lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Catholic conference in Rome to defend purity as ‘antidote against every evil we are up against’

ROME , Italy , February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Prominent Catholics will champion “ authentic purity ” at the seventh annual Rome Life Forum in May because it is the “ antidote against every evil we are up against in the pro-life and pro-family movement – abortion , gender ideology , attacks on marriage , IVF technology , pornography , and sex education , ” an organizer of the event told LifeSiteNews .
Maria Madise , international director at the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children ( SPUC ) , is convinced that purity “ is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most beautiful themes we have chosen for the Rome Life Forum in its seven-year history.
” Taking place in Rome on May 20-21 , the event will bring together speakers and participants from a number of countries ahead of the March for Life in the Eternal City on May 23 .
Among the speakers at the Rome Life Forum are Cardinal Raymond Burke and Cardinal Wim Eijk , the archbishop of Utrecht , Netherlands .
Other clergy members that will be speaking include Msgr .
Rudolf Michael Schmitz , vicar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King ; Fr .
Cassian Folsom , OSB , founder of the Benedictine monastery in Norcia , Italy ; and Fr .
Linus Clovis , spiritual director of the Population Research Institute and Family Life International .
Other speakers will be John-Henry Westen of LifeSiteNews , historian Roberto de Mattei ; John Smeaton , director of SPUC ; and Joseph Shaw , chairman of the Latin Mass Society in the United Kingdom .
Madise explained to LifeSiteNews that purity has the capacity to mobilize “ the soldiers of the Church militant to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she added , takes place “ under the winning banner ” of the Immaculate Heart of Mary .
“ We have the promise of Our Lady that her Immaculate Heart will triumph .
Purity wins , ” Madise said .
Madise , who hails from Estonia , emphasized the important role of the laity in the battles currently being fought in Church and society .
“ As laity , we are only foot soldiers in the Church militant , ” she said , “ but it is the foot , the heel of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only if we share in the fight can we share in the joy of her triumph.
” Earlier , Smeaton told LifeSiteNews , “ The Church must recover her teaching authority to save her children .
And at this time of trial , the faithful at all levels of the Church militant must mobilize to fight for her.
” Lamenting the situation in many countries , Madise spoke of “ sins against purity are state policy in many of the most powerful nations in the world , ” and even in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that violate Christian purity and God ’ s law.
” In Our Lady ’ s apparitions at Fatima in 1917 , she presented a “ terrifying vision ” of hell .
“ She revealed that it was sins against purity that lead most souls to hell .
So it is a crucial and most relevant topic , ” Madise elaborated .
Madise , who is involved in the organization of the Roman Life Forum 2020 , continued , “ We will deal with the chosen topic from a variety of perspectives – in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctrine , holy orders , monastic life , personal and family life.
” The theme is taken from the encyclical Divini Illius Magistri on Christian education .
In 1929 , Pope Pius XI spoke of “ opening the door to the virtue of purity and closing the door upon vice.
” “ Such is our misery and inclination to sin , that often in the very things considered to be remedies against sin , we find occasions for and inducements to sin itself .
Hence it is of the highest importance that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son a matter so delicate , should be well on his guard and not descend to details , nor refer to the various ways in which this infernal hydra destroys with its poison so large a portion of the world ; otherwise it may happen that instead of extinguishing this fire , he unwittingly stirs or kindles it in the simple and tender heart of the child .
Speaking generally , during the period of childhood it suffices to employ those remedies which produce the double effect of opening the door to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon vice , ” the Holy Father wrote , quoting from a book by Silvio Antonio on Christian education .
For Madise , this shows “ the true wisdom of the Church in nurturing souls , especially young souls , and their love for purity , which is in such tragic contrast with what is happening in countless classrooms today.
” Shaw indicated the importance of the Roman Life Forum by pointing out that Catholics need to “ rediscover our love of the truth , and a true commitment to it , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find God , who is Truth , and not in some sordid intellectual compromise.
” Participants in the Roman Life Forum 2020 will not only get the chance to listen to academic and thought-provoking presentations by the speakers , but they have a unique opportunity to network with leaders and representatives of pro-life and pro-family movements from over the world .
The full price of the Roman Life Forum registration is £110/€130 ( approx .
$ 143 US ) .
A one-day ticket is £65/€75 ( approx .
$ 84 US ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , please visit voiceofthefamily.com .

Purity is an antidote to ‘abortion, gender ideology, attacks on marriage, IVF technology, pornography, and sex education,’ said an organizer of the upcoming Rome Life Forum.
ROME, Italy, February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Prominent Catholics will champion “authentic purity” at the seventh annual Rome Life Forum in May because it is the “antidote against every evil we are up against in the pro-life and pro-family movement – abortion, gender ideology, attacks on marriage, IVF technology, pornography, and sex education,” an organizer of the event told LifeSiteNews.
Maria Madise, international director at the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), is convinced that purity “is one of the most important and also one of the most beautiful themes we have chosen for the Rome Life Forum in its seven-year history.”
Taking place in Rome on May 20-21, the event will bring together speakers and participants from a number of countries ahead of the March for Life in the Eternal City on May 23. Among the speakers at the Rome Life Forum are Cardinal Raymond Burke and Cardinal Wim Eijk, the archbishop of Utrecht, Netherlands. Other clergy members that will be speaking include Msgr. Rudolf Michael Schmitz, vicar general of the Institute of Christ the King; Fr. Cassian Folsom, OSB, founder of the Benedictine monastery in Norcia, Italy; and Fr. Linus Clovis, spiritual director of the Population Research Institute and Family Life International.
Other speakers will be John-Henry Westen of LifeSiteNews, historian Roberto de Mattei; John Smeaton, director of SPUC; and Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society in the United Kingdom.
Madise explained to LifeSiteNews that purity has the capacity to mobilize “the soldiers of the Church militant to fight for her children.” This mobilization, she added, takes place “under the winning banner” of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “We have the promise of Our Lady that her Immaculate Heart will triumph. Purity wins,” Madise said.
Madise, who hails from Estonia, emphasized the important role of the laity in the battles currently being fought in Church and society.
“As laity, we are only foot soldiers in the Church militant,” she said, “but it is the foot, the heel of the Immaculate that will crush the enemy. Only if we share in the fight can we share in the joy of her triumph.”
Earlier, Smeaton told LifeSiteNews, “The Church must recover her teaching authority to save her children. And at this time of trial, the faithful at all levels of the Church militant must mobilize to fight for her.”
Lamenting the situation in many countries, Madise spoke of “sins against purity are state policy in many of the most powerful nations in the world,” and even in the Church, some voices favor “exceptions that violate Christian purity and God’s law.”
In Our Lady’s apparitions at Fatima in 1917, she presented a “terrifying vision” of hell. “She revealed that it was sins against purity that lead most souls to hell. So it is a crucial and most relevant topic,” Madise elaborated.
Madise, who is involved in the organization of the Rome Life Forum 2020, continued, “We will deal with the chosen topic from a variety of perspectives – in this case, purity in faith and doctrine, holy orders, monastic life, personal and family life.”
The theme is taken from the encyclical Divini Illius Magistri on Christian education. In 1929, Pope Pius XI spoke of “opening the door to the virtue of purity and closing the door upon vice.”
“Such is our misery and inclination to sin, that often in the very things considered to be remedies against sin, we find occasions for and inducements to sin itself. Hence it is of the highest importance that a good father, while discussing with his son a matter so delicate, should be well on his guard and not descend to details, nor refer to the various ways in which this infernal hydra destroys with its poison so large a portion of the world; otherwise it may happen that instead of extinguishing this fire, he unwittingly stirs or kindles it in the simple and tender heart of the child. Speaking generally, during the period of childhood it suffices to employ those remedies which produce the double effect of opening the door to the virtue of purity and closing the door upon vice,” the Holy Father wrote, quoting from a book by Silvio Antonio on Christian education.
For Madise, this shows “the true wisdom of the Church in nurturing souls, especially young souls, and their love for purity, which is in such tragic contrast with what is happening in countless classrooms today.”
Shaw indicated the importance of the Rome Life Forum by pointing out that Catholics need to “rediscover our love of the truth, and a true commitment to it, because it is in the truth that we find God, who is Truth, and not in some sordid intellectual compromise.”
Participants in the Rome Life Forum 2020 will not only get the chance to listen to academic and thought-provoking presentations by the speakers, but they have a unique opportunity to network with leaders and representatives of pro-life and pro-family movements from over the world.
The full price of the Rome Life Forum registration is £110/€130 (approx. $143 US). A one-day ticket is £65/€75 (approx. $84 US). To register and see the complete schedule, please visit voiceofthefamily.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Cardinal Zen offers Mass, and a war cry for the Church

