FRC Blog » Life & Bioethics

Life after Prenatal Disability Diagnosis

Jeanne Monahan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:26:37 +0000

A few weeks ago, FRC co-hosted a pro-life conference for medical students and health professionals on the topic of serious prenatal disability diagnosis. Throughout the day we heard from a number of well respected academics and medical professionals — a variety of researchers, medical doctors, registered nurses and other intellectuals, on the most up-to-date treatment options available as well as the latest in research findings. But perhaps the most powerful voices of the day were those who themselves received a poor prenatal diagnosis.

Kristal Dahlager, now a third year law student at Liberty University, has a remarkable story. Her mother was advised to essentially abort her because of a serious prenatally diagnosed problem. Yet Kristal, a thriving, beautiful and joyful young woman, survived and thrived. Click the ‘play’ button below to see to her tell the story:

Pro-Choice Women I Have Loved

Robert Morrison — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:48:05 +0000

Today is my late mother’s 90^th birthday. We sometimes had words. For starters, she couldn’t abide George W. Bush. Of my last visit in 2005, however, my memories are sweet. I did not know how ill she was. She told me how my dad had proposed to her. They shared a love of poetry, especially Robert Burns. Praising the Scot’s lyrical “Mary Morison, Ma Jo (My Joy),” my father said: “If you marry me, your name will be Mary Morrison.” What poetry lover could resist?

My mother told me how she’d walked across the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight during World War II. She crossed over walking arm-in-arm with her young sisters-in-law. The kicker: “I was carrying you then,” she said. We differed strongly on abortion, but I will always cherish those stories she gave me as her parting gifts.

Frieda was the mother of one of my best friends in high school. Often, I’d drop by their home, looking for my friend. I’d often linger talking politics with Frieda and her husband, Irv, even if my friend was not at home. Irv was a Democratic zone leader in our town. Frieda did not suffer from polio. She suffered from nothing. Her lively talk distracted me from the special shoes and hobbling gait that polio had inflicted on her. She was totally like her beloved FDR. He, too, used witty repartee to distract everyone from his polio. Frieda and Irv named their black Scottish terrier after FDR’s little dog, Fala, and they moved to his town of Hyde Park when they retired. Frieda and Irv instilled in me an indelible memory of the Holocaust and a deep concern for Israel.

In the midst of many a passionate debate on Fridays, all talk would come to a halt as the sun set. Frieda would be transformed from a strong advocate to a glowing follower of Judaism. “We’re political liberals,” she told me, “but we’re conservative Jews” She lived her faith. I envision Frieda putting on a veil-like head covering and ceremonially lighting the Shabbos candles. Frieda would say the prayers that welcomed the Sabbath “like a treasured guest.”

Last week, on January 22^nd, of all days, my wife, our daughter, and I helped celebrate Marie’s eightieth birthday. She has been like a cherished aunt to my daughter and son-in-law ever since they moved into her town several years back. Marie’s late husband, Joe, had been my seventh grade civics teacher. Joe later volunteered to be my campaign manager when I ran for the New York State Assembly. Joe drove me to Albany to meet the leaders of our party. Learning I had not previously visited our state capital, he said: “You must say a shehechayanu, a Hebrew prayer for the first time you do anything.” Joe’s father was a rabbi who made an aliya to Israel. His father had taught him: “Blessed art Thou, O L-rd, Master of the Universe, that Thou hast preserved us in life to savor this experience for the first time.” And Joe taught it to me. When I took a public stand against abortion, Joe was upset. He told me Marie disagreed strongly, too. But he and Marie never stopped working hard for my election. Frieda and Irv never slackened any effort for me, either.

As I think of these pro-choice women I have loved, I am most grateful for their being in my life. My wife and daughter are pro-life. So, I pray, will be our twin granddaughters. Each of these women, I believe, deserved a birth day.

A New Study Finds Abortion Safer than Giving Birth

Krystle Weeks — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:50:02 +0000

As thousands were on the national mall in Washington, D.C. for the March for Life, Reuters reported on a study that suggests abortion is safer than giving birth. I find it odd that the release of such a study was timed to coincide with an event that celebrates and vows to protect the sanctity of life.

There are some interesting findings from this study commissioned by the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. One is the fact that the authors of the study, Drs. Elizabeth Raymond and David Grimes, used estimates from the Guttmacher Institute, which is tied to Planned Parenthood. Another finding that was particularly interesting is that they claim abortion is safer due to the amount of deaths that occurred during live childbirth.

There are some medical risks with childbirth, but the effects of abortion are much more dangerous and long-lasting. Jeanne Monahan, Director, Center for Human Dignity at FRC, recently published an editorial that appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which focused on abortion’s devastating impact on mental health. According to Monahan:

In the fall, a meta-analysis was published in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry. The report was the most extensive of its kind to date — the author looked at 22 published studies and data from more than 870,000 women. The results showed that women who have an abortion are at an 81 percent increased risk for mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, drug abuse and suicidal behaviors. The study revealed the shocking statistic that close to 10 percent of all mental health problems in women can be directly attributed to abortion.

