Life, Death, and Christmas

Herod had no room in his heart that first Christmas, and was thus ghoulishly-inspired to kill all of the children in Bethlehem. This Christmas season, one can see similar insanity here in the states, in Europe, and a little further south as well.

In South Dakota, the state legislature ventured into the heated abortion debate and produced a 72-page report calling for a ban on the practice. The study found that that since abortion ends the life of a “unique, whole, living human being” the state has “a duty to change the law” in order to “protect the child’s life.” Although the task force was selected by the state’s elected representatives, several members walked out before the final vote on the report because they claim the panel was comprised overwhelmingly of abortion opponent and therefore didn’t represent the views of most South Dakotans.

Meanwhile, a Study Shows Affects of Abortion. The University of Oslo studied post-abortion mental anguish, and found it left lasting emotional scarring. The BBC reported that the researchers compared 40 women who had had a miscarriage with 80 who chose to have an abortion. Women who miscarried experienced more mental distress during the first six months after losing the baby, but after two years only 2.6 percent still felt distress. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of women who voluntarily aborted reported distress after six months, and 20 percent still suffered after five years.

Talk about Post-Abortion Trauma!
Every year in Britain, 50 babies are born-alive -- after an abortion attempt. Babies born alive. Don't you just hate medical malpractice? The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is mounting an investigation into this horrible rash of babies born alive -- according to their standards an abortionist is supposed to be sure they stop the baby's heart with a direct injection of potassium chloride.

The problem? "In practice, few doctors are willing or able to perform the delicate procedure," says Britain's Sunday Times. Another problem? Abortion is legal in Britain up to the 24th week of pregnancy, but some babies born earlier do survive:

'They can be born breathing and crying at 19 weeks' gestation,' [Stuart Campbell, former professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St George's hospital, London] said. 'I am not anti-abortion, but as far as I am concerned this is sub-standard medicine.' Fortunately, not everyone has such a warped definition of "medicine." The Times goes on to report that, "Doctors are increasingly uneasy about aborting babies who could be born alive."

Enter Gianna Jessen, who was one of those pesky babies who just insisted on being born alive. Gianna is a young American woman who survived a saline abortion. Today, despite living with cerebral palsy as a result of the "sub-standard abortion" that almost killed her, Gianna has become a marathon runner.

And in April, Gianna will be running in the London Marathon to draw attention to the Alive and Kicking Campaign. They are working toward reducing the legal upper limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 18 weeks, which would halve the yearly number of abortions in the UK.

Abortionist Makes His Patients "Born Again!"
In one of the most disturbing articles I've read in a long while, an Arkansas abortion provider states that he offers women hope while (in his words)---he "destroys life." The full articles is here.

Finally, a Mayor Oulaws Death!

Because his town is running out of room for burials, and handcuffed by laws that limit cremation, a Brazilian mayor has proposed a law to make death illegal!

Mayor Roberto Pereira da Silva’s proposal to the Town Council asks residents to “take good care of your health in order not to die” and warns that “infractors will be held responsible for their acts.”

The bill, which sets no penalty for passing away, is meant to protest a federal law that has barred a new or expanded cemetery in Biritiba Mirim, a town of 28,000 people 45 miles east of Sao Paulo.