lifesitenews--2020-05-01--137 members of Congress urge Supreme Court to let states defund abortion industry

PETITION : Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here .
May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – More than a hundred members of Congress lent their signatures to an amicus brief this week calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that states may exclude Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds .
In 2018 , South Carolina Republican Gov .
Henry McMaster issued an executive order disqualifying abortion facilities as Medicaid providers in the state .
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued to block the order and received a preliminary injunction .
The Fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading the state to appeal the case to the nation ’ s highest court .
On Thursday , a group of 137 members of Congress , including 29 senators and 108 members of the House of Representatives , announced they had filed a brief siding with South Carolina .
“ States have the right to deem their own Medicaid providers , and I stand with Governor McMaster ’ s lawful decision to ensure public funds don ’ t go to organizations that perform abortions , like Planned Parenthood , ” said Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a battle on two fronts – a fight for the unborn and the conscience of taxpayers , and a fight for states ’ authority to decide which providers qualify for funds .
I ’ m hopeful the Supreme Court will hear this consequential case.
” “ While it ’ s illegal to use Medicaid dollars to end a child ’ s life through abortion , the fact remains that a percentage of every Medicaid reimbursement for an approved service obviously goes towards the provider ’ s overhead , ” added Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is not difficult to understand .
For Planned Parenthood , that means Medicaid reimbursements for approved services would , in part , support the same overhead and broader operational costs that makes their life-ending abortion ‘ services ’ possible.
” Abortion advocates insist that tax dollars to abortion-involved facilities for other purposes don ’ t support abortions , but pro-lifers warn that such subsidies ultimately enable abortion groups to commit more abortions by freeing up money from their other revenue services .
Duke University healthcare analyst Chris Conover estimated in 2015 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all abortion costs .
Additionally , legitimate providers of women ’ s health services dwarf abortion-involved facilities across the country .
As of 2015 , federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics outnumbered Planned Parenthood facilities 268 to two in South Carolina .
Today , Planned Parenthood still has just two locations in the Palmetto state .
It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will agree to hear the case .

They're asking the high court to determine whether or not states have the authority to deny funds to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.
PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – More than a hundred members of Congress lent their signatures to an amicus brief this week calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that states may exclude Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds.
In 2018, South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order disqualifying abortion facilities as Medicaid providers in the state. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic sued to block the order and received a preliminary injunction. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction, leading the state to appeal the case to the nation’s highest court.
On Thursday, a group of 137 members of Congress, including 29 senators and 108 members of the House of Representatives, announced they had filed a brief siding with South Carolina.
“States have the right to deem their own Medicaid providers, and I stand with Governor McMaster’s lawful decision to ensure public funds don’t go to organizations that perform abortions, like Planned Parenthood,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-South Carolina. “This is a battle on two fronts – a fight for the unborn and the conscience of taxpayers, and a fight for states’ authority to decide which providers qualify for funds. I’m hopeful the Supreme Court will hear this consequential case.”
“While it’s illegal to use Medicaid dollars to end a child’s life through abortion, the fact remains that a percentage of every Medicaid reimbursement for an approved service obviously goes towards the provider’s overhead,” added Rep. Ralph Norman, R-South Carolina. “This is not difficult to understand. For Planned Parenthood, that means Medicaid reimbursements for approved services would, in part, support the same overhead and broader operational costs that makes their life-ending abortion ‘services’ possible.”
Abortion advocates insist that tax dollars to abortion-involved facilities for other purposes don’t support abortions, but pro-lifers warn that such subsidies ultimately enable abortion groups to commit more abortions by freeing up money from their other revenue services. Duke University healthcare analyst Chris Conover estimated in 2015 that taxpayers ultimately cover almost 25 percent of all abortion costs.
Additionally, legitimate providers of women’s health services dwarf abortion-involved facilities across the country. As of 2015, federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics outnumbered Planned Parenthood facilities 268 to two in South Carolina. Today, Planned Parenthood still has just two locations in the Palmetto state.
It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will agree to hear the case.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Canada’s Conservative Party will destroy itself if it kicks out Sloan: top pro-life group

OTTAWA , Ontario , May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Canada ’ s top pro-life organization says that if the Conservative Party of Canada ousts Member of Parliament ( MP ) and leadership candidate Derek Sloan for standing by his criticism of Canada ’ s top doctor over her alleged mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic , it could destroy the party .
Pro-life Conservative MP Sloan sparked a media frenzy last week for saying in a letter and video that Canada ’ s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theresa Tam , should be fired for her coronavirus response .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada or for China ?
” said Sloan in his video , adding , “ the World Health Organization ( WHO ) parroted Chinese misinformation coming out from the Communist Party of China.
” Tam , who has served as Canada ’ s top health official since 2017 , has direct ties to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
She is one of seven people who sit on the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme ( IOAC ) .
The Toronto Star first reported that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sloan to issue an apology for his Tam remarks , in a closed-door meeting held Tuesday .
The same report noted that if Sloan refused to apologize , he could be thrown out of the party .
Campaign Life Coalition ( CLC ) political operations director Jack Fonseca told LifeSiteNews that should the Conservative Party indeed oust Sloan for not apologizing for his remarks , it could destroy the party .
“ I would warn Conservative MPs that ousting Sloan from either the leadership race or his place in their ranks as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a Conservative Carcass .
They would kill the party by so thoroughly demotivating the CPC ’ s natural , small-c conservative base , that they would be guaranteeing Justin Trudeau wins the next election , ” said Fonseca .
“ A huge portion of the base would give up on the party , believing it has become too corrupt , and so , in the next election , they will stay home on e-day , not vote , not volunteer , not donate , and not recruit their friends , relatives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Be smart , MPs .
Don ’ t follow the foolishness and self-destruction of Scheer and Rempel.
” In a statement sent out Wednesday afternoon , Sloan clarified his remarks , but refused to offer an apology to charges that he was “ racist.
” He said that when he asked in his video if Tam works for Canada or China , it was meant to be a “ rhetorical question.
” “ I did not – and I am not – questioning Dr. Tam ’ s loyalty to Canada .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Sloan .
“ Sure , I could have just as easily asked does she work ‘ for Canada or ‘ for the World Health Organization , ' ” said Sloan in his statement .
“ Obviously , Dr. Tam is employed by Canada and not China .
While she is strongly affiliated with the World Health Organization , she is clearly employed by Canada.
” Sloan then reiterated his call for Tam to resign .
“ I remain greatly concerned that Dr. Theresa Tam still holds the position of Chief Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disastrous work track record , I once again call for her to step down immediately.
” A CBC report said its source told them it was Ontario Conservative MP Scott Reid who put forward a motion calling on Sloan to issue an apology for his remarks .
The same report says that Sloan and conservative leadership candidate Erin O'Toole were the only ones to vote against the motion .
In a string of Tweets late Thursday , MP Scott Reid spoke about his displeasure that someone was leaking caucus meeting notes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it or not Sloan did offer a “ retraction ” of his remarks .
He then went on to infer that the only one to gain from ousting Sloan is another leadership candidate .
“ Under the CPC ’ s preferential ballot system , the 2nd-ballot preferences of Sloan supporters could determine who becomes our next leader .
Someone wants to get rid of him .
Thus , even if we don ’ t know who leaked , we do know why , and for whose benefit , ” said Reid .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that MP -- -not Derek Sloan -- should be the one facing expulsion .
And if a leadership candidate authorized his team to make the leak , then he should be reconsidering whether he is fit to lead the part , ” he added .
Conservative MP Michael Chong , who criticized Sloan for his Tam remarks , created The Reform Act , which allows MPs to remove someone from their party with a majority vote via a secret ballot .
To allow for a vote , a total of 20 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fonseca told LifeSiteNews that Sloan ’ s remarks were not “ even remotely racist.
” He thinks certain MP ’ s with “ red tory ” agendas are wanting him out because of this pro-life and pro-family position .
“ I assure you that even the liberal journalists and MP Michelle Rempel don ’ t believe it was racist , but were merely seizing on an opportunity , any opportunity , to try to block a pro-life , pro-family candidates from taking over the reins of the party , ” said Fonseca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they have to resort to defamation , slander , lies , or distortions .
For dishonest leftists like them , the end always justifies the means.
” Fonseca added that the main person to blame for the backlash against Sloan is Calgary MP Michelle Rempel .
She criticized Sloan in a series of Tweets on April 21 .
“ The real villain in this story which has damaged the reputation of the Conservative brand is Calgary MP Michelle Rempel .
She has dragged the party through the mud with her false charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Media Party , ” said Fonseca .
“ For real justice to be seen , some Conservative MP ought to now collect 25 signatures to force a caucus vote on expelling Rempel for all the damage she has inflicted on her own party , and on the broader conservative movement ” .
Sloan ’ s comments last week were met with a flurry of backlash from both the pro-abortion Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau , as well as some of his fellow Conservative MPs such as Michelle Rempel .
Sloan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Trudeau , that he is a racist in a statement he released late last week .
In response to a question about Sloan ’ s comments , Trudeau said : “ Intolerance and racism have no place in our country .
Canada has succeeded because of our diversity.
” Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer said this past Monday that he does not agree with Sloan and his call to fire Tam .
He denounced Sloan despite earlier saying he would not comment on “ individual statements or positions that leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with his position , with what he said .
That is not the position of our caucus , ” said Scheer in a response to a question asking him if Sloan ’ s comments were racist .
On Monday , Scheer did not say whether he would be expelling Sloan from the party but instead stated he will leave it up to party members to decide Sloan ’ s fate .
“ In the context of a leadership race , our members will make decisions as to what they ultimately want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party , ” said Scheer .
Despite the calls from many that Sloan should apologize , Chinese Canadians from the group “ Let ’ s Vote , ” have voiced their support for Sloan in calling for Tam ’ s resignation .
Xiwen Luo , a member of the group from Calgary , said in a video posted last week on the “ Let ’ s Vote ” YouTube channel that he supports Sloan .
“ I ’ m a Chinese Canadian , I love Canada and I support Derek Sloan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Theresa Tam should resign and leave the government because she ’ s been doing the terrible job.
” Luo then said Trudeau should not label Sloan as a racist .
Maxime Bernier , who served as a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Stephen Harper before splintering and founding the People 's Party of Canada , spoke out against the Sloan situation in a April 30 Tweet .
“ These are the same LibCons who paid Kinsella to attack me and our PPC team from all ethnic and religious backgrounds and call us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathetic hypocrites.
” Pro-life Richard Décarie , who was barred from the leadership race , with no official reason given , also voiced his support for Sloan on Twitter .
“ When your leadership campaign slogan is `` Without Apology '' you already have your answer !
” The Conservative Party leadership race was suspended in late March due to the coronavirus .
On Wednesday , the party ’ s Leadership Election Organizing Committee ( LEOC ) set an August 21 date to end the race .
Party members will be voting via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to members in July .
CLC is asking for all pro-life , pro-family Canadians who are 14 years of age or older to purchase a Conservative Party membership by the May 15 deadline so that they can vote for the new leader .