There are other impacts, as well, that are worth noting. FRC also released a brochure, “The Top Ten Myths About Abortion,” which provided some insight into the medical complications from abortion. A surgical abortion could impact whether a woman would be able to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy in the future.

Physical complications include cervical lacerations and injury, uterine perforations, bleeding, hemorrhage, serious infection, pain, and incomplete abortion. Risks of complications increase with gestational age and are dependent upon the abortion procedure.

Long-term physical consequences of abortion include future preterm birth and placenta previa (improper implantation of the placenta) in future pregnancies. Premature delivery is associated with higher rates of cerebral palsy, as well as respiratory, brain, and bowel abnormalities. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa result in high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and perinatal death.

This does not include the physical complications from RU-486, which is prescribed to women who seek a chemical abortion. These include: hemorrhage, infection, and missed ectopic pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration recently reported that in the ten years since RU-486 was approved in the U.S., at least 11 women have died as a result of complications related to taking the drug.

Additionally, 612 women have been hospitalized, and 339 women required blood transfusions as a result of taking RU-486. (Food and Drug Administration, “Mifepristone U.S. Postmarketing Adverse Events Summary through 04/30/2011”).

Additionally, government compiled statistics from Poland confirm that the number of abortion-related deaths significantly decreased when abortion was essentially outlawed. The fact that this study was released to coincide with the March for Life activities is not surprising, considering that the pro-choice lobby will do anything to ensure that abortion is in the forefront.

“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” – Message by Rev. Tom Joyce

Rob Schwarzwalder — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:19:38 +0000

Yesterday, my pastor and friend Rev. Tom Joyce preached one of the finest messages on the biblical and scientific basis of the sanctity of life I’ve ever heard. On this Sanctity of Life day, It is well worth taking 30 minutes to listen to Tom’s compelling sermon. You can watch it here.

FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE from IBC on Vimeo.

ProLifeCon 2012 is here!

Jared Bridges — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:19 +0000

It’s March for Life day here in the nation’s capital, and FRC’s ProLifeCon is at hand. You can watch it all below:

Follow the conversation live on Twitter: #ProLifeCon.

Here’s the schedule:

8:30 – 8:35 a.m.: Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
8:35 – 8:40 a.m.: Jill Stanek, JillStanek.com
8:40 – 9:05 a.m.: Michael Clancy, Photographer, “Hand of Hope” photo
Julie and Samuel Armas, Subjects of the photo
9:05 – 9:20 a.m.: Gerard Nadal, Blogger, Coming Home
9:20 – 9:35 a.m.: Lila Rose, President, LiveAction
9:35 – 9:50 a.m.: Ryan Bomberger, Chief Creative Officer, The Radiance Foundation
9:50 – 10:00 a.m.: Intermission: ‘I’m Pro-Life Because’ photo montage
10:00 – 10:20 a.m.: Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.)
10:20 – 10:40 a.m.: Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.)
10:40 – 10:55 a.m.: Collin Raye, Spokesman, Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network
10:55 – 11:10 a.m.: Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director, Students for Life of America
11:10 – 11:25 a.m.: Jeanne Monahan, Director, Center for Human Dignity, Family Research Council, Karen Snuffer, Executive Director, CareNet Pregnancy Resource Centers: Manassas, Woodbridge, and Warrenton
11:25 – 11:30 a.m.: Tom McClusky, Senior Vice President, FRC Action

Special thanks to our cosponsoring bloggers:

Be sure to follow our featured Tweeters:

Ask What They Mean By “Choice”: HHS Punishes the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops over their Views on Abortion

Krystle Weeks — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:00:12 +0000

Ask What They Mean By “Choice” was started last year as a response to NARAL’s “Blog for Choice Day.” Every year, NARAL uses the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision to praise the fact that women are allowed to have a “choice.” Last year, the pro-life community on Twitter and blogs joined together to ask what do pro-choice activists mean by “choice.”

Does NARAL believe that “choice” means punishing a non-profit religious organization from receiving a grant that would aid victims of human trafficking?

In October, the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB) received notification from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that the funding for their program to aid victims of human trafficking would be ending. According to an article in the National Catholic Register, the decision fell on the hands of political appointees at HHS, who decided not to give the grant to USCCB due to their opposition of the Obama Administration’s stances on abortion and contraceptive mandates within the new health care law.

Since this decision was made, HHS has come under scrutiny. The House Committee on Government Oversight held a hearing in December reviewing the politicization of grants by HHS. You can read the testimony by clicking here.

If “choice” means cutting aid to victims of human trafficking over the core beliefs of an organization, then this is going against the very grain of ensuring human dignity and rights for women. One would think that NARAL would be up-in-arms over the horrible acts of human trafficking, since many victims are women and young girls.

