NEWS CLIPS
1. State abortion battles continue in Rhode Island, Michigan, Alabama
( CNA).- Several states are considering new abortion measures, as the nation-wide trend of legislatures passing new laws to restrict or entrench access to abortion continues.
On May 14, Michigan lawmakers are set to vote on a bill to prohibit an abortion technique called “dilation and extraction.”
This technique is used during the second trimester of a pregnancy. Last year, over 1,700 abortions in Michigan were carried out using dilation and extraction.
Should it pass, the bill is unlikely to be signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who supports abortion rights. Other states who have attempted to ban this abortion method have seen their laws overturned by the courts.
In Rhode Island, legislators are attempting to pass a bill expanding and confirming access to abortion. The measure, similar to laws already passed in New York and Vermont, would codify near-unrestricted access to abortion at any stage of pregnancy. MORE
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2. 750 Babies Have Been Saved by Abortion Pill Reversal. Ohio Is Making Sure Women Know That.
(PHN) - Three days ago, Christa Brown, associate director of ministry services for Heartbeat International, helped a woman named April with a question of great magnitude: Could she reverse her in-progress chemical abortion? Just the day before, April, a 37-year-old healthcare professional, had begun the chemical abortion, certain that the decision was right for herself, her child, and her family. But that quickly changed. “By Sunday 8 a.m., when she called me, she was sure she wanted to continue her pregnancy and reverse her abortion,” Brown said at a press conference yesterday. Within two hours of calling the helpline, April was able to begin a protocol known as abortion pill reversal, and she was on her way to saving the life of her preborn child. “There are thousands of other ‘Aprils’ out there who do not know that abortion pill reversal exists,” said Brown. “As a mom and a nurse, I think the hardest thing to hear is, ‘I wish I had known reversal was possible.’” MORE
3. U.S. Birth Rate Hits Record Low, Underpopulation Crisis Has Births at Below Replacement Rate
(LifeNews) - The United States birth rate hit a record low in 2018 with numbers reflecting the lowest birthrates in the past 30 years, reports say. A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that almost every age group of women under 35 showed birth rate declines in 2018. The provisional number of births in the U.S. in 2018 was 3,788,235, down 2% since 2017. For every 1,000 women, the fertility rate declined 2% from 2017 to 1,728.0 births. Birth rates had reached a record low in 2017 as well, marking a continuing trend of declining birth rates over the past four years, according to CNN. The report is based on birth certificate information in 2018 which the National Center for Health Statistics processed, but the National Center for Health Statistics is not able to explain why birth rates are declining. MORE
4. Watch their minds change on abortion: ‘It was the worst feeling ever’
(LiveAction) - Live Action’s Abortion Procedures series has been incredibly effective in changing how people view abortion. Would they still support it if they knew exactly what the procedures entailed? In many cases, a little education is all that is needed to change a person’s heart and mind. ‘It was horrific’ A young man was interviewed on the street by members of the Live Action team, and he started his conversation by saying he considered himself to be “in the middle” on abortion. “I don’t really see it as a big problem, I guess,” he admitted, adding, “I’d lean more towards pro-choice.” Still, despite being in favor of legal abortion, he did support some restrictions on abortion, mostly based on fetal development. “I don’t know the cycle of when the baby, like, starts developing a brain, but I think that we should figure out when it starts forming its brain or thoughts,” he said. “That way, if we could know when to cut if off, I suppose, because I think if it doesn’t have a brain yet — or I think it should, um — I don’t think it should be aborted if it has thought.” MORE
5. Opting out of organ donation
(BioEdge) - Legislation that presumes consent for organ donation passed unanimously in Nova Scotia last month, making the Canadian province the first jurisdiction in North America with an opt-out law. However, the act will not come into effect for another 12 to 18 months to allow time for planning, public education and training for health-care workers. Dr Stephen Beed, the head of Nova Scotia’s transplant program, told a legislature committee that within five years of the implementation Nova Scotia would see a 30% to 50% increase in organ donations. However, there are some ethical questions which hang over opt-out policies. Whilst an increase in the number of organs available for transplant is a worthy aim, the changes to legislation pose concerns regarding informed consent. MORE
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'We all need to be a little more like Kendrick': Friends and family remember STEM hero >>
WATCH: Florida man has tearful reunion with his biological parents >>
Release of “13 Reasons Why” associated with increase in youth suicide >>
Death by Organ Donation – Euthanizing patients for organs >>
Alabama Democrat on abortion: "Some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now or you kill them later" >>
Montana Governor Steve Bullock Vetoes Bill to Stop Infanticide, Care for Babies Born Alive >>
Pa. House overwhelmingly passes Down Syndrome Protection Act >>
After alumni organize advocacy, Georgetown Visitation will recognize alumnae same-sex legal unions >>
Judge Reverses His Own Decision Striking Down Virginia Ban on Nurses Doing Abortions >>
California confession bill won't stop abuse, but threatens religious liberty, critics say >>
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More Women Are Seeking Side-Effect Free Forms of Family Planning
(IFStudies) - If you follow women’s health, you may have noticed a trend in the past few years when it comes to the most highly-prescribed contraceptives. Some women are starting to ditch pharmaceutical birth control due to undesirable side effects. In a 2018 Cosmo survey, 70% of young women said they’d either stopped taking the Pill or had considered doing so in the past three years.
