Catholic Bishops of England and Wales and the Church of England Issue Memorandum on Upcoming Hate Crime Legislation

The article immediately above the memo points out the following:
“Our main concern,” the Churches point out, “is that any legislation on incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation permits the expression of traditional Christian (and other) opinions on sexual behaviour and consequent criticisms of particular forms of behaviour or lifestyle. As with incitement to religious hatred, we believe it is vital that there should be the maximum possible clarity about what is forbidden and what is permitted. Christians engaged in teaching or preaching and those seeking to act in accord with Christian convictions in their daily lives need to be assured that the expression of strong opinions on marriage or sexuality will not be illegal.”

"Incitement to Hatred on Grounds of Sexual Orientation"

Iran May Ask Vatican to be Mediator in Talks with U.S.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=54982

Human Skin Cells May Yield Same Qualities as Desired From Embryonic Stem Cells

Scientists in the USA and Japan have found that human skin cells are just as 'pluripotent' as embryonic stem cells - they are more adaptable to scientist's various needs for research and hopefully to patient's needs someday. This discovery may eliminate the need for hotly contested embryonic stem cell research, and demonstrate that ethics need not be forgotten even at the cutting edge of scientific research.

National Review Article

Pope Thanks UN Food and Agriculture Organization and Exhorts Them to Ensure That No One Goes Hungry

http://www.zenit.org/article-21075?l=english

Happy Thanksgiving!

Venezuelan Seminarians Loyal to Church

This December 2 there will be a vote on the reforms to Venezuela's constitution. Seminarians from the country have written a letter to the Venezuelan Bishops' conference expressing their support for the Church in opposition to the "morally unacceptable" revisions that are "irreconcilable with the Christian Faith and its view of man and society". Additionally, they expressed concern that that human rights would be infringed upon. They go onto cite Pope Benedict from his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, on government and its role with respect to human freedom.



http://www.kirche-in-not.org/acn-news/newsy/november_2007.html

Positive Pro-Life News from Brazil and Ireland

At Brazil's National Health Conference (NCH), a proposal to legalize abortion was raised by feminist groups as a solution to a 'public health' problem. The delegates voted on whether or not to include this recommendation in their report to the national government and the proposal sank with 70% of the 2,627 members voted no.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=54920

Within the EU, Ireland has pointed out that support for Africa must remain within previously established guidelines on abortion. In January, the African Union had advanced a resolution in favor of legalizing abortion in African countries under the pretext of eliminating 'unsafe abortion', and support for the African Union's "Maputo Plan of Action" is being discussed in the EU. The EU had outlined as part of it's policies that it would not endorse abortion in other countries, and the Irish government brought this framework back up.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=54911

2008 Presidential Candidate Stances on 3 Big Pro-Life Issues

National Right to Life has an interesting chart with all of the U.S. Candidates and their stances on the three major pro-life issues - embryonic stem cell research, Roe vs. Wade, and partial birth abortion.

Republican lineup: Giuliani, Thompson, Romney, McCain, Huckabee, Hunter, Paul, Tancredo

Democratic Lineup: Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden, Kucinich, Dodd, Gravel

http://www.nrlpac.org/pdf/candidates_08.pdf

Note: This critical election is less than 12 months away.

18th Annual Protest at Army School

On Sunday November 18, 2007, about 10,000 people came out to participate in the 18th annual protest against the School of Americas, also known as the school of assassins. The protestors demanded the closure of the school, as massive crowds gathered at the school’s gate in Columbus, Georgia. The 18th annual protest of the school at Fort Benning brought Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich. In his address to the crowd, Kucinich said that “the thinking that went into producing an Army school blamed for human rights abuses in Latin America was the same that led the U.S. to war in Iraq and could cause it to raid Iran.” Kucinich also said that if elected as president of the US, he would immediately close the school that trains Latin American soldiers, police and government officials.
The 18th annual protest also coincided with the anniversary of the six Jesuit priests who were killed along with their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador on November 19th, 1989. All throughout Latin America, many religious people and civilians were victims of repression and mass killings from some of the soldiers and police men who attended the School of the Americas.

http://www.esmas.com/noticierostelevisa/internacionales/678782.html

Newsweek At Odds with Missouri Over Abortion Access

Newsweek's recent article, "Crossing the Line", looks at Missouri and Illinois in terms of their abortion legislation and finds Missouri cold by comparison. Furthermore, the writers do not speak well of Angela Michael who has tried to protect women and their babies outside the Hope Clinic in Granite City, IL for more than 10 years. This is the same Angela Michael who runs the "Window to the Womb" van for her (warning: graphic picture on following weblink) "Small Victories" crisis pregnancy service.

Muslim Nations Spark Debate at UN as They Voice Concern for the Unborn

Egypt, Bahrain, Iran, Libya, Kuwait, Mauritania, and Sudan ignited a debate over the value of unborn life at the UN today. These nations proposed two amendments to protect the lives of the unborn to be added onto the EU - driven bill to formally condemn the death penalty.

The first amendment read that it “urges Member States to take all necessary measures to protect the lives of unborn children.” It lost 83 - 28 with 47 abstentions. The United States voted for the measure.

The second amendment "reaffirms that every human being has the inherent right to life and stresses that abortion should only be admissible in necessary cases and only when the life of the mother or child is at serious risk.” It fell 84-26 with 46 abstentions.

The overall resolution to condemn the death penalty (which failed to mention protection of unborn life)was passed 99 - 52 with 33 countries abstaining. This is a non-binding resolution.