Ousting the MP for his criticism of Canada’s top doc would turn the Conservative party into a 'carcass'
OTTAWA, Ontario, May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Canada’s top pro-life organization says that if the Conservative Party of Canada ousts Member of Parliament (MP) and leadership candidate Derek Sloan for standing by his criticism of Canada’s top doctor over her alleged mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, it could destroy the party.
Pro-life Conservative MP Sloan sparked a media frenzy last week for saying in a letter and video that Canada’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theresa Tam, should be fired for her coronavirus response.
“Does (Tam) work for Canada or for China?” said Sloan in his video, adding, “the World Health Organization (WHO) parroted Chinese misinformation coming out from the Communist Party of China.”
Tam, who has served as Canada’s top health official since 2017, has direct ties to the World Health Organization (WHO). She is one of seven people who sit on the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (IOAC).
The Toronto Star first reported that the 36-member Conservative party Ontario caucus voted for Sloan to issue an apology for his Tam remarks, in a closed-door meeting held Tuesday. The same report noted that if Sloan refused to apologize, he could be thrown out of the party.
Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) political operations director Jack Fonseca told LifeSiteNews that should the Conservative Party indeed oust Sloan for not apologizing for his remarks, it could destroy the party.
“I would warn Conservative MPs that ousting Sloan from either the leadership race or his place in their ranks as an MP, would turn their Conservative Caucus into a Conservative Carcass. They would kill the party by so thoroughly demotivating the CPC’s natural, small-c conservative base, that they would be guaranteeing Justin Trudeau wins the next election,” said Fonseca.
“A huge portion of the base would give up on the party, believing it has become too corrupt, and so, in the next election, they will stay home on e-day, not vote, not volunteer, not donate, and not recruit their friends, relatives and members of their churches to vote Conservative. Be smart, MPs. Don’t follow the foolishness and self-destruction of Scheer and Rempel.”
In a statement sent out Wednesday afternoon, Sloan clarified his remarks, but refused to offer an apology to charges that he was “racist.” He said that when he asked in his video if Tam works for Canada or China, it was meant to be a “rhetorical question.”
“I did not – and I am not – questioning Dr. Tam’s loyalty to Canada. There was no intention to question it,” said Sloan.
“Sure, I could have just as easily asked does she work ‘for Canada or ‘for the World Health Organization,'” said Sloan in his statement. “Obviously, Dr. Tam is employed by Canada and not China. While she is strongly affiliated with the World Health Organization, she is clearly employed by Canada.”
Sloan then reiterated his call for Tam to resign.
“I remain greatly concerned that Dr. Theresa Tam still holds the position of Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. With such a disastrous work track record, I once again call for her to step down immediately.”
A CBC report said its source told them it was Ontario Conservative MP Scott Reid who put forward a motion calling on Sloan to issue an apology for his remarks. The same report says that Sloan and conservative leadership candidate Erin O'Toole were the only ones to vote against the motion.
In a string of Tweets late Thursday, MP Scott Reid spoke about his displeasure that someone was leaking caucus meeting notes to the media. He said that like it or not Sloan did offer a “retraction” of his remarks. He then went on to infer that the only one to gain from ousting Sloan is another leadership candidate.
“Under the CPC’s preferential ballot system, the 2nd-ballot preferences of Sloan supporters could determine who becomes our next leader. Someone wants to get rid of him. Thus, even if we don’t know who leaked, we do know why, and for whose benefit,” said Reid.
“If an MP leaked this, then that MP—not Derek Sloan–should be the one facing expulsion. And if a leadership candidate authorized his team to make the leak, then he should be reconsidering whether he is fit to lead the part,” he added.
Conservative MP Michael Chong, who criticized Sloan for his Tam remarks, created The Reform Act, which allows MPs to remove someone from their party with a majority vote via a secret ballot. To allow for a vote, a total of 20 percent of the caucus members must call for it.
Fonseca told LifeSiteNews that Sloan’s remarks were not “even remotely racist.” He thinks certain MP’s with “red tory” agendas are wanting him out because of this pro-life and pro-family position.
“I assure you that even the liberal journalists and MP Michelle Rempel don’t believe it was racist, but were merely seizing on an opportunity, any opportunity, to try to block a pro-life, pro-family candidates from taking over the reins of the party,” said Fonseca.
“It doesn’t matter if they have to resort to defamation, slander, lies, or distortions. For dishonest leftists like them, the end always justifies the means.”
Fonseca added that the main person to blame for the backlash against Sloan is Calgary MP Michelle Rempel. She criticized Sloan in a series of Tweets on April 21.
“The real villain in this story which has damaged the reputation of the Conservative brand is Calgary MP Michelle Rempel. She has dragged the party through the mud with her false charges against her colleague and via her collusion with the Media Party,” said Fonseca.
“For real justice to be seen, some Conservative MP ought to now collect 25 signatures to force a caucus vote on expelling Rempel for all the damage she has inflicted on her own party, and on the broader conservative movement”.
Sloan’s comments last week were met with a flurry of backlash from both the pro-abortion Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, as well as some of his fellow Conservative MPs such as Michelle Rempel.
Sloan fought back claims from many, including from Trudeau, that he is a racist in a statement he released late last week.
In response to a question about Sloan’s comments, Trudeau said: “Intolerance and racism have no place in our country. Canada has succeeded because of our diversity.”
Conservative Party of Canada leader Andrew Scheer said this past Monday that he does not agree with Sloan and his call to fire Tam. He denounced Sloan despite earlier saying he would not comment on “individual statements or positions that leadership candidates take.”
“I do not agree with his position, with what he said. That is not the position of our caucus,” said Scheer in a response to a question asking him if Sloan’s comments were racist.
On Monday, Scheer did not say whether he would be expelling Sloan from the party but instead stated he will leave it up to party members to decide Sloan’s fate.
“In the context of a leadership race, our members will make decisions as to what they ultimately want to see in terms of the direction of the party,” said Scheer.
Chinese Canadians and Political Allies Voice Support for Sloan
Despite the calls from many that Sloan should apologize, Chinese Canadians from the group “Let’s Vote,” have voiced their support for Sloan in calling for Tam’s resignation.
Xiwen Luo, a member of the group from Calgary, said in a video posted last week on the “Let’s Vote” YouTube channel that he supports Sloan.
“I’m a Chinese Canadian, I love Canada and I support Derek Sloan. I support Derek Sloan’s stand that Theresa Tam should resign and leave the government because she’s been doing the terrible job.”
Luo then said Trudeau should not label Sloan as a racist.
Maxime Bernier, who served as a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Stephen Harper before splintering and founding the People's Party of Canada, spoke out against the Sloan situation in a April 30 Tweet.
“These are the same LibCons who paid Kinsella to attack me and our PPC team from all ethnic and religious backgrounds and call us racists and white supremacists. Bunch of pathetic hypocrites.”
Pro-life Richard Décarie, who was barred from the leadership race, with no official reason given, also voiced his support for Sloan on Twitter.
“When your leadership campaign slogan is “Without Apology” you already have your answer!”
The Conservative Party leadership race was suspended in late March due to the coronavirus. On Wednesday, the party’s Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) set an August 21 date to end the race. Party members will be voting via mail-in ballots, which will be sent out to members in July.
CLC is asking for all pro-life, pro-family Canadians who are 14 years of age or older to purchase a Conservative Party membership by the May 15 deadline so that they can vote for the new leader.
Contact Information
Conservative Party of Canada
1720-130 Albert St. Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
1-866-808-8407
https://www.conservative.ca/contact/
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Planned Parenthood cheers spike in webcam abortions as COVID-19 ‘silver lining’