February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – It would be easy to understand if 88-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen had been weary and less than eager for an interview .
He had traveled to New York after a grinding schedule of long flights , interviews , and meetings .
But he was joyful and relaxed when he showed up for his interview with LifeSite ’ s Claire Chretien in Manhattan .
Cardinal Zen , the Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong , was 15 minutes early .
The only hint of his age is when he cups his ear and leans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take long to see that Cardinal Zen has no interest in taking it easy for the rest of his life .
He sits up straight and answers all of Claire ’ s questions with lengthy , impressive , and passionate responses .
His volume and intensity increase as Claire hones in on the severe oppression of the Church in China and Hong Kong , and the betrayal by the Vatican ceding power to the Communist regime .
Until recently , Cardinal Zen held back from making critical comments about Pope Francis , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time , Cardinal Zen had strong words of criticism for the Pope .
“ Unfortunately in all these years he never had any critical word about what ’ s happening in China , always praising the Chinese government , ” he shared .
And there is no doubt that Cardinal Zen thinks Pope Francis has hurt the people of Hong Kong who have been fighting the Chinese government ’ s brutal crackdown on freedom .
“ He [ the Pope ] said , ‘ oh yes , there are difficulties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , and I ’ m not possessing all the elements , so I just pray for peace.
’ So , he said nothing again.
” Cardinal Zen bluntly stated that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin , the architect of the Holy See-China deal , is “ not a man of faith.
” During the 20-minute interview , the Cardinal seemed to forget about how tired he was , becoming more and more animated throughout .
When Claire asked him what Catholics around the world can do to help , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most : the truth .
“ To be well-informed , not to be cheated , because there are too many voices not about the truth , about illusions , or lies .
Be well-informed to distinguish between the truth and the lies.
” The following day , I covered the Solemn High Pontifical Mass Cardinal Zen offered at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer .
Again , I was humbled by the Cardinal ’ s stamina .
The discipline and mechanics required to preside over a High Mass are demanding for any man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not just any Mass .
There was a solemnity and seriousness I have never experienced .
I wanted to get up close to see this saintly man in action , but security was all over the place .
Let ’ s face it : the communists would prefer Cardinal Zen dead .
Just as I was thinking about how I could finesse my way to the front , a plainclothes officer approached and asked if I would like to be escorted to the side chapel for a better view .
Watching Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a marvel .
His Latin grew in volume and strength .
Afterward , he proceeded to the Lepanto Conference , where he gave the keynote address to a standing room only crowd .
He was unscripted and animated .
He reminded the faithful to safeguard the faith and the truth , in honor of those who suffer at the hands of the communists and their apologists at the Vatican , including the Holy Father : “ Pope Francis has not one word of comfort , not one word of consolation.
” EXCLUSIVE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despis [ ing ] the heroes of faith ’ in China

PETITION: Support Cardinal Zen's plea to stop the “murder of the Church in China”” Sign the petition here.
February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – It would be easy to understand if 88-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen had been weary and less than eager for an interview. He had traveled to New York after a grinding schedule of long flights, interviews, and meetings. But he was joyful and relaxed when he showed up for his interview with LifeSite’s Claire Chretien in Manhattan.
Cardinal Zen, the Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, was 15 minutes early. The only hint of his age is when he cups his ear and leans forward, but it doesn’t take long to see that Cardinal Zen has no interest in taking it easy for the rest of his life. He sits up straight and answers all of Claire’s questions with lengthy, impressive, and passionate responses. His volume and intensity increase as Claire hones in on the severe oppression of the Church in China and Hong Kong, and the betrayal by the Vatican ceding power to the Communist regime.
Until recently, Cardinal Zen held back from making critical comments about Pope Francis, but that has changed, and now for the first time, Cardinal Zen had strong words of criticism for the Pope.
“Unfortunately in all these years he never had any critical word about what’s happening in China, always praising the Chinese government,” he shared.
And there is no doubt that Cardinal Zen thinks Pope Francis has hurt the people of Hong Kong who have been fighting the Chinese government’s brutal crackdown on freedom. “He [the Pope] said, ‘oh yes, there are difficulties in Hong Kong, in France, South America, and I’m not possessing all the elements, so I just pray for peace.’ So, he said nothing again.”
Cardinal Zen bluntly stated that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the architect of the Holy See-China deal, is “not a man of faith.” During the 20-minute interview, the Cardinal seemed to forget about how tired he was, becoming more and more animated throughout.
When Claire asked him what Catholics around the world can do to help, he highlighted the thing that communists hate the most: the truth. “To be well-informed, not to be cheated, because there are too many voices not about the truth, about illusions, or lies. Be well-informed to distinguish between the truth and the lies.”
The following day, I covered the Solemn High Pontifical Mass Cardinal Zen offered at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer. Again, I was humbled by the Cardinal’s stamina. The discipline and mechanics required to preside over a High Mass are demanding for any man.
All those in attendance knew this was not just any Mass. There was a solemnity and seriousness I have never experienced.
I wanted to get up close to see this saintly man in action, but security was all over the place. Let’s face it: the communists would prefer Cardinal Zen dead. Just as I was thinking about how I could finesse my way to the front, a plainclothes officer approached and asked if I would like to be escorted to the side chapel for a better view. Watching Cardinal Zen carefully and expertly offer the Mass was a marvel. His Latin grew in volume and strength.
Afterward, he proceeded to the Lepanto Conference, where he gave the keynote address to a standing room only crowd. He was unscripted and animated. He reminded the faithful to safeguard the faith and the truth, in honor of those who suffer at the hands of the communists and their apologists at the Vatican, including the Holy Father: “Pope Francis has not one word of comfort, not one word of consolation.”
RELATED:
EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Zen criticizes Vatican for ‘despis[ing] the heroes of faith’ in China
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--HGTV features one man in relationship with two women searching for ‘throuple’ dreamhouse

February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Is anyone surprised that HGTV recently featured its first “ throuple , ” in this case , a man and two women ?
But what else should we expect ?
This is the inevitable direction of our society ’ s slippery moral slide down .
The avalanche goes downward , not upward .
People Magazine reported on February 13 , “ With 17 seasons under its belt , House Hunters made HGTV history on Wednesday when it featured its first throuple — three people in a polyamorous romantic relationship — on one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titled “ Three ’ s Not a Crowd in Colorado Springs.
” And it featured one line in which one of the two women , named Lori , commented , “ This is a couple ’ s kitchen , not a throuple ’ s kitchen.
” Polyamory is now as American as apple pie .
Of course , for years we were mocked for predicting this very thing .
For years , we were vilified for saying that the redefining of marriage to include homosexual unions would soon lead to more radical redefinitions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pointing to the presence of polyamorous groups marching in gay pride events .
“ We ’ re next , ” they confidently proclaimed .
Now “ throuples ” are being mainstreamed too .
But why not ?
It ’ s the question that I ’ ve never had answered in all of my interactions with LGBT activists and their allies .
( For a classic example , see my debate with Professor Eric Smaw . )
Put simply , if marriage is not the unique union of one man and one woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number two ?
As I asked in a 2015 article , “ If Love Is Love , Why Not Three Men 'Marrying ' ?
For that matter , if love is love , why not four or more ?
Or why even need formal marriage ?
Conversely , why not marry yourself ?
As absurd as this may sound , “ self-marriage ” ( sologamy ) has been growing in recent years .
But why not ?
If marriage can be so fundamentally redefined as to include no member of the opposite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then why not ?
It ’ s like saying a duet can have one singer ( or three ) .
Or twins can refer to three babies ( or one ) .
That ’ s just like saying marriage can refer to two men or two women .
It fundamentally redefines the very meaning of the term .
And once that is done , then there ’ s no reason you can ’ t have throuples ( or more ) .
And there ’ s no reason people can not marry themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” yielded scores of thousands of hits , including links to a 2017 YouTube video on the What ’ s Trending channel .
It was titled “ Sologamy : People Who Marry Themselves.
” There ’ s even a link to the Self Marriage Ceremonies website that states , “ Self-Marriage is a profound rite of passage into wholeness , trust , self-responsibility , self-liberation , and love sourced from within .
It is a ritual of transformation , of proclaiming what is true in your heart and being celebrated as you make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live your full potential .
It is the commitment to radically honor and express your gifts and the precious gift of your life .
It is the freedom to live authentically in alignment with your deepest values .
It is the dedication to love , no matter what.
” The search also answers the question , “ What states allow self-marriage ?
” This was the answer : “ Other states that allow some form of self-uniting marriage are Wisconsin , Colorado , the District of Columbia , California , Maine , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now there is a throuple on HGTV , and soon enough , the word will no longer be flagged on spellcheck .
And did I mention that the original husband and wife in this throuple have two children ?
Should that be a factor when adding in a third lover to the equation ?
As People reported , “ Brian and Lori , who are legally married , fell in love with Geli after meeting her at a bar .
The trio entered into a relationship with Brian and Lori exchanging vows with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their children.
” Sorry , but there ’ s nothing beautiful about this at all .
To the contrary , it ’ s tragic .
In my 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America , I wrote , “ Until recently , polyamory had a different name : adultery .
Not anymore !
Just get all the parties involved to agree to the new relationships ( really now , that jealousy stuff is so outmoded ) and be poly – which rhymes with jolly – instead .
“ Not surprisingly , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ march in gay pride events , part and parcel of the sexual liberation vanguard .
In fact , in 2004 , polyamory advocate Jasmine Walston stated , ‘ We ’ re where the gay rights movement was 30 years ago.
’ Five years later , in 2009 , Newsweek featured an article by Jessica Bennett titled ‘ Polyamory : The Next Sexual Revolution ’ with this bold , provocative beginning : ‘ Only You .
And You .
And You .
Polyamory — relationships with multiple , mutually consenting partners — has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then , is not that HGTV featured a throuple in 2020 .
The surprise is that it took so long .
As noted by Professor Robert P. George , “ The normalization of polyamory rolls down the track , just as I and others predicted it would .
It was , as I said , less a ‘ slippery slope ’ than a simple unfolding of the logic of social liberalism.
” With “ logic ” like this , the moral fall is inevitable .
There ’ s something else that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slope is denied .
“ You ’ re crazy , ” we ’ re told .
“ This will never happen !
” Then , when the very thing we predicted happens , the same people say , “ So what ’ s the big deal ?
You people are such prudes.
” And so the slide continues but at an even faster pace .
Only a radical spiritual awakening , leading to a radical social awakening , will stem the tide .
Sorry to say , but we told you so .

