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News, 22 August 2006
The Catholic bishops of England and Wales have urged Amnesty International not to support abortion rights. The press office of the episcopal conference sent a letter to Amnesty earlier this month, asking them to maintain their neutral stance on abortion. The bishops said in their statement, "We urge Amnesty International to be comprehensive in its campaign to 'Protect the Human,' to include, therefore, the unborn as among the weakest and most vulnerable, and so remain true to its original vision." [Zenit, 18 August]
President Bush has said that he supports the sale of Plan B morning-after pills over the counter, so long as it is available to under-18s on prescription only. His statement supports the decision made by Andrew von Eschenbach, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Agency, which may result in Plan B being sold over the counter in a matter of weeks. Pro-life groups in the US, including Concerned Women for America, have made statements opposing the sale of the drug and are opposing Eschenbach as commissioner of the FDA. [Life News, 21 August]
The
majority of Australians are opposed to cloning human embryos for therapeutic
purposes, according to a recent poll. The survey, which was carried out by
Sexton Marketing, was commissioned by Rev Dr John Fleming, the director of
Sydney's Campion College. It found that 51% of participants opposed human
cloning as a source of stem cells. 40% preferred research using adult stem
cells, while only 4% preferred the use of embryonic stem cells. Dr Fleming
said, "The science
has not changed, the moral arguments have not changed, community standards have
not changed." [CathNews, 22 August]
Legislation that seeks to bar the transport of minors between states in America for abortions is expected to become an important issue in the November elections, according to WBUR, Boston University's radio station. The Senate voted last month to approve a bill that would allow federal prosecutors to file charges against individuals who take under-age girls across state lines to obtain abortions, in order to avoid parental notification or consent laws. The House of Representatives has yet to approve the bill, although it voted for a similar one in April 2005. [Medical News Today, 21 August]
To subscribe to SPUC's email information services, please visit www.spuc.org.uk/em-signup. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 2012