PETITION : Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here .
May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As Americans continue to suffer both the health and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak , Planned Parenthood is celebrating the rise in women turning to them to abort their children with pills at home .
Advice from medical authorities has led many governors to order the temporary suspension of all or most “ non-urgent ” health appointments and elective medical procedures , both to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to free up time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some have expressly included surgical abortions , to the abortion industry ’ s chagrin .
While Planned Parenthood has resisted those mandates , at the same time it has promoted and expanded the use of so-called “ webcam abortions , ” in which a woman consults a physician remotely via the internet before receiving abortion pills , which she then takes at home without any sort of medical oversight .
“ It is actually a silver lining in this pandemic , that Planned Parenthood and many other health providers have actually been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provide service , ” acting Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill-Johnson said in an interview with Democracy Now ’ s Amy Goodman , Catholic News Agency ( CNA ) reported .
McGill-Johnson said that by the end of April , Planned Parenthood would have expanded its so-called “ telehealth ” operations to all 50 states .
CNA also reported that the New York-based Gynuity Health Products , which operates in 13 states , says its TelAbortion program has seen the number of women seeking chemical abortions in March and April double from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois and Maryland , where it just started ) .
Elsewhere in the interview , McGill-Johnson said it was “ really unconscionable ” that states were asking the abortion industry to make the same concessions as legitimate medical fields .
Pro-lifers contend that these “ safe , home abortions ” run the risk of placing additional , unnecessary strain on the healthcare system .
“ Elective abortion , both surgical and drug induced , also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms , ” the American Association of Pro-Life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion .
Approximately five percent of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room , most commonly for hemorrhage .
Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage .
Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be further strained to provide care to these women.
” Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

One telemed provider claims that requests for chemical abortions doubled in March and April over the previous two months.
PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As Americans continue to suffer both the health and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak, Planned Parenthood is celebrating the rise in women turning to them to abort their children with pills at home.
Advice from medical authorities has led many governors to order the temporary suspension of all or most “non-urgent” health appointments and elective medical procedures, both to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to free up time and resources to focus on infected patients. Some have expressly included surgical abortions, to the abortion industry’s chagrin.
While Planned Parenthood has resisted those mandates, at the same time it has promoted and expanded the use of so-called “webcam abortions,” in which a woman consults a physician remotely via the internet before receiving abortion pills, which she then takes at home without any sort of medical oversight.
“It is actually a silver lining in this pandemic, that Planned Parenthood and many other health providers have actually been able to really lean into telehealth infrastructure and provide service,” acting Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill-Johnson said in an interview with Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported.
McGill-Johnson said that by the end of April, Planned Parenthood would have expanded its so-called “telehealth” operations to all 50 states. CNA also reported that the New York-based Gynuity Health Products, which operates in 13 states, says its TelAbortion program has seen the number of women seeking chemical abortions in March and April double from the number in January and February (excluding Illinois and Maryland, where it just started).
Elsewhere in the interview, McGill-Johnson said it was “really unconscionable” that states were asking the abortion industry to make the same concessions as legitimate medical fields.
Pro-lifers contend that these “safe, home abortions” run the risk of placing additional, unnecessary strain on the healthcare system.
“Elective abortion, both surgical and drug induced, also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms,” the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) states. “Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion. Approximately five percent of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room, most commonly for hemorrhage. Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage. Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be further strained to provide care to these women.”
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--An interview with The Chosen’s ‘Jesus’ actor - a devout Catholic

John-Henry interviews some of the most well-known clergy and laity in the Church while offering commentary on the most important @ @ @ @ @ around the world .

Jonathan Roumie has portrayed Christ on a number of occasions. This time, he depicts Our Lord in the hit TV series, “The Chosen.” Listen as Jonathan explains how the eucharist and Our Lady helps him on set.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Pope Benedict’s biographer: Leftist cardinal tried to stop Ratzinger’s 2005 papal election

May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Peter Seewald – a convert to Catholicism who co-authored several books with Pope Benedict XVI – is about to publish an authoritative more than 1,000-page long biography of the Pope emeritus .
To be released on May 4 , it recounts the 2005 election of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger , at which Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini , the head of the so-called “ Sankt Gallen Group , ” tried to forestall the election of Ratzinger as new Pope .
While some of this has been known before , it comes now from someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year a book review of The Election of Pope Francis , Gerald O'Connell 's detailed history of the 2013 conclave that elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis .
In it , some details were presented regarding the 2005 conclave , including the fact that the progressivist Sankt Gallen Group already then supported the election of Bergoglio .
Martini was the head of this group , to which also belonged Cardinals Godfried Danneels , Walter Kasper , Karl Lehmann , and Cormac Murphy-O ’ Connor .
Seewald now adds his own contribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
LifeSite has received a review copy of this new book ; the German newspaper Tagespost already pre-published this specific chapter on the 2005 conclave .
It has its own significance that Seewald , a close collaborator of Pope Benedict XVI who also authored several books with him , has now described the activities of the Sankt Gallen Group – especially Martini – during the 2015 conclave .
Part one of his Benedict biography will be published in November 2020 in English .
Seewald says in his forward that Benedict answered over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most strange ones ” – for this new book and that papal secretary Georg Gaenswein explained to him “ with impressive honesty ” and generously many circumstances and backgrounds .
Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope on April 19 , 2005 , on the second day of the conclave .
As Seewald shows in his new book , Ratzinger had been the forerunner from the beginning ( 47 votes at first ballot ) , with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio being second ( with 10 votes ) .
Seewald sums up the situation after the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as follows : “ The most important result , however , was the bad results for the ‘ progressivist ’ wing of the College of Cardinals .
Also the Forbidden Diary [ a diary of the Conclave written and published by one participating cardinal ] describes as essential piece of information the attempt of the ‘ Sankt Gallen Group ’ around Martini , Danneels , Lehmann , and Kasper to establish a rival candidate .
The purported plan would have opened up the search for a ‘ compromise candidate ’ by blocking Ratzinger.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 of the conclave , the votes that had originally gone to Cardinal Camillo Ruini then were added to Ratzinger ’ s votes in a subsequent ballot , while the votes from Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini went to Jorge Bergoglio .
Ratzinger had 65 votes , Bergoglio 35 .
As Seewald puts it : “ When at 11 a.m. the third ballot started , it had become clear that it was a competition between two favorite candidates : Joseph Ratzinger and Jorge Bergoglio.
” This is , then , where Martini comes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s research , then that Martini “ spread the parole ” that Ratzinger was not “ apt ” to find a sufficient consensus .
Should his success not become clear soon , he surely would retire by himself , in order not to block the conclave , and then there could be found a hoped-for compromise candidate .
After Ratzinger increased his votes to 72 in the third ballot ( with Bergoglio receiving 40 ) , it became clear that Bergoglio himself could block the election of Ratzinger , since he held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Ratzinger .
Here , once more , things seemed to be open .
“ Martini belongs to those , ” Seewald quotes once more the Forbidden Diary , “ who predict for the following day a complete exchange of the candidates.
” “ But then it was not Ratzinger who started to hesitate , but the Argentine , ” Seewald comments .
As Pope Francis later was to say in public , he at some point asked his supporters to vote for Ratzinger , adding that he saw that the time was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin-American Pope .
Thus , during lunch break on that day , April 19 , it became clear that Ratzinger was to be elected Pope .
Seewald – who knows Benedict XVI close up and well – describes how the cardinal was struggling with himself about this prospect , since he had thought that he had accomplished “ his life work.
” He thought that there were younger and better candidates .
But then Cardinal Ratzinger remembered a note he had received just before the conclave from the then-93-year-old German Cardinal Augustin Mayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In that note , Cardinal Mayer had told Ratzinger : “ Should the Lord now tell you : ‘ Follow Me , ’ then remember what you have preached .
Do not refuse !
Be obedient , as you have said it about the great deceased Pope.
” The afternoon comes and with it the fourth ballot .
Cardinal Ratzinger is elected Pope .
“ I covered my face , ” Cardinal Joachim Meisner was later to say .
“ I was moved to tears .
And I was not the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German Rome Correspondent for EWTN , told LifeSiteNews in an interview , Cardinal Meisner had actually played a crucial role in thwarting the plans of the Sankt Gallen Group .
He had learned from Badde about the agenda and names of the Sankt Gallen Group ahead of the conclave , and he was able to spread that information during the conclave .
As Badde told LifeSite : “ On 17 April 2005 , however , a prelate from within the Vatican called and informed me that he had evidence about a conspiracy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election of Joseph Ratzinger as next Pope .
It was the so-called Sankt Gallen Group , as I know now , and the prelate gave me also a list with their names , among them Cardinal Achille Silvestrini , Cardinal Walter Kasper , Cardinal Karl Lehmann , Cardinal Godfried Danneels , Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor , Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis , and Cardinal Carlo Martini .
I called Cardinal Meisner in the afternoon and asked him what to do in a responsible way , since I didn ’ t want to create a scandal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calmly : ‘ Follow your conscience.
’ ” Badde then published , on the first day of the conclave , a newspaper report on this conspiracy against Ratzinger 's election .
Meisner himself took that article with him to the conclave along with an image of the Holy Face of Manoppello , which he had visited a few weeks earlier , together with Paul Badde .
That image is the face of Our Lord that has been imprinted in a miraculous manner on a piece of silken cloth .
Badde relates how Meisner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mine and fought like a lion against this conspiracy , no matter how alone he was , and despite his limited Italian .
‘ It ’ s been the hardest day of my life !
’ he later told me , not mentioning , however , any other details.
” “ But when the conclave was over , ” Badde concluded , “ it became clear that Meisner had become the king-maker , or more precisely , the pope-maker.
” As Gerald O'Connell showed in his 2019 book , some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2013 Conclave were Cardinals Cormac Murphy-O ’ Connor , Walter Kasper , and Oscar Maradiaga .
One of their comrades , Cardinal Godfried Danneels , later was to call this group of prelates the “ Sankt Gallen Mafia.
” In 2015 , he stated : “ The Sankt-Gallen group is a sort of posh name .
But in reality we said of ourselves , and of that group : ‘ The Mafia .
’ ”

