Over 1000 wonderful pro-life men, women and children filled Queens Park in the Brisbane CBD on a hot afternoon recently, Saturday 7th February — the last Saturday before parliament resumed after their Christmas break.  Whilst tackling the difficult and depressing topic of abortion, there was joy on the faces of those attending, a life-affirming peaceful heart beating in each person there, knowing we are on the side of right and true justice for all.  It was a wonderful opportunity for the many pro-life and pro-family groups from the south-east corner to work together — and a sincere “thank you” to all the groups participating.

(All excerpts from LifeNews.com)

Kansas Legislator Proposes Abortion Bill — Women to See Ultrasound First

Topeka, KS 26.1.09:  A Kansas legislator has proposed a new bill that would allow women considering an abortion to first see an ultrasound of her unborn baby.  When used in pregnancy centres, ultrasounds persuade most women to keep their baby and Rep. Lance Kinzer hopes the same will happen in abortion facilities.  Kinzer introduced the legislation, billed as the “Woman’s Right to Know & See” proposal, in the Kansas state House along with 38 co-sponsors.  It says women must be given information about the ultrasound 24 hours prior to the abortion.  The bill also requires an abortion practitioner to provide the woman with a list of places where she can obtain a free ultrasound and that any ultrasound done at the abortion place must be completed 30 minutes prior to the abortion.  (Comment: Wonderful!  At long last women being shown the truth about life in the womb.  Contact your local member/candidate and ask would they be prepared to put forward similar legislation here?)

Obama Pledges to Fund Pro-Abortion UNFPA After Killing Mexico City Policy

Washington, DC  27.1.09:  Now that President Barack Obama has fulfilled his promise to overturn the Mexico City Policy and fund groups that promote and perform abortions in other countries, he is laying out additional pro-abortion plans.  President Bush annually withheld the $40 million in taxpayer dollars the UNFPA had typically received.  He did so because a State Department investigation found the agency was working hand-in-hand with Chinese officials who instituted its one-child population control policy.  “I look forward to working with Congress to restore U.S. financial support for the U.N. Population Fund,” Obama said.   (Comment:  what else would we expect from a politician who twice — in 2001 and again in 2002 —  voted against the “Born Alive” Bill?)

Obama Decision — British Abortion Business To Get Funding

London, England 27.1.09:  The British-based abortion business Marie Stopes International is the biggest beneficiary, along with American abortion business Planned Parenthood, of President Barack Obama overturning the Mexico City Policy.

Tens of Thousands of Pro-Lifers Walk for Life

San Francisco, CA  27.1.09:  Tens of thousands of pro-life supporters filled the boulevard along San Francisco’s waterfront for more than a mile in the 5th Annual Walk for Life West Coast four days after President Barack Obama’s inauguration and one day after Obama reversed the Bush administration’s ban on federal funding of international groups that perform or promote abortions.  37 percent of abortions are done on black women - who make up just 13 percent of the population.  “President Obama puts a face on black genocide,” declared Rev. Clenard Childress, a Baptist pastor and founder of BlackGenocide.org who has spoken at the Walk since its inception in 2005.  “President Obama is the fulfillment of what the abortion industry always wanted and that was a black face to validate abortion.”

Poll Shows British Doctors Want More Abortion Limits, Would Refuse to Do Them

London, England 11.2.09:  A new poll of British doctors finds one-third would refuse to participate in one and almost half want to see more limits on later-term abortions.  The poll also found more than half of physicians said that offering abortions at their offices would lead to an increase in the number of abortions.  GP Newspaper surveyed 480 doctors and found that 33 percent would not work in a hospital or medical centre where abortions are done.  56 percent of doctors said that would lead to more abortions at a time when England is already setting annual records for abortion increases.  The poll found 42 percent of doctors want a cut in the 24-week time limit for abortions and 11 percent of those surveyed wanted it dropped to only allowing abortions to 15 weeks into pregnancy.

National Pro-Life Police Officers Regroup

Corpus Christi, TX 3.2.09 — A national pro-life group for police officers has returned and reorganized as a result of the election of pro-abortion President Barack Obama.  Ruben Rodriguez, a retired deputy sheriff and Air Force veteran, said that it is important for members of civil police services to stand up for life.  The National Federation of Officers for Life originated over a decade ago as a way for pro-life police officers and others to express their pro-life views.  The group was dedicated to protecting those who didn’t want to be forced to serve as security for abortion centres or pro-abortion rallies and who wanted to stand up for the free speech rights of pro-life advocates.  “We are a non-partisan, non-denominational association originally founded in 1990 to dispel the public image of all police being pro-abortion as shown on news media,” Rodriguez said.  “[We] cover rescues and other pro-life events and to seek a Police Conscience Clause.”   (Comment:  To all the good men and women in uniform who receive this newsletter — why not start this here?  You have a right to a Police Conscience Clause.)

