A Pro-Life Resource manual for use in Catholic Secondary schools

7/31/2019 A Pro-Life Resource manual for use in Catholic Secondary schools

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Learning the Life Issues

A Pro-Life Resource manual for use in

Catholic Secondary schools

Action Life Ottawa

309-376 Churchill Avenue N.

Ottawa, On, K1Z 5C3


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Dear Reader:

This manual covering the topics of abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research andpersonhood is intended for high school teachers, youth group leaders and churchgroups.

Action Life is an educational pro-life organization founded in Ottawa in 1971.We operate a speakers bureau, a lending library and provide other educational and

research material. Educational aids such as brochures, books, videocassettes areavailable to the public free of charge. Our speakers have been making presentationsin Catholic high schools for over thirty years. If you wish to obtain additionalcopies of this manual or to request a speaker to address your class, please call theoffice at 798-4494. You may visit our website at www.actionlife.org.

We hope that you will find this resource manual a useful tool in teaching the lifeissues.


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Table of contents

PagePrenatal development.................................................................. 6When does human life begin............................................................ 4

AbortionIn defence of human life................................................................ 15Questions and answers................................................................... 17Profile Tasha Danvers-Smith............................................................ 22History of abortion law................................................................... 25Abortion statistics......................................................................... 27Abortion - Physical complications...................................................... 29

PersonhoodPersons day................................................................................. 31Personhood denied........................................................................ 32History of personhood discrimination.................................................. 33

Stem cell researchQuestions and answers.................................................................... 38

Assisted suicide and euthanasiaQuestions and answers..................................................................... 43Profile of Mark Pickup...................................................................... 47A disabled mans perspective

Working to build a community of love and respect for humanlife from conception to natural death through education.

Adult stem cells successes................................................................ 41

Prenatal development. 6When.does.human.life.begin. 4

AbortionIn.defence.of.human.life..15

Questions.and.answers..17

Prole Tasha Danvers-Smith..22

History.of.abortion.law..25

Abortion.statistics..27

Abortion - Physical complications..29

PersonhoodPersons.day..31

Personhood.denied.32

History of personhood discrimination. .33

Stem cell researchQuestions.and.answers..38

Adult.stem.cells.successes..41

Assisted suicide and euthanasiaQuestions.and.answers.43

Prole of Mark Pickup..47A disabled mans perspective..

Table of contents


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When

?

does life begin


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Life begins at conception

I have learned from my earliest medical educationthat human life begins at the time of conception.

I submit that human life is present throughout

this entire sequence from conception to

adulthood and any interruption at any pointconstitutes a termination of a human life.

Dr. Jrome Lejeune, genetics professor at the University of

Descartes in Paris ( discoverer of the Down Syndrome

chromosome )


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7 weeks from conception

Grade 9: Milestones of early life

_____________________________________________________________________________

Expectations:

To understand the stages of development of the unborn.

To familiarize students with various research tools to find important facts surrounding

pre-natal life and abortion.

_______________________________

ilestones of Early Life

Our first nine months of life must have been the most eventful we have ever experienced. Here

are the major milestones of that life before birth - the chapter in your own biography.

Conception: The fathers sperm penetrates the mothers egg. Genetic instructions from both

parents interact to begin a new and unique individual - no bigger than a grain of sugar. Your sex

is already determined as is the colour of your eyes, your hair and your skin.

1st Day: Therstcelldividesintotwo,thetwointofour,andsoon.

1 Week: Thenewindividualburrowsintothewallofthewomb.

2 Weeks: Mothersmenstrualperiodissuppressedbyahormoneproducedbyherchild.

3 Weeks: Heartisforming.Eyesbegintodevelop.

Foundationsofbrain,spinalcordandnervoussystemarelaid.

4 Weeks: Heartstartstobeataroundthe21stto24thday.Beatssteadilyat25days.

Musclesaredevelopingalongthefuturespine.Tinyarmandlegbudsare

forming.

5 Weeks: Childhasgrown10,000timesto6-7mm(1/4)long.

Brainhashumanproportions. Bloodowsinveins(butstaysseparatefrom

mothersblood).

Pituitaryglandinbrainisforming.Mouth,earsand

nosearetakingshape.


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8 weeks after conception


6 Weeks: Heartsenergyoutputis20percentofadults.

Skeletonisformed.Braincoordinatesmovementofmusclesandorgans.

Reexresponseshavebegun.Penisisforminginboys.(Mothermisses

secondperiod).

Brainwavescanberecorded.Tinyngersappear,followeddayslaterbytoes.

Spontaneousmovementshavebegun.Budsofmilkteethhaveappeared.

7 Weeks: Lipsaresensitivetotouch.Earsmayresemblefamilypattern.

8 Weeks: Childiswellproportioned.Isasmallscalebaby,3cm(1and1/8inch)long

andweighingagram.Everyorganispresent.

Heartbeatssturdily.Stomachproduces

digestivejuices.

Livermakesbloodcells.Kidneysbeginto

function.Tastebudsareforming.Finger-

printsarebeingengraved.Eyes,lidsand

palmsofhandsaresensitivetotouch.Babyisalsoreferredtoasfetus,aLatinword,

meaningyoungoneoroffspring.

9 Weeks: Childcanhiccupandturnitshead.Fingernailsarenowforming.

10 Weeks: Bodyissensitivetotouch.Childsquints,swallowsamnioticuid,puckersup

browandfrowns.Canmoveitsarms.

11 Weeks: Babycangraspanobjectplacedinitshand.Canurinate.Nowabout6.35cm

(2inches)longandweighs14.17g(oz).

3 Months: Vigorousactivityshowsdistinctindividuality.Bytheendofthemonth,child

cankick,turnfeet,curlandfantoes,makeast,movethumbs.Bendwrists,

openmouthandpresslipstightlytogether.Breathingispracticed.Faceis

prettier,facialfeaturesmayresembleparents.Movementsaregraceful,reexes

vigorous.Vocalchordsareformed(butwithoutair,babycannotcry).Sexorgans

areapparent.Thumbsuckingoccurs.

4 Months: Childcangraspwithhands,swimandturnsomersaults.

4-5 Months: Motherrstfeelsbabysmovements


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5 Months: Sleepinghabitsappear,butaslammeddoorwill

provokeactivity.Childrespondstosoundsin

frequenciestoohighorlowforadultstohear.

6 Months: Finehairgrowsoneyebrowsandhead.Eyelash

fringeappears.Weightisabout640g(22oz),height

23cm(9).Babiesbornatthisagecansurvive.

7 Months: Eyesandteetharepresent.Eyelidsopenandclose,

eyeslookaround.Handsgripstrongly.Mothers

voiceisheardandrecognized.

8 Months: Weightincreasesby1kg.(over2lbs)andbabysquartersgetcramped.

9 Months: Childtriggerslabourandbirthoccurs,usually255-275daysafter

conception.Of45generationsofcelldivisionsbeforeadulthood,41havetakenplace.Fo

morewillcomeduringtherestofchildhoodandadolescence.

ActivitiesforStudents

Usingtheinternetandvariousmagazinesandnewspapers,completethefollowingresearch.

1.Createapictorialjourneyofthelifeofthechildwithinthewombtocorrespondwiththefactsgiven

MilestonesofEarlyLife.

A)Estimatetheactualsizeofthechildateachstageofdevelopment.

B)Describethephysicalattributesoftheunbornchildat6weeks,8weeks,12

weeks,6monthsandbirth.

2.Abortiontakesthelifeofthechildstillinthewomb.Wherewouldyougotoresearchthefollowing

information:

A)HowmanyabortionsareperformedinCanadaeachyear?

B)WhenwasabortionrstlegalizedinCanada?

C)WhatdoestheCatholicChurchsayaboutabortion?


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HelpfulHints

1. Familiarizeyourselfwiththevarioustoolsforndinginformation.Lifemagazinehas

beautifulimagesofprenatallifeasdomanyscienticanduniversitywebsites.

2. A)StatisticsCanadawillhaveinformationonthenumberofabortions.Payattention

tothefactthatsomeregionsdontreporttheirnumbers.Lookbackatpaststatistics

andaddinanestimatednumberofabortionsforthatparticulararea.

Howmanyabortionshavetherebeensince1969?

B)viewthewebsite:www.justthefacts.org.Forbeautifulimagesoflifebeforebirth.

C)DontforgettheCatechismoftheCatholicChurchortheVaticanWebsiteat

www.vatican.va.

Source:Flanagan,GeraldineLux.Therstninemonthsoflife.NewYork:Simon

Schuster,c1962.

Flanagan,G.BeginningLife.FireyBooks,1996.

Ababysrstmonths.NationalrighttoLifeEducationCommittee.

www.nrlc.org.

LennartNilsson.Achildisborn.5thedition.DellPublishing,1993,c1990.

HumanDevelopmentResourceCouncilInc.Whattheynevertoldyouaboutthefactsoflife,

2005,c1989.


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Who says life begins at conception?

At the moment the sperm cell of the human male meets the ovum of the female and theunion results in a fertilized ovum (zygote) a new life has begun....

(Considine, Douglas (ed.). Van Nostrands Scientific Encyclopedia. 5th edition. New York: Van

Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1976, p.943)

Zygote: This cell results from the union of an oocyte and a sperm. A zygote is the

beginning of a new human being.

