lifesitenews--2020-02-07--US bishop says ‘climate change’ more deadly than abortion: threatens ‘very future of hum

US bishop says ‘climate change’ more deadly than abortion: threatens ‘very future of humanity’

SAN DIEGO , California , February 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The Bishop of San Diego has made the case that “ climate change ” could be considered “ uniquely preeminent in Catholic social teaching ” since the potential death toll due to man-made temperature rise is “ larger ” than abortion and “ threatens the very future of humanity.
” In a speech titled “ Conscience , Candidates and Discipleship in Voting , ” which Bishop Robert J. McElroy delivered at the University of San Diego yesterday , the bishop said that Catholic voters need to discern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election .
“ Frequently in discussions of the application of Catholic social teaching to voting , the question is raised whether one issue has a unique priority among all of the other issues in its claim upon believers in the current election cycle .
Some have categorized abortion in that way .
Others , climate change .
This question deserves deeper scrutiny , ” he said .
The bishop went on to list four points that he said should be considered when setting priorities .
It is unclear if any deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change.
” Abortion , however , has taken the lives of over 60 million in the U.S. alone since 1973 .
In the last 100 years , there have been over one billion abortions worldwide .
Previous popes have made it clear that abortion is the crucial moral issue of the day .
They ’ ve made the case that without protecting the lives of the innocent , youngest and most vulnerable members of humanity , society can not protect its citizens in other ways .
In his 1988 exhortation Christifideles Laici , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ right to life ” must be defended with “ maximum determination.
” In Donum Vitae , then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – later Pope Benedict XVI – wrote that the “ inviolable right to life of every innocent human individual ” must be defended since it is the “ constitutive element ” of “ civil society and its order.
” In 2006 , while speaking to members of the European People ’ s Party , Pope Benedict XVI stressed that as far as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person , and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable , ” he said .
First among these , he said , is the “ protection of life in all its stages , from the first moment of conception until natural death.
” Bishop McElroy painted a picture of the doom he believes “ climate change ” will cause .
Existing trajectories of pollutants being placed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will raise the temperature of the earth in the coming decades , generating catastrophic rises in human exposure to deadly heat , devastating rises in water levels and massive exposure to a series of perilous viruses .
In addition , there will be severe widespread famines , draughts and massive dislocations of peoples that will cause untold deaths , human suffering and violent conflict .
The devastating fires in Australia are a sign of what lies before us , and a testimony that , on so many levels , our current pollution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from coming generations .
Because the trajectory of danger unleashed by fossil fuels is increasing so rapidly , the next ten years are critical to staunching the threat to our planet .
Last year , over 440 scientific papers were published that cast doubt on climate alarmism and the claim that man-made carbon emissions are causing changes to the climate .
Carleton University professor Michael Hart argued in his 2016 book Hubris that “ climate change ” advocacy is based on “ poor science '' and is being used as a Trojan horse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unsuspecting population .
“ I learned that both domestic and international actors had succeeded in using the poorly understood science of climate change to advance an ambitious environmental agenda focused on increasing centralized control over people ’ s daily lives , ” he told LifeSiteNews in an August 2016 interview .
“ Left-wing politicians discovered in climate change renewed ways to press their agenda of social and economic justice through coercive government programs .
As John Sununu , the former governor of New Hampshire , sees it , ‘ The alarmists have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw what motivates policymakers is not necessarily just hard science , but a well-orchestrated symphony of effort ... announce a disaster ; cherry pick some results ; back it up with computer modeling ; proclaim a consensus ; stifle the opposition ; take over the process and control the funding ; and roll the policymakers , ’ ” he said .
McElroy took a swipe at the Trump administration in this speech , saying : “ The United States , which was once a leader in this effort , has in the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat climate change and in denying its existence.
” “ As a consequence , the survival of the planet , which is the prerequisite for all human life , is at risk.
” While pitting the concept of “ intrinsic evil ” against the varying gravity of “ moral evils ” , the Bishop also stated that abandoning a global environmental initiative was a “ greater moral evil ” that the distribution of contraceptives .
“ ... Contraception is intrinsically evil in Catholic moral theology , while actions which destroy the environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But it is a far greater moral evil for our country to abandon the Paris Climate Accord than to provide contraceptives in federal health centers .
What these examples point out is that Catholic social teaching can not be reduced to a deductivist model when it comes to voting to safeguard the life and dignity of the human person.
” Michael Hichborn , President of the Lepanto Institute , told LifeSiteNews that Bishop McElroy has “ shifted his allegiance ” from being a shepherd of souls to advocating for worldly concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McElroy has clearly shifted his allegiance away from Christ and souls to politics and the world , ” he said .
“ A man concerned with the salvation of souls would speak the truth regarding individual salvation and damnation .
Instead , Bishop McElroy speaks of policies regarding dubious scientific theories while promoting political cash cows that benefit the USCCB as greater than moral matters that lead souls to Hell.
” Hichborn called McElroy ’ s statement that claimed that abandoning the Paris Accords “ is a far greater moral evil ” than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie.
” “ No one ever went to Hell for making a prudential political decision regarding unsettled scientific concerns , ” he said , “ but the use of what McElroy himself acknowledged is an intrinsic evil is currently sending countless souls to Hell.
” “ As Fatima seer Sr. Lucia revealed , ‘ More souls go to Hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason.
’ ” The issue of abortion as the pre-eminent social issue of our time was raissed at the USCCB general assembly in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USCCB ’ s document on political life , “ Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizens ” that protecting the unborn is their “ preeminent ” social justice priority .
“ It is not Catholic teaching that abortion is the pre-eminent issue that we face as the world in Catholic social teaching , ” McElroy said .
The Bishop of San Diego also said he believes that saying the threat of abortion remains the USCCB ’ s “ pre-eminent priority ” is “ at least discordant with the pope ’ s teaching if not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ grave disservice to our people if we ’ re trying to communicate to them what the Magisterium teaches.
” He was contradicted by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler , Texas and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia .
Strickland stated that the word “ pre-eminent ” must remain in the letter , and Chaput underscored that abortion is indeed the most important social issue of our time .
After a USCCB ad limina visit to Pope Francis this January , Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City , chairman of the USCCB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service ( CNS ) that the Pope agreed with the U.S. bishops in “ identifying the protection of the unborn as a preeminent priority .
”

