappropriate" use of federal funds, one that "is blatantly designed to foster one religion's point of view," according to a Catholic League release.

Catholic League president William Donohue said: "The taxpayers are forced to fork over a quarter-billion dollars of federal funds each year to support Planned Parenthood's agenda. But all of a sudden the officials at the so-called pro-choice organization feel threatened by some Catholic nuns and want to deny federal workers freedom of choice. So much for truth in advertising."

"Planned Parenthood is afraid the OSF HealthPlans initiative might catch on, which is why they'd like to kill it now. Having just lost to President Bush-Planned Parenthood Action Fund supported Senator Kerry-the abortion-friendly group fears the country is turning against them. It is. This is one 'Sister Act' all Catholics can savor."

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Australian Teen Abortion Stats Intensify Abortion Debate

MELBOURNE, Australia, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Figures released by Australia's newspaper, The Age, revealed that the teenage abortion rates in the state of Victoria have sky-rocketed a tragic 45 percent, from 760 in 1992-93 to 1107 in 2002-03 -- in public hospitals only. Private clinics committed 1,669 abortions in 2002-03. Among all age groups, the overall abortion incidence has climbed by 13 percent, to a total of 18,514 in 2002-03.

The Age obtained the stats, not normally available to the public, through Australia's freedom of information law. The figures are in sharp contrast to recent claims, based on Medicare statistics, that Victoria's abortion rate has fallen in the last 10 years. The discrepancy arises because Medicare stats are based on public hospital abortions, whereas private clinics account for 70 percent of all abortions committed.

Abortion debate intensified last week, when Christopher Pyne, a federal Liberal MP and devout Catholic, called for an end to late-term abortions - those committed beyond 21 weeks. Federal Health Minister, pro-life advocate, and fellow Catholic Tony Abbott said the 100,000 Australian abortions per year constituted "an unambiguous moral tragedy," according to The Age account. Governor-General Michael Jeffery said he would like to see abortion procedures disappear entirely.

Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, described the tragedy of 100,000 abortions per year as "a huge suffering. Our youngest . . . human beings have an equal right to life and dignity that we give now to children and adults," the Archbishop said.

Abortions there still remain most prevalent among women in their 20s.

Read the related LifeSiteNews.com report:
South Australian Victims of Late-Term, Partial-Birth Abortions are Mostly Healthy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/oct/04102810.html

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LifeSiteNews.com NewsBytes

Record of Statements by U.S. Bishops on Catholics and Political Responsibility
http://www.wf-f.org/Bishops_Catholics_Politics.html

U.S. liberals Dismayed by 'Moral Values' Claims http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041108/D867TMU00.html

Democratic Party must be 'born again,' Carville says
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041109-120712-7714r.htm

Sex disease cases soar in London
http://www.thisislondon.com/news/londonnews/articles/1457798...

Drug Culture Turning Parts Of London Into 'Open Toilet'
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/story.jsp?story=58000...

5 Month Fetus Given Burial Twice after Hospital Mix-up
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2004/11/08/70...

Sticker Attesting to the fact that Evolution is Theory rather than Fact Subject of Court Action
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041109-120714-4475r.htm

National Post Poll: Should assisted suicide for the terminally ill be legal?
http://www.canada.com/national/index.html

Gov. Jeb Bush not eyeing presidential run
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/...

Beyond the Election: Catholics and America
http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features/kathryn_j_lopez_nov0...

Pro-life Democrats Get in the Fray
http://www.democratsforlife.org/Press/postelection.htm

Blue States Buzz Over Secession
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041109-122753-5113r.htm

Bad News for Democrats - Hollywood activists vow to keep it up
http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110005870

Irony: Barbra Streisand Counsels Patience over Bush Win: The "reign of witches" will "pass over"
http://barbrastreisand.com/statements.html#wemusthavepatienc...

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