Polyamory is now being presented just as normal in America as apple pie.
PETITION: Protect children from polygamy on HGTV's 'Dream Home'” Sign the petition here.
February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Is anyone surprised that HGTV recently featured its first “throuple,” in this case, a man and two women? But what else should we expect? This is the inevitable direction of our society’s slippery moral slide down. The avalanche goes downward, not upward.
People Magazine reported on February 13, “With 17 seasons under its belt, House Hunters made HGTV history on Wednesday when it featured its first throuple — three people in a polyamorous romantic relationship — on one of its episodes.”
The episode was titled “Three’s Not a Crowd in Colorado Springs.” And it featured one line in which one of the two women, named Lori, commented, “This is a couple’s kitchen, not a throuple’s kitchen.”
Polyamory is now as American as apple pie.
Of course, for years we were mocked for predicting this very thing.
For years, we were vilified for saying that the redefining of marriage to include homosexual unions would soon lead to more radical redefinitions.
For years, we were criticized for pointing to the presence of polyamorous groups marching in gay pride events. “We’re next,” they confidently proclaimed.
Now “throuples” are being mainstreamed too. But why not?
It’s the question that I’ve never had answered in all of my interactions with LGBT activists and their allies. (For a classic example, see my debate with Professor Eric Smaw.)
Put simply, if marriage is not the unique union of one man and one woman, then what is so sacred about the number two? As I asked in a 2015 article, “If Love Is Love, Why Not Three Men 'Marrying'?
For that matter, if love is love, why not four or more? Or why even need formal marriage? Conversely, why not marry yourself?
As absurd as this may sound, “self-marriage” (sologamy) has been growing in recent years. But why not? If marriage can be so fundamentally redefined as to include no member of the opposite sex (think of it!), then why not?
It’s like saying a duet can have one singer (or three). Or twins can refer to three babies (or one).
That’s just like saying marriage can refer to two men or two women. It fundamentally redefines the very meaning of the term.
And once that is done, then there’s no reason you can’t have throuples (or more). And there’s no reason people cannot marry themselves.
A search today for “self-marriage” yielded scores of thousands of hits, including links to a 2017 YouTube video on the What’s Trending channel. It was titled “Sologamy: People Who Marry Themselves.”
There’s even a link to the Self Marriage Ceremonies website that states, “Self-Marriage is a profound rite of passage into wholeness, trust, self-responsibility, self-liberation, and love sourced from within. It is a ritual of transformation, of proclaiming what is true in your heart and being celebrated as you make it known that you are ready to live your full potential. It is the commitment to radically honor and express your gifts and the precious gift of your life. It is the freedom to live authentically in alignment with your deepest values. It is the dedication to love, no matter what.”
The search also answers the question, “What states allow self-marriage?” This was the answer: “Other states that allow some form of self-uniting marriage are Wisconsin, Colorado, the District of Columbia, California, Maine, and Nevada. Jul 31, 2017.”
Now there is a throuple on HGTV, and soon enough, the word will no longer be flagged on spellcheck.
And did I mention that the original husband and wife in this throuple have two children? Should that be a factor when adding in a third lover to the equation? As People reported, “Brian and Lori, who are legally married, fell in love with Geli after meeting her at a bar. The trio entered into a relationship with Brian and Lori exchanging vows with Geli in a commitment ceremony attended by their children.”
Sorry, but there’s nothing beautiful about this at all. To the contrary, it’s tragic.
In my 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America, I wrote, “Until recently, polyamory had a different name: adultery. Not anymore! Just get all the parties involved to agree to the new relationships (really now, that jealousy stuff is so outmoded) and be poly – which rhymes with jolly – instead.
“Not surprisingly,” I continued, “polyamory groups sometimes march in gay pride events, part and parcel of the sexual liberation vanguard. In fact, in 2004, polyamory advocate Jasmine Walston stated, ‘We’re where the gay rights movement was 30 years ago.’ Five years later, in 2009, Newsweek featured an article by Jessica Bennett titled ‘Polyamory: The Next Sexual Revolution’ with this bold, provocative beginning: ‘Only You. And You. And You. Polyamory — relationships with multiple, mutually consenting partners — has a coming-out party.’”
The real surprise, then, is not that HGTV featured a throuple in 2020. The surprise is that it took so long.
As noted by Professor Robert P. George, “The normalization of polyamory rolls down the track, just as I and others predicted it would. It was, as I said, less a ‘slippery slope’ than a simple unfolding of the logic of social liberalism.”
With “logic” like this, the moral fall is inevitable.
There’s something else that’s inevitable. First, the slippery slope is denied. “You’re crazy,” we’re told. “This will never happen!”
Then, when the very thing we predicted happens, the same people say, “So what’s the big deal? You people are such prudes.”
And so the slide continues but at an even faster pace.
Only a radical spiritual awakening, leading to a radical social awakening, will stem the tide.
Sorry to say, but we told you so.
Follow Michael Dr. Brown is the author of more than 35 books, including Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the “Church” and the Jewish People, which has been translated into more than twelve languages, the highly acclaimed five-volume series, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, a commentary on Jeremiah (part of the revised edition of the Expositor’s Bible Commentary), and several books on revival and the Jesus revolution. His most recent book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test?
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Bloomberg promises to expand abortion, squelch religious freedom if elected president

February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Not to be outdone by the rest of the Democrat presidential field , former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his “ plan to expand and safeguard access to reproductive services ” last week , promising left-wing voters a litany of policies to keep abortion virtually unlimited and unregulated at taxpayers ’ expense .
“ As president , I will fiercely protect a woman ’ s right to choose , and I will appoint judges who will defend that right , ” Bloomberg declared February 12 .
“ On my first day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage President Trump has done to women ’ s rights and ensure that every woman has access to reproductive health care.
” His plan calls for undoing all current restrictions on direct abortion funding at home and abroad , writing Roe v. Wade ’ s legalization of abortion into federal law , appointing judges who would uphold Roe , covering abortion in health insurance plans , dismantling state-level abortion restrictions , allowing the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to approve over-the-counter sale of abortion pills , and reversing Trump administration rules that prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortifacient birth control .
“ Mike will also encourage states to expand the types of medical professionals permitted to perform abortions like physician assistants , nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives , ” the press release adds .
Pro-lifers argue that letting non-doctors commit abortions puts abortion-seeking women in greater danger by subjecting them to abortionists with less training or experience , such as when Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell delegated parts of the abortion process to non-physician employees , one of whom was only 15 years old .
The plan , which is largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 Democrat field , is no surprise given Bloomberg ’ s history .
Planned Parenthood awarded the mayor its Global Citizen Award in 2014 for his pro-abortion record , including investments to decriminalize abortion abroad and enacting a “ gag order ” against pro-life pregnancy centers in New York City .
While Bloomberg ’ s pro-abortion plan is framed in terms of commitment to women ’ s health , a 1997 sex discrimination lawsuit against the billionaire paints a decidedly less flattering picture of Bloomberg ’ s view of pregnancy .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged that Bloomberg made a number of disparaging comments about her pregnancy and preborn child , such as suggesting that she “ kill it.
” Bloomberg denied the abortion remarks but admitted to making inapprporiate comments about women more generally .
Bloomberg , who donates heavily to left-wing causes such as gun control and climate change , also boasts about his pro-LGBT record , from helping enact same-sex “ marriage ” to having “ presided over New York City ’ s first official same-sex marriage [ sic ] the day it became legal.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win a single delegate for the Democrat nomination , but many expect his significant wealth to keep him in the race for some time .

February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Not to be outdone by the rest of the Democrat presidential field, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his “plan to expand and safeguard access to reproductive services” last week, promising left-wing voters a litany of policies to keep abortion virtually unlimited and unregulated at taxpayers’ expense.
“As president, I will fiercely protect a woman’s right to choose, and I will appoint judges who will defend that right,” Bloomberg declared February 12. “On my first day in office, I will reverse the damage President Trump has done to women’s rights and ensure that every woman has access to reproductive health care.”
His plan calls for undoing all current restrictions on direct abortion funding at home and abroad, writing Roe v. Wade’s legalization of abortion into federal law, appointing judges who would uphold Roe, covering abortion in health insurance plans, dismantling state-level abortion restrictions, allowing the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to approve over-the-counter sale of abortion pills, and reversing Trump administration rules that prevent Obamacare from forcing religious groups to dispense abortifacient birth control.
“Mike will also encourage states to expand the types of medical professionals permitted to perform abortions like physician assistants, nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives,” the press release adds. Pro-lifers argue that letting non-doctors commit abortions puts abortion-seeking women in greater danger by subjecting them to abortionists with less training or experience, such as when Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell delegated parts of the abortion process to non-physician employees, one of whom was only 15 years old.
The plan, which is largely indistinguishable from those of the rest of the 2020 Democrat field, is no surprise given Bloomberg’s history. Planned Parenthood awarded the mayor its Global Citizen Award in 2014 for his pro-abortion record, including investments to decriminalize abortion abroad and enacting a “gag order” against pro-life pregnancy centers in New York City.
While Bloomberg’s pro-abortion plan is framed in terms of commitment to women’s health, a 1997 sex discrimination lawsuit against the billionaire paints a decidedly less flattering picture of Bloomberg’s view of pregnancy. In it, former employee Sekiko Sakai Garrison alleged that Bloomberg made a number of disparaging comments about her pregnancy and preborn child, such as suggesting that she “kill it.” Bloomberg denied the abortion remarks but admitted to making inapprporiate comments about women more generally.
Bloomberg, who donates heavily to left-wing causes such as gun control and climate change, also boasts about his pro-LGBT record, from helping enact same-sex “marriage” to having “presided over New York City’s first official same-sex marriage [sic] the day it became legal.”
So far, Bloomberg has yet to win a single delegate for the Democrat nomination, but many expect his significant wealth to keep him in the race for some time.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Key architects of Amazon Synod disappointed with new papal exhortation