It's unclear if any deaths in the U.S. have resulted from 'climate change.' Abortion, however, has taken the lives of over 60 million since 1973.
SAN DIEGO, California, February 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The Bishop of San Diego has made the case that “climate change” could be considered “uniquely preeminent in Catholic social teaching” since the potential death toll due to man-made temperature rise is “larger” than abortion and “threatens the very future of humanity.”
In a speech titled “Conscience, Candidates and Discipleship in Voting,” which Bishop Robert J. McElroy delivered at the University of San Diego yesterday, the bishop said that Catholic voters need to discern where their priorities lie in the upcoming 2020 election.
“Frequently in discussions of the application of Catholic social teaching to voting, the question is raised whether one issue has a unique priority among all of the other issues in its claim upon believers in the current election cycle. Some have categorized abortion in that way. Others, climate change. This question deserves deeper scrutiny,” he said.
The bishop went on to list four points that he said should be considered when setting priorities.
Against the backdrop of these two monumental threats to human life, how can one evaluate the competing claims that either abortion or climate change should be uniquely preeminent in Catholic social teaching regarding the formation of Americans as citizens and believers? Four points should be considered. There is no mandate in universal Catholic social teaching that gives a categorical priority to either of these issues as uniquely determinative of the common good. The death toll from abortion is more immediate, but the long-term death toll from unchecked climate change is larger and threatens the very future of humanity. Both abortion and the environment are core life issues in Catholic teaching. The designation of either of these issues as the preeminent question in Catholic social teaching at this time in the United States will inevitably be hijacked by partisan forces to propose that Catholics have an overriding duty to vote for candidates that espouse that position. Recent electoral history shows this to be a certainty.
It is unclear if any deaths in the U.S. have resulted from “climate change.” Abortion, however, has taken the lives of over 60 million in the U.S. alone since 1973. In the last 100 years, there have been over one billion abortions worldwide.
Previous popes have made it clear that abortion is the crucial moral issue of the day. They’ve made the case that without protecting the lives of the innocent, youngest and most vulnerable members of humanity, society cannot protect its citizens in other ways.
In his 1988 exhortation Christifideles Laici, St. John Paul II said that the “right to life” must be defended with “maximum determination.”
The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights – for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture – is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination.
In Donum Vitae, then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – later Pope Benedict XVI – wrote that the “inviolable right to life of every innocent human individual” must be defended since it is the “constitutive element” of “civil society and its order.”
In 2006, while speaking to members of the European People’s Party, Pope Benedict XVI stressed that as far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the “principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable,” he said. First among these, he said, is the “protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death.”
Bishop McElroy painted a picture of the doom he believes “climate change” will cause.
Existing trajectories of pollutants being placed in the atmosphere by human activity, if unchecked, will raise the temperature of the earth in the coming decades, generating catastrophic rises in human exposure to deadly heat, devastating rises in water levels and massive exposure to a series of perilous viruses. In addition, there will be severe widespread famines, draughts and massive dislocations of peoples that will cause untold deaths, human suffering and violent conflict. The devastating fires in Australia are a sign of what lies before us, and a testimony that, on so many levels, our current pollution of the earth is stealing the future from coming generations. Because the trajectory of danger unleashed by fossil fuels is increasing so rapidly, the next ten years are critical to staunching the threat to our planet.
Last year, over 440 scientific papers were published that cast doubt on climate alarmism and the claim that man-made carbon emissions are causing changes to the climate.
Carleton University professor Michael Hart argued in his 2016 book Hubris that “climate change” advocacy is based on “poor science” and is being used as a Trojan horse for ramming through a social agenda on an unsuspecting population.
“I learned that both domestic and international actors had succeeded in using the poorly understood science of climate change to advance an ambitious environmental agenda focused on increasing centralized control over people’s daily lives,” he told LifeSiteNews in an August 2016 interview.
“Left-wing politicians discovered in climate change renewed ways to press their agenda of social and economic justice through coercive government programs. As John Sununu, the former governor of New Hampshire, sees it, ‘The alarmists have learned well from the past. They saw what motivates policymakers is not necessarily just hard science, but a well-orchestrated symphony of effort … announce a disaster; cherry pick some results; back it up with computer modeling; proclaim a consensus; stifle the opposition; take over the process and control the funding; and roll the policymakers,’” he said.
McElroy took a swipe at the Trump administration in this speech, saying: “The United States, which was once a leader in this effort, has in the current Administration become the leader in resisting efforts to combat climate change and in denying its existence.”
“As a consequence, the survival of the planet, which is the prerequisite for all human life, is at risk.”
While pitting the concept of “intrinsic evil” against the varying gravity of “moral evils”, the Bishop also stated that abandoning a global environmental initiative was a “greater moral evil” that the distribution of contraceptives.
“…Contraception is intrinsically evil in Catholic moral theology, while actions which destroy the environment generally are not,” he said. “But it is a far greater moral evil for our country to abandon the Paris Climate Accord than to provide contraceptives in federal health centers. What these examples point out is that Catholic social teaching cannot be reduced to a deductivist model when it comes to voting to safeguard the life and dignity of the human person.”
Michael Hichborn, President of the Lepanto Institute, told LifeSiteNews that Bishop McElroy has “shifted his allegiance” from being a shepherd of souls to advocating for worldly concerns.
“In one meeting, Bishop McElroy has clearly shifted his allegiance away from Christ and souls to politics and the world,” he said.
“A man concerned with the salvation of souls would speak the truth regarding individual salvation and damnation. Instead, Bishop McElroy speaks of policies regarding dubious scientific theories while promoting political cash cows that benefit the USCCB as greater than moral matters that lead souls to Hell.”
Hichborn called McElroy’s statement that claimed that abandoning the Paris Accords “is a far greater moral evil” than the provision of contraception “a reprehensible lie.”
“No one ever went to Hell for making a prudential political decision regarding unsettled scientific concerns,” he said, “but the use of what McElroy himself acknowledged is an intrinsic evil is currently sending countless souls to Hell.”
“As Fatima seer Sr. Lucia revealed, ‘More souls go to Hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason.’”
The issue of abortion as the pre-eminent social issue of our time was raissed at the USCCB general assembly in November. Bishop McElroy objected to the statement in the USCCB’s document on political life, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizens” that protecting the unborn is their “preeminent” social justice priority.
“It is not Catholic teaching that abortion is the pre-eminent issue that we face as the world in Catholic social teaching,” McElroy said.
The Bishop of San Diego also said he believes that saying the threat of abortion remains the USCCB’s “pre-eminent priority” is “at least discordant with the pope’s teaching if not inconsistent” and that it is a “grave disservice to our people if we’re trying to communicate to them what the Magisterium teaches.”
He was contradicted by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia. Strickland stated that the word “pre-eminent” must remain in the letter, and Chaput underscored that abortion is indeed the most important social issue of our time.
After a USCCB ad limina visit to Pope Francis this January, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, chairman of the USCCB Committee for Pro-Life Activities told Catholic News Service (CNS) that the Pope agreed with the U.S. bishops in “identifying the protection of the unborn as a preeminent priority.”
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--Quebec Health Minister ‘wants doctors to perform more late-term abortions’