Moore, Keith L. and Persaud, T.V.N. The Developing Human, 6th ed.; W.B. Saunders Company,

Philadelphia, 1998, p.2)

The development of a human being begins with fertilization, a process by which two

highly specialized cells, the spermatozoon from the male and the oocyte from the female,

unite to give rise to a new organism, the zygote.(Langman, Jan. Medical Embryology. 3rd edition. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1975, p.3.

... The time of fertilization represents the starting point in the life history, or ontogeny, of

the individual.

(Carlson, Bruce M. Pattens Foundation of Embryology. 6th edition. New York: Mc Graw-Hill,

1996, p.3).

Overwhelmingly, embryology textbooks agree that fertilization/conception marks the beginning

of a new human life.

By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of

conception.

- Dr. Hymie Gordon, Chairman of the Department of Genetics at the Mayo Clinic.

Each individual has a very neat beginning at the moment of conception.

I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of

conception. I submit that human life is present throughout this entire sequence from

conception to adulthood and any interruption at any point constitutes a termination of a

human life.

- Dr. Jrome Lejeune, genetics professor at the University of Descartes in Paris (discoverer ofthe Down Syndrome chromosome).

- Prof. Micheline Matthews-Roth, Harvard University Medical School.


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One incredible photo! Grade 9: Prenatal Development


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Grade 9: Prenatal Development

The commentary accompanying the photograph on the previous page

was made by:Dr. Paul E. Rockwell, Director of Anesthesiology, Leonard Hospital,

Troy, New York: Letter to the Editor, Albany, Times Union, 10 th March 1970.

The preceding award winning photograph was taken by Robert Wolfe, medical photographer at

the University of Minnesota. This tiny unborn child was still alive at this moment, only 6-7

weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period: a just removed tubal ectopic pregnancy.

Visit the website: www.justthefacts.org for beautiful images of life before birth.

Note: In an ectopic pregnancy, the developing baby lodges in the fallopian tube and cannot

survive in that location. The ectopic pregnancy endangers the womans life. The intervention

required to save the mothers life is not an abortion.


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Wow! Amazing Photo and Story!AsaveteranphotojournalistinNashville,Tennessee,IwashiredbyUSATodaynewspaperto

photographaspinabidacorrectivesurgicalprocedure.Itwastobeperformedonatwenty-oneweek

oldfetusinuteroatVanderbiltUniversityMedicalCenter.Atthattime,in1999,twenty-oneweeksin

uterowastheearliestthatthesurgicalteamwouldconsiderforsurgery.Theworstpossibleoutcomewouldbethatthesurgerywouldcauseprematuredelivery,andnochildbornearlierthantwenty-three

weekshadsurvived.

Thetensioncouldbefeltintheoperating

roomasthesurgerybegan.AtypicalC-section

incisionwasmadetoaccesstheuterus,which

wasthenliftedoutandlaidatthejunction

ofthemothersthighs.Theentireprocedure

wouldtakeplacewithintheuterus,andno

partofthechildwastobreachthesurgical

opening.Duringtheprocedure,thepositionof

thefetuswasadjustedbygentlymanipulatingtheoutsideoftheuterus.Theentiresurgical

procedureonthechildwascompletedinone

hourandthirteenminutes.Whenitwasover,

thesurgicalteambreathedasighofrelief,as

didI.

AsadoctoraskedmewhatspeedoflmIwasusing,outofthecornerofmyeyeIsawthe

uterusshake,butnooneshandswerenearit.Itwasshakingfromwithin.Suddenly,anentirearm

thrustoutoftheopening,thenpulledbackuntiljustalittlehandwasshowing.Thedoctorreached

overandliftedthehand,whichreactedandsqueezedthedoctorsnger.Asiftestingforstrength,

thedoctorshookthetinyst.Samuelheldrm.Itookthepicture!Wow!Ithappenedsofastthatthe

nursestandingnexttomeasked,Whathappened?Thechildreachedout,Isaid.Oh.Theydothatallthetime,sheresponded.

Thesurgicalopeningtotheuteruswasclosedandtheuteruswasthenputbackintothemother

andtheC-sectionopeningwasclosed.

ItwastendaysbeforeIknewifthepicturewaseveninfocus.Toensurenodigital

manipulationofimagesbeforetheyseethem,USATodayrequiresthatlmbesubmitted

unprocessed.Whenthephotoeditornallyphonedmehesaid,ItsthemostincrediblepictureIve

everseen.

-MichaelClancy


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Home | Story of the Photo | Mission Statement | Order a Print | E-mail MichaelClancy

http://www.michaelclancy.com copyright 2001, Michael Clancy

Reprinted with permission in Action Life News

Activities

____________________________Unborn children have been operated on while still in the womb. Research one of these incrediblepre-natal surgeries and report your findings to the class.

Include the following in your report:

A) Age of the child.

B) Medical condition that mother and / or child are suffering.

C) Type of surgery that was performed.

D) Effects of the surgery on the mother and the child.

E) Immediate and long term results of the surgery.

F) Images of the surgery.


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Grade 10: Pro-Life Apologetics

_________________________________

To inform, prepare and equip students with the tools necessary to articulate the pro-lifeposition.

To allow students to know the main arguments of the pro-abortion position and

understand where they fall short.

The Pro-Life Position

____________________

IN DEFENCE OF HUMAN LIFE

Abortion takes the life of a defenceless human being; therefore abortion is a moral wrong. Many

people are confused about abortion because they think that the issue is complex. Actually it isnot. Since science proves that the unborn child is a human being, then elective abortion is

clearly a moral wrong. We are called to defend ALL human life.

What is the unborn?

Human life is a continuum beginning at conception and ending at natural death. You did

not come from a zygote, you once were a zygote. You did not evolve from a fetus, you once

were a fetus. This position is both scientifically and philosophically sound.

1) The unborn human is genetically distinct from its parents. It is distinct from itsmother and fully alive. Unlike sperm and ovum, the zygote possesses the active

(inherent) capacity to develop itself into an embryo, fetus, infant, child and adult.

All genetic material needed to drive the unborns development is there. The

unborn, therefore, is not a potential human, but a human with great potential.

2) The unborn entity has human parents. The principle of biogenesis states that each

living thing reproduces after its own kind. That is to say, dogs beget dogs, cats

beget cats, etc. Human parents can only produce human offspring.

3) Although the unborns humanity does not depend on its level of development, itsrapid growth does point to its status as a genetically complete, self-integrating

organism. In fact, prenatal development is so explosive that by day 25, the

measured on an electroencephalogram.

unborn human has a heart that is beating and by day 43 brain wave activity can be


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Theunborndiffersfromthenewborninfourways,noneofwhicharerelevanttoitsstatusasa

humanbeing.

1)Size: Theunbornaresmallerthannewborns,butwhenhassizehadanythingtodowiththe

rightsthatpeoplehave?

2)Level of development:True,theunbornarelessdevelopedthannewborns,butthistoo

ismorallyirrelevant.Anewbornislessdevelopedthanatoddler,atoddlerlessthanan

adolescent,anadolescentlessthananadult.Butwespeakofallasequallyhuman.

3)Environment:True,theunbornislocatedinadifferentplace,buthowdoesachangein

locationsuddenlychangeanon-humanentityintoahumanone.Clearly,whereoneishasno

bearingonwhooneis.Achildintheincubatorofhermotherswombisnolessachildthan

theonebeingsustainedbyneonataltechnology.

4)Degree of dependency:Ifviabilityorindependenceiswhatmakesonehumanthenall

thosedependentonkidneymachines,heartpace-makers,andrespiratorswouldhavetobe

declarednon-persons.Thereisnoethicaldifferencebetweenanunbornchildwhoisplugged

intoanddependentuponitsmotherandakidneypatientwhoispluggedintoanddependentuponakidneymachine.

AdaptedfromPro-Life101byScottKlusendorf

Considerthefollowing:

Oncigarettepackages,Health Canadagivesthefollowingwarningtopregnantwomen:

WARNING -Cigaretteshurtbabies.Tobaccouseduringpregnancyreducesthegrowthof

babiesduringpregnancy.Thesesmallerbabiesmaynotcatchupingrowthafterbirthandthe

risksofinfantillness,disabilityanddeathareincreased.

Activity:

Havestudentsreectandanswerthisquestion:

Whyistheunbornbabyshumanityrecognizedinsomecasesand

ignoredordeniedinothercases?

Canadianhealthcaredollarspayforthedestruction(byabortion)

ofover100,000*unbornchildrenannually.Asasocietywhich

pridesitselfonitssenseofequalrights,whynotprotectallunborn

children?_______________________________________

*StatisticsCanada


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The Pro-Abortion Position

Advocates for abortion say that a woman has the right to choose whether or not she will

terminate her pregnancy, thus ending the life of her child.

1. Every woman has the right to control her own body.

Fact: Yes, but only her body, not that of her child who while

developing inside her body is completely distinct from it, the only

organic link between the two being the umbilical cord. Any remaining

doubt about the separate identities of the pregnant woman and her

child have been put to rest with the advent of in-vitro fertilization

procedures, in which the earliest stages of new life take place outside the

mothers body.

