Canada
The Toronto Star published a column by University of Ottawa political science professor Paul Saurette and graduate student Kelly Gordon that purports to expose the Canadian pro-life movement “rebranding” itself using feminist language and issues, including sex-selective abortion, to undermine public support for abortion, especially among young women. Saurette and Gordon say progressives must vigorously defend the status quo on abortion because, “the new anti-abortion arguments and framing strategies may well resonate in new and surprising ways with Canadians” … A Jan. 22 editorial in the Calgary Herald came out against the Quebec government’s bid to legalize euthanasia, citing the fact that it was already rejected by House of Commons and the Supreme Court. The Herald says: “Quebec politicians, however, are intent to not take no for an answer — democracy be damned and the law as well” … The Council of Canadian Law Deans has written a letter opposing Trinity Western University’s bid to start the first Canadian Christian law school because the university’s “community covenant” does not allow homosexual relationships. Don Hutchinson, legal counsel and vice president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, wrote in the National Post that the 2002 Supreme Court Chamberlain decision says that “Canadians cannot be disqualified because of our religious beliefs from participation in the development of public policy.” TWU already has a teacher’s college, a business school, and a nursing school … A new annual initiative by Child Trends research centre and co-sponsored by the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada is tracking the well-being of families around the world. The World Family Map 2013 report shows that children living with both parents in developed countries have better developmental outcomes … A study by scientists from five Toronto institutions, and published in Obstetrics and Gynecology journal, showed that long-term use of oral contraceptive pills is associated with decreased growth of the endometrial lining, making it harder for the subjects to get pregnant by IVF.
United States
Fr. Frank Pavone, the national director of Priests for Life, wrote an open letter to President Barack Obama on inauguration day criticizing his views on the unborn, religious freedom, and marriage. Many will be praying “for an authentic change of mind and heart on the part of the President of the United States,” he concluded … Pro-life activist Rives M. Grogan was banned from Washington D.C. after he was removed from a tree with a pro-life sign in an attempt to ensure the President saw it on inauguration day. Judge Karen Howze ordered Grogan to stay out of the city until a Feb. 25 court hearing. John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute, said “banning him from the District because he’s’s sitting in a tree or speaking out … is absurd” … Pop star Justin Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, is being attacked by abortion supporters for her promotion of the pro-life movie Crescendo, which hopes to raise $10 million for crisis pregnancy centres. Mallette, the executive producer of Crescendo, refused to abort Bieber when she became pregnant as a teenager and received help from a London, Ont., pregnancy centre. An anonymous “long-time associate” of Bieber told the Chicago Sun-Times that the teen star is “not interested in pushing a political agenda” and disagrees with his mother. In 2011, Beiber was criticized for telling Rolling Stone magazine “I don’t really believe in abortion.”
International
Marc and Eddy Verbessem, 45-year-old twin Belgian brothers born deaf, but not seriously ill, were euthanized after they learned they would go blind and told doctors that they could not bear never seeing each other again. Euthanasia is only permitted in cases of unbearable suffering. Euthanasia opponents said the case proved the Belgian law’s safeguards protecting vulnerable people does not work … The British High Court has ruled that a mentally handicapped woman with sickle cell anemia is capable of deciding whether she wants to deliver her baby after doctors applied for an order to force her to have an abortion. Mr. Justice Hedley said that even individuals incapable of living independently, “may very well retain the capacity to make deeply personal decisions about how they conduct their lives” … Data from a registry of children in the United Kingdom diagnosed prenatally with Down’s syndrome reveals that they are being aborted almost twice as often as the Department of Health reports. The department says that 460 babies with Down’s syndrome were killed, but the actual number was 740. “Might this be an under-reporting problem that goes much beyond babies with trisomy conditions?” speculates Dr. Peter Saunders, chairman of the Christian Medical Fellowship … The Pro Life Campaign drew 30,000 Irish supporters to a Dublin rally to oppose potential changes in Irish abortion law in reaction to a story last Fall that a woman died after being refused an abortion. The event was the largest pro-life rally in Irish history.