“This envelope represents one child who died in an abortion. It is empty because that life was ended before he/she could give to the world.”

CONTACT YOUR STATE MP AND THE PREMIER NOW
Write, fax, email, phone, or best of all, visit your MP.  Electorate office details are at
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/members.asp?area=members&LIndex=1&Subarea=members or you could write to your MP at Parliament House, cnr Alice & George Streets, Brisbane 4000.

For more info, call Cherish Life Queensland on 07 3871 2445 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Decriminalisation of abortion through a private member’s bill would mean abortion would be legal in Queensland for any or no reason at all, effectively until birth.  85% of Australians are opposed to late-term abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and yet we have seen law passed in Victoria last year allowing abortion up to 24 weeks for no reason at all (What Australians Really Think About Abortion, a report by the Australian Federation of Right to Life Associations containing the findings of an independent national survey – see http://www.righttolife.asn.au/media_releases/20060205.pdf ).

The current Queensland laws against abortion at least stand as a safeguard for women being pressured by their partners, thin veneer of protection though they may be.  They can and do appeal to the fact that abortion is against the law, is wrong, and “you cannot tell me to do something against the law”.

These laws are an essential defence for doctors and nurses who refuse to co-operate in the killing of unborn children – a defence that has already been taken from doctors and nurses in Victoria. 73% of Australians support conscientious objection for doctors and nurses in regard to abortion (What Australians Really Think About Abortion).  The recent legislation decriminalising abortion in Victoria actually forces doctors to refer for abortion against their conscience.

Even though not being enforced, the laws against abortion still have a vital educative role.  They instruct society as to the seriousness of the act of abortion, while the removal from the criminal law of any references to abortion would instruct society that this form of intentional killing is morally trivial.

There is overwhelming evidence about the serious physical and emotional effects of abortion on women, and as a consequence, on their families.  Physical risks include infertility and breast cancer.  Psychological risks include depression and other mental illness, suicide, attempted suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity or frigidity and general poor self-esteem.

The psychological aftermath of abortion affects a woman’s relationships with her partner, other children and her ability to cope with life’s demands (Women & Abortion: An Evidence-Based Review by Selena Ewing, Women’s Forum Australia — http://www.womensforumaustralia.org/images/women%26abortionevidencebasedreview-1.pdf ).

Decriminalisation inevitably would increase the number of abortions — which 87% of Australians already think is too high (Give Women Choice: Australia Speaks on Abortion, a report by Southern Cross Bioethics Institute containing the findings of an independent national survey — see http://www.bioethics.org.au ).

While Medicare funds the abortion itself, the state public health system must cope with its share of unnecessary and avoidable expense owing to dealing with the physical and mental effects of abortion and public hospitals would come under pressure to perform abortions — stretching their already taxed services.

ACT NOW — contact your state member — if he or she is pro-life, offer to help his or her campaign by delivering flyers, manning stands on the street and handing out how-to-vote cards at polling booths at the next election. 

If he or she is not pro-life, offer your support to an alternative pro-life candidate.

Remember:  If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

GET ACTIVE NOW!  AN ELECTION CAN BE CALLED AT ANY TIME
(especially while your newsletter is at the printery)

YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING.

1.  Join a political party
2. As a member, start to have a say in party policy
3. Talk to those up for pre-selection and help them understand the pro-life issues
4. Give them pro-life information (without drowning them in it)
5.  Encourage others to find out if their candidate or sitting member is pro-life and suggest they vote accordingly.
6.  Visit your local MP – establish his pro-life stance: if not pro-life, inform him you will be helping his opposition who is pro-life.  If pro-life offer to:  hand out his/her flyers, letterbox drop for them, man their street stands, man their polling booths.  You do not need a lot of political knowledge to do this.

OTHER Pro-life ACTIVITIES THAT HELP MOVE US FORWARD

1. Start a prayer group to stop abortion.
2. Join the prayer vigils — peaceful, prayerful presence — outside abortion places.
3. Have pro-life pamphlets, brochures and bookmarks visible to visitors to your home — great conversation starters.
4.  Invite family, friends and work colleagues to pro-life events.
5. Write letters to newspapers, politicians.  They may not get printed but at least the editor knows pro-life people are out there — and you may have educated him/her in the process.
6. Get on talk back radio — as above, you may not get on but at least the receptionist now knows a little more about the pro-life issues.
7. Be involved in school talks and other pubic speaking events to spread and encourage the pro-life message.
8. Be brave — Talk to people one on one, courteously and kindly.  Many people think the way you think but may be too timid to say.  You may help them have a voice and speak up in the process.
9. Volunteer your time to help in a pregnancy counselling centre.
10.  Educate yourself with the wide range of videos on pro-life topics.  Watch the video content on the Cherish Life website, and/or purchase DVDs from the Cherish Life office.  (Yes, you have permission to make copies for friends!!!)
11. Join or become more active in your local Cherish Life branch or start one in a new area!