Williams Obstetrics, 16 th Edition 1980, a standard obstetrics textbook in

medical schools throughout North America states: Happily, we have

entered an era in which the fetus can be rightfully considered and

treated as our second patient...Who would have dreamed, even a few

years ago, that we could serve the fetus as physician?

Any persons right are limited by the rights of others. A womans

proclaimed right to control her own body does not include a right to

have her unborn child killed by abortion. Her child has just as much

right to life has any other human being.

There are no other circumstances, other than abortion, in which a person is allowed to kill aninnocent, defenceless human being. The exception accorded the act of abortion is

unwarranted and totally illogical. Abortion cures no disease. Pregnancy is not a disease.

The fetus is not really a person.

Fact: Words such as embryo or fetus serve the same purpose as calling human beings

infants, children, adolescents or adults at other stages of their lives. They are simply

scientific terms used to indicate where a person is in his or her development: in no way do

they mean the unborn child is not human.

Personhood does not begin at a specific point in time. It belongs to a being of human

origin - a being who has a human father and mother. A human being is always a person at

every stage of life.

Some advocates of abortion claim that the unborn child is a mere clump of cells. But the

scientific facts are that a living, unmistakably human organism exists from the moment the ovum

The Pro-Abortion Position

Advocatesforabortionsaythatawomanhastherighttochoosewhetherornotshewillterminate

herpregnancy,thusendingthelifeofherchild.

1. Every woman has the right to control her own body.

Fact: Yes,butonlyherbody,notthatofherchildwhowhiledevelopinginsideherbodyis

completelydistinctfromit,theonlyorganiclinkbetweenthetwo

beingtheumbilicalcord.Anyremainingdoubtabouttheseparate

identitiesofthepregnantwomanandherchildhavebeenputtorest

withtheadventofin-vitrofertilizationprocedures,inwhichthe

earlieststagesofnewlifetakeplaceoutsidethemothersbody.

WilliamsObstetrics,16thEdition1980,astandardobstetrics

textbookinmedicalschoolsthroughoutNorthAmericastates:

Happily,wehaveenteredanerainwhichthefetuscanbe

rightfullyconsideredandtreatedasoursecondpatient...Whowould

havedreamed,evenafewyearsaago,thatwecouldservethefetus

asphysician?

Anypersonsrightsarelimitedbytherightsofothers.Awomans

proclaimedrighttocontrolherownbodydoesnotincludearight

tohaveherunbornchildkilledbyabortion.Herchildhasjustas

muchrighttolifeasanyotherhumanbeing.

Therearenoothercircumstances,otherthanabortion,inwhichapersonisallowedtokillan

innocent,defencelesshumanbeing.Theexceptionaccordedtheactofabortionisunwarrantedandtotallyillogical.Abortioncuresnodisease.Pregnancyisnotadisease.

2. The fetus is not really a person.

Fact:Wordssuchasembryoorfetusservethesamepurposeascallinghumanbeings

infants,children,adolescentsoradultsatotherstagesoftheirlives.Theyaresimply

scientictermsusedtoindicatewhereapersonisinhisorherdevelopment:innowaydothey

meantheunbornchildisnothuman.

Personhood does not begin at a specic point in time. It belongs to a being of human origin

- a being who has a human father and mother. A human being is always a person

at every stage of life.

Someadvocatesofabortionclaimthattheunbornchildisamereclumpofcells.Butthe

scienticfactsarethataliving,unmistakablyhumanorganismexistsfromthemomenttheovum


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is fertilized: it will not develop into a cat or a plant - only a human being, because it is

already a human being.

The unborn child while still in the womb can now be viewed by ultrasound and have many of

its functions monitored by various sophisticated techniques. He or she can receive bloodtransfusions and medications and even be treated surgically.

An editorial in the September 1970 issue of California Medicine, the official publication of

the California Medical Association, mentions the scientific fact,

which everyone really knows that human life begins at conception

and is continuous, whether intra- or extra-uterine, until death. In the

Van Nostrands Scientific Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, one can read:

from a purely scientific standpoint, there is no question but that

abortion represents the cessation of a human life.

Finally, personhood is not something which is awarded to you by others.

Simply put, you are a person because you are a human being.

3. Abortion is basically a private matter.

Fact: Not really. Abortion involves more than a woman and her doctor. Even more directly

and intimately involved is a third human being: the mothers unborn child; the doctors unborn

patient. And the father? Presently, he has no say in the fate of his offspring.

Abortion has broad consequences for the whole of society. How can we pretend that the very

acceptance of the large scale killing of innocent defenceless human beings through abortion

does not foster the creation of a psychological climate favourable to the development of otherforms of violence which are becoming a characteristic trait of our times (child abuse,

infanticide and physician assisted death)? The most current statistics for Canada record the

death of 103,768 unborn babies by induced abortion. Privacy is important but do we allow

parents to abuse their children as long as they do so in the privacy of their own home?

4. You cannot impose your morality on others.

Some people who oppose abortion do so on religious grounds but

the right to life is the first and most important right of all. Religion

didnt discover when human life begins, science did. Opposing abortion

is not a religious issue but a matter of human rights. Actions can be

judged objectively right or wrong. That is the very basis of law. This iswhy we have laws against stealing, abuse, murder and so on.

isfertilized:itwillnotdevelopintoacatoraplant-onlyahumanbeing,becauseitis

alreadyahumanbeing.

Theunbornchildwhilestillinthewombcannowbeviewedbyultrasoundandhavemany

ofitsfunctionsmonitoredbyvarioussophisticatedtechniques.Heorshecanreceiveblood

transfusionsandmedicationsandevenbetreatedsurgically.

AneditorialintheSeptember1970issueofCaliforniaMedicine,theofcialpublication

oftheCaliforniaMedicalAssociation,mentionsthescienticfact,whicheveryonereally

knowsthathumanlifebeginsatconceptionandiscontinuous,whether

intra-orextra-uterine,untildeath.IntheVanNostrandsScientic

Encyclopedia,FifthEdition,onecanread:fromapurely

scienticstandpoint,thereisnoquestionbutthatabortion

representsthecessationofahumanlife.

Finally,personhoodisnotsomethingwhichisawardedto

youbyothers.Simplyput,youareapersonbecauseyouarea

humanbeing.

3. Abortion is basically a private matter.

Fact: Notreally.Abortioninvolvesmorethanawomanandherdoctor.Evenmoredirectly

andintimatelyinvolvedisathirdhumanbeing:themothersunbornchild;thedoctors

unbornpatient.Andthefather?Presently,hehasnosayinthefateofhisoffspring.

Abortionhasbroadconsequencesforthewholeofsociety.Howcanwepretendthatthevery

acceptanceofthelargescalekillingofinnocentdefencelesshumanbeingsthroughabortion

doesnotfosterthecreationofapsychologicalclimatefavourabletothedevelopmentofotherformsofviolencewhicharebecomingacharacteristictraitofourtimes(childabuse,

infanticideandphysicianassisteddeath)?ThemostcurrentstatisticsforCanadarecordthe

deathof103,768unbornbabiesbyinducedabortion.Privacyisimportantbutdoweallow

parentstoabusetheirchildrenaslongastheydosointheprivacyoftheirownhome?

4. You cannot impose your morality on others.

Somepeoplewhoopposeabortiondosoonreligious

groundsbuttherighttolifeistherstandmostimportant

rightofall.Religiondidntdiscoverwhenhumanlife

begins,sciencedid.Opposingabortionisnotareligiousissuebutamatterofhumanrights.Actionscanbejudged

objectivelyrightorwrong.Thatistheverybasisoflaw.

Thisiswhywehavelawsagainststealing,abuse,murder

andsoon.


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Rebecca Kiessling

5. Every child should be a wanted child.

This slogan is not as loving as it sounds as it reduces children to

objects with a right to exist only if someone wants them more than

they desire other things. It also fails to take into account the fact thatthe feelings of a woman toward her pregnancy during the early

months differ markedly from what they will be at later stages of her

pregnancy or after the birth of her child.

On the other hand, while there may be parents who do not want

children, there really are no unwanted children: witness the

countless and often desperate couples who have to wait years before they are able to adopt a

child. Human life has an intrinsic value which has nothing to do with the fact that this tiny

human may or may not be wanted. The idea that the unwanted may be eliminated is a most

dangerous concept. Once we accept the ethic that every child must be wanted before it can live,

our society may also decide that every grandparent or every mentally or physically handicapped

person should also be wanted in order that they may be permitted to continue living. Askyourself, when people such as the homeless are unwanted may we kill them?

6. What about rape?

Rape is an abhorrent, violent crime. The woman who has been raped has undergone a terrible

trauma and her well-being is very much our concern. Abortion cannot change the fact that the

woman was raped and it certainly cannot heal the pain. Women pregnant from rape have

reported negative attitudes to the pregnancy from those around them and often abortion is

presented to the rape victim as the best solution. In almost all cases where the mother has given

birth to the child, it has evoked over time feelings of acceptance of the pregnancy, helping to

bring healing to what began as a horrible and violentexperience.* Some women place the child for adoption

because although they can accept the pregnancy, they cannot

accept the child or believe it best if someone else raises the

child. Others decide to raise the baby.