February 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – It can not be pointed out often enough : Canada is the one of the only nations on Earth with no restrictions on abortion whatsoever .
Abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy , a fact that the vast majority of Canadians remain unaware of .
This horrific status quo has resulted in babies being frequently born alive and left to die : According to the research of pro-life writer Pat Maloney , there were “ 766 late-term live-birth abortions in a five-year period.
” You would think the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born increasingly earlier and surgeries being done on preborn children would give Canadian political leaders pause , but that is not the case .
Just the opposite : According to CTV , Quebec Health Minister Danielle McCann “ wants doctors to perform more late-term abortions , pointing to a report commissioned by the College of Physicians that claims there are insufficient and disorganized services in this area.
” According to a report by the ironically-named “ clinical ethics working group ” of the College of Physicians , abortion in the third trimester is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women were refused services by several hospitals and doctors who said they would be stigmatized if they perform these late-term abortions.
” In response , the health minister told her colleagues in the National Assembly that she is considering creating an “ additional team ” in order to “ increase access ” to late-term abortions .
While many Western nations are reconsidering the ethics of late-term abortion as medical technology advances , pushing viability back , Canadian politicians are still locked into an extremist position that have them defending abortions that Dr. Henry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself refused to perform .
In fact , the key reason that it is so difficult to get a late-term abortion is because the vast majority of physicians—even those who commit abortions—believe that late-term abortions kill a human being , and can not stomach performing a procedure that involves dismembering a nearly fully-developed child .
And that is precisely what a late-term abortion entails .
Several of my colleagues at the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform have had the opportunity to debate late-term abortionist Dr. Fraser Fellows of London , Ontario , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 days .
During one debate , my former colleague Stephanie Gray showed a horrifying video of a baby being dismembered and pulled from her mother ’ s womb , and then asked him if the imagery she had shown was “ an accurate reflection of what you see and what you do ?
” Fellows ’ response : “ Absolutely.
” Activists like the delusional Joyce Arthur of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada consistently attempt to lie their way out of explaining why they defend the barbarism of abortion by claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake .
Unfortunately for her , not even Dr. Fellows , who has been committing abortions in Canada since 1969 , is one her side with that .
Consider the following exchange between Stephanie Gray and Dr. Fraser Fellows : SG : Do you do dilation and extraction where you pull the child out intact ?
FF : That would be an induction of labor in order to achieve that .
So , it ’ s all about the opening of the cervix .
The cervix is caused to be opened adequately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intact , but that would take labor to achieve that .
SG : So , to protect the cervix , is that the reason why you would do the dilation and evacuation where you ’ re going to pull [ the baby ] out piece by piece ?
FF : The restricting factor in doing an abortion is cervical ripening , or the dilatation of the cervix .
So it ’ s all about preparation of the cervix in the later abortions that defines its safety or lack of safety .
SG : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size of these babies who are 21 , 22 , 23 almost 24 weeks ?
What ’ s the biggest that you have aborted ?
FF : Well , we don ’ t weigh the fetuses .
We know that fetuses beyond 20 weeks weigh anywhere from 500-750 grams .
SG : So would the baby fit in the palm of my hand ?
SG : Although , I guess if they aren ’ t intact , you aren ’ t seeing the intact child ?
SG : Statistics Canada recently confirmed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were born-alive after abortion and left to die by attending medical personnel .
In the entirety of your career since 1969 , have you ever seen this happen ?
SG : Would that be because you do not remove the children intact ?
FF : We use to do abortions by induction of labor using abortifacients , but we would always make sure that the fetus would not be alive when it was born .
SG : So , are you therefore conceding that prior to the abortion , it was alive ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the act of abortion therefore kills the child ?
FF : Abortion definitely ends the child ’ s life , yes .
If you won ’ t believe pro-lifers that late-term abortion dismembers and kills a living child , perhaps you might believe an abortionist who actually performs these abortions .
Most doctors refuse to do these gruesome killings because their consciences can not handle it , and so the work is left to a hardened few .
And Canada ’ s extremist politicians are left trying to find medical professionals willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the palm of your hand—or survive outside the womb .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , he interviews Dr. Christopher Yuan , a former drug addict who lived a promiscuous gay lifestyle .
Dr. Yuan is now a professor at Moody Bible Institute .
He discusses his powerful journey and conversion and the LGBT agenda .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