It has its own significance that a close collaborator of Pope Benedict XVI has now described the activities of the Sankt Gallen Group.
May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Peter Seewald – a convert to Catholicism who co-authored several books with Pope Benedict XVI – is about to publish an authoritative more than 1,000-page long biography of the Pope emeritus. To be released on May 4, it recounts the 2005 election of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, at which Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the head of the so-called “Sankt Gallen Group,” tried to forestall the election of Ratzinger as new Pope. While some of this has been known before, it comes now from someone close to Pope Benedict.
LifeSite published last year a book review of The Election of Pope Francis, Gerald O'Connell's detailed history of the 2013 conclave that elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. In it, some details were presented regarding the 2005 conclave, including the fact that the progressivist Sankt Gallen Group already then supported the election of Bergoglio. Martini was the head of this group, to which also belonged Cardinals Godfried Danneels, Walter Kasper, Karl Lehmann, and Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. Seewald now adds his own contribution to this important part of Church history. LifeSite has received a review copy of this new book; the German newspaper Tagespost already pre-published this specific chapter on the 2005 conclave.
It has its own significance that Seewald, a close collaborator of Pope Benedict XVI who also authored several books with him, has now described the activities of the Sankt Gallen Group – especially Martini – during the 2015 conclave. Part one of his Benedict biography will be published in November 2020 in English.
Seewald says in his forward that Benedict answered over the years many questions – “even the most strange ones” – for this new book and that papal secretary Georg Gaenswein explained to him “with impressive honesty” and generously many circumstances and backgrounds.
Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope on April 19, 2005, on the second day of the conclave. As Seewald shows in his new book, Ratzinger had been the forerunner from the beginning (47 votes at first ballot), with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio being second (with 10 votes).
Seewald sums up the situation after the first ballot on April 28, 2005, as follows: “The most important result, however, was the bad results for the ‘progressivist’ wing of the College of Cardinals. Also the Forbidden Diary [a diary of the Conclave written and published by one participating cardinal] describes as essential piece of information the attempt of the ‘Sankt Gallen Group’ around Martini, Danneels, Lehmann, and Kasper to establish a rival candidate. The purported plan would have opened up the search for a ‘compromise candidate’ by blocking Ratzinger.”
At the second ballot on day 2 of the conclave, the votes that had originally gone to Cardinal Camillo Ruini then were added to Ratzinger’s votes in a subsequent ballot, while the votes from Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini went to Jorge Bergoglio. Ratzinger had 65 votes, Bergoglio 35. As Seewald puts it: “When at 11 a.m. the third ballot started, it had become clear that it was a competition between two favorite candidates: Joseph Ratzinger and Jorge Bergoglio.”
This is, then, where Martini comes in. It was, according to Seewald’s research, then that Martini “spread the parole” that Ratzinger was not “apt” to find a sufficient consensus. Should his success not become clear soon, he surely would retire by himself, in order not to block the conclave, and then there could be found a hoped-for compromise candidate.
After Ratzinger increased his votes to 72 in the third ballot (with Bergoglio receiving 40), it became clear that Bergoglio himself could block the election of Ratzinger, since he held enough votes to block a two-thirds majority for Ratzinger. Here, once more, things seemed to be open. “Martini belongs to those,” Seewald quotes once more the Forbidden Diary, “who predict for the following day a complete exchange of the candidates.”
“But then it was not Ratzinger who started to hesitate, but the Argentine,” Seewald comments. As Pope Francis later was to say in public, he at some point asked his supporters to vote for Ratzinger, adding that he saw that the time was “not yet ripe” for a Latin-American Pope.
Thus, during lunch break on that day, April 19, it became clear that Ratzinger was to be elected Pope. Seewald – who knows Benedict XVI close up and well – describes how the cardinal was struggling with himself about this prospect, since he had thought that he had accomplished “his life work.” He thought that there were younger and better candidates.
But then Cardinal Ratzinger remembered a note he had received just before the conclave from the then-93-year-old German Cardinal Augustin Mayer – it “fell into my heart.”
In that note, Cardinal Mayer had told Ratzinger: “Should the Lord now tell you: ‘Follow Me,’ then remember what you have preached. Do not refuse! Be obedient, as you have said it about the great deceased Pope.”
The afternoon comes and with it the fourth ballot. Cardinal Ratzinger is elected Pope. “I covered my face,” Cardinal Joachim Meisner was later to say. “I was moved to tears. And I was not the only one.”
Cardinal Martini’s attempt at forestalling Ratzinger's election failed.
As Paul Badde, a German Rome Correspondent for EWTN, told LifeSiteNews in an interview, Cardinal Meisner had actually played a crucial role in thwarting the plans of the Sankt Gallen Group. He had learned from Badde about the agenda and names of the Sankt Gallen Group ahead of the conclave, and he was able to spread that information during the conclave.
As Badde told LifeSite: “On 17 April 2005, however, a prelate from within the Vatican called and informed me that he had evidence about a conspiracy of cardinals who had tried to prevent the election of Joseph Ratzinger as next Pope. It was the so-called Sankt Gallen Group, as I know now, and the prelate gave me also a list with their names, among them Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, Cardinal Walter Kasper, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis, and Cardinal Carlo Martini. I called Cardinal Meisner in the afternoon and asked him what to do in a responsible way, since I didn’t want to create a scandal. He got furious, but told me calmly: ‘Follow your conscience.’”
Badde then published, on the first day of the conclave, a newspaper report on this conspiracy against Ratzinger's election. Meisner himself took that article with him to the conclave along with an image of the Holy Face of Manoppello, which he had visited a few weeks earlier, together with Paul Badde. That image is the face of Our Lord that has been imprinted in a miraculous manner on a piece of silken cloth. Badde relates how Meisner took into the conclave “that article of mine and fought like a lion against this conspiracy, no matter how alone he was, and despite his limited Italian. ‘It’s been the hardest day of my life!’ he later told me, not mentioning, however, any other details.”
“But when the conclave was over,” Badde concluded, “it became clear that Meisner had become the king-maker, or more precisely, the pope-maker.”
As Gerald O'Connell showed in his 2019 book, some of the “kingmakers” of Pope Francis at the 2013 Conclave were Cardinals Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Walter Kasper, and Oscar Maradiaga.
One of their comrades, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, later was to call this group of prelates the “Sankt Gallen Mafia.” In 2015, he stated: “The Sankt-Gallen group is a sort of posh name. But in reality we said of ourselves, and of that group: ‘The Mafia.’”
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--2020-05-01--Ex-Muslim women rip veil off Islam’s pervasive oppression of women