The Cut published this headline, “ Yes, Your Birth-Control Pills Really Might Be Making You Feel Awful, Study Says.” For years, studies have been documenting a connection between birth control and increased depression, lowered libido, and migraines. But for a long time, these studies haven’t been heard over the din of the latest birth-control advertisements. Perhaps as a result, we are finally starting to hear women sharing their own experiences publicly. MORE
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Made for Love Ep 37: Adult Children of Divorce, Part One
The divorce of your mother and father affects you as a child, but not only as a child… Today we introduce you two three adult children of divorce who share their stories and experiences. This episode features Dan Meola, Beth Sri, and LeeAnne Abel. Some of their stories appear in the book Primal Loss: The Now-Adult Children of Divorce Speak
by Leila Miller.
Copyright © 2019, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved.
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Praying With Small Children
(FaithOnTheCouch) - Praying with small children can be difficult. They tend to be wiggly and have short attention spans. When little ones are involved, it’s easy for family prayer time to seem more like…Wrestlemania. But you can have a meaningful prayer time with small children if you remember that little people need different spiritual food than bigger people.
Faith develops in different stages from early childhood, to middle childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Children around 6 and under are in what’s called the “intuitive-projective” stage of faith. But we like to call it “the cuddly stage.” MORE
BONUS: Setting Healthy Boundaries with Your Kids (Focus on the Family broadcast)
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Chairmen of U.S. Bishops’ Conference Commend Administration on New Regulations Protecting Rights of Conscience in Health Care
(USCCB) - Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Chairman of the bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, have issued a statement commending today’s adoption of new regulations that ensure existing laws protecting conscience rights in healthcare are enforced and followed. MORE
Word of Life
Word of Life is a monthly resource for dioceses and parishes. It is available in both English and Spanish. Each month, you will find: Feature of the Month, Intercessions for Life, Bulletin Quotes, Bulletin Art.
May 2019
English: Word | PDF
Spanish: Word | PDF
Copyright © 2019, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved.
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Why a film depicting desperate women seeking abortion isn’t a pro-abortion victory
(LiveAction) - A new movie is being heralded by abortion advocates as a refreshingly realistic take on abortion — and in many ways, they’re right. The film doesn’t portray a prenatal diagnosis of a life-threatening disability, nor is the mother suffering from health issues or a victim of abuse. But what abortion advocates seemingly ignored is that this film still didn’t show abortion as an empowering choice for women; on the contrary, it shows how much women are still being failed. MORE
Does Poverty Justify Abortion?
(SaveTheStorks) - Many pro-choice activists claim that it is a form of “ compassion” to end a child’s life in an abortion instead of allowing that child to be born into poverty. What is not often brought up in these assertions is the views of mothers who are experiencing poverty. The bottom line is there is nothing “pro-choice” about coercing vulnerable mothers into abortion. Instead of assuming we know what women need, it is time our society listened to them. MORE
Detroit archdiocese cancels sporting events on Sundays
( CNA).- The Archdiocese of Detroit has announced that it will no longer hold required sporting events on Sundays, in an effort to refocus the day on prayer, family and rest. In a reflection on his 2016 pastoral letter, Unleash the Gospel, Archbishop Allen Vigneron issued a pastoral note on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of “the Lord’s Day.” MORE
It's time to fight for holiness, Bishop Barron tells 2019 Catholic grads
( CNA).- Contemporary America is “mission territory,” and young Catholics must step up to respond to the twin crises of Church corruption and increasing religious disaffiliation, Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron of Los Angeles said in a recent speech. Speaking to young graduates, Barron cited a “time to fight” by becoming saints and sanctifying the world. MORE
For One Church in Texas, ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ Means Fighting for Healthy Marriages
(IFStudies) - When it comes to the community outreach efforts of religious communities, most of our attention is focused on common ministries like soup kitchens or disaster relief. One area that we often overlook is the good work that many churches are doing to enrich and support marriages. MORE
Most Catholic kids in public school leave the Church
(Legatus) - What percent of applicants were accepted to Yale last year? Only 6 percent.
Pretty poor odds, right? Now consider this: What percent of Catholic kids who never attended Catholic school will go to weekly Mass as adults? Only 5 percent. MORE
Expert on marriage and family: The father-son bond is ‘civilization’s keystone’
(CWR) - Dr. Patrick Fagan, in an address at the recent Family Life International UK., contends that since the key target of the sexual revolution was manhood, the way to overcome the effects of that revolution is to create and nurture a culture that forms strong men. MORE
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The Culture of Life Update is published monthly by the Office of Marriage, Family and Respect Life of the Diocese of Steubenville. Designed for busy people, the Culture of Life Update provides a once-a-month overview of news stories related to life, marriage and the family. It's a great and easy way to get informed.
The news provided in the Culture of Life Update is for information purposes only. The inclusion of any article is not meant to be an endorsement of a particular author’s viewpoint, nor it is meant to be an endorsement of the organization providing the information.
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