People who were conceived in rape, like Rebecca Kiessling,

are saddened that people think abortion should be permitted in

cases of rape. Rebecca is not responsible for the crime of her

father. Was her life then not worth protecting just as much

as anyone elses? Rebecca has been upset by those who have told

her that she should be dead. Rebecca is the mother of four children and a

former lawyer. Read Rebeccas story online at: www.rebeccakiessling.com.

Can a horrible act of violence (rape) on an innocent woman be redeemed by performing another

act of violence on an innocent person (abortion)? Can you think of any other instance where we

would kill one innocent human being for the benefit of another? The child conceived in rape

5. Every child should be a wanted child.

Thissloganisnotaslovingasitsoundsasitreduceschildrentoobjectswitharighttoexist

onlyifsomeonewantsthemmorethantheydesireotherthings.Italsofailstotakeinto

accountthefactthatthefeelingsofawomantowardherpregnancyduringtheearlymonths

differmarkedlyfromwhattheywillbeatlaterstagesofher

pregnancyorafterthebirthofherchild.

Ontheotherhand,whiletheremaybeparentswhodonotwant

children,therereallyarenounwantedchildren:witnessthe

countlessandoftendesperatecoupleswhohavetowaityears

beforetheyareabletoadoptachild.Humanlifehasanintrinsic

valuewhichhasnothingtodowiththefactthatthistinyhuman

mayormaynotbewanted.Theideathattheunwantedmaybe

eliminatedisamostdangerousconcept.Onceweacceptthe

ethicthateverychildmustbewantedbeforeitcanlive,oursocietymayalsodecidethatevery

grandparentoreverymentallyorphysicallyhandicappedpersonshouldalsobewantedin

orderthattheymaybepermittedtocontinueliving.Askyourself,whenpeoplesuchasthe

homelessareunwantedmaywekillthem?

6. What about rape?

Rapeisanabhorrent,violentcrime.Thewomanwhohasbeenrapedhasundergoneaterrible

traumaandherwell-beingisverymuchourconcern.Abortioncannotchangethefactthat

thewomanwasrapedanditcertainlycannothealthepain.Womenpregnantfromrapehave

reportednegativeattitudestothepregnancyfromthosearoundthemandoftenabortionis

presentedtotherapevictimasthebestsolution.Inalmostallcaseswherethemotherhas

givenbirthtothechild,ithasevokedovertimefeelingsof

acceptanceofthepregnancy,helpingtobringhealingtowhat

beganasahorribleandviolentexperience.*Somewomen

placethechildforadoptionbecausealthoughtheycanacceptthepregnancy,theycannotacceptthechildorbelieveitbestif

someoneelseraisesthechild.Othersdecidetoraisethebaby.

Peoplewhowereconceivedinrape,likeRebeccaKiessling,

aresaddenedthatpeoplethinkabortionshouldbepermitted

incasesofrape.Rebeccaisnotresponsibleforthecrimeof

herfather.Washerlifethennotworthprotectingjustasmuch

asanyoneelses?Rebeccahasbeenupsetbythosewhohave

toldherthatsheshouldbedead.Rebeccaisthemotheroffour

childrenandaformerlawyer.ReadRebeccasstoryonlineat:

www.rebeccakiessling.com.

Canahorribleactofviolence(rape)onaninnocentwomanberedeemedbyperforminganother

actofviolenceonaninnocentperson(abortion)?Canyouthinkofanyotherinstancewherewe

wouldkilloneinnocenthumanbeingforthebenetofanother?Thechildconceivedinrape


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rapeisnottheaggressor,therapistis.Itistherapistwhomustbepunishedforhiscrimenotthe

womanandtheunbornchild.Compassionateassistance,lovingcareandlong-termcounsellingare

availabletothevictim.Letusbeconcernedforthelife,welfareandfutureofboththewomanand

herchild.

*Dr.DavidC.Reardon,JulieMakimaa,AmySobie.VictimsandVictors:Speakingoutabouttheir

pregnancies,abortionsandchildrenresultingfromsexualassault.AcornBooks,2000.

Other concerns raised by pro-abortion advocates:

Ifabortionisillegal,womenwilldiefrombackalleyabortions:

A) InCanadain1969,theyearabortionwaslegalized,therewere11casesofmaternaldeath

causedbyillegalabortionasrecordedingovernmentstatistics,yetthemediareporteddeaths

wereinthethousands.

B) Dr.BernardNathanson,formerabortionistwhofoughttolegalizeabortionintheUnitedStates

hadthistosay:Howmanydeathswerewetalkingaboutwhenabortionwasillegal?Itwas

always5,000to10,000deathsayear.IconfessthatIknewtheguresweretotallyfalse...It

wasausefulgure,widelyaccepted,whygooutofourwaytocorrectitwithhoneststatistics.

BernardNathanson,M.D.,Aborting America.(NewYork:Doubleday,1979),p.193.

C) AccordingtotheU.S.BureauofStatistics,therewere39womenwhodiedfromillegalabortions

in1972,theyearbeforeRoev.Wadelegalizedabortion,incomparisontothefalseguresused

byDr.Nathansonandothers.

D) Womenhavediedfromlegalabortions.Isthedeathofawomanfromalegalabortionlesstragicthanadeathfromanillegalabortion?

E) In1960,abortionswerestillillegalintheUnitedStates.IntheJuly1960editionoftheAmerican

JournalofPublicHealth,anarticlebyDr. Mary Calderone, then medical director of Planned

parenthood,stated:90%ofillegalabortionsarestillbeingdonebyphysicians.Callthemwhat

youwill,abortionistoranythingelse,theystillarephysicians,trainedassuch;...Theymustdoa

prettygoodjobifthedeathrateisaslowasitis...Abortionwhethertherapeuticorillegal,isno

longerdangerous,becauseitisbeingdonewellbyphysicians.

Abortions are done to preserve the physical health of the mother.

Response:Dr.HenryMorgentaler,anabortionist,haswrittenthatmedicinehasoverthelastfew

yearsmadesomuchprogressthatitisnowpossibleforaverysickwomantocompleteapregnancyandgivebirthinspiteofseriousillness.Whenthemotherslifeisindangerasinthecaseofan

ectopicpregnancy,inwhichthechildcannotsurviveinthefallopiantube,theinterventionrequired

isnotanabortion.


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Some people say Im personally opposed to abortion, but it should be up to the

mother to decide.

Response: Why are you personally opposed to abortion? If it is not wrong, if it does not take

the life of an unborn child, why be opposed at all? Women should be able to have as many as

they want. It is illogical to recognize the taking of an innocent human life, claim to be opposed

and support its legality. Would you say Im personally opposed to child abuse or slavery, but

it should be up to the individual to decide, a mother or father should be free to abuse their child

if they want to?

Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights -for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture - is false

and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the

condition for all other personal rights is not defended with maximum

determination.

Pope John Paul II, Christifideles Laici (On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful

in the Church and the World), no. 38


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Tasha Danvers-Smith

Grade 10: Story of Tasha Danvers-Smith

___________________________________________________________________________

Expectations

Forstudentstoseethehopeandjoythatcomesfromdoingwhatisrightdespitethe

costs.

Studentsshouldconsidertheeffectsofarightactionthatcanbringjoyeveninthe

midstofsuffering.

___________________________________

UKAthleteGivesUpOlympicHopeforUnexpectedChild

OneofBritainsbrightestOlympichopes,the400metreshurdlerTasha

Danvers-Smith,spokeofbothherjoyanddevastationafteranunplanned

pregnancythathasdashedherchancesofanOlympicmedalatAthens.

Thenewly-marriedsouthLondonathlete,whonowlivesinLosAngeles

admittedthatshewassoshockedthatsheevenbrieyconsideredanabortion,

beforedecidingshecouldnotterminatethepregnancy.Ihadhighhopes.I

thoughtIhadagoodchanceofgettingamedal,ifnotagoldone.Soitwas

quitedevastatingformetondoutIwaspregnantshesaid.ButnowIfeelsohappy,addedthe26-yearoldathlete,whomarriedherAmericancoachDarrellSmith,33,inNovember.

Now10weekspregnant,MrsDanvers-Smith,fromCamberwell,SouthLondon,whowasranked

sixthintheworldlastyear,saidallherhopeshadbeencenteredonthe2004Olympics.Iwasinthe

shapeofmylife.Iwasmorefocusedthaneverbefore,shesaid.Thenthingsdidntquitefeelright.I

wasfeelingtiredallthetime,feelingatfornoreason.Pregnancyneveroccurredtoherbecauseher

lifecycleseemednormal,shesaidandshesufferednomorningsickness.Iwasstilltrainingformy

life.

Thetimingcouldnothavebeenworse.IfIhadrunatAthensitwouldhavemeantgreaternancial

security,morerecognition.Thereisnothingnegativethatcanhappenwhenyouhaveashotatan

Olympicmedal.Icannotlie,Iconsideredanabortion.Ontheonehandyoulookatthesituationand

say,Icanhaveababyandincurmorecosts,moreproblems.Wedontevenhaveahouseyet;weare

stillstayingwithDarrellsparents.AndIamthemajorbreadwinner.Whenmybodyismybusiness,

thenifImnotfunctioning,thereisnobusiness.