Poland has been snubbed for making the same point about the EU and abortion earlier in the year (as featured in a September blog entry).


http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=54827

Sign of hope in protecting babies in Colorado and elsewhere

According to the below article, the Colorado Court has allowed a ballot initiative that seeks to define children in the womb as persons. This would give them protection under law. This is hoped to be voted on in the November 2008 elections. Efforts like this are under way in other states such as Montana, Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, and South Carolina.

ANALYSIS: Will Children in the Womb Receive Constitutional Protection in Colorado?www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25910

New Jersey law forces filling of abortion causing drug

The article below is from last week (11.8.2007). New Jersey has passed a law forbidding pharmastists to object to filling the perscription of a contraceptive drug that causes abortions. Further from the article, the President of Human Life International, Father Euteneur says, “this is not yet another action by government in America leading to tyranny, it is tyranny." It also indicates this is a reminder for us to do what we can with our vote and other efforts to help ensure that the freedoms our country was founded on stay intact. Here is the article on this matter below.

'New Jersey Law is Tyranny' says Human Life Internationalwww.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25855

National Right to LIfe endorses Thompson

For all of those interested in politics, here is an update on the National Right to Life Committee endorsing Fred Thompson from CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/13/thompson.endorsement/

Status on Cloning in MO

Last year, Amendment 2 passed in MO which redefined 'human cloning' so that this new faulty definition could be banned while permitting embryonic stem cell research to proceed (which involves actual cloning). There is an amendment in the works to ban this research, but it is facing a fight, as the writers of the ballot measure have crafted the proposal to appear as a repeal of the above mentioned 'ban'. This blog has the disguised propostion and the originally intended proposition beneath it.

Contact Missourians For Cures without Cloning to help. As of this afternoon, it sounds like they need another 4,000 trained signature gatherers to petition for this measure to be put on the Missouri ballot. When any state passes legislation like Ammendment 2 last year, it is only a matter of time before the same methods are used elsewhere.

Homelessness Numbers in 2006 Show Progress

Between 2005 and 2006, there was a drop in chronic homelessness in the US of more than 11% (According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development).

"HUD says people are chronically homeless if they have been continuously living on the streets for a year or more, or if they have been homeless at least four times in the past three years. They also have to have a disability, often mental illness or substance abuse."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SP14A80&show_article=1&lst=1

New Jersey Rejects $450 Million Stem Cell Initiative

It appears the initiative was for $450 million not $450 billion. Either way, New Jersey has declined to borrow more money in further support of stem cell research at this time. The money would have been borrowed over 10 years.
In 2005, New Jersey became the first state to finance embryonic stem cell research and has recently approved $270 million for research facilities.
KSJ is unaware as to whether the grants listed in the last entry are currently being funded or were put on hold with the failure of this initiative. This article quotes Ihor (listed in last article)and would make it appear that their grant money might have been expected to come from the failed ballot measure.

Starbucks and U.S. Troops

If you read that previous post on the supposed lack of support for U.S. troops from Starbucks, please ignore it. I received an email from the Grand Knight of a local K of C council and wrongly assumed it was from someone he knew. Thanks to the gentle correction of a brother seminarian, I now know that the entire email was a hoax. It's a shame these things can circulate like that for so long. Turns out it was from over 2 years ago!

Miller Boycott Fought Particularly Hard By Detroit Chaldean Catholics Pays Off

As posted on earlier on this blog, Miller had been advertising in some extremely sacreligious ways. Due to an intense boycott, especially in the Archdiocese of Detroit, the brewer has recently pledged never to support events that insult and offend religious sensibilities again.

Chaldean "party"store owners of Detroit to put some force into the boycott by not selling any Miller beer at their 2,000 locations (which comprise about 90% of Detroit's total party store market). They were inspired by the fellow Chaldeans in Iraq.

"Our religion is important for us. I told our people Sunday (Oct. 28), 'Look how it is in Iraq, with all the pressure on them, not one (Chaldean) family has changed their religion. And here we are in the United States, and someone is mocking our religion, and we are going to do nothing?' I told them that if they support someone who is supporting such activities, it is just as if they were doing those activities too," Bishop Ibrahim, the Chaldean Bishop for the Eastern half of the U.S., said.

New Jersey Votes on Funding "Stem Cell Research" to Include Embryonic Stem Cell Research

New Jersey voters will determine whether they move to the top of the list of states using public money to fund stem cell research. The sum of money being considered is 450 billion dollars. Among the list of winning grants are listed:

Ihor Lemischka Ph.D Princeton University $300,000Genome-Wide Functional Analysis of ES Cell fate RegulationTo understand human embryonic stem cell decisions such as survival/death, renewal/determination and to understand how to maintain or induce specific cell fate with the goal of applying this knowledge to patient therapies.

and
Randall McKinnon Ph.D. UMDNJ-RWJMS $300,000Gliogenic Potential of Human Placental Stem CellsTo identify mechanisms of glial cell generation from human placental cells with the goal of identifying a potential alternative to embryonic stem cells for clinical trials. In collaboration with Celgene, a New Jersey-based biotech firm ranked sixth largest internationally.

The main stem cell research portion of the NJ website seems to bury any reference to embryonic stem cells. The use of ES cells to refer to embryonic stem cells occurs. So, don't be confused.

Twin Refuses to Die in Womb

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=491443&in_page_id=1770

China to Ban Bibles from Olympic Village and all Athletes from Wearing Any Religious Symbols in 2008 Games

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=10868