B C R T L
PO BOX 1613
COLUMBUS, IN 47202
 

Newsletter Fall 2008

From The President’s Pen                                                By Judy Jackson

There is absolutely nothing more important that voting in this next election.  You can visit Indiana Right to Life’s website at Indiana Right to Life.org for a listing of how Indiana legislatures have voted on Pro-Life issues.  Included in the newsletter this month is a flyer from National Right to Life indicating the Presidential candidates stand on abortion (page 5).
You can also make sure your candidates know how you stand and that they vote to protect innocent human life even when it may be unpopular.  Pro-Life politicians need to vote to uphold the sanctity of innocent human life EVERY time. Sponsor Pro-Life legislation.  When they are running for election,  see to it that they don’t recruit pro-abortion politicians.  Let them know that your pro-life convictions are more important to you than your party affiliation.  Expect politicians to be true to their Pro-Life work. 
Abortion and euthanasia  are the most important concerns, because without the basic right to life, there are no other rights that matter. 
 The other important issue is the  possibility of two or three new Supreme Court Justices being appointed is very real.  If Pro-Life Justices are not appointed, the Pro-Life movement could  lose all that has been gained in the last years. 
I would encourage each and every one of you to thank all elected officials for their Pro-Life stance.  It is very important that they know we are watching them and that we appreciate their stand for Life issues.
The culture of death in this country is very strong and we must do everything we can do combat this evil.  You will have an opportunity to help in this area by coming to our September banquet and hear an excellent speaker on Pro-Life and anti-abortion subjects.  Please see the flyer enclosed in the newsletter, as our venue has changed this year (page 4).
As I write this letter, I have come to realize that this is the 2nd Presidential election I have gone through as President of Bartholomew County Right to Life.  While it has been frustrating in terms of results, there have been many pluses.  My husband Larry and I have had the privilege of meeting and making so many new Pro-Life friends and supporters.  We now have a website (BarthCoRighttoLife.org) and the newsletter has been changed to include advertisers thanks to the help of Tony Hillen and Mark Weigel.  Bob Moffit, after many years as treasurer, stepped down and that position has been taken over by Don Demas.  Lew Wilson has come on board as our Vice President.  Julie Edgecomb continues as Secretary.  Whereas the fight is long from over,  it is time for someone else to take over the leadership of BCRTL.  With mixed emotions, I am resigning from BCRTL board as of the end of 2008. I would like to thank all the board members for their hard work, enthusiasm and support during my years as President of BCRTL.   I will continue to participate in all Pro-Life activities and pray that at some point in our lives all unborn children will have the RIGHT TO LIFE. .

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Knights Hope to Abolish Culture of Death
There are times when leaders of faith-based organizations step up to the plate and hit one out of the ballpark. This is such a case. On Tuesday, August 5, Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, addressed the 126th annual convention of the Knights of Columbus. For those not familiar with the Knights, they're a men's Catholic service organization. In the early years after abortion was legalized, the Knights provided key leadership in helping to oppose abortion.
   During Mr. Anderson’s convention address, he powerfully spoke to his audience regarding the election of pro-abortion candidates — regardless of party affiliation. His remarks can apply to all of us, even if we aren’t Catholic. Here are a few quotes:
In obvious reference to the presidential election, he said, “We have heard a great deal this year about the need for change, but at the same time, we are told that one thing cannot change — namely, the abortion regime of Roe vs. Wade. It is time that we demand real change, and real change means the end of Roe vs. Wade.”
   Mr. Anderson also clearly stated that abortion should be the number one issue for Catholic voters. “What political issue could possibly outweigh this human devastation [abortion]? The answer, of course, is that there is none.” He added, “Abortion is different. Abortion is the killing of the innocent on a massive scale.”
   Mr. Anderson had a pointed message for pro-abortion politicians and activists. He said it was time to “end the political manipulation of Catholic voters. It is time to stop creating excuses for pro-abortion candidates. Catholics should no longer be asked to be partners in the abortion regime by voting for politicians who support abortion.”
   Wow! This is powerful stuff! And it’s significant because of the large number of Knights of Columbus across our nation. I’m so grateful for his bold leadership on behalf of millions of preborn children and their parents.
   Finally, Mr. Anderson had some sound advice for Catholics, and all Americans for that matter, if this nation is to once again protect innocent human life. “We will never succeed in building a culture of life if we continue to vote for politicians who defend and support a culture of death. It is time that Catholics shine a bright line of separation between themselves and all those politicians of every political party who defend the abortion regime of Roe vs. Wade.”
   And he held out hope for our future. “Imagine if this year, millions of Catholic voters simply said ‘no’ — ‘no’ to every candidate of every political party who supports abortion. It's time we stop accommodating pro-abortion politicians, and it's time we start demanding that they accommodate us.”
   I might add, imagine if every pro-life voter — regardless of religious affiliation — were to only vote for pro-life candidates, we would change our nation! America could once again be a country that nurtures and protects those too tiny or defenseless to defend themselves.
   Please let this be a reminder to make sure you vote for pro-life candidates this November. And please encourage others to vote for them also.