May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Sometimes , one anecdote is worth a thousand statistics .
As Joseph Stalin cynically said , “ One death is a tragedy , a million deaths is a statistic.
” And that ’ s the problem with convincing people in the West that Islamic culture is quite different from our own — so different that it ’ s largely incompatible with Western democracies .
However , it ’ s hard to make the case with statistics .
We may hear that 500,000 Muslim women and girls in Europe have been subject to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t register .
We may read that 90 percent of the “ honor ” crimes against women occur in Muslim countries , but we soon forget .
Statistics are important , but nothing brings home the reality of misogyny so much as a personal account .
Stories stay with us in a way that statistics don ’ t .
What follows are some personal anecdotes related by former Muslims .
They tell a story that the statistics don ’ t .
Let ’ s start with Wafa Sultan , a Syrian-born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A God Who Hates , Sultan provides a telling anecdote from her life growing up in Syria .
She recounts how her grandfather forced her grandmother to solicit a new bride for him , and then insisted that his wife perform a ritual dance ( with a bowl of incense on her head ) at the wedding in honor of his bride .
This is shocking to the Western conscience , but it ’ s less so to the many Muslims who have grown up in cultures where men are more highly valued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ written into sharia law that the value of a woman is only half the value of a man .
But that ’ s just a data point .
And , besides , few people are inclined to browse through sharia law books .
So , let ’ s return to the story of Wafa Sultan ’ s grandparents to get a fuller picture .
It turns out that her grandparents had five children — two girls and three boys .
Then a smallpox epidemic came through their village and took the three sons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was within a week of the death of their sons that he forced his wife to solicit a new bride .
And no one thought the worse of him for it .
He was the head of the village and , thus , a man of distinction .
Of course , this happened a long time ago , and you may be thinking that things have changed since then .
Well , they have changed .
In fact , there have been two drastic changes—in opposite directions .
During the middle of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world underwent a process of secularization and Westernization , and many abandoned the old ways .
Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 , however , the Muslim world took a U-turn back to a more fundamentalist past .
Clean-shaven men started growing beards , and women exchanged skirts for abayas .
And in some places , such as Iran , sharia law became the law of the land .
So , if we jump ahead about 70 years from the time Sultan ’ s grandfather took a second wife , we find that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we might have expected .
Take the story of a young Muslim woman that first appeared in the November , 2017 issue of Texas Monthly .
Tania Joya grew up in a suburban town north of London .
Her parents were from Bangladesh , and she was their fourth daughter .
“ The fourth unwanted daughter , ” she said , citing the deeply rooted cultural belief that boys are more worthy than girls .
“ Families have babies after babies , hoping for a boy.
” She recalled how people would meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Four daughters , I ’ m sorry.
” He would shake his head and sigh , “ I know , I know.
” It ’ s a London suburb , not a Syrian village and it ’ s a half-century later , but the value of a Muslim girl hasn ’ t increased a great deal .
Moreover , Tania describes her parents as fairly moderate Muslims , not as rigid fundamentalists .
Still , it is Islamic culture , not English culture , that shapes their attitude toward women .
Tania ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s anecdote about her grandparents .
At the age of twenty , Tania married a young Texan , a convert to Islam .
But shortly after their second son was born , “ her husband took another wife in London.
” In a matter of fact manner , the author of the piece adds , “ He married her by phone.
” The author notes that favoritism toward males is a “ deeply rooted cultural belief.
” Yes , but Islamic culture is largely shaped by the religion of Islam .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men .
Thus , although Muslim women can have only one husband , Allah allows men to have up to four wives .
Even heaven seems to be designed as a men ’ s club .
The main attractions in paradise are the bashful dark-eyed virgins “ whom neither man nor jinnee will have touched before.
” ( 55:74 ) By contrast , the Koran has nothing to say about what sort of companions Allah will provide for women in paradise .
The happiness of women in paradise is a low priority matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Muhammad , the majority of the inhabitants of Hell are women .
Women , it seems , face discrimination both in this life and the afterlife .
Moreover , the promise of virgins in paradise creates a perverse incentive to devalue real women .
The lure of more desirable partners in the next world increases the likelihood that men won ’ t be satisfied with their wife ( or wives ) on earth .
And since the surest path to the promised brides is to commit jihad for the sake of Allah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join the jihad .
As Nonie Darwish , another former Muslim , puts it , “ Islam has substituted love of jihad and martyrdom for love of family.
” Indeed , the reason Tania Joya eventually leaves her husband is that he becomes a jihadist and insists on dragging her and their three sons through highly dangerous areas in his quest to join ISIS .
All of which seems to confirm Darwish ’ s observation that , “ In Islam , after believing in Allah , the number one priority for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is jihad.
” Another indication of the low status of women in Islam is that they often have little say about who they will marry .
In her autobiography , Infidel , Ayaan Hirsi Ali recounts how her father arranged her marriage : When Ali complains , he tells her : So , Hirsi Ali had to marry a man she had met only once .
On the day of the wedding she did not attend the ceremony because “ neither my presence nor my signature was required for the Islamic ceremony.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Church , have been trying hard to normalize Islam — to make it seem , for instance , that Islamic family values are just like Christian family values .
But the differences are greater than most realize .
Thankfully , we have brave women such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Nonie Darwish to set us straight .
In her own autobiography , Now They Call Me Infidel , Darwish recounts her reaction on first seeing a church wedding in an old Hollywood movie : In contrast , notes Darwish , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
They do not convey the holy covenant of marriage.
” In her highly informative books , Darwish shreds the multicultural delusion that , beneath the surface differences , all cultures are essentially the same .
They ’ re not , says Darwish , and she offers dozens of concrete examples to make the point .
While diversity should be appreciated , she observes , there are certain elements of Islamic culture that should not be allowed to take root in the West .
For an inside and up-close view of Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get acquainted with the eye-opening stories of former Muslims such as Nonie Darwish , Wafa Sultan , and Ayaan Hirsi Ali .
William Kilpatrick is the author of several books about cultural and religious issues , including Why Johnny Can ’ t Tell Right from Wrong ; Christianity , Islam , and Atheism : The Struggle for the Soul of the West ; and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Jihad .
Professor Kilpatrick ’ s articles on cultural and educational topics have appeared in First Things , Policy Review , American Educator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Islam have appeared in Crisis , Catholic World Report , The Catholic Thing , National Catholic Register , and other publications .
He is also the author of Insecurity , a dark comedy about political correctness run amok in the military and the government .
For more of his recent articles , visit his website , turningpointproject.com .