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So the thought did cross our minds as an option. But this line from the Scriptures kept

coming into my head: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and

lose his own soul?.

For me the whole world was the Olympics. At the same time, I felt I would be losing my

soul. It just wouldnt fit well. It would be a forced decision. I would have forced myself to do

something I didnt want to do. Even though as much as I would love to go to the Olympics and

everything, it would be something that wouldnt make me happy at all.

Even the thought of it depressed me. I cried thinking about it as I tried to convince myself this

is what I should do because it wasnt the right time, and we didnt have the finances. It just

made me so upset.

So then I knew. For me, it was not going to be an option. And as soon as I decided that I felt

so happy. Even though I knew it was going to be a struggle financially and that I am sacrificing

my medal hopes.

Her son Jaden Wayde Smith was born December 8, 2004

Reprinted from: Life Issues Connector, Life Issues Institute Newsletter,

Cincinnati Ohio, 2004.

______________________________________________________________________________

Questions for Students

1. Research the lives of people that have made sacrifices for a just cause. What did they do?

Were they successful?

2. Consider a time in your life when you made the right decision, even though it was very

difficult and it caused you to suffer. How did you know that it was in fact the right one?

3. Consider a time when you made the wrong decision, but it was the easier choice at that

time. How did you feel? What were the consequences if any? Would you have done things

differently given a second chance?

4. Who are the role models in your life and why do you look to them as an example oran inspiration?


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Unborn child twenty weeks from conception


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Abortion Law in Canada

With the passage of the Omnibus Bill C-150 on May 14, 1969, the

Criminal Code of Canada was amended to allow abortions done in a

hospital by a physician if a panel of three doctors (a Therapeutic AbortionCommittee) judged that continuation of the pregnancy would or would

be likely to endanger a womans life or health. The word health was never defined. It was

subsequently given unlimited interpretation including emotional and socio-economic health of

the mother*. This law opened the door to abortion on demand. The 1969 law (Section 251 of the

Criminal Code) set no time limits on the gestational period at which induced abortions could be

performed. It was illegal to perform the procedure in a clinic setting. Dr. Henry Morgentaler

challenged the law by opening abortion clinics in Qubec in the 1970's and later in Toronto and

Winnipeg in 1982. No obligation exists for either doctors or hospitals to participate in abortion.

On January 28, 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down section 251 of the Criminal Code

in a split decision. The January 28th decision marked the end of a legal battle which began in

November 1984 when a jury acquitted Henry Morgentaler, Leslie Smoling and Robert Scott oncharges of procuring illegal abortions at 85 Harbord Street, Toronto. The acquittal was appealed

by the Crown and in 1985 a new trial was ordered on the same charges. Morgentalers lawyer,

Morris Manning appealed the decision and appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada in

October 1986.

In the 1988 Morgentaler decision unlike the Roe v. Wade 1973 ruling in the United states, the

Court does not find a constitutional right to abortion. Section 251 of the Criminal Code was struck

down for procedural reasons. The Court found that since some women did not have access to

Therapeutic Abortion Committees in their area, the delay caused by the process for procuring an

abortion threatened a womans bodily security. Read the ruling at:

http://www.canlii.org/ca/cas/scc/1988/1988scc.2html.

The Supreme Court said it was up to Parliament to enact a new law on abortion. In fact,

Canada can have a law restricting abortion. At present, there is still no law on abortion in Canada

and in the absence of any legislation, abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy, up

until the moment of delivery for no reason or any reason at all. There is no age limit and no

parental consent is required to obtain an abortion.

Quick Facts for Canada

____________________________________

There is no constitutional right or charter right to abortion in Canada.

3 million abortions since 1969.

300 abortions a day.

Over 100,000 abortions annually.

No law since 1988. Abortion is legal throughout all nine months.


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Induced abortions continue to be most common among women in their twenties.

53% of women obtaining an abortion in 2003 were in their twenties.

The leading cause of death in Canada is induced abortion...over 100,000 abortions are

performed annually = 100,000 unborn babies dead by abortion. The number of repeat

abortions that is a second, third or fourth abortion for the same person continues to rise.

Badgley report 1977- Committee on the operation of the Abortion Law.

In 1975, a survey was commissioned by the Privy Council to determine and report upon

whether the procedure provided in the Criminal Code for obtaining therapeutic abortionsis operating equitably across Canada.... Appointed to this Committee on the Operation

of the Abortion law on September 29, 1975 were Robin Badgley, chairman, Dr. Marion

Powell, an abortion advocate, and lawyer Denyse Fortin Caron. In January 1977, the

committee issued its report. Here are some highlights:

Abortions for health reasons

* ...in terms of their physical health, most women who had abortions in Canadian

Hospitals were considered by their physicians to be in good physical health...Many

physicians whom the Committee met on its visits to hospitals across Canada openly

acknowledged that their diagnoses for mental health were given for purposes ofexpediency and could not be considered as a valid assessment of an abortion patients

mental health.

P. 211-212

In other words, most women were in good health so reasons of mental health were falsely

attributed to obtain abortions.

How many deaths from illegal abortions prior to 1969?

The number of deaths of women in Canada resulting from attempted self-induced or

criminal (illegal**) abortions which averaged 12.3 each year between 1958 and 1969...

P.29

** word illegal is our addition.

The Bagdley report mentions that on average, there were about 12 deaths a year from

illegal abortion each year in the time period 1958-1969. Further evidence that deaths

from illegal abortions were not in the thousands each year as claimed by abortions

advocates.

Repeat abortions increased from 35.2% in 2002 to 38.3 % in 2003. 25.2% of women

undergoing abortion in 2003 had had one previous abortion.


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CANADIAN ABORTION STATISTICS FOR 2003

Ten provinces, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and some American States

reported to CIHI that there were 103,768 abortions performed on Canadian women

in the year 2003. The number of induced abortions recorded for every 100 live

births was 31.0% .

ANNUAL THERAPEUTIC ABORTIONS AND ABORTION RATES FOR

CANADIAN WOMEN FROM 1970 - 2003 AS REPORTED BY STATISTICS

CANADA AND THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH INFORMATION

(CIHI) *

Number Rate per 100 live birthsYear Hospital Clinic From Total Hospital Clinic From Total

events events U.S.A. events events U.S.A.

______________________________________________________________________________

_______1970 11,152 -- 11,152 3.0 -- 3.01971 30.923 -- 6,309 37,232 8.5 -- 1.7 10.2

1972 38,853 -- 6,573 45,426 11.2 -- 1.9 13.11973 43,201 -- 5,501 48,702 12.6 -- 1.6 14.2

1974 48,136 -- 4,299 52,435 13.7 -- 1.2 14.91975 49,311 -- 4,394 53,705 13.7 -- 1.2 14.9

1976 54,478 -- 4,234 58,712 15.1 -- 1.2 16.31977 57,564 -- 2,300 59,864 15.9 -- 0.6 16.5

1978 62,290 2,618 1,802 66,710 17.4 0.7 0.5 18.61979 65,043 3,629 1,073 69,745 17.8 1.0 0.3 19.1

1980 65,751 4,704 1,644 72,099 17.7 1.3 0.4 19.41981 65,053 4,207 2,651 71,911 17.5 1.1 0.7 19.3

1982 66,254 4,506 4,311 75,071 17.8 1.2 1.2 20.2

1983 61,750 3,635 3,983 69,368 16.5 1.0 1.1 18.61984 62,247 3,571 3,631 69,449 16.5 0.9 1.0 18.4

1985 62,712 3,706 2,798 69,216 16.7 1.0 0.7 18.41986 63,462 3,498 2,612 69,572 17.0 0.9 0.7 18.6

1987 63,585 3,681 2,757 70,023 17.2 1.0 0.7 18.91988 66,137 4,617 1,939 72,693 17.6 1.2 0.5 19.3

1989 70,705 7,059 1,551 79,315 18.0 1.8 0.4 20.21990 71,092 20,236 1,573 92,901 17.5 5.0 0.4 22.9

1991 70,277 23,343 1,439 95,059 17.5 5.8 0.3 23.61992 70,408 31,151 526 102,085 17.7 7.8 0.1 25.6

1993 72,434 31,508 461 104,403 18.7 8.1 0.1 26.91994 71,630 34,287 338 106,255 18.6 8.9 0.1 27.6

1995 70,549 35,650 459 106,658 18.7 9.4 0.1 28.6

1996 74,579 36,877 301 111,757 30.51997 71,845 39,681 293 111,819 32.0

1998 68,290 41,933 297 110,520 32.21999 63,832 41,799 231 105,862 31.3

2000 63,535 41,919 215 105,669 32.2

2001 61,227 45,016 175 106,418 31.9

2002 58,254 46,748 152 105,154 32.12003 56,089 47,679 149 103,768 31.0


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*Induced abortions were classified as therapeutic beginning in 1969 when the first

survey, the collection of legally induced abortion data was taken. Statistics Canada says

"the term therapeutic remains in the title of the survey for the sake of historical

consistency". As of 1995, therapeutic abortion data are collected from reporting areas

within and outside the country by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).The data is then transferred to Statistics Canada for analysis and publication. The

catalogue number for 2003 is 82-223-XIE, Induced Abortion Statistics 2003.

