Pro-Life Times: July 2002

Embryos sacrificed in Blair's bid for scientific glory

by Antonia Tully

Tony Blair has raised the profile of his personal support for human embryo experiments in a speech to the Royal Society, the country's leading scientific academy. Mr Blair has pledged to make Britain the "best place in the world" for stem cell research. Last year the Government forced through emergency legislation to ensure that cloned embryos as well as IVF embryos could be used for stem cell research.

Mr Blair would like to see "a community of stem cell experts" and he wants it to be in Britain. "I want to make the UK the best place in the world for this research, so in time our scientists, together with those we are attracting from overseas, can develop new therapies."

John Smeaton, national director of SPUC said, "It will be the greatest shame of our country to have scientists concentrated here who want to pursue their aims by destroying very early human lives. Britain should be a centre of scientific excellence but not at the expense of human lives."

Professor Neil Scolding, the Burden professor of clinical neurosciences at the University of Bristol said, "Britain could very easily be the best place in the world for stem cell research, and treatments depending on stem cells, by using adult stem cells. We can make scientific progress without compromising ethical standards."

The Medical Research Council is setting up the National Stem Cell Bank, following a recommendation in the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Stem Cell Research published earlier this year. This would house both adult stem cells and those from human embryos.

Comment

Ann Farmer was born in 1953. She has been married for 28 years and has three children. She has been involved in the pro-life movement for 23 years. She is a freelance writer. "Language of Life" was published in 1994. Her latest book, "Prophets and Priests - the hidden face of the birth control movement", was described by Professor Scarisbrick, National Chairman of LIFE as a "masterly study". Ann is currently studying for a Masters degree in Jewish- Christian relations.

As a feminist author, but also as a mother and descendant of working women (both my grandmothers were teenage mothers - though both were married!) I am powerfully aware of the profoundly anti-child but also anti-woman effects of abortion.

Even in the 'swinging Sixties', babies were generally welcomed by married couples. Little girls vied with each other to look after neighbours' babies. Now, many have babies of their own, yet increasing numbers abort and are afflicted with STDs.

My book 'Prophets and Priests' notes that we hear so much about teenage pregnancy, we would never realise we had an imploding population.

However, the overpopulation scare is at last being 'busted'. Hopefully this, the first generation to believe they did not need children, will be forced to take a reality check; abortion will no longer be ignored by media and politicians. Perhaps, at last, society will renew its commitment to the solidarity of the generations.

Lord, help us see the humanity of the unborn child. May we be grateful for the gift of life received from previous generations, and generous about passing it on to those yet to come - strangers still to us, but to You, already precious.Lord, we pray.

Judge's bias condemned

by Dominic Baster

The judge who ruled against SPUC in its judicial review against sales of the morning-after pill has been criticised for the bias shown in his judgment.Mr Justice James Munby threw out the case and refused SPUC leave to appeal, despite admitting that the drug destroys living embryos after fertilisation.

His ruling was argued not purely on legal grounds, but stressed the public policy implications. When it came to awarding costs Mr Munby contradicted this approach by saying that the case was not a public policy matter, and that SPUC must pay all the costs sought by other parties.

SPUC's case had been that the supply of the morning-after pill contravened the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, which is still in force. Mr Munby also ruled against SPUC on the ground that the Act forbids supplying drugs for a 'miscarriage', which he argued does not cover very early abortions.

The Family Planning Association highlighted policy matters in evidence to the court. It admitted that the morning-after pill causes embryos to die and argued that most other birth control drugs can do so too. Mr Munby declared, "I have to confess that this is a conclusion which I have come to without any regret. Quite the contrary."

John Smeaton, SPUC's national director, said, "This decision turns science on its head and brings the whole legal system into disrepute."

Absolute sanctity of human life - nothing less will do

by John Smeaton, National Director, SPUC

The Irish and the British governments have something in common. Both are led by prime ministers who claim to be against abortion. However, both men promote policies which lead to higher numbers of abortions and the spread of human embryo research and IVF programmes which involve the destruction of countless embryos. Tony Blair's position on cloning is spelled out on the front page of this newspaper and his support for abortion has been expressed in numerous votes in Parliament.

The position of Bertie Aherne, the Irish Taoi-seach, is seen in his government's abortion referendum in March. It would have permitted abortion througout the nine months of pregnancy and abortion-inducing drugs, Mr Aherne admitted, would have been 'lawful'.

