Pray for the Defense of the Defenseless – From the “womb to the tomb” (Prov.  24:11-12).  Some suggestions include doing a short Bible study with your family about the value of God-given human life; taking some quiet time with God in a chapel or outdoors in His creation; joining together with your congregation for a specific prayer service for the protection of the unborn.

Fast for the Protection of the Unborn – If you are able, please fast from one meal or the whole day, or fast from media (TV, internet, phone, radio). Fasting frees our minds of distractions and is a powerful prayer tool to keep us focused.

Stay Informed about Threats to the God-Given Right to Life – Sign up for the Washington Update at www.frc.org.

Take Action – Make an impact…for Life!

1. Support a Pregnancy Care Center in your area.  To find out more about these life-affirming ministries to women who are expecting a child, check out FRC’s site: www.apassiontoserve.org.

2. Promote Foster Care and Adoption in your church.  Check out www.icareaboutorphans.org, a ministry of Focus on the Family.  Other ministries can be found at www.realcompassion.org.

3. Advocate for ethical stem cell research.  Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR) not only destroys human life, but it also wastes taxpayer dollars because the result is tumors, but no treatments.  Adult Stem Cells offer an ethical and effective alternative.  Life-affirming therapies using adult stem  cells have already resulted in 73 different treatments in human patients.  Visit FRC’s dedicated site: www.stemcellresearchfacts.org, for some exciting video stories from real people who have benefited from ethical stem cell research.

• “Mercy Gilbert scores state first with stem-cell treatment,” Parker Leavitt, The Arizona Republic
• “Adult stem cells have yielded successes,” Linda D. Schauer, The Argus Leader
• “Forming New Brain Cells: Key Regulatory Peptide Discovered,” ScienceDaily
• “The New Inquisition: Ideology’s Corruption of Science,” Wesley J. Smith, First Things
• “Christian leaders’ stance on civil disobedience is dangerous,” Editorial, The Los Angeles Times
• “Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren on abortion, sexuality and Obama,” Nia-Malika Henderson, The Politico
• “N.J. Bishops Rally Flocks to Promote, Support Marriage,” Lawrence D. Jones, The Christian Post

• “N.Y. Senate Delays Gay Marriage Vote,” Jeremy W. Peters, The New York Times
• “AMA votes to seek repeal of ‘don’t ask,don’t-tell’,” Associated Press
• “The Politics of Loosening Healthcare’s Abortion Restrictions,” Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News and World Report
• “House Health-Care Bill Does Not Prohibit Paying Federal Funds to Health Providers Who Withhold Food and Water From Patients,” Karen Schuberg, CNSNews.com
• “Federal judge nixes SC license tag with cross,” Jim Davenport, Associated Press
• “Cord Blood Reverses Cerebral Palsy in Colorado Girl,” Jessica Ryen Doyle, Fox News
• “UK starts study on using human DNA in animals,” Associated Press
• “D.C. council committee approves same-sex marriage bill,” Tim Craig, The Washington Post

• “Code words,” Emily Belz, WORLD Magazine
• “Bloomfield man fights cancer with his own stem cells,” Patti Singer, Democrat and Chronicle
• “Attacking the Defense of Marriage Act,” The Washington Times
• “Michigan panel to discuss stem cell research bills,” Associated Press
• “Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging stem cell rule,” Associated Press
• “MSU profs offer same-sex marriage solution,” Dawson Bell, The Detroit Free-Press
• “In Battle Over Gay Marriage, Timing May Be Key,” Adam Liptak, The New York Times
• “How Pro-life Dems Will Justify Voting for Taxpayer-funded Abortions,” Mike Brownfield, The Foundry
• “Anti-abortion protesters sue Milwaukee, saying civil rights were stifled,” Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

• “Regents to hear stem cell comment,” Omaha World-Herald
• “Obama’s ‘safe schools czar’ acts up,” Editorial, The Washington Times
• “Infusing stem cells to heal heart,” Maureen McFadden, WNDU
• “US marshal pick was already gay rights pioneer,” Patrick Condon, Associated Press
• “Gay Marriage Battle Focuses on Schools,” Fox 23 Maine
• “Paterson Revives Call for Vote on Same-sex Marriage,” Associated Press
• “Supreme Court blocks release of R-71 signatures,” Chris Grygiel, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• “Judge bars restrictive Oklahoma abortion law requiring online posting of patient data,” Robin Abcarian, The Los Angeles Times
• “Two Missouri ballot initiatives on abortion-related issues OK’d,” Jason Noble, Kansas City Star

• “Duke Studies New Approach in Fetal Transplants for Metabolic Disorders,” PhysOrg.org
• “Catholic bishops bemoan condoms, gays as threats to marriage,” Daniel Burke, Religion News Service
• “Maine gay marriage campaigns report donations,” Glenn Adams, Associated Press
• “UMD Debates New Anti-Pornography Policy,” News Channel 8
• “Study: Abortions decline, but unsafe procedures still kill 70,000 women,” Michael Winter, USA Today
• “Between lines on poster ban,” Marybeth Hicks, The Washington Times
• “Church wins fight for homeless ministry,” Ed Blazina and Amy McConnell Schaarsmith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• “Faith-Based Discrimination,” Editorial, The New York Times