February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Bishop Erwin Kräutler and Professor Paulo Suess – both of whom met Pope Francis in 2014 to lobby for changes in the Amazon region , including married and female priests – have given signs of disappointment in recent interviews about the post-synodal exhortation Querida Amazonia .
Both men were members of the pre-synodal council , The Tablet having called Kräutler the main author of the preparatory documents , and Professor Suess as the key member of the drafting committee of the pre-synodal council .
Suess and Kräutler are representatives of Liberation Theology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for decades .
They can be seen as the radical wing of the Amazon Synod , with Kräutler and Suess proposing not only to ordain married priests , but even to “ ordain ” women to the priesthood and welcoming explicitly pagan rites and symbols in the Catholic Church .
Suess even posted , in 2017 , a photo of Karl Marx on his Facebook .
Both see that their radical agenda has not been fully supported by Pope Francis in his post-synodal exhortation .
Both Suess and Kräutler had been very pleased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its Final Document .
Suess was optimistic in November 2019 , saying that the Pope “ needed the synod to go forwards , ” that he needed the voice “ from the basis , ” in order to make changes .
However , as the Jesuit journal America now reports , Bishop Kräutler comments that the new exhortation “ fell short of our expectations .
We expected the pope to take it a step further , and he didn't.
” As America continues : “ he [ Kräutler ] would not go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he was surprised by the avoidance of a clear decision on the matter of ordaining married permanent deacons.
” That he indeed is disappointed becomes clear when the Austrian missionary bishop adds : “ I would say we were surprised by [ the ] document , since more than two-thirds of the bishops at the synod voted in favor of the ordination of married men.
” But Kräutler also insisted that the discussion is now not ended , saying that the Pope “ made it clear that this was not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We expect that the issue be revisited in the near future , ” the bishop explains , adding : “ I believe Pope Francis thought the idea was not yet mature to put into practice.
” Here , Paulo Suess is more outspoken about his irritation concerning the papal document .
Speaking with the German national radio station Deutschlandfunk , the German professor says that the Pope has pulled back from the reform and thus deeply disappointed people .
“ He did not kick [ the ball ] into the goal , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect that , that is to say , I really thought that he would kick that ball into the goal that one had put right in front of his feet.
” The theologian thinks that the Pope 's hesitancy is due to “ pressures from conservatives in the Vatican.
” For Suess , this new document “ at times turns into a nightmare , ” as reported by the German bishops ' news website Katholisch.de .
The fact that this faction of the Amazon Synod has been disappointed is confirmed by José Antonio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a participant at the recent Acies Ordinata prayer assembly in Munich against the German reform plan .
In an essay published by Edward Pentin on his website , Ureta entitles : “ 'Querida Amazonia ’ — Francis Approves Leonardo Boff , Throws Fritz Löbinger into the Tiber.
” That is to say , he chose not to follow a more radical wing of Liberation Theology while still following another one .
He writes : “ Cardinals Burke , Müller , and Sarah ( and his co-author , Benedict XVI ) , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defended priestly celibacy , have reason to be satisfied .
Now they can look down on promoters of the low-cost priesthood , especially bishops Fritz Löbinger , Erwin Kräutler , and their partners on the German ‘ synodal path.
’ Schluss !
No opening for viri probati or ‘ deaconesses.
’ ” Ureta clearly states that Querida Amazonia “ dissociates itself from the concept of ‘ inculturation ’ promoted by Indigenous Theology – led chiefly by Fathers Paulo Suess and Eleazar López ” but adds that it still “ adopts the light version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” That is to say , this form of inculturation “ consists of a mere adaptation of the Gospel to the understanding of all , expressing Christ ’ s message in terms appropriate for each culture ( note 84 ) .
” Ureta also cautions us when he says : “ However , the document ’ s by far most flawed aspect is its full adherence to the postulates and programmatic agenda of Liberation Theology in its ecological version recycled by Leonardo Boff and assumed by the synod ’ s documents.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even quotes in his new document the “ Chilean Communist Pablo Neruda and Vinicius de Moraes , Brazilian author of a famous poem titled ‘ Lord barons of the earth , ’ calling for armed struggle [ who ] are among the poets-prophets who denounce the ‘ evils ’ of economic development.
” “ Worse still , ” Ureta continues , “ the alternative solutions that Pope Francis proposes correspond to the more advanced collectivist dreams of neo-Marxist anthropologists , who see the tribal life of the jungle as a model for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differentiated analysis of the new papal exhortation , Ureta says that only time can tell us how this document will be used , and concludes for now : “ Even if Francis confirmed Leonardo Boff , at least he threw the managers of Löbinger , Kräutler & Suess GmbH into the Tiber .
“ And how long this state will last is yet to be seen .
Two other key organizers of the Amazon Synod , Cardinal Cláudio Hummes and Mauricio López ( the executive secretary of the Amazon network REPAM ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially the married priesthood – are not yet off the table .
Brazilian Cardinal Hummes stated that ordaining married men to the priesthood “ must be developed and completed ” following the release of Pope Francis ’ new document .
López now says that , since the Pope “ explicitly presented the final document [ of the synod ] in his introduction , ” one can “ hold fast to everything.
” He has “ not the slightest doubt ” that married priests “ will come .
”

February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Erwin Kräutler and Professor Paulo Suess – both of whom met Pope Francis in 2014 to lobby for changes in the Amazon region, including married and female priests – have given signs of disappointment in recent interviews about the post-synodal exhortation Querida Amazonia. Both men were members of the pre-synodal council, The Tablet having called Kräutler the main author of the preparatory documents, and Professor Suess as the key member of the drafting committee of the pre-synodal council. Suess and Kräutler are representatives of Liberation Theology in Brazil and have worked closely together for decades. They can be seen as the radical wing of the Amazon Synod, with Kräutler and Suess proposing not only to ordain married priests, but even to “ordain” women to the priesthood and welcoming explicitly pagan rites and symbols in the Catholic Church. Suess even posted, in 2017, a photo of Karl Marx on his Facebook.
Both see that their radical agenda has not been fully supported by Pope Francis in his post-synodal exhortation. Both Suess and Kräutler had been very pleased with the outcome of the Amazon Synod and its Final Document. Suess was optimistic in November 2019, saying that the Pope “needed the synod to go forwards,” that he needed the voice “from the basis,” in order to make changes.
However, as the Jesuit journal America now reports, Bishop Kräutler comments that the new exhortation “fell short of our expectations. We expected the pope to take it a step further, and he didn't.” As America continues: “he [Kräutler] would not go so far as saying he was disappointed, but he was surprised by the avoidance of a clear decision on the matter of ordaining married permanent deacons.”
That he indeed is disappointed becomes clear when the Austrian missionary bishop adds: “I would say we were surprised by [the] document, since more than two-thirds of the bishops at the synod voted in favor of the ordination of married men.” But Kräutler also insisted that the discussion is now not ended, saying that the Pope “made it clear that this was not the final decision on the issue.”
“We expect that the issue be revisited in the near future,” the bishop explains, adding: “I believe Pope Francis thought the idea was not yet mature to put into practice.”
Not yet.
Here, Paulo Suess is more outspoken about his irritation concerning the papal document. Speaking with the German national radio station Deutschlandfunk, the German professor says that the Pope has pulled back from the reform and thus deeply disappointed people.
“He did not kick [the ball] into the goal,” Suess comments. “I did not expect that, that is to say, I really thought that he would kick that ball into the goal that one had put right in front of his feet.” The theologian thinks that the Pope's hesitancy is due to “pressures from conservatives in the Vatican.” For Suess, this new document “at times turns into a nightmare,” as reported by the German bishops' news website Katholisch.de.
The fact that this faction of the Amazon Synod has been disappointed is confirmed by José Antonio Ureta, an expert in Liberation Theology and a participant at the recent Acies Ordinata prayer assembly in Munich against the German reform plan. In an essay published by Edward Pentin on his website, Ureta entitles: “'Querida Amazonia’ — Francis Approves Leonardo Boff, Throws Fritz Löbinger into the Tiber.” That is to say, he chose not to follow a more radical wing of Liberation Theology while still following another one.
He writes: “Cardinals Burke, Müller, and Sarah (and his co-author, Benedict XVI), as well as the few prelates who fervently defended priestly celibacy, have reason to be satisfied. Now they can look down on promoters of the low-cost priesthood, especially bishops Fritz Löbinger, Erwin Kräutler, and their partners on the German ‘synodal path.’ Schluss! No opening for viri probati or ‘deaconesses.’”
Ureta clearly states that Querida Amazonia “dissociates itself from the concept of ‘inculturation’ promoted by Indigenous Theology – led chiefly by Fathers Paulo Suess and Eleazar López” but adds that it still “adopts the light version of the conciliar constitution Gaudium et Spes.” That is to say, this form of inculturation “consists of a mere adaptation of the Gospel to the understanding of all, expressing Christ’s message in terms appropriate for each culture (note 84).”
Ureta also cautions us when he says: “However, the document’s by far most flawed aspect is its full adherence to the postulates and programmatic agenda of Liberation Theology in its ecological version recycled by Leonardo Boff and assumed by the synod’s documents.” The author also points out that Pope Francis even quotes in his new document the “Chilean Communist Pablo Neruda and Vinicius de Moraes, Brazilian author of a famous poem titled ‘Lord barons of the earth,’ calling for armed struggle [who] are among the poets-prophets who denounce the ‘evils’ of economic development.”
“Worse still,” Ureta continues, “the alternative solutions that Pope Francis proposes correspond to the more advanced collectivist dreams of neo-Marxist anthropologists, who see the tribal life of the jungle as a model for the future world.”
In light of this differentiated analysis of the new papal exhortation, Ureta says that only time can tell us how this document will be used, and concludes for now: “Even if Francis confirmed Leonardo Boff, at least he threw the managers of Löbinger, Kräutler & Suess GmbH into the Tiber. “
And how long this state will last is yet to be seen.
Two other key organizers of the Amazon Synod, Cardinal Cláudio Hummes and Mauricio López (the executive secretary of the Amazon network REPAM), insist that the synod's proposals – especially the married priesthood – are not yet off the table.
Brazilian Cardinal Hummes stated that ordaining married men to the priesthood “must be developed and completed” following the release of Pope Francis’ new document. López now says that, since the Pope “explicitly presented the final document [of the synod] in his introduction,” one can “hold fast to everything.” He has “not the slightest doubt” that married priests “will come.”
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--‘We will have papa and mamma’: Putin says no to gay ‘marriage’ in Russia