Moreover, by defining the start of pregnancy or human life at implantation, as the referendum did, Mr Aherne's government was giving the green light to human embryo researchers and to IVF practitioners whose work involves the killing of so many tiny human beings.

Finally, Ireland's 2002 abortion referendum would have copperfastened the arrangements on travel for abortion and information on abortion originally agreed in 1992. As the story on page four makes clear, this provision has led to a huge rise in the abortion of Irish babies during recent years.

The pro-life movement can never back proposals which undermine the legal protection of unborn children. We must expose the hypocrisy of politicians who back such proposals whilst pretending to be against abortion. Even in today's cynical world, people are entitled to expect more of those involved in the noble profession of politics.

A higher standard still is expected of Christians. That is why the hosting of a pro-abortion conference at a Roman Catholic priory in Northern Ireland caused such a pained reaction from pro-lifers last month. At a time of such intense attack on the lives of children in the womb, nothing less than a witness to the absolute sanctity of human life is acceptable.

Morning-after pill study linked to drug company

by Staff reporter

Two of the four authors of a study suggesting that pregnancy rates in14 and 15 year olds could be reduced if they have more knowledge about the morning after pill, have links with organisations with an interest in wider use of post coital birth control. Anna Graham was one of authors of the research published in the British Medical Journal in May 2002. She is a clinical research fellow at the Univeristy of Bristol and has received fees from Schering Health Care, the UK distributor of Levonelle morning after pills.

Fellow author Laurence Moore, a clinical research fellow at Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, is a recipient of funding from the Health Promotion Division of the National Assembly for Wales - a body committed to the promotion and provision of morning-after pills to underage girls in Wales.

In the study teachers gave a single lesson on 'emergency contraception' and six months later pupils were asked to fill in a questionnaire to assess pupil knowledge of the time limits in using the morning-after pill. More pupils who had attended the lesson were more aware of the time limits, than those who had not.

Gordon Kane a spokesperson for Vision for Love, a forum on teenage reproductive health and welfare, said, "The study says more about the effectiveness of the teaching method employed in the study than it did about the role of birth control in reducing teenage pregnancy. The authors have no way of knowing whether the degree of sexual activity or use of 'emergency contraception' by the pupils was a result of the lesson they received or a myriad of other factors which were not monitored."

Mr Kane continued, "Despite an increase in emergency contraception the number of teenage pregnancies has increased over the last 10 years."

Millionth IVF birth

The one millionth baby to survive in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been born. However, pro-lifers have lamented the fact that since Louise Brown, the world's first IVF baby, was born in 1978, tens of millions of other IVF babies have lost their lives. It has been estimated that 98.3% of babies conceived through IVF die before birth - either in the petri dish or after transfer into the woman's body.

Josephine Quintavalle of Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE) observed: "The advent of IVF has led to a commodification of human life on a massive scale. Many scientists claim that the tens of thousands of IVF embryos in cold storage might be 'wasted' unless they are used for experiments."

News In Brief

ENGLAND - Provisional figures have indicated that 186,200 unborn children were killed under the terms of the British Abortion Act in England and Wales last year. The provisional total, which takes into account incomplete forms and may be revised, is the third highest ever and represents an increase of 0.4% on 2000. 76% of abortions were funded by the National Health Service, up from 74% in 2000. (ONS)

NORTHERN IRELAND - Pro-lifers have criticised the decision by a Servite priory in Northern Ireland to host a pro-abortion conference. A centre run by Benburb Servite priory in County Tyrone hosted the annual conference of the Women's Information Group where the morning-after pill and the RU-486 abortion drug were promoted. A prominent member of the pro-abortion Family Planning Association led a workshop on abortion law, and Audrey Simpson, head of FPA Northern Ireland, was present. (SPUC)

NORTH KOREA - It is reported that forced abortions and infanticide have become common in North Korean prisons. North Korean defectors say that the country's prison officials routinely give pregnant inmates injections to induce abortions, or smother newborn babies to death when pregnancies go undetected. The killings seem to have nationalistic overtones because guards intentionally single out refugees returned by China who have been impregnated by Chinese men. (New York Times)

BELGIUM - The Belgian parliament has voted to legalise euthanasia. The measure, which was passed by the Senate last October and had the support of the ruling coalition, was passed in the lower house by 86 votes to 51, with 10 abstentions. The law is expected to come into effect this summer, when Belgium will become the second country after the Netherlands to legalise active euthanasia since the fall of Nazi Germany. (BBC)

Why Diane Pretty was wrong

Diane Pretty's 'right to die' case was so high-profile that probably everyone knew about her campaign. What most people did not know was that the Voluntary Euthanasia Society was involved in the legal case from the outset and the media became willing collaborators in a propaganda exercise although the medical evidence relating to Mrs Pretty's condition was never openly published. They promoted the philosophy that death is in the best interests of terminally ill and disabled people. Alison Davis looks at the case and asks how it might affect others.