• “Same-sex marriage activists seek repeal of California’s Prop. 8,” Daniel B. Wood, Christian Science Monitor
• “Boston College Professor’s Appearance in Pro-Gay Marriage Ad Sparks Outrage,” Ana Lopez, Fox News **Note: This headline should reflect that the professor sparked outrage by being part of a ad in support of the Maine Marriage Initiative.
• “A new push to define ‘person,’ and to outlaw abortion in the process,” Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times
• “Spain unveils abortion law change,” Steve Kingstone, BBC News
• “In revolt against euthanasia,” Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Jamestown Sun
• “Coaxing stem cells to repair damaged tissue,” Frank D. Roylance, The Baltimore Sun
• “SD measure would ease stem cell research limits,” Associated Press
• “Christian Poverty Fighters Call for ‘Real Action’ Following G-20 Summit,” Aaron J. Leichman, Christian Post
• “Muslim prayer event fails to draw expected numbers,” Fred Jackson, OneNewsNow

• “Commentary: States should decide on gay marriage,” Jared Polis, CNN (September 24, 2009)
• “Tight schedule on move to block Ariz. abortion law,” Paul Davenport, Associated Press (September 23, 2009)
• “Study confirms most Americans want health care change but not abortion funding,” Catholic News Agency (September 23, 2009)
• “Britain To Clarify Policy on Euthanasia,” Karla Adam, The Washington Post (September 23, 2009)
• “Christian Leaders Urge Sanctions Against Iran,” Angela Abbamonte, Religion News Service (September 23, 2009)
• “‘Our Time has Come’ Or Has It?,” Ken Blackwell, American Thinker (September 24, 2009)
• “Group aims to reverse S.D. ban on embryonic stem cell research,” Katy Urban, KOTA News (September 23, 2009)
• “High-schoolers get stem cell lesson,” Carolyn Johnson, KGO-San Francisco (September 23, 2009)
• Fox News (September 24, 2009)
• “Both Sides On Defensive In Maine Marriage Debate,” WMTW (September 24, 2009)
• “No excuses,” Alisa Harris, WORLD Magazine (September 26, 2009)

Here’s some articles of interest for your morning:

• “New Method For Safer Bone Marrow Transplants For Sick Children,” Medical News Today
• “Wuerl Ups Opposition To Gay Marriage,” Tim Craig, The Washington Post
• “I Told Me So: Self Deception and the Christian Life,” Matthew Lee Anderson, The Evangelical Outpost
• “Abortion laws ‘still won’t protect doctors’,” Brigid Andersen, ABC News (Australia)
• “End-of-life fears,” Emily Bregel, Chattanooga Times Free Press
• “Adult Stem Cells May Help Avoid Hip Replacements,” Wesley J. Smith, Secondhand Smoke
• “Normalizing transgenderism in schools,” Pete Chagnon, OneNewsNow
• “The issue of social justice is far bigger than the abortion debate,” Kathryn Jean Lopez, New York Daily News
• “Group Asks Court to Reconsider Removing Girl from Home School,” Joshua Rhett Miller, Fox News
• “Individual Catholic Bishops Speak Out Against Pro-Abortion Health Care Bills,” Christine, A Catholic View
• “How then shall we educate?,” Amy Henry, WORLD Magazine
• “A Stem-Cell Discovery Could Help Diabetics,” Alice Park, Time
• “Idaho school sues state over Bible plan,” Associated Press

• “Clinical Trials Are Testing Stem Cells as Heart Failure Treatment,” Sarah Baldauf, U.S. News & World Report (August 18, 2009)

“Researchers’ significant interest in using stem cells to treat heart failure arises, in part, because the disease is so prevalent. The American Heart Association estimates 5.7 million Americans live with the disease and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. “When you put [stem cells] into a heart, some can differentiate to become blood vessel and others to become heart muscle cells,” explains James Willerson, president of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston and a principal investigator of a separate, National Institutes of Health-sponsored stem cell trial for heart failure. It is important, he says, that stem cells also “have substances that recruit other cells and promote life.” This combination holds incredibly powerful potential for not only rejuvenating but rebuilding organs and tissue and turning back the clock for ailing patients. Willerson is optimistic about the therapeutic future of stem cells, which can be extracted from fat cells, hair cells, and other diverse cell types. “I believe we will be able to regenerate the whole heart of a human being with stem cells,” he says.”

• “Medical Groups Promoted HPV Vaccine Using Drug Company Money,” Rob Stein, The Washington Post (August 18, 2009)
• “DART Driver Refused Bus With Atheist Sign,” KCCI-8 Des Moines (August 18, 2009)

“Des Moines Area Regional Transit confirms a driver refused to drive a bus with an atheist advertisement Monday.”

• “Poll: Majority of Americans Understand Health Care Bills Mean Abortion Funding,” Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com (August 19, 2009)

“The pro-life movement has been working overtime to educate Americans about the fact that the health care bills in Congress would result in massive abortion funding. Despite a slew of mainstream media stories to the contrary, the public appears to have received the message.

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released yesterday shows a majority of Americans agreed that the health care bills “will likely use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions.”

The poll found 50 percent agreed that is true while 37 percent of Americans don’t believe that is likely.”

• “Law Requiring Ultrasounds for Abortions Is Struck Down,” Kari Lydersen, The Washington Post (August 18, 2009)

“An Oklahoma judge decided Tuesday that doctors do not need to perform ultrasounds and offer women detailed information about the tests before performing abortions, striking down the strictest such law in the country.”

• “Study Using Embryonic Stem Cells Is Delayed,” Bloomberg News (August 19, 2009)

“The Geron Corporation said on Tuesday that regulators had held up its study of a therapy for injured spinal cords before even one patient could be enrolled, delaying the first human trial using embryonic stem cells.”

• “Christian Law Firm Fights ‘Ridiculous’ Criminal Charges Against School Officials,” Nathan Black, The Christian Post (August 18, 2009)