May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Sometimes, one anecdote is worth a thousand statistics. As Joseph Stalin cynically said, “One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.” And that’s the problem with convincing people in the West that Islamic culture is quite different from our own — so different that it’s largely incompatible with Western democracies.
However, it’s hard to make the case with statistics. We may hear that 500,000 Muslim women and girls in Europe have been subject to female genital mutilation, but it often doesn’t register. We may read that 90 percent of the “honor” crimes against women occur in Muslim countries, but we soon forget.
Statistics are important, but nothing brings home the reality of misogyny so much as a personal account. Stories stay with us in a way that statistics don’t.
What follows are some personal anecdotes related by former Muslims. They tell a story that the statistics don’t. Let’s start with Wafa Sultan, a Syrian-born American psychiatrist.
In her book, A God Who Hates, Sultan provides a telling anecdote from her life growing up in Syria. She recounts how her grandfather forced her grandmother to solicit a new bride for him, and then insisted that his wife perform a ritual dance (with a bowl of incense on her head) at the wedding in honor of his bride.
This is shocking to the Western conscience, but it’s less so to the many Muslims who have grown up in cultures where men are more highly valued than women. It’s actually written into sharia law that the value of a woman is only half the value of a man. But that’s just a data point. And, besides, few people are inclined to browse through sharia law books. So, let’s return to the story of Wafa Sultan’s grandparents to get a fuller picture. It turns out that her grandparents had five children — two girls and three boys. Then a smallpox epidemic came through their village and took the three sons. As Sultan tells it:
My grandfather awoke in the night to find himself enveloped not in sadness, but in shame. He had become a “father of daughters,” and, of course, my grandmother was held responsible for his disgrace, as she had borne him those daughters.
It was within a week of the death of their sons that he forced his wife to solicit a new bride. And no one thought the worse of him for it. He was the head of the village and, thus, a man of distinction.
Of course, this happened a long time ago, and you may be thinking that things have changed since then. Well, they have changed. In fact, there have been two drastic changes—in opposite directions. During the middle of the Twentieth century, much of the Muslim world underwent a process of secularization and Westernization, and many abandoned the old ways.
Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, however, the Muslim world took a U-turn back to a more fundamentalist past. Clean-shaven men started growing beards, and women exchanged skirts for abayas. And in some places, such as Iran, sharia law became the law of the land.
So, if we jump ahead about 70 years from the time Sultan’s grandfather took a second wife, we find that things have not changed as much as we might have expected. Take the story of a young Muslim woman that first appeared in the November, 2017 issue of Texas Monthly.
Tania Joya grew up in a suburban town north of London. Her parents were from Bangladesh, and she was their fourth daughter.
“The fourth unwanted daughter,” she said, citing the deeply rooted cultural belief that boys are more worthy than girls. “Families have babies after babies, hoping for a boy.” She recalled how people would meet her father and sympathize, saying “Four daughters, I’m sorry.” He would shake his head and sigh, “I know, I know.”
It’s a London suburb, not a Syrian village and it’s a half-century later, but the value of a Muslim girl hasn’t increased a great deal. Moreover, Tania describes her parents as fairly moderate Muslims, not as rigid fundamentalists. Still, it is Islamic culture, not English culture, that shapes their attitude toward women.
Tania’s story carries other echoes of Sultan’s anecdote about her grandparents. At the age of twenty, Tania married a young Texan, a convert to Islam. But shortly after their second son was born, “her husband took another wife in London.” In a matter of fact manner, the author of the piece adds, “He married her by phone.”
The author notes that favoritism toward males is a “deeply rooted cultural belief.” Yes, but Islamic culture is largely shaped by the religion of Islam. And Allah himself seems more favorably disposed to men. Thus, although Muslim women can have only one husband, Allah allows men to have up to four wives. Even heaven seems to be designed as a men’s club. The main attractions in paradise are the bashful dark-eyed virgins “whom neither man nor jinnee will have touched before.” (55:74)
By contrast, the Koran has nothing to say about what sort of companions Allah will provide for women in paradise. The happiness of women in paradise is a low priority matter. What’s more, according to Muhammad, the majority of the inhabitants of Hell are women. Women, it seems, face discrimination both in this life and the afterlife.
Moreover, the promise of virgins in paradise creates a perverse incentive to devalue real women. The lure of more desirable partners in the next world increases the likelihood that men won’t be satisfied with their wife (or wives) on earth. And since the surest path to the promised brides is to commit jihad for the sake of Allah, the virgins become a strong incentive to join the jihad.
As Nonie Darwish, another former Muslim, puts it, “Islam has substituted love of jihad and martyrdom for love of family.” Indeed, the reason Tania Joya eventually leaves her husband is that he becomes a jihadist and insists on dragging her and their three sons through highly dangerous areas in his quest to join ISIS. All of which seems to confirm Darwish’s observation that, “In Islam, after believing in Allah, the number one priority for a Muslim believer is not family; it is jihad.”
Another indication of the low status of women in Islam is that they often have little say about who they will marry. In her autobiography, Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali recounts how her father arranged her marriage:
My father came straight from the mosque to our flat… “Ayaan, my daughter, I have good news for you—the best news—my prayers are answered!” he crowed. “Today in the mosque a blessed man came to me with a proposal of marriage, and I offered him your hand.”
When Ali complains, he tells her:
You’re saying you don’t want this — it’s not a question. We are living in bad times. Surely you won’t reject my choice of husband for you just because he doesn’t read novels.
So, Hirsi Ali had to marry a man she had met only once. On the day of the wedding she did not attend the ceremony because “neither my presence nor my signature was required for the Islamic ceremony.”
Many in the West, including many in the Church, have been trying hard to normalize Islam — to make it seem, for instance, that Islamic family values are just like Christian family values. But the differences are greater than most realize. Thankfully, we have brave women such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Nonie Darwish to set us straight.
In her own autobiography, Now They Call Me Infidel, Darwish recounts her reaction on first seeing a church wedding in an old Hollywood movie:
I was very touched by the holiness of the marriage vows, especially when the husband promised to love, honor, and cherish his one and only wife … I … was touched not only by the romance of the marriage vows but also by the way a Christian woman was honored and elevated by her husband and society.
In contrast, notes Darwish, “Muslim weddings are more about sex and money. They do not convey the holy covenant of marriage.”
In her highly informative books, Darwish shreds the multicultural delusion that, beneath the surface differences, all cultures are essentially the same. They’re not, says Darwish, and she offers dozens of concrete examples to make the point. While diversity should be appreciated, she observes, there are certain elements of Islamic culture that should not be allowed to take root in the West.
For an inside and up-close view of Islamic values, one would do well to get acquainted with the eye-opening stories of former Muslims such as Nonie Darwish, Wafa Sultan, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
William Kilpatrick is the author of several books about cultural and religious issues, including Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong; Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West; and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Jihad. Professor Kilpatrick’s articles on cultural and educational topics have appeared in First Things, Policy Review, American Educator, and various scholarly journals. His articles on Islam have appeared in Crisis, Catholic World Report, The Catholic Thing, National Catholic Register, and other publications. He is also the author of Insecurity, a dark comedy about political correctness run amok in the military and the government. For more of his recent articles, visit his website, turningpointproject.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Biden denies sexually assaulting staffer, but refuses to open key records

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May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared on MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe on Friday morning to address the sexual assault claim against him by former Senate staffer Tara Reade , denying it once more while justifying his decision not to unseal records that could shed light on the matter .
Reade alleges that in 1993 then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “ semi-private ” stairwell on Capitol Hill .
“ He had me against the wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt .
And I was wearing – I wasn ’ t wearing anything underneath .
And then , with his hand , he went from there and entered me – with his hand – and as he was trying to kiss me , and saying things to me.
” Reade , who has a history of criticizing Biden and championing socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on social media , added that she “ was in a very difficult position because he was my boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s age at the time , ” and that beforehand she admired Biden as “ this champion of women ’ s rights in my eyes and I couldn ’ t believe it was happening .
It didn ’ t seem – it seemed surreal .
I just – I knew – I just felt sick.
” The Biden campaign has responded by declaring that Reade ’ s claims “ aren ’ t true .
This never happened.
” Reade has called on Biden to unseal the University of Delaware ’ s records of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says may still contain a copy of the complaint she filed with his office .
( The left-wing Washington Post has backed that call . )
During Friday ’ s interview with Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski , the former vice president offered two justifications for his refusal to unseal the records : first , that personnel files would not be in the University ’ s collection but rather be with the National Archives & Records Administration ( Biden has requested that the NARA identify and release any record pertaining to Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that releasing these files could give him unrelated political problems .
“ There are a lot of things — speeches I ’ ve made , positions I ’ ve taken , interviews that I did overseas with people , all of those things relating to my job , ” Biden said .
“ And the idea that they would all be made public , and the fact while I was running for public office , they could really be taken out of context .
The papers are position papers — they are documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I met with ( Russian President Vladimir ) Putin , or when I met with whomever .
And all of that to be fodder in a campaign at this time.
” But a NARA spokesperson told Business Insider ’ s Nicole Einbinder that , contrary to Biden ’ s claim , the agency does not keep records from the Senate Fair Employment Practices , with a Senate Historical Office staffer following up that such records are instead transferred to the General Services Administration and subject to rules forbidding their release until 50 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reade doesn ’ t just want a copy of the complaint but also copies of any notes taken by Biden aides with whom she discussed the matter , including former Chief of Staff Ted Kaufmann , who now denies ever having met with Reade .
Elsewhere in the interview , Brezinski pressed Biden on the apparent conflict between his denials and his past statements about how a woman claiming sexual misconduct ( at least in the case of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh ) should be met “ with the presumption that at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s talking about is real.
” Attempting to reconcile his statements , Biden told Brezinski that if women “ come forward and say something happened to them , they should start with the presumption they are telling the truth , ” but “ then you have to look at the facts.
” '' What I said during the Kavanaugh hearings was she had a right to be heard , '' he went on .
`` And she came forward , the presumption would be she 's telling the truth unless it 's proved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though what little evidence exists in the case is far from conclusive , details supporting Reade ’ s include the fact that she has filed a police report ( opening herself up to legal consequences if she ’ s found to be lying ) , the fact that a handful of former Reade associates say she told them about the incident in the 1990s , and the discovery of a 1993 clip of Reade ’ s mother calling Larry King ’ s CNN show to discuss her daughter ’ s “ problem ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much of the media and the American Left have shown relatively little interest in Reade ’ s claims , with Democrat House Speaker Nancy Peleosi snapping at a conservative reporter Thursday that “ I don ’ t need a lecture or a speech ” about consistency .
She gave lip service to the “ idea that women will be heard and be able to be listened to , ” before invoking the “ fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden ” and claiming “ there was never any record of this.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it “ contacted 10 top national pro-women organizations for this story , including Emily ’ s List , Planned Parenthood Action Fund , NARAL Pro-Choice America , and the National Organization for Women .
Most organizations did not respond to a detailed request for comment , ” while “ others replied and did not provide a statement .
Following its report , acting Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said that “ Vice President Biden must address this allegation directly ” ( it had been announced that same day Biden would be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The ardently pro-abortion Biden is the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee , though lingering concerns about the 77-year-old candidate ’ s mental sharpness have prompted speculation that Democrats may attempt to replace him at the party convention with a younger candidate , such as New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo .

PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Former Vice President Joe Biden appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Friday morning to address the sexual assault claim against him by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, denying it once more while justifying his decision not to unseal records that could shed light on the matter.
Reade alleges that in 1993 then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “semi-private” stairwell on Capitol Hill. “He had me against the wall,” she says. “And then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt. And I was wearing – I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. And then, with his hand, he went from there and entered me – with his hand – and as he was trying to kiss me, and saying things to me.”
Reade, who has a history of criticizing Biden and championing socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on social media, added that she “was in a very difficult position because he was my boss and he was like my dad’s age at the time,” and that beforehand she admired Biden as “this champion of women’s rights in my eyes and I couldn’t believe it was happening. It didn’t seem – it seemed surreal. I just – I knew – I just felt sick.”
The Biden campaign has responded by declaring that Reade’s claims “aren’t true. This never happened.” Reade has called on Biden to unseal the University of Delaware’s records of his time in the Senate, which she says may still contain a copy of the complaint she filed with his office. (The left-wing Washington Post has backed that call.)
During Friday’s interview with Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, the former vice president offered two justifications for his refusal to unseal the records: first, that personnel files would not be in the University’s collection but rather be with the National Archives & Records Administration (Biden has requested that the NARA identify and release any record pertaining to Reade’s alleged complaint); and that releasing these files could give him unrelated political problems.
“There are a lot of things — speeches I’ve made, positions I’ve taken, interviews that I did overseas with people, all of those things relating to my job,” Biden said. “And the idea that they would all be made public, and the fact while I was running for public office, they could really be taken out of context. The papers are position papers — they are documents that existed, for example, when I met with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, or when I met with whomever. And all of that to be fodder in a campaign at this time.”
But a NARA spokesperson told Business Insider’s Nicole Einbinder that, contrary to Biden’s claim, the agency does not keep records from the Senate Fair Employment Practices, with a Senate Historical Office staffer following up that such records are instead transferred to the General Services Administration and subject to rules forbidding their release until 50 years after the fact.
Einbinder added that Reade doesn’t just want a copy of the complaint but also copies of any notes taken by Biden aides with whom she discussed the matter, including former Chief of Staff Ted Kaufmann, who now denies ever having met with Reade.
Elsewhere in the interview, Brezinski pressed Biden on the apparent conflict between his denials and his past statements about how a woman claiming sexual misconduct (at least in the case of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh) should be met “with the presumption that at least the essence of what she’s talking about is real.”
Attempting to reconcile his statements, Biden told Brezinski that if women “come forward and say something happened to them, they should start with the presumption they are telling the truth,” but “then you have to look at the facts.”
“What I said during the Kavanaugh hearings was she had a right to be heard,” he went on. “And she came forward, the presumption would be she's telling the truth unless it's proved she wasn't telling the truth.”
Though what little evidence exists in the case is far from conclusive, details supporting Reade’s include the fact that she has filed a police report (opening herself up to legal consequences if she’s found to be lying), the fact that a handful of former Reade associates say she told them about the incident in the 1990s, and the discovery of a 1993 clip of Reade’s mother calling Larry King’s CNN show to discuss her daughter’s “problem” with a “prominent senator.”
Regardless, much of the media and the American Left have shown relatively little interest in Reade’s claims, with Democrat House Speaker Nancy Peleosi snapping at a conservative reporter Thursday that “I don’t need a lecture or a speech” about consistency. She gave lip service to the “idea that women will be heard and be able to be listened to,” before invoking the “fact that Joe Biden is Joe Biden” and claiming “there was never any record of this.”
The Daily Beast reported this week that it “contacted 10 top national pro-women organizations for this story, including Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the National Organization for Women. Most organizations did not respond to a detailed request for comment,” while “others replied and did not provide a statement. Following its report, acting Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said that “Vice President Biden must address this allegation directly” (it had been announced that same day Biden would be “addressing” it on Morning Joe).
The ardently pro-abortion Biden is the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee, though lingering concerns about the 77-year-old candidate’s mental sharpness have prompted speculation that Democrats may attempt to replace him at the party convention with a younger candidate, such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Pro-lifers arrested for giving moms roses at abortion center during COVID-19

BATON ROUGE , Louisiana , May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – On Thursday two pro-lifers were arrested for offering women roses at the Delta Clinic abortion facility , an action that led two mothers to turn away from abortion and another eight to at least leave the abortuary .
Pro-life demonstrators , including well-known Baton Rouge activist Richard Mahoney , arrived at the facility at 7:30 am .
Mahoney was accompanied by Red Rose Rescuers Lauren Handy and Patrice Woodword .
Their intention was to speak to all of the women arriving for their abortions who lined up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enter the abortion facility .
Seventy pro-lifers soon assembled outside of the clinic , some quietly praying while others held signs .
At about 9:40 a.m. the Delta Clinic abortionist , Nigerian-born Nsikan St. Martin arrived .
When the clinic security guard was distracted escorting her into the facility , Will Goodman and Tony Puckett , both donning personal protective equipment , quietly slipped into the abortion facility ’ s side door , which was unlocked .
They quickly gained access to the abortion center ’ s waiting room .
Four women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting for the abortionist to administer the first dosage of the RU-486 chemical abortion .
Will Goodman and Tony Puckett were soon confronted by two abortion staff members , one of whom asked , “ What are you doing here ?
” Goodman explained : “ We are offering roses to anyone in the clinic , ” and proceeded to offer roses to each of the women .
They seemed puzzled and took the roses , with one of them saying : “ Well , this is very nice of you.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the card attached to the roses that addressed words of hope and encouragement to abortion-minded women urging them to choose life with phone numbers of local pregnancy help groups .
The clinic worker became furious , pulled all but one rose out of Goodman ’ s hands , threw them on the floor , and demanded that Goodman and Puckett leave the facility .
Goodman explained : “ We can ’ t leave .
We are here to help mothers choose life.
” The staff member responded : “ You can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an abortion .
Are you getting an abortion , sir ?
” Goodman stated : “ Of course not .
We are here in peace to prevent the abortions and offer hope to the mothers.
” The staff member grabbed Goodman ’ s shoulder , at which point Goodman dropped to the floor in a passive posture .
Puckett , still holding his roses , knelt down on one knee .
The rescuers were confident that the women in the procedure rooms could hear the exchange between them and the facility staff .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back hallway and , while Goodman was limp on the floor , she exited the building in tears .
She did not obtain the abortion as the abortionist had not yet entered the building .
Eventually the security guard and abortionist St. Martin walked into the clinic ’ s waiting room and yelled at the rescuers saying that they needed to “ Get out !
” While they were preoccupied with the rescuers , the parking lot remained “ unguarded ” by those affiliated with the abortion center .
Rescuers Lauren Handy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lot .
They talked with the women who were still lined up waiting to get into the facility .
Of the 15 women , seven accepted the roses offered to them .
One woman actually asked Handy if she could have one of the roses .
Lauren spoke to her for a few moments , told her that her own phone number was on the card attached to the rose , and encouraged the woman to call her .
The woman left the line , walked back to her car and drove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to abortionist St. Martin but she refused to accept it .
Instead , both she and the security guard proceeded to drag Goodman out of the facility .
Baton Rouge police officers had already arrived with 10 police vehicles cluttering the parking lot .
Several women were still standing in line waiting to get into the clinic .
Four of them , apparently unnerved by the commotion caused by the presence of so many police officers , left the line , got in their cars and exited the parking lot .
Goodman was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on the pavement near the clinic ’ s front door .
Then the security guard retrieved Puckett and escorted him out of the facility as well .
At this point four other women exited the abortion center , and appeared very angry .
Apparently , for reasons unknown , they had been turned out of the clinic and were denied whatever “ service ” they had hoped to obtain .
Altogether 10 women left the abortion center during the time the Red Rose Rescue took place .
The police warned Goodman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or they would be arrested .
Goodman explained : “ We can not do that , Officer .
We are here to defend the helpless unborn scheduled to be put to death.
” One officer appeared sympathetic to the rescuers and stated : “ I totally understand what you are doing and if I wasn ’ t wearing this uniform I ’ d tell you exactly what I think.
” Goodman and Puckett expressed their resolve not to leave the property and thus , they were handcuffed and taken into custody .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to walk on their own to the waiting police vehicles and threatened them with resisting arrest if they practiced “ passive resistance.
” Goodman asked if the police squad cars could be driven up to them and if so , they would agree to get up and enter the cars .
The officers complied with this request .
Goodman and Puckett were taken to the local police station , booked while remaining in the police cars , and released immediately with a charge of “ Failure to Disperse.
” They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It should be noted that only the security guard and the abortion center receptionist wore face masks .
Abortionist St. Martin did not practice any so-called social distancing when she engaged the rescuers , wore no personal protective equipment , and did not observe the six-foot social distancing rule .
Both Goodman and Puckett informed all abortion clinic staff that they intended to observe social distancing restrictions—but clinic staff chose not to comply .
St. Martin also remarked to Goodman that for money she “ would gladly abort any of his babies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would have aborted you.
” “ If abortion clinic staff can enter a clinic to kill the unborn , and if an abortionist can enter to kill the unborn , all during a coronavirus pandemic , then certainly pro-lifers can also enter an abortion clinic to defend and possibly even save the unborn , ” commented Dr. Monica Migliorino Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society , who helped organize the Baton Rouge rescue and is a founding member of Red Rose Rescues .
“ It is quite clear that at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Thursday ] , and possibly even more as a consequence of the Red Rose Rescue .
No matter what , the Red Rose Rescuers performed a practical act of love for these mothers and their babies .
Even in this time of crisis we still need to be there , to go into the dark holes of the poor as far as we can , and love all those who are unwanted .
”

