PRO LIFE STORIES OF INTEREST, SUMMER 2017

The battle for Charlie Gard's life is taking place on two continents, Europe and North America. Charlie is an infant with a rare disease that will most likely end his life soon. The one last hope his parents have is an experimental treatment available in the United States. However, a European Court has denied them permission to bring Charlie here to the states. The court states that while parents have rights regarding their childrens' medical care, the state alone can best decide what is best for children. And the best thing that could be done for Charlie is to let him die with dignity by allowing the hospital to pull the plug on his life support. Here is a background piece by Daniel Payne of The Federalist. (HT: Bart Gingerich, @bjgingerich) Since this piece was written, both President Trump and the Pope have spoken on behalf of Charlie and his parents. A hospital in the U.S. has offered its services. The European court has now decided to review its findings. Let's pray for a resolution that affirms Charlie's and his parent's rights which should never been interfered with in the first place. The court's assertion of power over the life and death of anyone, let alone a baby, is chilling. This assertion of power is the natural consequence of a single payer health system which prevails in Europe. This court is what Sarah Palin would call a death panel. This is what awaits the U.S. if Obamacare is not repealed. Trump's pick for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, would never vote the way the members of the European court did. It is imperative that President Trump nominate more justices like him.

Last January, the Family Research Council posted an article, Pro-Life Bills You Should Know About in 2017. These bills are listed below. I cannot find any information whether any of these bills have been passed since the article appeared. The article gives a brief explanation concerning the purpose of each bill.

1. S.184/H.R.7 - No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act.
2. H.R.37/S.220 - Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
3. H.R.36 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
4. Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act.
5. Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act.
6. Conscience Protection Act

The pro life movement is, of course, known for its advocacy for the unborn. Yet it also seeks protection for the elderly who may feel pressure to end their lives prematurely through assisted suicide. Before being elevated to the Supreme Court by President Trump, Neil Gorsuch wrote a book arguing against the acceptance of assisted suicide. The book he wrote is called The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. Here are two quotes from Gorsuch's book in a Washington Post story:

“All human beings are intrinsically valuable,” he writes in the book, “and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.”

"We seek to protect and preserve life for life’s own sake in everything from our most fundamental laws of homicide to our road traffic regulations to our largest governmental programs for health and social security. We have all witnessed, as well, family, friends, or medical workers who have chosen to provide years of loving care to persons who may suffer from Alzheimer’s or other debilitating illnesses precisely because they are human persons, not because doing so instrumentally advances some other hidden objective. This is not to say that all persons would always make a similar choice, but the fact that some people have made such a choice is some evidence that life itself is a basic good."

The U.S. is just one nation grappling with physician assisted suicide. Canada passed the Medical Aid in Dying Law. It allowed doctors to sign up voluntarily to help dying patients end their lives. However, many of those doctors who have signed up have changed their minds. One experience in helping a patient end their life was too much for them and have had their names removed from the list. From the Break Point story by John Stonestreet:

“'We’re seeing individuals, or groups of physicians, who are participating and really feel like they’re alleviating pain, alleviating suffering,' says the CMA’s (Canadian Medical Association) Jeff Blackmer. 'And then we’re seeing doctors who go through one experience and it’s just overwhelming, it’s too difficult, and those are the ones who say, ‘take my name off the list. I can’t do any more.’”

That kind of reaction isn’t surprising, given the Hippocratic Oath every doctor takes, vowing to “do no harm” to patients. These doctors started out philosophically supportive of euthanasia … and then reality set in. The human conscience—and the law of God written on our hearts—are powerful things indeed. (HT: Life Site News)

I found this quote in a post from before the 2016 election. It is from IJR.com; the quote is by Gianna Jessen, who survived the attempt to abort her at her birth. She was praising Donald Trump's pro life stance as opposed to Hillary Clinton's. She commented on Trump:

 “I'm telling you, Mr. Trump has courage that we do not see enough of. It's plain to me after witnessing what he did Wednesday night and what he's endured the past few weeks. I think Wednesday changed that part of this election and I was so proud and amazed by Mr. Trump...I don't believe abortion has been discussed enough. What Trump did Wednesday night was unprecedented. He vowed to defund Planned Parenthood and stand up against partial abortions. Most candidates wouldn't have done that and he did it — I'm amazed that he did it. I fully support Trump and people who ask me, 'Oh my gosh, how could you?' I say, 'Listen, have you heard of the Supreme Court?' I don't mind being put down for supporting him...It's over if Hillary Clinton wins presidency. Not only will America be changed, we will not recognize this nation...all those Christians that are standing on their principals by voting for her are absolute fools. They have no idea what's coming if she's elected...She doesn't even respect herself, there's no way she respects women and cares about our rights."

Commenting on her own miraculous survival, Jessen had this to say:

"Many Americans have no idea that babies can even live through abortions and are often left to die. But this does happen. I know this because I was born alive in an abortion clinic after being burned in my mother’s womb for 18 hours.

My medical records clearly state the following: Born during saline abortion, April 6, 1977, 6 a.m., two and a half pounds. Triumphantly, I entered this world.

Apart from Jesus himself, the only reason I am alive is the fact that the abortionist had not yet arrived at work that morning. Had he been there, he would have ended my life by strangulation, suffocation or simply leaving me there to die."

Anthony Levatino was a doctor who performed by his own count 1,200 abortions. Some of those abortions followed the same procedure which Gianna Jessen survived. But when Levatino's daughter was killed in a tragic accident, he began to realize the sacredness of the lives of the unborn. His story can be found here, from Life Site News.

This last story isn't a pro life story, but I decided to include it here. From the website Heat Street, medical personal in the United Kingdom are being instructed not to refer to a pregnant woman as a pregnant woman, so not to offend trans-gender persons formerly male but now pregnant.