Since 1970 abortion figures have been compiled for hospital abortions. In 1978 Quebec

began to report some figures for clinic abortions. In 1990 the clinic figures reported

related to Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.

In 1991 published clinic data included figures reported from Alberta. In 1994 clinic data

included figures from New Brunswick.

An examination of the figures shows that there were 11, 152 abortions in 1970, the first

year following the amendment to the Criminal Code. The numbers increased each year.

By 1987, the numbers had risen to 70, 023 abortions for that year according to figures

from Statistics Canada. By 2003, Statistics Canada recorded 103,768 abortions for the

year. Following the Supreme Court decision in the Morgentaler case in 1988, clinics

began operating in areas of Canada, other than Qubec. Prior to1988, abortions were

1970's which was against the law. He was however acquitted by juries and was able to

continue his business. Later, Morgentaler, Leslie Smoling and Robert Scott began to

their appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

legal only in a hospital setting if approved by an accredited Therapeutic Abortion

perform abortions in a clinic in Ontario in contravention of the 1969 law which lead to

Committee. Dr. Morgentaler had been operating an abortion clinic in Qubec since the


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Abortion's Physical Complications

Abortion's Effects:Reproductive SystemPhysical Damage

Surgical abortion may harm a woman's reproductive system, damaging her uterus or cervix andleading to future reproductive problems.Chemical abortions (using RU486, etc.) are bloody, painful, and dangerous, and the long term effectson the body are unknown.Future InfertilityWomen having abortions face more than a doubled risk of future sterility. A 1995 Swedish study found45.8 percent of women who had abortions later tested positive for organisms causing pelvicinflammatory disease, one of the leading contributors to female sterility. When a woman's firstpregnancy ends in abortion, the risk of complications leading to sterility is greatly increased.Later Ectopic PregnancyEctopic pregnancies have been called a worldwide epidemic. A study appearing in the AmericanJournal of Public Health in 1998 found women who had an abortion faced a 50% increased risk ofhaving a subsequent ectopic or tubal pregnancy. The risk was nearly twice as high (90%) for women

having two or more abortions.Future PrematurityPremature birth is the leading cause of infant mortality. A study from Denmark in 1999 found womenwere 89% more likely to have a premature birth after having an abortion. After two abortions, the riskincreased to 166%. Multiple international studies support these results.Later Infant DisabilityPre-term birth is associated with lower birth weight and higher rates of cerebral palsy, often leading tophysical and mental disability.Abortion's Link to Breast Cancer:Pregnancy and Normal Breast DevelopmentA full term pregnancy is known to lower a woman's long term risk of breast cancer. In pregnancy, asestrogen levels elevate, immature milk glands, or lobules, begin to grow and differentiate, reachingmaturity around 32 weeks. By birth, the lobules are fully formed and ready for milk production.

Abortion Interrupts Breast DevelopmentAbortions, which typically occur in the first or early second trimester, interrupt the process of breastdevelopment while estrogen is still surging but before full differentiation has taken place. Thus, therisk-lowering effect of full term pregnancy is lost. Even worse, lobules interrupted in this growth stageare susceptible to replication defects, which may eventually manifest as cancers.Scientific Evidence of Abortion's ImpactOut of a total of 70 studies worldwide on breast cancer and abortion, 80% have found evidence linkingabortion to the development of breast cancer. A 1996 meta-analysis of all published reports on theincidence of induced abortion and breast cancer appearing in the Journal of Epidemiology andCommunity Health found, on average, a 30% increased risk of breast cancer following an abortion,and a 50% increase when the first pregnancy was aborted.Link to Other CancersAbortion has been associated with higher rates of cervical and ovarian cancer.Post Abortion SyndromePost Abortion Syndrome affects women in the years following an abortion, appearing as unexplaineddepression, mental flashbacks and suicidal impulses, among other symptoms.A 2003 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found women who had anabortion were 2.6 times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric problems than women whocarried their babies to term. Substance abuse has also been linked to abortion in recent studies.


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Pain

Abortion is painful for 97% of women, according toCanadian and U.S. studies despite the use of local

anesthesia.More than a third of women rated the pain level ofabortion as intense, severe or very severe.Chemical abortions cause higher levels of pain,including severe nausea and cramping. While painmay be a side effect of surgery or the chemicalabortion process, it can also indicate infection, cervicalor uterine damage, or the presence of an ectopicpregnancy.

With files from National Right to Life.

For an analysis of studies on the effect of abortion on

womens health, consult also:Womens Health after abortion: The Medical and

Psychological Evidence by Elizabeth Ring-Cassidy andIan Gentles. The deVeber Institute for Bioethics andSocial Research, Toronto, c2003.


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OCTOBEROCTOBER 1818THTH -- PERSONS DAY IN CANADAPERSONS DAY IN CANADA

1928 2006

Not a person

Not a person

Canadian women were notconsidered persons until the famous

Persons Case in 1929. Prior to this women

were not considered eligible for

appointment to the Senate. A

constitutional challenge was launched on

behalf of five women: Nellie McClung,

Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise C.

McKinney, Irene Parlby and Emily F.

Murphy. While recognizing women as

human beings, the Supreme Court of

Canada declared that women were not

persons within the meaning of the BritishNorth America Act of 1867. This decision

was appealed and judgement was

rendered on October 18th, 1929 by the

Privy Council in England affirming that

women were indeed persons. Were

women persons prior to this

judgement? Of course, they were! The

decision of the Privy Council only

marked the moment in history when

women were granted legal recognition of

their personhood.

It is incredible that, in the 21st

century, the child in the womb still does not

have the status of personhood under the

Criminal Code of Canada. In fact, according

to Section 223, the unborn child is not even

legally recognized as a human being until

it has completely proceeded, in a living state,

from the body of the mother whether or not

(a) it has breathed (b) it has an independent

circulation (c) the navel string is severed.

Therefore, two months, two weeks, two

seconds before birth, the preborn child is

considered a non-human and consequentlycannot be legally recognized as a person.

As a result, this child receives no protection

whatsoever under criminal law.

Given all the technological and

scientific advances, such as ultrasound and

intrauterine photography, which gives a clear

picture of life before birth, is it not just as

absurd in 2007 to deprive the baby awaiting

birth status of personhood as it was in 1928 to

deny personhood to women?

Isnt it time to update Section 223 of the Criminal Code to reflect the scientific knowledge of this

century?

Action Life (Ottawa) Inc.

309-376 Churchill Ave. N., Ottawa, ON, K1Z 5C3 Tel: 798-4494 * Website: www.actionlife.org


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PERSONHOOD DENIED

Black Americans were not

considered persons 200 years

ago. As slaves they had

absolutely no rights.

PERSONHOOD DENIED

persons until the famous Persons case in

1929. Prior to this, women were not eligible

for appointment to the Canadian Senate.

Were they persons prior to obtaining this legal

recognition?

Of course, they were!

PERSONHOOD DENIED

Is it not just as absurd in our time to deprive the baby awaiting birth

status of personhood as it was to deny personhood to Canadian women

and black Americans?

It is incredible that, in the 21st century, the child

in the womb still does not have the status of

personhood under the Criminal Code of Canada.

As a result, he/she can be killed at any time, by

any means, and for any reason, right up to and

during his/her birth.

Canadian women were not fully considered


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Yesterday Today

Canadian Women Preborn Children

1876 1990

The law allows a preborn child to inherit

property and sue for damages, however it isdenied the right to life so receives no benefit

1984

An Ontario Court denies a father the right and

privilege to protect his preborn child from being

destroyed despite his willingness to share

responsibility for care and education. The

mother has sole control of the child's destiny.

1916

Defence lawyer Eardley Jackson yells at policemagistrate Emily Murphy, "You have no right

to be holding court. You're not even a person!"

1983

Laura Sabia shouts at Canadians, "It's a fetuswith no rights in law. It is not a person!"

1928

Although women are human the Supreme Court

of Canada declares that women are not

"persons" within the meaning of the BNA Act.

1989, 1991

The Supreme Court of Canada declares that the

preborn child is not a person in law and that the

humanity of the preborn child is irrelevant.

Personhood and Discrimination.

Even a brief overview of history reveals that its darkest moments have occurred when people

failed to recognize other human beings as persons and, therefore, as equals. This denial of

personhood to particular members or classes within the human family is traditionally associated

with attempts to deprive them of their fundamental rights and privileges. Who would deny that itis flagrant discrimination to arbitrarily strip certain human beings of the right to be deemed

persons? Take, for instance...

Discrimination in recent history.

In North America, Native Americans were considered non-persons, referred to as savages, in

order to provide justification for the appropriation of their land. We see this again in the slavery

issue, when slaves were considered to be property, to be disposed of or used as the slave owner

wished. When the injustice of this was taken to court, the Dred Scott decision was handed down.

It recognized that the slaves were indeed human beings, but denied that they were persons. Yet it

was this "personhood" upon which their legal rights depended.