Diane Pretty, who had Motor Neurone Disease died on 11th May 2002. She had sought an assurance from the Director of Public Prosecutions that her husband would not be prosecuted if he assisted her to commit suicide. One of the arguments used by Mrs Pretty's lawyers was Article 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998, which guarantees "everyone's right to life shall be protected by law. No one shall be deprived of his life intentionally...". Incredibly Mrs Pretty went on to claim that her right to life included a right to die. She also said that people with disabilities must be granted death with dignity as if vulnerable people are 'dignified' only in death. However, the European Court, like the UK courts before them, rightly concluded that there was no breach of her rights in refusing to allow her husband to kill her.

Among the misleading 'facts' repeated many times by those who supported Diane Pretty and in the media, was that people with MND 'often' die of choking or asphyxia. This is in fact totally untrue. People with MND almost always die peacefully# and Diane Pretty herself eventually died entirely peacefully1 and painlessly in a Hospice. This case was extremely worrying for all disabled people, but had particular resonance for me, because I could understand so well the desperation Mrs. Pretty must have felt. Fifteen years ago I too wanted to die, because of a combination of severe physical and mental pain. It was a settled wish that lasted ten years, and during the first five of those years I seriously attempted suicide several times. I was only saved by my friends, who refused to agree that my life had no value and called 999 so I could be treated in hospital - against my will.

Over time I was helped to re-establish a sense of my own human value, even though I still have very severe spinal pain. My ultimate change of mind, and desire to live, however, came when I met disabled children in India and started the charity Enable to help them. These children really did save my life with their unconditional love, given despite having nothing, in worldly terms, and despite being so disabled that many are crawling in the dust when they come to our Centres.

'My' Indian children helped me see the infinite value of my own life and every human life. But had the sort of ruling Diane Pretty sought to establish been in place when I was so desperate, I would have been killed, and thus denied the chance to live and love which every suffering person deserves.

From the desk of Joanna Bogle

Mark the date

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has designated a special day, starting next year, 2003, as a Day for Life. The date will be the first Sunday in July (i.e. 6 July) 2003. Mark the date now! Local pro-life groups could start thinking and planning about possible activities: a vigil of prayer, highlighting the tragedy of abortion and euthanasia? A joint ecumenical church service, with a speaker from a pro-life group? An outdoor procession of witness? Special prayers in your local church at all the normal services? And what about activities in school, or in your church women's group? Time moves swiftly: your diary needs to be marked now and local planning should start.

Pro-abortion tactics In the 34 years since the Abortion Act, a pro-abortion view has become accepted in many spheres of life: in the media, in politics, in the structures of the health and social services systems. The idea that abortion is a standard part of health care provision is now entrenched. There remain only a few barriers. One of these is the Church. Increasingly, the pro-abortionists see the need to work within Christian structures to undermine what they see as the last pillars of resistance to a society accepting abortion-on-demand. Watch out for increased calls for the churches not to be so 'negative' in attitudes to abortion, and for hints that being 'pro-life' should really mean just accepting generalities about eliminating pollution or calling for world peace and prosperity, while avoiding tougher issues such as aborting babies or killing the gravely ill. Key slogans will be that opposing abortion is 'too narrow', that talk of euthanasia is 'scare mongering' and that pro-life groups are 'rather extreme and focused on a single issue.'

Teenage pregnancy

It's now more or less accepted that successive government attempts to curb the teenage pregnancy rate have failed. Pro-life and pro-family groups have been saying for ages that sex education in schools encourages teenagers to try it out. Here's some research which supports this. Pupils at the Royal Forest of Dean College took part in a survey by Gloucestershire Community Health Council. The findings were published in March 2000. One of the questions was: "When you first received sex education did you feel the need to experiment?" 45.4% of the boys said yes (compared with 1.5% of the girls). The majority of the boys (77%) had received sex education by the age of 12. This research, and much more, was reported in an excellent booklet titled 'Why the Government's teenage pregnancy strategy is destined to fail' produced by Family Education Trust, The Mezzanine, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road, London SE1 7NQ. Tel: 020 7401 548, website: www.famyouth.org.uk, email fyc@ukfamily.org.uk.