The health minister told her colleagues in the National Assembly that she is considering creating an 'additional team' in order to 'increase access' to late-term abortions.
February 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – It cannot be pointed out often enough: Canada is one of the only nations on Earth with no restrictions on abortion whatsoever. Abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy, a fact that the vast majority of Canadians remain unaware of. This horrific status quo has resulted in babies being frequently born alive and left to die: According to the research of pro-life writer Pat Maloney, there were “766 late-term live-birth abortions in a five-year period.”
You would think the fact that wonderful stories of miraculous micro-preemies being born increasingly earlier and surgeries being done on preborn children would give Canadian political leaders pause, but that is not the case. Just the opposite: According to CTV, Quebec Health Minister Danielle McCann “wants doctors to perform more late-term abortions, pointing to a report commissioned by the College of Physicians that claims there are insufficient and disorganized services in this area.”
According to a report by the ironically-named “clinical ethics working group” of the College of Physicians, abortion in the third trimester is difficult to access, and “pregnant women were refused services by several hospitals and doctors who said they would be stigmatized if they perform these late-term abortions.” In response, the health minister told her colleagues in the National Assembly that she is considering creating an “additional team” in order to “increase access” to late-term abortions.
While many Western nations are reconsidering the ethics of late-term abortion as medical technology advances, pushing viability back, Canadian politicians are still locked into an extremist position that has them defending abortions that Dr. Henry “the Father of Abortion” Morgentaler himself refused to perform. In fact, the key reason that it is so difficult to get a late-term abortion is because the vast majority of physicians—even those who commit abortions—believe that late-term abortions kill a human being, and cannot stomach performing a procedure that involves dismembering a nearly fully-developed child.
And that is precisely what a late-term abortion entails. Several of my colleagues at the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform have had the opportunity to debate late-term abortionist Dr. Fraser Fellows of London, Ontario, who commits abortions up until 23 weeks and 6 days. During one debate, my former colleague Stephanie Gray showed a horrifying video of a baby being dismembered and pulled from her mother’s womb, and then asked him if the imagery she had shown was “an accurate reflection of what you see and what you do?” Fellows’ response: “Absolutely.”
Activists like the delusional Joyce Arthur of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada consistently attempt to lie their way out of explaining why they defend the barbarism of abortion by claiming that the imagery used by pro-lifers is fake. Unfortunately for her, not even Dr. Fellows, who has been committing abortions in Canada since 1969, is on her side with that. Consider the following exchange between Stephanie Gray and Dr. Fraser Fellows:
SG: Do you do dilation and extraction where you pull the child out intact? FF: That would be an induction of labor in order to achieve that. So, it’s all about the opening of the cervix. The cervix is caused to be opened adequately, then the fetus can be aborted relatively intact, but that would take labor to achieve that. SG: So, to protect the cervix, is that the reason why you would do the dilation and evacuation where you’re going to pull [the baby] out piece by piece? FF: The restricting factor in doing an abortion is cervical ripening, or the dilatation of the cervix. So it’s all about preparation of the cervix in the later abortions that defines its safety or lack of safety. SG: So what would you say is the size of these babies who are 21, 22, 23 almost 24 weeks? What’s the biggest that you have aborted? FF: Well, we don’t weigh the fetuses. We know that fetuses beyond 20 weeks weigh anywhere from 500-750 grams. SG: So would the baby fit in the palm of my hand? FF: Yes. SG: Although, I guess if they aren’t intact, you aren’t seeing the intact child? FF: No. SG: Statistics Canada recently confirmed that between 2000 and 2009, 491 babies were born-alive after abortion and left to die by attending medical personnel. In the entirety of your career since 1969, have you ever seen this happen? FF: No. SG: Would that be because you do not remove the children intact? FF: We use to do abortions by induction of labor using abortifacients, but we would always make sure that the fetus would not be alive when it was born. SG: So, are you therefore conceding that prior to the abortion, it was alive? FF: Oh, yes. SG: And would you concede that the act of abortion therefore kills the child? FF: Abortion definitely ends the child’s life, yes.
If you won’t believe pro-lifers that late-term abortion dismembers and kills a living child, perhaps you might believe an abortionist who actually performs these abortions. Most doctors refuse to do these gruesome killings because their consciences cannot handle it, and so the work is left to a hardened few.
And Canada’s extremist politicians are left trying to find medical professionals willing to kill children big enough to fit in the palm of your hand—or survive outside the womb.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he interviews Dr. Christopher Yuan, a former drug addict who lived a promiscuous gay lifestyle. Dr. Yuan is now a professor at Moody Bible Institute. He discusses his powerful journey and conversion and the LGBT agenda. You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--VP of German Bishops’ Conference: Christ ‘became a human being, not a man’

February 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – “ For us , Christ became a human being , not a man , ” according to Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück , the vice president of the German Bishops ’ Conference and head of the “ synodal path ” discussion forum on women .
Bode made these comments , which are now causing a stir internationally , in a controversial February 5 interview to the diocesan newspaper Kirchenbote .
“ The collaboration between women and men , ” he explains , “ is one of the most important signs of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the context of the debates of the synodal path 's discussion forum “ Women in Ministries and Offices of the Church ” which he , together with the theologian Professor Dorothea Sattler , heads .
These two leaders also headed the preparatory forum which issued a preparatory document even before the synodal path officially started its first assembly at the end of January 2020 .
“ A human being is either a man ( male ) or a woman ( female ) .
To deny that Jesus became a man ( male ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray , a frequent EWTN guest , on Twitter .
“ The German Synodal Way is a fraudulent usurpation of the Church 's teaching authority as this comment shows .
Shut it down.
” Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler , Texas , also weighed in , tweeting : “ Bishop Bode ...
I respectfully call you as one bishop to another to return to the truth of the Deposit of Faith for your salvation and for the good of the Church .
Your statement that Christ became a human being but not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not stand by in silence !
” Bode 's collaborator , Professor Sattler , already said something similar about Jesus Christ in September 2019 when she stated : “ God could have also become a human being as a woman.
” Theologically , this would have been possible .
But 2,000 years ago , she added , it was wise from God in light of the “ cultural conditions ” then to become a human being as a man .
She further expounded that in theology it was always about “ God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man.
” The question of “ gender , ” Sattler explained , “ has no relevance with regard to the theology of redemption.
” All these arguments seem to be an attempt at undermining the Church 's definitive teaching that women are excluded from the Sacrament of Holy Orders .
In his new February 5 interview , Bode also says that the synodal path 's forum on women wishes to discuss what is today already possible with regard to the equality of women in the Church .
At the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sight the fundamental questions , that is to say , the question of “ ordained ” offices for women , according to Bode .
In April 2019 , this German bishop announced that the topic of the female “ diaconate ” will be part of the synodal discussions in Germany .
“ We will not be able to avoid the question of women , ” he then added .
It it interesting to see that , even though the synodal path as organized by the German Bishops ' Conference and the Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insists that it is meant to be participatory , one of the leading figures of this process had already promoted and announced one of its topics nearly a year before the beginning of that very process .
Bode is also a member of the small committee which organizes the synodal path .
Next to him , Cardinal Reinhard Marx , Professor Thomas Sternberg ( the head of the ZdK ) and his representative are in that group .
Many commentators in Germany criticize this way of steering the current synodal path that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
As a matter of fact , an internet survey among some 5,000 German Catholics in preparation for the synodal discussions has shown that the question of so-called female ordination was “ very little ” mentioned by the participants .
Bishop Bode now goes as far as to suggest that , had women been more included , the “ cover-up ” of clerical sex abuse “ would have taken another course.
” He refers here to “ decisions made by cliques of men , ” indicating that the cover-up took place mainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This same idea is also found in the preparatory document of the discussion forum on women as headed by Bode and Sattler .
The document asks : “ Would the situation world-wide [ concerning the clerical sex abuse ] be different , had women more leadership responsibility in the Roman Catholic Church ?
” In order not to lose women as members of the Church , the text states that “ also the question of the sacramental ordination of women has to be asked.
” Furthermore , the document asks with regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” : “ Is there at all a possibility to gain , with human power of knowledge , certainty about the Will of God in this matter ?
” , thus questioning the binding nature of the doctrinal teachings of the Church in this field .
The authors explicitly question the binding character of the papal document Ordinatio Sacerdotalis , in which Pope St. John Paul II , in a definitive manner , ruled out in 1994 the priestly “ ordination ” of women .
This preparatory document , as prepared under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very nature of dogmas , claiming that human insights and positions are “ always fallible ” : “ Each theological insight of men thereby always is marked by fallibility , ” they write .
In his February 5 interview , Bishop Bode also repeated his desire for married priests who would continue to have their normal profession and work as priests on the weekends and as a side-job .
The usual form of priesthood could co-exist with the new one , he claimed : “ I am of the opinion that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Bishop Bode in favor of female “ deacons ” and married priests , he is also known for his support of the blessing of homosexual couples , a topic which is also part of the agenda of the synodal path .
In January 2018 , Bode proposed that the Catholic Church discuss the possibility of such a liturgical blessing , and in 2019 , he wrote a foreword to a book with the same topic .
Already in 2018 , Cardinal Reinhard Marx had announced that the German Bishops ' Conference had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon such a possible blessing .
Also in 2019 , Bishop Bode said about the question as to whether he could picture a woman leading a Eucharistic celebration : “ My imagination would allow it.
” In light of these reform ideas of Bishop Bode , it might be worth quoting here a prominent Protestant journalist and manager from Germany , Michael J. Inacker .
In response to the German synodal path , Inacker commented on twitter : “ Strange why Catholics imitate many of the mistakes of us Protestants with passion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ evangelical church is now reduced to simplicity .
Nothing with a Christian profile .
Cardinal # Woelki is right when he warns against Protestantization of Catholicism .
”