RUSSIA , February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman should be added to the Russian constitution , adding that under his leadership Russia would not adopt terms such “ parent number 1 ” and “ parent number 2.
” Putin made the comments last Thursday at a meeting to discuss Russian constitutional reform .
During a discussion on family values in Russia , conservative lawmaker , Olga Batalina , said that some people would like the word “ family ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ union of a man and a woman.
” “ We need to clarify some things .
A marriage is a union of a man and woman , ” Putin responded .
“ ' A family is a different thing , but the idea is right and it should be supported .
We need to only think about how to formulate it and where.
” Batalina also claimed that the family is under attack from attempts to introduce new terms like “ parent number one ” and “ parent number two.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is reality in some countries , ” she said .
Putin responded : “ As for ‘ parent # 1 ’ and ‘ parent # 2 ’ , I have already publicly said it and I will repeat it once more : as long as I am president , we will not have parents # 1 and # 2 , we will have ‘ papa ’ and ‘ mamma.
’ ” Last year France passed a law requiring that schools replace the words “ mother ” and “ father ” in their documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parent 2.
” In Italy in 2018 , then Deputy Prime Minister , Matteo Salvini , ordered that the words “ parent 1 ” and “ parent 2 ” be deleted from online government forms and replaced with “ mother ” and “ father.
” In 2013 Putin signed a bill to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality , “ same-sex marriage , ” and Gay Pride parades throughout the Russian Federation .
The law imposes stiff fines or prison terms for spreading “ propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.
” He also supported measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseas from adopting children in Russia .

President Putin said the definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman should be added to the Russian constitution.
RUSSIA, February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman should be added to the Russian constitution, adding that under his leadership Russia would not adopt terms such “parent number 1” and “parent number 2.”
Putin made the comments last Thursday at a meeting to discuss Russian constitutional reform. During a discussion on family values in Russia, conservative lawmaker, Olga Batalina, said that some people would like the word “family” to be defined in the constitution as a “union of a man and a woman.”
“We need to clarify some things. A marriage is a union of a man and woman,” Putin responded. “'A family is a different thing, but the idea is right and it should be supported. We need to only think about how to formulate it and where.”
Batalina also claimed that the family is under attack from attempts to introduce new terms like “parent number one” and “parent number two.”
“This is not fantasy, this is reality in some countries,” she said.
Putin responded: “As for ‘parent #1’ and ‘parent #2’, I have already publicly said it and I will repeat it once more: as long as I am president, we will not have parents #1 and #2, we will have ‘papa’ and ‘mamma.’”
Last year France passed a law requiring that schools replace the words “mother” and “father” in their documents with “parent 1” and “parent 2.” In Italy in 2018, then Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, ordered that the words “parent 1” and “parent 2” be deleted from online government forms and replaced with “mother” and “father.”
In 2013 Putin signed a bill to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality, “same-sex marriage,” and Gay Pride parades throughout the Russian Federation. The law imposes stiff fines or prison terms for spreading “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.” He also supported measures to stop same-sex couples “married” overseas from adopting children in Russia.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Utah may decriminalize polygamy. No one should be surprised.

February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A few years ago , the best way to trigger an advocate for redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would be to note that once the gender of those involved in the marriage became arbitrary , there really was no reason , strictly speaking , that the number of partners involved should be limited , either .
This logical argument—that once you redefine one characteristic of an institution , there is no reason you can ’ t redefine others , too—was extremely inconvenient for the activists who recognized that they needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nobody would get too alarmed .
It is always important not to boil the frog too fast .
And so those who noted that polygamy could be coming down the pipe as other unorthodox romantic arrangements demanded government recognition ( and the accompanying benefits ) were met with outrage and accusations of being smear merchants , bigots , or promiscuous employers of the slippery slope fallacy .
It was ludicrous to claim that those who wished to redefine an institution that was thousands of years old would not stop with one radical change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said otherwise was simply a raging homophobe .
Those were the good old days .
Since then , major newspapers and other media outlets have persistently produced glowing stories on all sorts of sexual arrangements , with headlines asking ( speculatively , of course ) whether or not “ polyamory ” might just be the next big thing .
Never mind that there wasn ’ t going to be a big next thing—once the sexual revolutionaries achieve one objective , they move seamlessly on to the next one , totally ignoring their previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing they are now doing .
Outrage is a convenient tactic .
Sincerity is not .
Anyways , that brings us to Utah , where the issue of polygamy is again front and center .
According to the Salt Lake City Tribune , a state-level bill that would decriminalize the practice among consenting adults has now been sent to the chamber for a vote after receiving unanimous endorsement from the state Senate committee .
The Utah Senate Judiciary , Law Enforcement , and Criminal Justice Committee put the bill forward after testimony that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labels law-abiding citizens as criminals.
” Current laws on the books state that polygamy is “ a felony punishable by up to five years in prison , with an additional 15 years possible if the defendant is also convicted of fraud , child abuse , sexual abuse , domestic abuse or human smuggling or trafficking.
” The proposed decriminalization would reduce the practice to a mere infraction , which not only carries no jailtime but actually makes polygamy between consenting adults a lesser infraction than many traffic offenses , with fines reaching only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for perpetrators with other charges .
Of course , the justification for the law is the typically brazen appeal to compassion , with the polygamy legislation ’ s sponsor , Republican Senator Deidre Henderson , stating that the current laws prevent victims of abuse ( sexual or otherwise ) in polygamist families fearful to come forward because they could be arrested ( which is , again , an extraordinarily weak and transparent argument ) .
According to Henderson : “ The people that I have spoken with long to feel part of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like second-class citizens .
They feel like Utah has legalized prejudice against them .
They want to be honest people , but feel like they have to lie or teach their children to lie about their families in order to stay safe.
” Now , do those talking points sound familiar , or what ?
Where have we heard that before ?
Those opposing the decriminalization of polygamy , of course , are attempting to point out that this law will drastically normalize the practice and encourage people to pursue it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to justify Henderson ’ s law as a reason that this lifestyle should not be destigmatized .
The argument needs to be made , but the last debate over redefining marriage has effectively cut opponents off at the knees .
Marriage , after all , has been reduced to a malleable contractual arrangement that the Courts can change at will .
Who is to say that some dude and his harem can ’ t be recognized by the government , too ?
So far , at least , the Supreme Court has ducked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to hear an appeal from the stars of the TLC show “ Sister Wives , ” polygamist Kody Brown and his four wives .
He is married to one of the wives , but of course feels deeply stigmatized that he does not have formal state recognition of his other sexual relationships , and thus had challenged the current Utah law now under assault by Deidre Henderson .
It is difficult to see how a reality show star is being persecuted , of course—most polygamist couples live openly however they wish .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have their arrangements receive the legitimacy of state endorsement .
We ’ ll see how this plays out .
But in the wake of Obergefell , it may well be that what ’ s good for the goose is good for the gander—and his entire flock .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , he interviews Joseph Pearce , a man who became quite close to renowned Russian thinker and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stories of Solzhenitsyn and his wisdom that may help save society .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