Two mothers turned away from abortion and eight others left the clinic, the fate of their babies unknown.
PETITION: Support pro-lifers threatened and arrested for praying outside of abortion facilities Sign the petition here.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, May 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – On Thursday two pro-lifers were arrested for offering women roses at the Delta Clinic abortion facility, an action that led two mothers to turn away from abortion and another eight to at least leave the abortuary.
Pro-life demonstrators, including well-known Baton Rouge activist Richard Mahoney, arrived at the facility at 7:30 am. Mahoney was accompanied by Red Rose Rescuers Lauren Handy and Patrice Woodword. Their intention was to speak to all of the women arriving for their abortions who lined up in the parking lot waiting their turn to enter the abortion facility. Seventy pro-lifers soon assembled outside of the clinic, some quietly praying while others held signs.
At about 9:40 a.m. the Delta Clinic abortionist, Nigerian-born Nsikan St. Martin arrived. When the clinic security guard was distracted escorting her into the facility, Will Goodman and Tony Puckett, both donning personal protective equipment, quietly slipped into the abortion facility’s side door, which was unlocked. They quickly gained access to the abortion center’s waiting room. Four women were already inside the abortion procedure rooms waiting for the abortionist to administer the first dosage of the RU-486 chemical abortion.
Will Goodman and Tony Puckett were soon confronted by two abortion staff members, one of whom asked, “What are you doing here?”
Goodman explained: “We are offering roses to anyone in the clinic,” and proceeded to offer roses to each of the women. They seemed puzzled and took the roses, with one of them saying: “Well, this is very nice of you.”
The other staff member, however, read the card attached to the roses that addressed words of hope and encouragement to abortion-minded women urging them to choose life with phone numbers of local pregnancy help groups. The clinic worker became furious, pulled all but one rose out of Goodman’s hands, threw them on the floor, and demanded that Goodman and Puckett leave the facility.
Goodman explained: “We can’t leave. We are here to help mothers choose life.” The staff member responded: “You cannot be in this building unless you are getting an abortion. Are you getting an abortion, sir?”
Goodman stated: “Of course not. We are here in peace to prevent the abortions and offer hope to the mothers.” The staff member grabbed Goodman’s shoulder, at which point Goodman dropped to the floor in a passive posture. Puckett, still holding his roses, knelt down on one knee.
The rescuers were confident that the women in the procedure rooms could hear the exchange between them and the facility staff. Soon one woman came out from the back hallway and, while Goodman was limp on the floor, she exited the building in tears. She did not obtain the abortion as the abortionist had not yet entered the building.
Eventually the security guard and abortionist St. Martin walked into the clinic’s waiting room and yelled at the rescuers saying that they needed to “Get out!”
While they were preoccupied with the rescuers, the parking lot remained “unguarded” by those affiliated with the abortion center. Rescuers Lauren Handy and Patrice Woodwood took the opportunity to enter the lot. They talked with the women who were still lined up waiting to get into the facility. Of the 15 women, seven accepted the roses offered to them. One woman actually asked Handy if she could have one of the roses. Lauren spoke to her for a few moments, told her that her own phone number was on the card attached to the rose, and encouraged the woman to call her. The woman left the line, walked back to her car and drove off.
Goodman offered his remaining rose to abortionist St. Martin but she refused to accept it. Instead, both she and the security guard proceeded to drag Goodman out of the facility. Baton Rouge police officers had already arrived with 10 police vehicles cluttering the parking lot. Several women were still standing in line waiting to get into the clinic. Four of them, apparently unnerved by the commotion caused by the presence of so many police officers, left the line, got in their cars and exited the parking lot.
Goodman was dragged outside the clinic and “deposited” on the pavement near the clinic’s front door. Then the security guard retrieved Puckett and escorted him out of the facility as well. At this point four other women exited the abortion center, and appeared very angry. Apparently, for reasons unknown, they had been turned out of the clinic and were denied whatever “service” they had hoped to obtain. Altogether 10 women left the abortion center during the time the Red Rose Rescue took place.
The police warned Goodman and Puckett they needed to leave the property or they would be arrested. Goodman explained: “We cannot do that, Officer. We are here to defend the helpless unborn scheduled to be put to death.”
One officer appeared sympathetic to the rescuers and stated: “I totally understand what you are doing and if I wasn’t wearing this uniform I’d tell you exactly what I think.” Goodman and Puckett expressed their resolve not to leave the property and thus, they were handcuffed and taken into custody. The police were concerned that the rescuers were not going to walk on their own to the waiting police vehicles and threatened them with resisting arrest if they practiced “passive resistance.” Goodman asked if the police squad cars could be driven up to them and if so, they would agree to get up and enter the cars. The officers complied with this request.
Goodman and Puckett were taken to the local police station, booked while remaining in the police cars, and released immediately with a charge of “Failure to Disperse.” They are scheduled to appear in court June 29.
It should be noted that only the security guard and the abortion center receptionist wore face masks. Abortionist St. Martin did not practice any so-called social distancing when she engaged the rescuers, wore no personal protective equipment, and did not observe the six-foot social distancing rule. Both Goodman and Puckett informed all abortion clinic staff that they intended to observe social distancing restrictions—but clinic staff chose not to comply. St. Martin also remarked to Goodman that for money she “would gladly abort any of his babies,” and told Puckett, “I would have aborted you.”
“If abortion clinic staff can enter a clinic to kill the unborn, and if an abortionist can enter to kill the unborn, all during a coronavirus pandemic, then certainly pro-lifers can also enter an abortion clinic to defend and possibly even save the unborn,” commented Dr. Monica Migliorino Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, who helped organize the Baton Rouge rescue and is a founding member of Red Rose Rescues.
“It is quite clear that at least two women did not kill their babies [Thursday], and possibly even more as a consequence of the Red Rose Rescue. No matter what, the Red Rose Rescuers performed a practical act of love for these mothers and their babies. Even in this time of crisis we still need to be there, to go into the dark holes of the poor as far as we can, and love all those who are unwanted.”
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

May 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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