February 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – “For us, Christ became a human being, not a man,” according to Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück, the vice president of the German Bishops’ Conference and head of the “synodal path” discussion forum on women.
Bode made these comments, which are now causing a stir internationally, in a controversial February 5 interview to the diocesan newspaper Kirchenbote.
“The collaboration between women and men,” he explains, “is one of the most important signs of the time.”
Bode makes these comments in the context of the debates of the synodal path's discussion forum “Women in Ministries and Offices of the Church” which he, together with the theologian Professor Dorothea Sattler, heads. These two leaders also headed the preparatory forum which issued a preparatory document even before the synodal path officially started its first assembly at the end of January 2020.
“A human being is either a man(male)or a woman (female). To deny that Jesus became a man (male) is heretical,” responded Father Gerald Murray, a frequent EWTN guest, on Twitter. “The German Synodal Way is a fraudulent usurpation of the Church's teaching authority as this comment shows. Shut it down.”
A human being is either a man(male)or a woman (female). To deny that Jesus became a man (male) is heretical. The German Synodal Way is a fraudulent usurpation of the Church's teaching authority as this comment shows. Shut it down. https://t.co/860pk30cqy — Gerald Murray (@GeraldMurray8) February 6, 2020
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, also weighed in, tweeting: “Bishop Bode…I respectfully call you as one bishop to another to return to the truth of the Deposit of Faith for your salvation and for the good of the Church. Your statement that Christ became a human being but not a man is ridiculous & heretical. I cannot stand by in silence!”
Bishop Bode…I respectfully call you as one bishop to another to return to the truth of the Deposit of Faith for your salvation and for the good of the Church. Your statement that Christ became a human being but not a man is ridiculous & heretical. I cannot stand by in silence! https://t.co/qWPuiuXiWC — Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) February 7, 2020
Bode's collaborator, Professor Sattler, already said something similar about Jesus Christ in September 2019 when she stated: “God could have also become a human being as a woman.” Theologically, this would have been possible. But 2,000 years ago, she added, it was wise from God in light of the “cultural conditions” then to become a human being as a man. She further expounded that in theology it was always about “God's Incarnation, not about his becoming a man.” The question of “gender,” Sattler explained, “has no relevance with regard to the theology of redemption.”
All these arguments seem to be an attempt at undermining the Church's definitive teaching that women are excluded from the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
In his new February 5 interview, Bode also says that the synodal path's forum on women wishes to discuss what is today already possible with regard to the equality of women in the Church. At the same time, one does not wish to lose out of sight the fundamental questions, that is to say, the question of “ordained” offices for women, according to Bode.
In April 2019, this German bishop announced that the topic of the female “diaconate” will be part of the synodal discussions in Germany. “We will not be able to avoid the question of women,” he then added.
It it interesting to see that, even though the synodal path as organized by the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) insists that it is meant to be participatory, one of the leading figures of this process had already promoted and announced one of its topics nearly a year before the beginning of that very process.
Bode is also a member of the small committee which organizes the synodal path. Next to him, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Professor Thomas Sternberg (the head of the ZdK) and his representative are in that group. Many commentators in Germany criticize this way of steering the current synodal path that is to take place for the next two years.
As a matter of fact, an internet survey among some 5,000 German Catholics in preparation for the synodal discussions has shown that the question of so-called female ordination was “very little” mentioned by the participants.
Bishop Bode now goes as far as to suggest that, had women been more included, the “cover-up” of clerical sex abuse “would have taken another course.” He refers here to “decisions made by cliques of men,” indicating that the cover-up took place mainly because the responsible persons were male. This same idea is also found in the preparatory document of the discussion forum on women as headed by Bode and Sattler. The document asks: “Would the situation world-wide [concerning the clerical sex abuse] be different, had women more leadership responsibility in the Roman Catholic Church?” In order not to lose women as members of the Church, the text states that “also the question of the sacramental ordination of women has to be asked.”
Furthermore, the document asks with regard to the possibility of female sacramental “ordination”: “Is there at all a possibility to gain, with human power of knowledge, certainty about the Will of God in this matter?”, thus questioning the binding nature of the doctrinal teachings of the Church in this field.
The authors explicitly question the binding character of the papal document Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, in which Pope St. John Paul II, in a definitive manner, ruled out in 1994 the priestly “ordination” of women. This preparatory document, as prepared under the leadership of Bishop Bode, even questions the very nature of dogmas, claiming that human insights and positions are “always fallible”: “Each theological insight of men thereby always is marked by fallibility,” they write.
In his February 5 interview, Bishop Bode also repeated his desire for married priests who would continue to have their normal profession and work as priests on the weekends and as a side-job. The usual form of priesthood could co-exist with the new one, he claimed: “I am of the opinion that there can be both forms.”
Not only is Bishop Bode in favor of female “deacons” and married priests, he is also known for his support of the blessing of homosexual couples, a topic which is also part of the agenda of the synodal path. In January 2018, Bode proposed that the Catholic Church discuss the possibility of such a liturgical blessing, and in 2019, he wrote a foreword to a book with the same topic. Already in 2018, Cardinal Reinhard Marx had announced that the German Bishops' Conference had established a commission in order to reflect upon such a possible blessing.
Also in 2019, Bishop Bode said about the question as to whether he could picture a woman leading a Eucharistic celebration: “My imagination would allow it.”
In light of these reform ideas of Bishop Bode, it might be worth quoting here a prominent Protestant journalist and manager from Germany, Michael J. Inacker. In response to the German synodal path, Inacker commented on twitter: “Strange why Catholics imitate many of the mistakes of us Protestants with passion. What was once diversity in the #evangelical church is now reduced to simplicity. Nothing with a Christian profile. Cardinal #Woelki is right when he warns against Protestantization of Catholicism.”
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--Spain forcibly sterilizes disabled people. New campaign may change that