'They feel like Utah has legalized prejudice against them. They want to be honest people, but feel like they have to lie or teach their children to lie about their families in order to stay safe.' Now, do those talking points sound familiar, or what?
PETITION: Protect children from polygamy on HGTV's 'Dream Home'” Sign the petition here.
February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A few years ago, the best way to trigger an advocate for redefining marriage to include same-sex couples would be to note that once the gender of those involved in the marriage became arbitrary, there really was no reason, strictly speaking, that the number of partners involved should be limited, either. This logical argument—that once you redefine one characteristic of an institution, there is no reason you can’t redefine others, too—was extremely inconvenient for the activists who recognized that they needed to move the Overton Window slowly enough that nobody would get too alarmed. It is always important not to boil the frog too fast.
And so those who noted that polygamy could be coming down the pipe as other unorthodox romantic arrangements demanded government recognition (and the accompanying benefits) were met with outrage and accusations of being smear merchants, bigots, or promiscuous employers of the slippery slope fallacy. It was ludicrous to claim that those who wished to redefine an institution that was thousands of years old would not stop with one radical change, they said, and anyone who said otherwise was simply a raging homophobe.
Those were the good old days. Since then, major newspapers and other media outlets have persistently produced glowing stories on all sorts of sexual arrangements, with headlines asking (speculatively, of course) whether or not “polyamory” might just be the next big thing. Never mind that there wasn’t going to be a big next thing—once the sexual revolutionaries achieve one objective, they move seamlessly on to the next one, totally ignoring their previous outrage at being accused of the very thing they are now doing. Outrage is a convenient tactic. Sincerity is not.
Anyways, that brings us to Utah, where the issue of polygamy is again front and center. According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, a state-level bill that would decriminalize the practice among consenting adults has now been sent to the chamber for a vote after receiving unanimous endorsement from the state Senate committee. The Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee put the bill forward after testimony that rather ludicrously that laws prohibiting polygamy “labels law-abiding citizens as criminals.”
Current laws on the books state that polygamy is “a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, with an additional 15 years possible if the defendant is also convicted of fraud, child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse or human smuggling or trafficking.” The proposed decriminalization would reduce the practice to a mere infraction, which not only carries no jailtime but actually makes polygamy between consenting adults a lesser infraction than many traffic offenses, with fines reaching only $750 with potential court-mandated community service for perpetrators with other charges.
Of course, the justification for the law is the typically brazen appeal to compassion, with the polygamy legislation’s sponsor, Republican Senator Deidre Henderson, stating that the current laws prevent victims of abuse (sexual or otherwise) in polygamist families fearful to come forward because they could be arrested (which is, again, an extraordinarily weak and transparent argument).
According to Henderson: “The people that I have spoken with long to feel part of society. They are tired of being treated like second-class citizens. They feel like Utah has legalized prejudice against them. They want to be honest people, but feel like they have to lie or teach their children to lie about their families in order to stay safe.” Now, do those talking points sound familiar, or what? Where have we heard that before?
Those opposing the decriminalization of polygamy, of course, are attempting to point out that this law will drastically normalize the practice and encourage people to pursue it, and pointed to the same abuses being used to justify Henderson’s law as a reason that this lifestyle should not be destigmatized. The argument needs to be made, but the last debate over redefining marriage has effectively cut opponents off at the knees. Marriage, after all, has been reduced to a malleable contractual arrangement that the Courts can change at will. Who is to say that some dude and his harem can’t be recognized by the government, too?
So far, at least, the Supreme Court has ducked the argument. In 2017, they declined to hear an appeal from the stars of the TLC show “Sister Wives,” polygamist Kody Brown and his four wives. He is married to one of the wives, but of course feels deeply stigmatized that he does not have formal state recognition of his other sexual relationships, and thus had challenged the current Utah law now under assault by Deidre Henderson. It is difficult to see how a reality show star is being persecuted, of course—most polygamist couples live openly however they wish. What they are pushing for now is to have their arrangements receive the legitimacy of state endorsement.
We’ll see how this plays out. But in the wake of Obergefell, it may well be that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander—and his entire flock.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he interviews Joseph Pearce, a man who became quite close to renowned Russian thinker and writer Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. Pearce shares his stories of Solzhenitsyn and his wisdom that may help save society.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Alabama bill would force vasectomies on men after third child

MONTGOMERY , Alabama , February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In a purported protest against the supposed hypocrisy of pro-life laws affecting women but not men , a Democrat lawmaker in Alabama has introduced legislation forcing men age 50 or above , or who have at least three children , to undergo vasectomies at their own expense .
“ A man , at his own expense , shall undergo a vasectomy within one month of his 50th birthday or the birth of his third biological child , whichever comes first , ” House Bill 238 states .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are no restrictions on the reproductive rights of men.
” My NBC 15 reported that the bill ’ s author , Democrat state Rep. Rolanda Hollis , explained that she intended HB 238 not as a serious proposal but as an exercise to highlight the “ outrageous overstep in authority ” of Alabama Republicans pushing “ legislation that tries to dictate a woman ’ s body and her reproductive rights , ” i.e.
, laws restricting abortion .
“ The vasectomy bill is meant to to neutralize last year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message that men should not be legislating what women do with their bodies , ” she said .
“ Just as I would turn to my doctor over my state legislator to make recommendations when deciding whether or not to have a surgery , or whether or not to take a certain type of medicine – it is my doctor with whom I – or any of my loved ones – should consult when it comes to making the incredibly difficult decisions related to my personal reproductive rights.
” In fact , vasectomies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their ramifications and alternatives .
More important , the comparison ignores why abortion is opposed and restrricted : because , unlike vasectomies , abortions directly affect someone other than the patient seeking the procedure : the preborn baby that is killed .
“ Yikes , ” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas , responded to the story .
“ A government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything … literally !
” Between the bill ’ s nature as a vehicle to make a statement rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama Legislature , and the fact that no other Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors , HB 238 is not expected to make it far in the legislative process .

The state rep claims her 'vasectomy' bill is a response to the state's abortion ban bill, which she calls an 'outrageous overstep in authority.'
MONTGOMERY, Alabama, February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In a purported protest against the supposed hypocrisy of pro-life laws affecting women but not men, a Democrat lawmaker in Alabama has introduced legislation forcing men age 50 or above, or who have at least three children, to undergo vasectomies at their own expense.
“A man, at his own expense, shall undergo a vasectomy within one month of his 50th birthday or the birth of his third biological child, whichever comes first,” House Bill 238 states. The synopsis adds that “under existing law, there are no restrictions on the reproductive rights of men.”
My NBC 15 reported that the bill’s author, Democrat state Rep. Rolanda Hollis, explained that she intended HB 238 not as a serious proposal but as an exercise to highlight the “outrageous overstep in authority” of Alabama Republicans pushing “legislation that tries to dictate a woman’s body and her reproductive rights,” i.e., laws restricting abortion.
“The vasectomy bill is meant to to neutralize last year’s abortion ban bill, and sends the message that men should not be legislating what women do with their bodies,” she said. “Just as I would turn to my doctor over my state legislator to make recommendations when deciding whether or not to have a surgery, or whether or not to take a certain type of medicine – it is my doctor with whom I – or any of my loved ones – should consult when it comes to making the incredibly difficult decisions related to my personal reproductive rights.”
In fact, vasectomies are also subject to informed consent as to their ramifications and alternatives. More important, the comparison ignores why abortion is opposed and restrricted: because, unlike vasectomies, abortions directly affect someone other than the patient seeking the procedure: the preborn baby that is killed.
“Yikes,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, responded to the story. “A government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything … literally!”
Between the bill’s nature as a vehicle to make a statement rather than affect policy, GOP control of the Alabama Legislature, and the fact that no other Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors, HB 238 is not expected to make it far in the legislative process.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Pro-abortion Trudeau is ‘not a friend to Africa’: African pro-life leader