Printed with special permission from Life Issues Institute

Bradley Mattes
Executive Director
Life Issues Institute
www.lifeissues.org

This web-site is provided and funded by Seven Baskets Ministries. We invite you to visit their web site for links to wonderful Christian sites and more information about Seven Baskets
SevenBaskets.org.

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Barack Obama— Abortion’s Dream Candidate    by Catherine Myers

The current election reminds me of shopping for used cars—the salesman tries to dupe you into buying a car that’s been polished on the outside, but you’re never really sure what you’re getting under the hood.

Barack Obama is like a used car.  He is a consummate communicator, a great actor with the ability to sway crowds with his rhetoric, and promises about change and new direction.  He is well-polished on the outside, but under the hood, he is nothing more than a tired liberal of old—except that he is the most liberal candidate the Democratic Party has ever nominated for President.  He is also abortion’s dream candidate.

Obama’s beliefs and support for abortion goes far beyond any other Democrat candidate in the past—including Hillary Clinton!  Not only does he support abortion for any reason at any stage of pregnancy, he also supports infanticide, specifically through his opposition as an Illinois state legislator to the Induced Infant Liability Act.  This act was intended to protect babies that survived late term abortions by giving them life saving medical attention.  Obama voted against the bill, and later as Chairman of the Illinois Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, he did not permit the bill to come up for a vote in the Senate.

Jill Stanek, an obstetric nurse who witnessed the death of an aborted infant that survived an abortion procedure, testified before Obama in support of the Induced Infant Liability Act.  According to Human Events Online, Stanek said, “I brought pictures in and presented them to the committee, of very premature babies from my neonatal resuscitation book from the American Pediatric Association, trying to show them unwanted babies were being cast aside…And those pictures didn’t faze him [Obama] at all.”

Obama has also spoken with fervor for his unequivocal support of abortion, and his promises to retain it at any cost should he become President.  According to his campaign website, he made the following statement on the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade:
"Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, it's never been more important to protect a woman's right to choose. Last year, the Supreme Court decided by a vote of 5-4 to uphold the Federal Abortion Ban, and in doing so undermined an important principle of Roe v. Wade: that we must always protect women's health. With one more vacancy on the Supreme Court, we could be looking at a majority hostile to a women's fundamental right to choose for the first time since Roe v. Wade. The next president may be asked to nominate that Supreme Court justice. That is what is at stake in this election.

"Throughout my career, I've been a consistent and strong supporter of reproductive justice, and have consistently had a 100% pro-choice rating with Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America.” 
In other words, not only has Obama received a “perfect” rating from Planned Parenthood and NARAL, he also has promised to appoint liberal, activist judges who will legislate pro-choice decisions from the bench as they see fit.

Pastor Rick Warren interviewed both Presidential candidates on August 16.  When Warren asked Obama when he thought a baby should get human rights, Obama’s reply was astounding.  He answered by saying, “Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade. … I am pro-choice. … I believe in Roe v. Wade and came to that conclusion not because I’m pro-abortion, but because … I don’t think women make these decisions casually.”   (Note:  John McCain’s answer to Pastor Warren’s question was that he believes human rights for babies begin “at the moment of conception”.)

At this point in time, the polls are extremely close between Obama and McCain.  If Obama is going to win the election, he can only do so if a percentage of the Christian community votes for him, but buyer beware!   Obama likes to allude to his “Christianity” when talking to Christian audiences, but most of his positions on areas of critical importance to Christians are about as far removed from Christian beliefs as they can get.   His positions on abortion and infanticide (among others) are decidedly anti-Christian.

Curiously, Obama has said that one of his favorite teachings of Jesus is from Matthew 25, when the King states, “… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” (Matthew 25:40).  However, by his own record and rhetoric, Obama has shown his true belief is that this teaching doesn’t apply to unborn babies, or to babies who survive abortion and are left to die alone.

May God Have Mercy On, and Bless America.

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Getting At The Root
Psalm 2 --- This prophetic psalm contains some very figurative language. Particularly, in verse 3, the writer lets us in on rebellion and the nature of it. GOD imposes limits on us for our own good. However, those who reject HIM and HIS plan for reconciliation are faced with drastic means to obtain, what they believe, is freedom. They do this by, ...breaking bands... and...casting away cords. This begs the question, What are these bands and cords that GOD holds us in with?
     We would argue that the most basic band for believers, and society in general, is language itself. Today, we find that words used to have a certain meaning or definition but now they mean something very different. One of the most striking examples of this are the words CONCEPTION and ABORTION. Small children are now being taught that conception doesn't occur until the fertilized egg fastens itself to the uterine wall and that abortion is an optional part of family planning! We could cite many other words such as: evolution, murder, marriage, family and gender. All these terms have been redone by modern liberal socialism and now have perverted meanings or new, false definitions.
     Isn't it interesting how our elections always come down to understanding issues and, in recent memory, there has been only ONE issue in our elections and that issue is ABORTION!! And, as in most elections, we are faced with the lesser of two evils in our voting choice. In retrospect, I guess all elections are like that. GOD help us to be faithful in doing what we can. 

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