February 7 , 2020 ( Live Action News ) — An advocacy group for the rights of disabled persons in Spain has introduced a measure that would end the current practice of forced sterilization of the disabled .
Shockingly , under the current law , even those with what are considered “ high-functioning ” disabilities such as Asperger ’ s or other mild forms of autism , can be forcibly sterilized without their knowledge or consent , or with diminished consent under severe pressure from family or other authorities .
The regressive policy has come under fire from international human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to article 156 of the Spanish criminal code , all that is necessary to carry out this act is a judge ’ s authorization and acknowledgement of the “ incapacity ” of the individual in question .
A 2018 report from the European Disability Forum showed that , from 2010–2013 , 400 women — whom doctors deemed as having some form of disability regardless of mental capacity — were forcibly sterilized in Spain .
The report highlights the story of a deaf woman who was sterilized without her consent .
“ And these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” a report in Equal Times points out .
“ Far more often , forced sterilization procedures don ’ t leave traces in official records because doctors typically go it alone , performing sterilizations on women with no due process.
” When Ciudadanos party MP Sara Gimenez brought the issue to public consciousness in a tweet in January , Euronews illustrated the problem with the story of Cristina , who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 .
Her parents immediately pressured her to undergo a tubal ligation .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be irresponsible to have sex because I could get pregnant ; that I was not going to be able to take on the responsibility of being a mother , ” she told EuroNews .
“ That , as I was Asperger , my children would also be born Asperger ; and this insistence fixed in my mind the idea that I was not capable of having children.
” The pervasive societal belief at the heart of the policy is that persons with disabilities can not be good mothers , or that the disability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child would be a “ burden , ” both on the family and on the state which sometimes lacks appropriate resources .
In some cases , the forced sterilization is also portrayed as being for the good of women , “ protecting ” them from potential future pregnancies due to possible abuse .
An update on the status of the measure was not available at the time of this story .

Even those with what are considered 'high-functioning' disabilities such as Asperger's can be forcibly sterilized without their knowledge or consent.
February 7, 2020 (Live Action News) — An advocacy group for the rights of disabled persons in Spain has introduced a measure that would end the current practice of forced sterilization of the disabled. Shockingly, under the current law, even those with what are considered “high-functioning” disabilities such as Asperger’s or other mild forms of autism, can be forcibly sterilized without their knowledge or consent, or with diminished consent under severe pressure from family or other authorities.
The regressive policy has come under fire from international human rights organizations in recent years. According to article 156 of the Spanish criminal code, all that is necessary to carry out this act is a judge’s authorization and acknowledgement of the “incapacity” of the individual in question. A 2018 report from the European Disability Forum showed that, from 2010–2013, 400 women — whom doctors deemed as having some form of disability regardless of mental capacity — were forcibly sterilized in Spain. The report highlights the story of a deaf woman who was sterilized without her consent.
“And these are just the cases we know about,” a report in Equal Times points out. “Far more often, forced sterilization procedures don’t leave traces in official records because doctors typically go it alone, performing sterilizations on women with no due process.”
When Ciudadanos party MP Sara Gimenez brought the issue to public consciousness in a tweet in January, Euronews illustrated the problem with the story of Cristina, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18. Her parents immediately pressured her to undergo a tubal ligation.
“They kept telling me that it would be irresponsible to have sex because I could get pregnant; that I was not going to be able to take on the responsibility of being a mother,” she told EuroNews. “That, as I was Asperger, my children would also be born Asperger; and this insistence fixed in my mind the idea that I was not capable of having children.”
The pervasive societal belief at the heart of the policy is that persons with disabilities cannot be good mothers, or that the disability would be passed on and the resulting child would be a “burden,” both on the family and on the state which sometimes lacks appropriate resources. In some cases, the forced sterilization is also portrayed as being for the good of women, “protecting” them from potential future pregnancies due to possible abuse.
An update on the status of the measure was not available at the time of this story.
Published with permission from Live Action News.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--Kentucky to reward Planned Parenthood with operating license after years of law-breaking

February 7 , 2020 ( Live Action News ) — The state of Kentucky is slated to have a second abortion provider beginning in March , after Democratic Governor Andy Beshear ’ s administration approved a Louisville Planned Parenthood ’ s provisional license on January 24th .
This allows the facility to offer abortions temporarily until an unannounced inspection takes place to ensure that state safety laws are followed .
Presumably , a full license would then be granted if the inspection is passed .
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky ( PPINK ) initially applied for a surgical abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied a license by Republican Governor Matt Bevin ’ s administration — the first time in December 2015 , because Planned Parenthood did not comply with a Kentucky law requiring abortion facilities to have a transport agreement with an ambulance service and a local hospital to care for patients in case of emergency .
That commonsense law was struck down by a federal judge in 2018 and is being appealed .
The second license application denial came in January 2016 after Planned Parenthood committed 23 abortions between December 3 , 2015 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ license of any kind .
Planned Parenthood argued that former Democratic Governor Steve Beshear ’ s administration had given the okay for them to provide abortions without even a provisional license , with a plan for an unannounced inspection to take place before a license would be granted .
Notably , Governor Steve Beshear , predecessor to Matt Bevin , is current Governor Andy Beshear ’ s father .
Kentucky ’ s only other abortion provider , EMW Women ’ s Surgical Center , is also located in Louisville .
EMW operated two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when its Lexington facility was closed due to operating without a license and findings of “ dirty conditions and expired medicines ” during an inspection .
According to reports at CheckMyClinic.org , safety inspections conducted by the state found that the Louisville location failed to perform TB skin tests on some staff to check for tuberculosis exposure , failed to document training and in-services for some staff , failed to properly store narcotic medications with high potential for addiction , had dried blood on a sharps container in a treatment room , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and much more .
And , in 2010 , Live Action released footage from an undercover investigation showing EMW Lousiville staff “ ignoring the sexual abuse of a child and giving misleading abortion counseling.
” In short , Kentucky abortion facilities don ’ t have a good track record .
Another abortion facility may provide more abortion “ access , ” but it isn ’ t going to make abortion safe for women .