During the Third Reich, the personhood of an entire group was questioned. Sociologist Irving

Louis Horowitz summed up the plight of Jews in that era by saying, "The Jew as a nationalquestion; the Jew as a cultural question; the Jew as an economic question, never a person."1 In

May 1923, Adolph Hitler asserted, "The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but not human."2

According to Ernst Fraenkel, a German legal scholar, the Reichsgericht, the highest court in

Germany, was instrumental in depriving Jewish people of their legal rights. "The Reichsgericht

refused to recognize Jews living in Germany as persons in the legal sense."3

Discrimination - Yesterday and Today.

from these privileges.

Britishcommonlawisusedtoupholdthe

notionthatwomenare...notpersonsinthematterofrightsandprivileges.While

theyhavetherighttolifetheycannotinherit

propertyorsuefordamagessoastobenet

theirlives.

Prior to 1884

B.C.Provinciallawdeniedmothersanyrights

andprivilegeswithrespecttothedisposition,

managementandeducationoftheirchildren.

Thefatherhadsolecontrolofachildsdestiny.


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Discrimination in Canada.

Canada too has been historically guilty of discrimination; discrimination which in hindsight is

recognized as oppressive and arbitrary. Canadian women were not considered persons until

October 18th, 1929 when the "Five Persons," Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise

C. McKinney, Irene Parlby and Emily F. Murphy, finally won a judgement in the famous

Persons Case. This decision obtained for Canadian women legal recognition of their personhood.

Emily Murphy, a police magistrate, had constantly heard in her court that, "women are personsin matters of pain and penalties, but not persons in matters of rights and privileges."4 As

examples, Mabel French of New Brunswick5 and Annie Langstaff of Quebec6 could not practise

as barristers because they were not persons. A defence lawyer once yelled at Emily Murphy,

"You're not even a person! You have no right to be holding court."7

In 1928, a constitutional reference was launched on behalf of the five women. The question

considered was,

"Does the word 'person' in section 24 of the British North American Act (BNA), 1867, include

females...?

The decision handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada was unanimously answered in the

negative. Women were not persons within the meaning of the Act.8

This decision was appealedand on October 18th, 1929, the Privy Council in England declared,

"The word person' in Section 24 of the BNA Act,1867 includes members of either sex. "9

Modern Discrimination.

In their efforts to depersonalize the human being in the womb, feminists like Michele Landsberg

refer to "fertilized eggs" and "to the cult of worship of fertilized eggs."10 A statement of

Concerned Citizens for Choice holds that "a pregnant woman has a group of cells growing

within her body."11 Mary Anne Warren, a feminist philosopher, speaks of the preborn child as

"an entity far below the threshold of personhood."12 Doris Anderson and the National Advisory

Council on the Status of Women lobbied vigorously to have the new Charter of Rights omit the

preborn child. In 1980 the Status of Women attempted to have the wording of the Constitution

changed so that the Charter could not be interpreted as applying to preborn children.13 The

Canadian Abortion Rights Action League (CARAL) argued that under the Criminal Code a fetus

does not become a person until it is born. And Laura Sabia, like the defence lawyer of

yesteryear, bellows, "It's a fetus with no right in law. It is not a person.'' 14

The advent of modern medical technology demonstrates how specious these arguments are. In

vitro fertilization has allowed us to witness with our own eyes the beginning of human life.

During "out of the womb" surgery, legally the preborn baby becomes a person; yet when the

child is returned to the womb it loses its legal personhood. Such legal fiction is intolerable.

The past tyranny of some men against women's legitimate rights in order to maintain power for

their own convenience has given way to tyranny by some women over the child in the womb for

much the same reasons. These women choose to regard the preborn baby as undeserving of

doesn't have rights" claims Judy Rebick, then of the National Action Committee on the Status of

Women. "I don't think you can talk about rights when you're talking about an entity that isn't an

independent being.''15

personhood - to do so would, of course, interfere with permissive abortion. "Legally, a fetus


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Others refuse to grant personhood to the preborn because they wish to maintain the status quo,

much like the Supreme Court of Canada did when it reaffirmed that women were not persons.

Had it not been for the enlightened and progressive thinking of the Privy Council, the status quo

would have won the day.

Today, there exists a deliberate refusal to recognize the child in the womb as a person despite

certain knowledge that it is a human being, the youngest member of the human family. Even

though a preborn child can sue for damages suffered while in utero (under civil law) it has beenconsistently refused the right to live (under criminal law) that it needs in order to exercise its

rights. InDaigle v. Tremblay, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that "a fetus is treated as a

person only where it is necessary to do so in order to protect its interests after it is born. "16

Why? The Court did not explain. In 1991, the Supreme Court carried this legal absurdity to

greater lengths when it declared in the "Midwives' Case" that a nine-month-old baby in the

process of birth (its head had emerged from the birth canal) was not a person within the meaning

of the Criminal Code. This decision was hailed by radical feminists.

Were women not persons until the Privy Council declared them to be so? Of course not; they

were always persons. Society simply refused to grant them legal recognition. Is the child in the

womb a person? Of course! Yet once again personhood is being used as a device to create a class

of human beings who may be discriminated against and thereby deprived of their fundamental

Conclusion.

In deciding the "Persons Case" the Privy Council explained:

"The exclusion of women from all public office is a relic of days more barbarous than ours, and

to those who ask why the word person should not include females, the obvious answer is, why

should it not?9

Denying personhood to the preborn child places us in a time of barbarism. To those who ask

why human rights should not be granted to the preborn, the obvious answer is, why not?

The court transcript of the Privy Council's decision in the "Persons Case" reads in part,"The Constitution is a living tree capable of growth and expansion within its natural limits."9

The Canadian Constitution must grow with human understanding. Our knowledge of the prebornhuman person has grown to the point that we can no longer refuse to graft these persons upon the

living tree described by the Privy Council in 1929.

References.

1.Irving Louis Horowitz, Book Review ofJudenat: The Jewish Councils in Eastern Europe

Under Nazi Occupation, Commonweal, April 13,1973, p. 139.

2.C.C. Aronsfeld, The Nazi Design Was Extermination, Not Emigration," Patterns of

Prejudice 9, May-June 1975:22.

3.Ernst Fraenkel, The Dual State; A Contribution to the Theory of Dictatorship , trans. E.A.Shils with Edith Lowenstein and Klaus Knorr (New York; Oxford University Press,

1941), p. 95.

rights; in this case, the most fundamental of rights, the right to life.


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4.Grant MacEwan...and mighty women too, (Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books,

1975), p. 133.

5.(1905) 37, N.B.R. 359, at 371, Re Mabel French (1912)1 WWR 488 (B.C.C.A.) and S.B.

1912, 0. 18.

6.(1915)470.S.C. 131,at 142. Affirmed at (1915) 16Q.K.B. 11.

8.C.J.C. Anglin, Reference as to the meaning of the word `Persons' in Sec. 24 of the BNA

Act, 1867, (1928), 5.CR. 276-304.

9.Edwards v AG. Canada, (1930), Appeal Cases, 124-143.

10.Michele Landsberg, Toronto Star, May 17, 1983.

11.Concerned Citizens for Choice on Abortion,A Woman's Choice - A Strategy for the

Abortion Rights Movement, Feb. 1982, p. 47.

12.Mary Anne Warren, Commentary on "Can the Fetus Be an Organ Farm?",HastingsCenter Report, October 1978, p. 23.

13.Doris Anderson, Globe and Mail, Nov. 15, 1980.

14.Laura Sabia, Toronto Sun, May 17,1983.

15.Globe & Mail, April 29,1991.

16.Daigle v. Tremblay, p. 29.

Acknowledgment: cAlliance Action, 1992.

Personhood

Look at examples throughout history where governments and societies have not properly

understood what a human person is:

Dred Scott Case

Canadian Supreme Court Decision, Winnipeg Child and Family Services Case , 1997

At certain times in history, the word person was defined in a limited way to exclude groups of

people. Those excluded were deemed non-persons and were denied certain human rights.

Human rights are inalienable and fundamental. The right to life is the most basic right of all.

Without the right to life no other rights can exist. In the case of slavery in America the right to

own property was placed above the right to freedom of Black Americans. In the abortion issue,

Canadian courts argued that the right to privacy and security of the mother was morefundamental than the right to life of her child. The right to life however always comes before

matters of personal choice or privacy, just as freedom comes before ownership rights.

7.Isabel Bassett, The Parlous Rebellion, (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1975), p. 165.


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In the eyes of the law...the slave is not a person.Virginia Supreme Court Decision, 1858.

An indian is not a person within the meaning of

the Constitution.George Canfield, American Law Review, 1881.

The statutory word person did not in these

circumstances include women.British Voting Rights case, 1909.

The Reichsgericht itself refused to recognize Jews...as

persons in the legal sense.German supreme Court Decision, 1936.

The law of Canada does not recognize the unbornchild as a legal person possessing rights.

Canadian Supreme Court

Winnipeg Child and Family Services Case, 1997.

Sometimes the most important

lessons take the longest to learn.

Activities for research:

1. What was the basis in law for enslaving Black Americans?

2. What was the basis in law for not allowing women to hold a seat in the Canadian Senate?

3. What section of the Criminal Code of Canada deals with the status and humanity of the

child in the womb? What does it say?

Write a short essay using the following ideas:

Personhood does not begin: It belongs to all human beings.