ProLifeCon Features Collin Raye

Krystle Weeks — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:43 +0000

ProLifeCon is only two days away. Throughout this week, I have featured Ryan Bomberger, Lila Rose, Rep. Chris Smith, Michael Clancy, and Samuel Armas. You can still register for ProLifeCon, and join other pro-life online activists throughout the country to hear our amazing lineup of speakers.

Collin Raye, country music superstar and spokesman for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, will be one of our featured speakers at ProLifeCon. Raye has sold over eight million albums and has been nominated five times as country music’s Male Vocalist of the Year. In 2001, he was presented with the Humanitarian of the Year award by country music legend, Clint Black.

Raye, in his role as spokesman for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, is focused on helping families and loved ones who are in the same situation as Terri Schiavo was in 2005. Raye’s family has had their own experience with end-of-life issues, when his granddaughter died of an undiagnosed neurological condition in 2010.

There is no doubt that Raye will empower the audience with his story and the work of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network.

Roe v. Wade: A Constitutional and Moral Tragedy

U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:14:37 +0000

Some anniversaries should not have to be celebrated because the events they mark should not have occurred. January 22, 2012, the 39^th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, is one of them. That decision is one of the greatest moral and legal tragedies in American history.

It is a moral tragedy in multiple ways, and they all stem from one inescapable fact. Every abortion kills a living human being. No word game, subject change, or political spin can change that fact. There have been nearly 50 million abortions since 1973 and, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, the “decline in abortion incidence has stalled.” More babies in America lose their lives to abortion every two days than American service members have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.

As President Ronald Reagan wrote on Roe‘s 10^th anniversary, the question is not when human life begins, but what is the value of human life? That remains the question today. Our Declaration of Independence says that every individual is created and given rights by God. The federal government spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year on programs to help the poor, elderly, sick, or disabled. Why? It is nothing less than moral schizophrenia to say that the very same people who should be helped today could have been killed before they were born.

There is a glimmer of light peeking through this otherwise dark cloud. After nearly four decades of pro-abortion propaganda and the drumbeat that abortion is a constitutional right, most Americans still oppose most abortions and a majority says that they are pro-life and that abortion is morally wrong.

Roe v. Wade is also a legal tragedy in the way it reached these morally tragic results. Make no mistake, there is no right to abortion in the Constitution; the Supreme Court simply made it up. Take a step back from the subject of abortion for a minute and think about what this means. The Constitution is supposed to be the primary way that the people impose limits and rules on government. The Constitution is written down so everyone will know what those limits and rules are. George Washington said that the people’s control over the Constitution is literally the heart of our system of government. Our freedom depends on it. But when the Supreme Court changes the Constitution, as it did in Roe, it takes control of the Constitution away from the people, and their freedom along with it.

The phrase “judicial activism” gets tossed around a lot these days, as if it is nothing more than a label for any decision you do not like. Judicial activism really means judges taking control of the law in order to produce certain results. Claiming that there is a right to abortion in a Constitution that says no such thing, and using this made-up right to strike down state and federal laws, is as activist as it gets.

President Reagan wrote in his essay: “We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life – the unborn – without diminishing the value of all human life.” Make no mistake about it; the end result of an activist judiciary that rejected our most cherished constitutional principles is the loss of 50 million innocent lives. In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court used judicially tragic means to achieve a morally tragic end. By highjacking the Constitution and creating this so-called right to abortion, the Supreme Court attacked not only the value of human life itself, but also the liberty of all Americans. I hope that this decision has few anniversaries left.

Host ProLifeCon on your blog

Krystle Weeks — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:46:58 +0000

On Monday, ProLifeCon will be taking place at FRC. We have a pretty awesome lineup of speakers, and there is no doubt that you will not want to miss this event. You can host ProLifeCon on your blog as well. Just copy the code below the line, and you will be able to share ProLifeCon with your readers.

**The stream will be available on Monday, January 23rd beginning at 8:20 a.m. and the live stream will end at 11:30 a.m.**

Cut and paste everything below the line
_______________________________________________

ProLifeCon Features Michael Clancy and Samuel Armas

Krystle Weeks — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:00:55 +0000

ProLifeCon is only three days away. Throughout this week, I have featured Ryan Bomberger, Lila Rose, Reps. Chris Smith and Vicky Hartzler. You can still register for ProLifeCon, and join other pro-life online activists throughout the country to hear our amazing lineup of speakers.

We are fortunate to have Michael Clancy, photographer of the famous “Hand of Hope” picture, and the baby featured in that photo, Samuel Armas, who is now twelve years old, and his mother, Julie Armas. The “Hand of Hope” picture was captured in 1999, during a spina bifida corrective surgical procedure. Samuel Armas was only 21 weeks in utero during that picture. While Clancy was documenting this surgery for a USA Today feature, he had the opportunity to capture Samuel Armas reach his hand out into the world from the womb. It is a powerful picture that has stirred emotion all over the world.

Clancy is the author of “Hand of Hope: The Story Behind the Picture,” which will be available for purchase and signing at ProLifeCon.