February 7, 2020 (Live Action News) — The state of Kentucky is slated to have a second abortion provider beginning in March, after Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s administration approved a Louisville Planned Parenthood’s provisional license on January 24th. This allows the facility to offer abortions temporarily until an unannounced inspection takes place to ensure that state safety laws are followed. Presumably, a full license would then be granted if the inspection is passed.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky (PPINK) initially applied for a surgical abortion license in 2015, but was twice denied a license by Republican Governor Matt Bevin’s administration — the first time in December 2015, because Planned Parenthood did not comply with a Kentucky law requiring abortion facilities to have a transport agreement with an ambulance service and a local hospital to care for patients in case of emergency. That commonsense law was struck down by a federal judge in 2018 and is being appealed.
The second license application denial came in January 2016 after Planned Parenthood committed 23 abortions between December 3, 2015, and January 28, 2016, without a license of any kind. Planned Parenthood argued that former Democratic Governor Steve Beshear’s administration had given the okay for them to provide abortions without even a provisional license, with a plan for an unannounced inspection to take place before a license would be granted. Notably, Governor Steve Beshear, predecessor to Matt Bevin, is current Governor Andy Beshear’s father.
Kentucky’s only other abortion provider, EMW Women’s Surgical Center, is also located in Louisville. EMW operated two abortion facilities in Kentucky until 2017, when its Lexington facility was closed due to operating without a license and findings of “dirty conditions and expired medicines” during an inspection. According to reports at CheckMyClinic.org, safety inspections conducted by the state found that the Louisville location failed to perform TB skin tests on some staff to check for tuberculosis exposure, failed to document training and in-services for some staff, failed to properly store narcotic medications with high potential for addiction, had dried blood on a sharps container in a treatment room, had expired medications and supplies at the facility, and much more. And, in 2010, Live Action released footage from an undercover investigation showing EMW Lousiville staff “ignoring the sexual abuse of a child and giving misleading abortion counseling.”
In short, Kentucky abortion facilities don’t have a good track record. Another abortion facility may provide more abortion “access,” but it isn’t going to make abortion safe for women.
Published with permission from Live Action News.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--After reading these horror stories of transgender regret, how can you buy Starbucks?

February 7 , 2020 ( Family Research Council ) — Lynn Meagher seriously considered killing herself .
Desperate , tormented , and out of options , she went to see a therapist .
How should she cope , she cried , knowing that two of her children wanted nothing to do with her ?
Two children , who , through horrible , mutilating surgeries , destroyed the bodies she 'd carried inside her ?
`` I felt I was living in a dream , a nightmare , '' she says quietly .
That nightmare , the one she would n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real .
And from now on , every time you walk through the door of a Starbucks , you 're telling moms like Lynn you could n't care less .
`` I ca n't even describe what it 's like to see your own child 's face with the opposite gender superimposed on it .
It 's just ...
I ca n't even describe it ... '' Parents like Elaine Davidson still struggle to talk about the bloody bandages covering the place where their daughters ' breasts used to be .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surgery ] .
I begged her .
I could n't stop it . ''
Losing a child to this tortured life is like a death in the family .
Only , there was no goodbye .
No ceremony .
`` No one sent us flowers , '' Lisa grieves .
`` No one dropped off a casserole . ''
So imagine their horror when they scanned the headlines and saw an American company — one as large and powerful as Starbucks — trying to inflict that pain on as many people as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them , the coffee chain is launching a campaign to actively push kids into sex changes that damage them for life .
Using # whatsyourname as its call sign , Starbucks started placing ads in the U.K. featuring a young girl ( dressed like a boy ) who wants the barista to write `` James '' on her cup .
`` Taking a customer 's name , writing it on a cup , and calling it out is a symbol of our warm welcome , '' Starbucks says .
But it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are supporting .
The mega-chain has a much more serious agenda — donating piles of money to trap kids into this lifestyle of pain and suffering .
`` In addition to the ad campaign , Starbucks states it is partnering with Mermaids , '' an activist group for `` supporting trans and gender-diverse children . ''
`` Transgender children , '' the website says , `` deserve the freedom and confidence to explore their gender identity wherever their journey takes them , free from fear , isolation and discrimination . ''
The goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 euros for the cause .
These are n't grown men and women the coffee giant is after .
These are children — young girls and boys who are hurting , confused , and being destroyed by adults pushing them to chase these identities , despite the cost .
And the cost , hundreds of parents and patients will tell you , is irreversible .
`` I remember breaking down .
It was like , this was a mistake .
It should never have happened .
But what do you do about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harrowing transition ?
What do you do ?
I 've got no hair .
I 've got a beard .
I 've had all [ of ] my body mutilated .
How do I go back ? ''
Debbie was 17 .
She would do anything to turn back time .
`` There are thousands of us , '' another young woman told the BBC , desperately wanting a way out .
A way out from the life companies like Starbucks are telling children is the way to finally get noticed and valued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The regret .
The years of physical agony .
But then , it 's not as if Starbucks 's agenda is a surprise .
The liberal business has never truly cared about kids — not after spending thousands of dollars helping Planned Parenthood abort them — or working to deprive them of a married mom and dad .
And yet , despite it all , plenty of Christians will still rationalize turning their cars into the first green drive-thru sign they see .
`` We 're uncomfortable with boycotts , '' they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all more uncomfortable funding a war against innocent children .
Try clicking through these stories and finding peace at Starbucks — or any company where your dollars help create more victims .
Is the coffee really so good that you 're willing to give a portion of every cup to promote this self-destruction ?
Ask yourself when you read this plea from a mom whose family will never be the same .
Once we have cut that beautiful body , when the voice is permanently broken , the beard is there for good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens if the body was never wrong to start with ?
What will you tell the daughters that realize , too late , that they have destroyed their ability to bear children , or to nurse them ?
When they find that their wounds had other causes , other origins , and required other treatments ?
I plead with you to hear the parents , and the many stories of young people who have changed their minds after medical transition .
This is not health care , this is a medical experiment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are criminal actions .
And [ it ] must be stopped .
You can help .
Contact Starbucks and ask them to stop contributing to agendas that permanently scar our kids .
Meet Lynn and hear why at the video here .
Published with permission from the Family Research Council .