The definition of person must be grounded in nature not opinion. What happens in a society where some rights are declared arbitrary and are

subject to the whims of elected representatives, judges or ethicists?


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Stem cell research


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Expectations For students to know about the difference between adult and embryonic stem

cells.

Students should learn about the very real successes of adult stem cell research and

treatments.

Students should consider the ethics of good medicine and appreciate why medical

advances that occur at the expense of others is unethical.

WHAT IS A STEM CELL?A stem cell is a master cell capable of becoming another cell type in the body such as skin, muscle, heart

or nerve cell. These cells make up the organs of the body. There is much confusion surrounding the area

of stem cell research, and clarity and morality must be brought to bear when discussing the two types of

research, embryonic and adult stem cell research.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research - Is It Ethical?

Human Embryonic Stem Cell research is Unacceptable

Life begins at conception

the human embryo is a human life

Removal of stem cells kills the embryo

Obtaining and researching stem cells from a human embryo is

unethical and immoral.

Research on stem cells from the adult human being, from the placenta and the umbilical cord is harmless and is to be

encouraged

THE HUMAN EMBRYO - A HUMAN BEINGLiving human embryos must be destroyed in the process of taking their stem cells, hence the killing of a

human life at its earliest stage for the sake of scientific experimentation. It is never acceptable tointentionally kill an innocent human being, no matter how small. It is a scientific fact that human life

begins at conception/ fertilization not a faith position or belief.(2) Science reveals to us that the human

embryo has from the moment of fertilization the complete genetic makeup of a new human life distinct frommother or father. A human embryo is not a potential human being. It is a human being. Our society has become

so accustomed to the taking of human life through abortion and euthanasia that the killing of human embryos for

research is but one more step down the slippery slope of the culture of death. We must remember that we are

stewards, not masters of human life. Scripture tells us that every individual from the very beginning is part of

Gods plan ; Truly, You formed my inmost being : You knit me in my mothers womb. I give you thanks that I

am fearfully, wonderfully made : Wonderful are your works - Psalm 139:

Myth: Embryonic stem cells are the most effective for treating diseases

Reality: In fact, theyre not. Embryonic stem cells have not helped a single human patient or shown any

patients. New clinical uses are being discovered almost weekly around the world.

(1)

therapeutic benefit. However, adult stem cells and other ethical alternatives have already helped thousands of

Myth:Embryonicstemcellsarethemosteffectivefortreatingdiseases

Reality:Infact,theyrenot.Embryonicstemcellshavenothelpedasinglehumanpatient

orshownanytherapeuticbenet.However,adultstemcellsandotherethicalalternativeshavealreadyhelpedthousandsofpatients.Newclinicalusesarebeingdiscoveredalmost

weeklyaroundtheworld.


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What of surplus embryos?

anyway, so why not use them for research? Terminally ill patients will die as well, may we kill them

for scientific research? An evil action is never justified by some promised good that might result from

ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH - ETHICAL ALTERNATIVE

Adult stem cell research does not require the destruction of a human embryo. These stem cells

can be found in adult blood, bone marrow, nerve tissue, umbilical cords, placentas, fat and skin

to name a few. Adult stem cells offer great hope. Since they are taken from the patient for his

own use, adult stem cells are not prone to immune rejection. Medical treatments with adult stem

cell research are plentiful and have produced significant results. They have proven benefits in

clinical trials for: Multiple sclerosis, lupus, juvenile and other rheumatoid arthritis, stroke,

immunodeficiencies, anemia, Epstein Barr virus, cancer treatments in combination with

chemotherapy and or/ radiation, leukemias, ovarian cancer, brain tumours, testicular cancer,

etc., blood and liver diseases, cardiac repair and too many more to mention

.

The baby who gave her mother the gift of life

Patrizia Durante learned she was suffering from leukemia when she was 26

weeks pregnant with her daughter Victoria. It was terrifying, she recounted to

the media. I was afraid for the baby. I was afraid of dying and not being there

for my daughter. It was very difficult and stressful for my family.

While Patrizia was still pregnant she was treated with moderate doses of

chemotherapy. The treatments were not successful. Doctors decided to deliver

the baby prematurely so they could treat Patrizia with higher doses of

chemotherapy drugs. On Sept. 2, 2001, Victoria was born two months ahead of

time, weighing 31/2 pounds. While waiting for a bone marrow transplant, Patrizia became severely ill .

Victorias umbilical cord blood had been frozen in liquid nitrogen and oncologist, Dr. Laneuville decided

to transplant the stem cells from the cord blood into Patrizias body. What is circulating in Patrizia veins

now is actually her babys blood. Stem cells derived from Victorias umbilical cord helped treat her

mothers cancer. Mrs. Durante, now in complete remission counts herself as a leukemia survivor. Were

elated Dr. Laneuville told The Post This is the best case scenario we could possible have

imagined...From a doctors point of view, the chances are shes cured. The gift of life from an ethical

source of stem cells - stem cells from umbilical cord blood. No embryos were harmed by this procedure.

She saved her mommy, Durante told CTV News. Shes a little miracle. Thats why we named her

Victoria Angel. Shes my little angel. In Mrs. Durantes words I gave my daughter life and then she

gave mine back.

(1) Manitoba Physicians for Life

(2)Canadian Physicians for Life

it. Use stem cells? Yes, but we need not destroy human life to do so.

Some say that embryos left in cold storage after an in-vitro fertilization procedure will be destroyed


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Proponents of embryonic stem cell research have created a false impression that these cells

have a proven therapeutic use. In fact the embryonic cells have never helped a single human

patient; any claim that they may someday do so is guesswork.

Adult stem cells have proven benefits, and new uses are constantly being found:

Autoimmune diseases

Multiple Sclerosis

Lupus

Juvenile and other

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Crohns Disease

Scleroderma

Cardiac repair after

heart attack (clinical trials

announced Spring 2001)

Immunodeficiencies,

including a new treatment

for severe combined

immune deficiency (when

used with gene therapy)Anemia /Blood

conditions

Sickle cell Anemia

Aplastic Anemia

Epstein- Barr Infection

Fanconis Anemia

Red cell aplasia

Thalassemia Major

Corneal damage (full

vision restored in most

patients treated in clinical

trials)

Cancer treatment (in

combination with

chemotherapy and/or

radiation)Brain tumors

Retinoblastoma

Ovarian cancer

Solid tumors

Testicular cancer

Multiple myeloma,

Leukemias

Breast cancer

Neuroblastoma

Non-Hodgkins

lymphoma

Cartilage and bone

damage

Neural Degenerative

Disease

Parkinsons Disease

Stroke

Other metabolic

disorders

Osteogenesis imperfecta

Renal cell carcinoma

List of Conditions for which Embryonic Stem Cells have helped

Human Patients: There is no list. These cells have never helped a human patient.

Current Clinical Use of Adult Stem Cells to Help Human Patients


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Marcus Grompe, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon

Health Sciences University B an expert in cell transplantation to repair damaged livers says,

"there is no evidence of therapeutic benefit from embryonic stem cells."

Bert Vogelstein, Professor of Oncology and Pathology at John Hopkins University and

Chairman of the Institute of Medicines committee studying stem cell research described all

claims of therapeutic benefit from embryonic stem cells as "conjectural."

Right to Life News Canada Bwinter 2004 edition

Questions

cell applications. List one having taken place here in Ottawa at the Ottawa Hospital in the

treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

www.ottawahospital.on.ca/about/reports/ar05-06.epdf

www.ohri.ca/corporate/ohri_ar_04-05_e.pdf

Helpful Hint

Two excellent sources of information on stem cell research are: www.stemcellresearch.org

1. What are the two main types of stem cells?

2. Research some of the successful treatments achieved through the use of adult stem cells.

ww.nccb.org (National Conference of Catholic Bishops-United States)

3. Have there been any successful therapies using embryonic stem cells?

4. Find other news stories dealing with a patient benefitting through the use of adult stem

w


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ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA


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What is meant by assisted suicide?

Assisted suicide is a self-induced death where the means ( drugs or other devices) which

cause such a death are provided by a second agent. It could be a doctor or another individual.

Although a legal distinction is made between euthanasia and assisted suicide, there is no

ethical difference.

It remains a criminal act to counsel, aid or abet a suicide because historically it was

recognized that those who consider suicide are especially vulnerable to those who could take

advantage of them. It was also recognized that it was impossible to enforce any kind of

limited assisted suicide and euthanasia, without opening the door to all kinds of abuse.

What is euthanasia?

Euthanasia means acting or failing to act in such a way as to cause the death of another

human being, where the primary intention is to kill, supposedly for his or her own good. No

matter what the reason or method, killing is killing. Euthanasia and assisted suicide is saying:

We think you would be better off dead.

What about pain?

We must kill the pain not the patient. Palliative care and pain specialists

have at their disposal a vast array of medications to alleviate physical

pain in the patient. They inform us that it is possible today to substantially

relieve pain in almost all circumstances. Breakthroughs in pain

management ensure that patients can be made comfortable.

Suffering and pain wear many faces and require different treatments.

Palliative care seeks to answer all the needs of the patient:

Documents

A Pro-Life Resource manual for use in Catholic Secondary schools