February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A leading African pro-life advocate says Canada ’ s prime minister should not have been allowed to speak in her continent because of his commitment to funding the killing of pre-born African babies .
“ Simply put , Justin Trudeau is not a friend to Africa , ” says Culture of Life Africa founder and president Obianuju Ekeocha , creator of the documentary Strings Attached and author of the book Target Africa : Ideological Neo-colonialism of the Twenty-First Century .
Trudeau wrapped up an eight-day tour Friday that focused on winning African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a seat on the United Nations Security Council for a one-year term beginning in 2021 .
His trip comes after a number of years of Canada ’ s Liberal government implementing “ reprehensible anti-life and anti-family foreign policies , ” Ekeocha told LifeSiteNews in an email .
“ As an African woman , it has been painful to watch this Trudeau tour through my continent , making speeches at our most important Summit of the year -- the African Union Summit -- endearing himself to African leaders by donating even more million of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and even doing photo-ops at a former slave trading post in Senegal , ” she said .
“ Given his unapologetic anti-life , pro-abortion legacy , Justin Trudeau should not have been given the platforms and special treatment that he got among African leaders , because this is a man whose policies have directly supported the killing of Africa ’ s youngest and most vulnerable -- our preborn babies -- and a man who is responsible for bankrolling the importation of a toxic form of feminism from the West , ” added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives in the U.K. Trudeau is featured front and center in the trailer for Strings Attached , Ekeocha ’ s documentary exposing the brutality , deception and criminality that underlies the Western world ’ s exporting of abortion and contraception to Africa .
Since Trudeau ’ s 2017 announcement of Canada ’ s $ 650 million pledge over three years to fund abortion in developing countries as part of its international aid — including bankrolling campaigns to overturn national laws protecting the child in the womb — the Liberals ’ projected funding has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next 10 years .
Canada ’ s national pro-life , pro-family lobbying group Campaign Life Coalition tweeted that the prime minister is directly involved in pushing the “ Western abortion culture ” to Africa : And as Campaign Life ’ s former global policy and research coordinator Emily Price pointed out last fall , Trudeau “ has aggressively pushed for abortion , and lobbied for universal acceptance of sexual and reproductive health and rights , ” code for global legal abortion and contraception , at the United Nations .
“ For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his government officials have been attending conferences and meetings , to boast of Canada ’ s abortion funding in the developing world , and have been criticizing international governments for their apparent lack-lustre approach to ‘ women ’ s rights ’ , ” Price notes .
“ I have observed his foreign policies , especially those directly impacting the lives of Africans , and it has been most disheartening to watch Trudeau ’ s administration as they completely defaced and hollowed out the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal , Newborn and Child Health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that saved the lives of so many African mothers and their babies , ” she told LifeSiteNews .
“ This initiative has now become a funding stream for abortion organizations and sexual rights groups , ” Ekeocha said .
“ Across the African continent we now see Canadian taxpayer funds being used to sponsor ideological propaganda projects , thereby pushing upon the people of Africa a form of ideological neocolonialism.
” Strings Attached documents the fact that countless millions of aid dollars poured into Africa go not for education , clean water or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but fill the coffers of international abortion-peddlers such as Marie Stopes , notes Jonathan Van Maren in a summary of the film .
The U.K.-based Marie Stopes operates in 37 developing countries and performs 3.53 million abortions annually around the world , many of these illegal , he wrote .
Indeed , Ekeocha secretly video recorded Paul Cornelissen , regional director for South Africa of Marie Stopes International , confirming in a meeting that : “ We do illegal abortions all over the world.
” Moreover , in calls made to various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics were willing to refer women for illegal abortions , and some to commit the abortions .
When MP Garnett Genuis asked Canada ’ s then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland if she was sure Marie Stopes was not breaking the law in the countries where it operates , she refused to answer and “ instead went on a tirade about Liberal support for abortion , ” Van Maren noted .
Strings Attached also includes heart-wrenching stories of African women devastated by abortion , and is a must-see documentary for politicians , pro-lifers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars are funding an assault on African values , African women , and African children , he said .
Strings Attached is available for rental or purchase on Vimeo and Amazon .
Ekeocha ’ s book , “ Target Africa : Ideological Neo-colonialism of the Twenty-First Century , ” is available on Amazon .

February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A leading African pro-life advocate says Canada’s prime minister should not have been allowed to speak in her continent because of his commitment to funding the killing of pre-born African babies.
“Simply put, Justin Trudeau is not a friend to Africa,” says Culture of Life Africa founder and president Obianuju Ekeocha, creator of the documentary Strings Attached and author of the book Target Africa: Ideological Neo-colonialism of the Twenty-First Century.
Trudeau wrapped up an eight-day tour Friday that focused on winning African support for Canada’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council for a one-year term beginning in 2021.
His trip comes after a number of years of Canada’s Liberal government implementing “reprehensible anti-life and anti-family foreign policies,” Ekeocha told LifeSiteNews in an email.
“As an African woman, it has been painful to watch this Trudeau tour through my continent, making speeches at our most important Summit of the year — the African Union Summit — endearing himself to African leaders by donating even more million of dollars, having get-togethers with our leaders, and even doing photo-ops at a former slave trading post in Senegal,” she said.
“Given his unapologetic anti-life, pro-abortion legacy, Justin Trudeau should not have been given the platforms and special treatment that he got among African leaders, because this is a man whose policies have directly supported the killing of Africa’s youngest and most vulnerable — our preborn babies — and a man who is responsible for bankrolling the importation of a toxic form of feminism from the West,” added the Nigerian-born pro-life advocate, who now lives in the U.K.
Trudeau is featured front and center in the trailer for Strings Attached, Ekeocha’s documentary exposing the brutality, deception and criminality that underlies the Western world’s exporting of abortion and contraception to Africa.
Since Trudeau’s 2017 announcement of Canada’s $650 million pledge over three years to fund abortion in developing countries as part of its international aid — including bankrolling campaigns to overturn national laws protecting the child in the womb — the Liberals’ projected funding has burgeoned to a staggering $7.1 billion over the next 10 years.
Canada’s national pro-life, pro-family lobbying group Campaign Life Coalition tweeted that the prime minister is directly involved in pushing the “Western abortion culture” to Africa:
‘Strings Attached’ documentary exposes how Western abortion culture is hurting Africa, and PM Trudeau is directly involved @COLAfrica @obianuju #StringsAttached #cdnpolihttps://t.co/8CriIRwGga — Campaign Life Coalition (@CampaignLife) February 12, 2020
And as Campaign Life’s former global policy and research coordinator Emily Price pointed out last fall, Trudeau “has aggressively pushed for abortion, and lobbied for universal acceptance of sexual and reproductive health and rights,” code for global legal abortion and contraception, at the United Nations.
“For the past four years, he and his government officials have been attending conferences and meetings, to boast of Canada’s abortion funding in the developing world, and have been criticizing international governments for their apparent lack-lustre approach to ‘women’s rights’,” Price notes.
Ekeocha echoes this.
“I have observed his foreign policies, especially those directly impacting the lives of Africans, and it has been most disheartening to watch Trudeau’s administration as they completely defaced and hollowed out the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which previously was a good funding initiative that saved the lives of so many African mothers and their babies,” she told LifeSiteNews.
“This initiative has now become a funding stream for abortion organizations and sexual rights groups,” Ekeocha said.
“Across the African continent we now see Canadian taxpayer funds being used to sponsor ideological propaganda projects, thereby pushing upon the people of Africa a form of ideological neocolonialism.”
Strings Attached documents the fact that countless millions of aid dollars poured into Africa go not for education, clean water or basic medical needs for mothers and babies, but fill the coffers of international abortion-peddlers such as Marie Stopes, notes Jonathan Van Maren in a summary of the film. The U.K.-based Marie Stopes operates in 37 developing countries and performs 3.53 million abortions annually around the world, many of these illegal, he wrote.
Indeed, the video reveals a secret recording of Paul Cornelissen, regional director for South Africa of Marie Stopes International, confirming in a meeting that: “We do illegal abortions all over the world.” Moreover, in calls made to various Marie Stopes clinics throughout Africa, most clinics were willing to refer women for illegal abortions, and some to commit the abortions.
When MP Garnett Genuis asked Canada’s then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland if she was sure Marie Stopes was not breaking the law in the countries where it operates, she refused to answer and “instead went on a tirade about Liberal support for abortion,” Van Maren noted.
Strings Attached also includes heart-wrenching stories of African women devastated by abortion, and is a must-see documentary for politicians, pro-lifers, and those interested in how their tax dollars are funding an assault on African values, African women, and African children, he said. Strings Attached is available for rental or purchase on Vimeo and Amazon. Ekeocha’s book, “Target Africa: Ideological Neo-colonialism of the Twenty-First Century,” is available on Amazon.
Feb. 18, 2020 correction: The original version of this article incorrectly stated Ekeocha secretly recorded Paul Cornelissen whereas Cornelissen was secretly recorded by someone else. LifeSiteNews regrets this error.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-17--Wisconsin debates personhood amendment to protect unborn babies, stop courts deciding abortion laws