Challenging Book

The Gift of Femininity' is a collection of women's writings, in which each describes a personal spiritiual journey. I was really touched and moved to be invited to take part. The book brings together a rich variety of experiences and includes some well know names such as Chiara Lubich founder of the Focolare Movement, philosopher Dr Alice von Hildebrand, and American authoress Kimberley Hahn, wife of the noted scripture scholar Dr Scott Hahn. I've arranged for copies of the book to be available from the Good Counsel network, 538 Kings Drive, Wembley, HA9 9JD. Send them £10, which will cover the cost and postage, and give a small boost to their funds, which go to help young mothers in need of care and support.

Pro-Lifers turn the tables at UN

by Paul Tully

The tables were turned on pro-abortion delegates at the UN summit on children in May. All references to 'reproductive health services' - an umbrella term used for abortion and other practices at the UN - were thrown out of the summit document. Pro-abortion delegates and lobbyists were bitter at the defeat. Years of intensive lobbying and infiltration at UN meetings have seen pro-abortion language appearing in all sorts of UN documents.

But in New York, at the Child Summit, delegates from USA, the Holy See, and pro-life Muslim and Latin American countries held out to exclude all pro-abortion wording from the text. Canadian and EU delegations, backed by lobbyists from feminist groups and the population control industry, engaged in the now-routine all night sessions trying to force anti-life language into the text. Pro-family and pro-life delegations, backed by lobbyists including an SPUC representation, held out to defeat them. The outcome means that developing countries cannot be so easily pressured to accept pro-abortion initiatives as a condition for receiving aid from the developed world.

Pro-life Irish concern

The European Union, including the Republic of Ireland, negotiated as a bloc for pro-abortion language to be included in the outcome document. The Irish government has consistently denied that "reproductive health services" include abortion, although this was confirmed by a Canadian delegate during a preparatory session for the child summit. Mary Thornton, leader of Ireland for Life, said, "I am very concerned that the Irish delegates at UN conferences negotiate as a bloc with pro-abortion EU countries. Our representatives have a constitutional obligation to protect the right to life of the unborn."

Irish abortion rate is highest ever

by Dominic Baster

Provisional statistics have indicated that 6,625 women travelled from the Irish Republic to England and Wales for abortions last year, the highest number ever.

The right to life of the unborn has been constitutionally protected in Ireland since 1983. However, in a referendum in 1992 (despite a vigorous campaign by SPUC and others in favour of a No vote) the people voted in favour of weakening this protection by giving legal sanction to Irish women who travelled abroad for abortions and by permitting British abortion clinics to advertise their services in Ireland.

The 1992 referendum result was legislated for by the Noonan Act in 1995, since when the number of abortions in England and Wales on women from the Irish Republic has increased by more than 46% (1995-2001). In contrast, the number of abortions on residents of England and Wales increased by 20.7% over the same period (1995-2001), while the number of abortions on women from Northern Ireland actually fell by 1.3% between 1995 and 2000 (the last year for which figures are available). Dana Rosemary Scallon, the pro-life member of the European parliament for Connaught and Ulster, commented, "It is undeniable that since the rights to information and travel for abortion were legislated for, we have seen a very great increase in the number of Irish women travelling abroad for abortions. This has resulted in the deaths of many thousands of unborn Irish children. The recent referendum proposals would have copperfastened the right to travel for abortion, a fact which led many concerned citizens to reject the proposed constitutional amendment."

Double threat to unborn from Euro Reports

by Staff reporter

Two draft reports coming before the European parliament threaten to undermine national pro-life laws by pushing for a Europe-wide pro-abortion consensus.

The Van Lancker report on sexual and reproductive rights recommends that abortion should be legalised and made readily available in all EU member states (including Ireland) and all countries wishing to join the EU (including Poland and Malta). It also promotes the use of the morning-after pill.

Meanwhile, the Sandbæk report on reproductive rights in developing countries is being prepared with the assistance of Marie Stopes International, a global promoter and provider of abortion.

Concerned pro-life activists are alerting MEPs to both reports, and urging them to respect national laws and customs that protect the right to life of the unborn.