MADISON , February 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Pro-life lawmakers , activists , and experts testified before the Wisconsin Legislature Thursday in support of a constitutional amendment that would establish personhood in the Badger State , and ensure the people and their legislature decide abortion laws rather than the judiciary .
Section 1 of Assembly Joint Resolution 130 would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to remove the word “ born ” from its language recognizing persons with “ inherent rights ” to “ life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness , ” and clarify that “ as applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term ‘ persons ’ shall apply to every human being at any stage of development , born or unborn.
” “ The legislature may define , by law , the scope of protections afforded by this section to unborn persons , ” Section 2 declares .
“ Any prohibition of conduct with regard to unborn persons shall be prescribed by the legislature by law.
” Supporters argue the amendment is necessary to prevent the Wisconsin Supreme Court from declaring a state-level “ right ” to abortion , as has happened in other states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and insulate legal abortion regardless of what happens to Roe v. Wade .
“ It is truly shameful that the modern judicial leaders of Kansas and Iowa have found a right to kill innocent human beings in the inalienable right of liberty enshrined in their constitutions by their states ’ founders , ” declared Pro-Life Wisconsin legislative director Matt Sande .
“ They did so by utterly ignoring the existence of preborn children ; by depersonalizing them .
If the Wisconsin Supreme Court loses its tenuous conservative majority , we can be assured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly to find a right to abortion in the Wisconsin Constitution .
As a practical matter , the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment is absolutely essential to protecting all of our state ’ s pro-life laws , now and in the future , ” he added .
Lawmakers and witnesses debated the amendment at an Assembly Health Committee hearing Thursday .
Most of the testimony fell along conventional battle lines , with Democrats questioning the bill ’ s ramifications for pregnant women facing medical emergencies and the legality of in-vitro fertilization .
Sande and Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the amendment ’ s authors , repeatedly explained that by enshrining the principle of prenatal personhood and reserving for the legislature the authority to implement that principle , AJR 130 simply takes such controversies out of the judiciary ’ s hands and leaves them to be settled by the legislative process , which is subject to vigorous debate , feedback by lawmakers ’ constituents , and elections to register the people ’ s approval or disapproval of the outcome .
Because it does not contain a direct prohibition on abortion , its supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be struck down by federal courts as conflicting with Roe .
There was some debate within the pro-life camp , however .
National Right to Life Committee ( NRLC ) general counsel James Bopp , Jr. , argued it was “ too risky ” to pursue personhood before overturning Roe , because having it on the books alongside the “ right ” to abortion creates a conflict between two competing legal rights , with no guarantee judges would prioritize life over “ choice.
” Bopp argued that personhood language has not stopped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ rights ” to abortion , and therefore AJR 130 should instead state simply , “ the Wisconsin Constitution shall not be construed to protect or secure a right to abortion.
” He further suggested the historical precedent of abolishing slavery shows personhood strategy to be insufficient , because the abolitionists addressed the issue with no less than three constitutional amendments ( an unusual claim in light of the fact that one of those amendments , the Fourteenth , is the very legal authority personhood advocates cite as guaranteeing equal protection to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia president Gualberto Garcia Jones testified in support of AJR 130 , during which he also responded to Bopp .
Video of his testimony is unavailable as of press time , but Jones provided a statement to LifeSiteNews .
“ Bopp said if we wanted to ban abortion we should just pass an amendment stating that abortion is prohibited ( which would be struck down immediately by the feds ) , or that abortion is not a state constitutional right in Wisconsin ( which would probably survive , but which NRLC would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the lame amendment they supported in Kansas ) , ” Jones said .
“ Also , the problem with Bopp 's approach ( suggested disingenuously ) is that it would be limited to abortion and would not affect the wide array of ways in which the unborn are under attack : unregulated in vitro , embryo-destructive research , genetic manipulation - chimeras , organ harvesting , etc.
” “ The Wisconsin personhood amendment is the right approach because it harmonizes the scientific definition of life beginning at conception , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bearer of inherent inalienable rights , ” he continued .
“ It is also the right time for this amendment because state activist courts are trying to preempt a reversal of Roe by inventing state rights to abortion .
Lastly , it is a smart amendment because it takes away the power of the court to decide the matter and leaves it to the legislature , but only to the extent that they get to determine how to uphold the right to life , and never whether they uphold the right to life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to abortion.
” “ Lastly , I really do find it ironic that the man who is best known for upholding corporate personhood in the case of Citizens United would go out of his way to testify in the middle of a Wisconsin snowstorm against unborn personhood , ” Jones added .
Bopp and NRLC have long opposed the personhood strategy and tend to oppose direct , state-level abortion bans , advocating that pro-lifers must wait for the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe before mounting a direct attack on legal abortion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ insist on rape exceptions in pro-life legislation .
One potential pitfall of placing all pro-life hopes with the judiciary , however , is that most national pro-life groups tend to endorse Republican judicial nominees without confirming how they ’ d rule on Roe , yielding a current Supreme Court where Justice Clarence Thomas is the only confirmed anti-Roe vote ( though most are confident that Justice Samuel Alito would rule against Roe as well ) .
The other three right-leaning justices , particularly John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh , have given mixed signals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In order to amend the Wisconsin Constitution , AJR 130 must first pass both chambers of the legislature , then be ratified by the voters of the state .
Republicans currently control both the Assembly and Senate ; the governor ( currently Democrat Tony Evers ) has no role in the amendment process .

The resolution would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to clarify that the term ‘persons’ shall apply to 'every human being at any stage of development, born or unborn.'
UPDATE, February 18, 2020, 10:24AM CST: This report has been updated to include the testimony of Personhood Alliance President Gualberto Garcia Jones.
MADISON, February 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Pro-life lawmakers, activists, and experts testified before the Wisconsin Legislature Thursday in support of a constitutional amendment that would establish personhood in the Badger State, and ensure the people and their legislature decide abortion laws rather than the judiciary.
Section 1 of Assembly Joint Resolution 130 would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to remove the word “born” from its language recognizing persons with “inherent rights” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and clarify that “as applied to the right to life, the term ‘persons’ shall apply to every human being at any stage of development, born or unborn.”
“The legislature may define, by law, the scope of protections afforded by this section to unborn persons,” Section 2 declares. “Any prohibition of conduct with regard to unborn persons shall be prescribed by the legislature by law.”
Supporters argue the amendment is necessary to prevent the Wisconsin Supreme Court from declaring a state-level “right” to abortion, as has happened in other states, which would gut existing pro-life laws and insulate legal abortion regardless of what happens to Roe v. Wade.
“It is truly shameful that the modern judicial leaders of Kansas and Iowa have found a right to kill innocent human beings in the inalienable right of liberty enshrined in their constitutions by their states’ founders,” declared Pro-Life Wisconsin legislative director Matt Sande.
“They did so by utterly ignoring the existence of preborn children; by depersonalizing them. If the Wisconsin Supreme Court loses its tenuous conservative majority, we can be assured that a new liberal majority will move quickly to find a right to abortion in the Wisconsin Constitution. As a practical matter, the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment is absolutely essential to protecting all of our state’s pro-life laws, now and in the future,” he added.
Lawmakers and witnesses debated the amendment at an Assembly Health Committee hearing Thursday. Most of the testimony fell along conventional battle lines, with Democrats questioning the bill’s ramifications for pregnant women facing medical emergencies and the legality of in-vitro fertilization.
Sande and Republican state Rep. André Jacque, one of the amendment’s authors, repeatedly explained that by enshrining the principle of prenatal personhood and reserving for the legislature the authority to implement that principle, AJR 130 simply takes such controversies out of the judiciary’s hands and leaves them to be settled by the legislative process, which is subject to vigorous debate, feedback by lawmakers’ constituents, and elections to register the people’s approval or disapproval of the outcome.
Because it does not contain a direct prohibition on abortion, its supporters say, the personhood amendment cannot be struck down by federal courts as conflicting with Roe.
There was some debate within the pro-life camp, however. National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) general counsel James Bopp, Jr., argued it was “too risky” to pursue personhood before overturning Roe, because having it on the books alongside the “right” to abortion creates a conflict between two competing legal rights, with no guarantee judges would prioritize life over “choice.”
Bopp argued that personhood language has not stopped the Supreme Courts of other states from creating “rights” to abortion, and therefore AJR 130 should instead state simply, “the Wisconsin Constitution shall not be construed to protect or secure a right to abortion.”
He further suggested the historical precedent of abolishing slavery shows personhood strategy to be insufficient, because the abolitionists addressed the issue with no less than three constitutional amendments (an unusual claim in light of the fact that one of those amendments, the Fourteenth, is the very legal authority personhood advocates cite as guaranteeing equal protection to the preborn).
Personhood Alliance and Personhood Virginia president Gualberto Garcia Jones testified in support of AJR 130. “The idea of personhood is much broader than just abortion,” Jones said. “There are issues of embryonic stem-cell research, embryo-destructive research, IVF, there are all sorts of different issues that would make a personhood amendment necessary beyond just abortion.” He contended that while abortion is currently the “most grotesque” of these issues, future technological advances would birth new deprivations of human life, and only personhood offers the foundation for addressing them.
Jones also responded to Bopp’s testimony on various points, noting the irony that Bopp “is probably hated even more intensely by the Left than I am because he is actually the country’s foremost proponent of corporate personhood, having carried the case of Citizens United,” he noted. “But somehow he comes to this legislature arguing against us recognizing the personhood of the preborn.”
Jones also elaborated in follow-up comments to LifeSiteNews. “Bopp said if we wanted to ban abortion we should just pass an amendment stating that abortion is prohibited (which would be struck down immediately by the feds), or that abortion is not a state constitutional right in Wisconsin (which would probably survive, but which NRLC would not support anyways unless it included rape exceptions such as the lame amendment they supported in Kansas),” he said. “Also, the problem with Bopp's approach (suggested disingenuously) is that it would be limited to abortion and would not affect the wide array of ways in which the unborn are under attack: unregulated in vitro, embryo-destructive research, genetic manipulation – chimeras, organ harvesting, etc.”
“The Wisconsin personhood amendment is the right approach because it harmonizes the scientific definition of life beginning at conception, with the legal definition of a person as the bearer of inherent inalienable rights,” Jones told LifeSite. “It is also the right time for this amendment because state activist courts are trying to preempt a reversal of Roe by inventing state rights to abortion. Lastly, it is a smart amendment because it takes away the power of the court to decide the matter and leaves it to the legislature, but only to the extent that they get to determine how to uphold the right to life, and never whether they uphold the right to life of the baby or establish a right to abortion.”
Bopp and NRLC have long opposed the personhood strategy and tend to oppose direct, state-level abortion bans, advocating that pro-lifers must wait for the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe before mounting a direct attack on legal abortion. NRLC and its affiliates also tend to insist on rape exceptions in pro-life legislation.
One potential pitfall of placing all pro-life hopes with the judiciary, however, is that most national pro-life groups tend to endorse Republican judicial nominees without confirming how they’d rule on Roe, yielding a current Supreme Court where Justice Clarence Thomas is the only confirmed anti-Roe vote (though most are confident that Justice Samuel Alito would rule against Roe as well). The other three right-leaning justices, particularly John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh, have given mixed signals on their likelihood of overturning Roe.
In order to amend the Wisconsin Constitution, AJR 130 must first pass both chambers of the legislature, then be ratified by the voters of the state. Republicans currently control both the Assembly and Senate; the governor (currently Democrat Tony Evers) has no role in the amendment process.
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