February 7, 2020 (Family Research Council) — Lynn Meagher seriously considered killing herself. Desperate, tormented, and out of options, she went to see a therapist. How should she cope, she cried, knowing that two of her children wanted nothing to do with her? Two children, who, through horrible, mutilating surgeries, destroyed the bodies she'd carried inside her? “I felt I was living in a dream, a nightmare,” she says quietly. That nightmare, the one she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy, is real. And from now on, every time you walk through the door of a Starbucks, you're telling moms like Lynn you couldn't care less.
“I can't even describe what it's like to see your own child's face with the opposite gender superimposed on it. It's just… I can't even describe it…” Parents like Elaine Davidson still struggle to talk about the bloody bandages covering the place where their daughters' breasts used to be. “I begged everyone I could [to stop the surgery]. I begged her. I couldn't stop it.” Losing a child to this tortured life is like a death in the family. Only, there was no goodbye. No ceremony. “No one sent us flowers,” Lisa grieves. “No one dropped off a casserole.”
So imagine their horror when they scanned the headlines and saw an American company — one as large and powerful as Starbucks — trying to inflict that pain on as many people as possible. In an announcement shocking even for them, the coffee chain is launching a campaign to actively push kids into sex changes that damage them for life. Using #whatsyourname as its call sign, Starbucks started placing ads in the U.K. featuring a young girl (dressed like a boy) who wants the barista to write “James” on her cup. “Taking a customer's name, writing it on a cup, and calling it out is a symbol of our warm welcome,” Starbucks says.
But it isn't just the “welcome” customers are supporting. The mega-chain has a much more serious agenda — donating piles of money to trap kids into this lifestyle of pain and suffering. “In addition to the ad campaign, Starbucks states it is partnering with Mermaids,” an activist group for “supporting trans and gender-diverse children.” “Transgender children,” the website says, “deserve the freedom and confidence to explore their gender identity wherever their journey takes them, free from fear, isolation and discrimination.” The goal? For Starbucks to raise at least 100,000 euros for the cause.
These aren't grown men and women the coffee giant is after. These are children — young girls and boys who are hurting, confused, and being destroyed by adults pushing them to chase these identities, despite the cost. And the cost, hundreds of parents and patients will tell you, is irreversible.
“I remember breaking down. It was like, this was a mistake. It should never have happened. But what do you do about it? How do you go through another harrowing transition? What do you do? I've got no hair. I've got a beard. I've had all [of] my body mutilated. How do I go back?” Debbie was 17. She would do anything to turn back time. “There are thousands of us,” another young woman told the BBC, desperately wanting a way out. A way out from the life companies like Starbucks are telling children is the way to finally get noticed and valued. They don't mention the heartbreak. The regret. The years of physical agony.
But then, it's not as if Starbucks's agenda is a surprise. The liberal business has never truly cared about kids — not after spending thousands of dollars helping Planned Parenthood abort them — or working to deprive them of a married mom and dad. And yet, despite it all, plenty of Christians will still rationalize turning their cars into the first green drive-thru sign they see. “We're uncomfortable with boycotts,” they'll say. But surely we're all more uncomfortable funding a war against innocent children. Try clicking through these stories and finding peace at Starbucks — or any company where your dollars help create more victims. Is the coffee really so good that you're willing to give a portion of every cup to promote this self-destruction? Ask yourself when you read this plea from a mom whose family will never be the same.
Once we have cut that beautiful body, when the voice is permanently broken, the beard is there for good, the breasts are gone, what happens if the body was never wrong to start with? What will you tell the daughters that realize, too late, that they have destroyed their ability to bear children, or to nurse them? When they find that their wounds had other causes, other origins, and required other treatments? I plead with you to hear the parents, and the many stories of young people who have changed their minds after medical transition. This is not health care, this is a medical experiment. This is not life-saving care, these are criminal actions. And [it] must be stopped.
You can help. Contact Starbucks and ask them to stop contributing to agendas that permanently scar our kids. Meet Lynn and hear why at the video here.
Published with permission from the Family Research Council.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--Pope Francis’ doc on controversial Amazon Synod due out February 12: Vatican

PETITION : Catholics , call on the Vatican to affirm all salvation comes through Jesus !
Sign the petition here .
ROME , February 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Vatican today announced that Pope Francis ’ s widely anticipated summary document on the Amazon Synod will be released on Wednesday , February 12 .
According to a statement issued on Friday , “ Querida Amazonia ” [ Dear Amazonia ] , the Pope ’ s post-apostolic exhortation on the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazonian region , will be presented at a 1pm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office .
The release of Pope Francis ’ s apostolic exhortation promises to attract considerable attention and potentially serious controversy .
At stake in the document is the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church , the introduction of “ official ministries ” for women , and the acceptance of pagan elements of Amazonian culture into the Church ’ s prayer and liturgy .
All of these points were raised both in the preparatory document for the Amazon Synod and during the October assembly .
Presenting the document will be Cardinal Lorenzo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bishops ; Cardinal Michael Czerny , SJ , Undersecretary for the Migrants and Refugee section of the Vatican dicastery for integral human development ; Jesuit Father Adelson Araújo dos Santos , who teaches theology and spirituality at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome ; Sr. Augusta de Oliveira , SMR , Vicar General of the Servants of Mary Reparatrix ; and Professor Carlos Nobre , a 2007 Nobel Prize winner and member of the Scientific Environmental Commission and National Council of Scientific and Technological Development .
Also contributing via video-message will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OP , of Puerto Maldonado , who served as Special Secretary for the Pan-Amazon Synod .
As LifeSite reported earlier this week , various and potentially conflicting draft texts of the apostolic exhortation have recently been circulating in the Vatican and among several bishops conferences .
Italian historian Roberto de Mattei said multiple sources confirmed that neither the Vatican Secretary of State nor the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith were given a partial draft of the apostolic exhortation that Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes , General Relator of the October 6-27 Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishops conferences in mid-January .
The partial draft circulated by the Brazilian cardinal reproduced verbatim paragraph 111 of the Amazon Synod ’ s final document .
In paragraph 111 , the synod fathers proposed ordaining married men in “ the most remote areas of the Amazon region.
” De Mattei , president of the Rome-based Lepanto Foundation and director of Corrispondenza Romana , argued that the positive inclusion of this passage in the apostolic exhortation ( whether in the main body or a footnote ) would effectively “ open the door ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create a married clergy .
“ There is no reason to prohibit in other regions of the world what will be permitted in some parts of the Amazon , ” he wrote .
He said sources also confirmed that “ the document approved by the Congregation for the Faith does not contain this passage ” and is “ Catholic.
” Only time will tell .

The Pope's exhortation is expected to provoke serious controversy around issues such as celibacy, 'official ministries' for women, and acceptance of pagan elements.
PETITION: Catholics, call on the Vatican to affirm all salvation comes through Jesus! Sign the petition here.
ROME, February 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican today announced that Pope Francis’s widely anticipated summary document on the Amazon Synod will be released on Wednesday, February 12.
According to a statement issued on Friday, “Querida Amazonia” [Dear Amazonia], the Pope’s post-apostolic exhortation on the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazonian region, will be presented at a 1pm press conference at the Holy See Press Office.
The release of Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation promises to attract considerable attention and potentially serious controversy. At stake in the document is the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church, the introduction of “official ministries” for women, and the acceptance of pagan elements of Amazonian culture into the Church’s prayer and liturgy.
All of these points were raised both in the preparatory document for the Amazon Synod and during the October assembly.
Presenting the document will be Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Undersecretary for the Migrants and Refugee section of the Vatican dicastery for integral human development; Jesuit Father Adelson Araújo dos Santos, who teaches theology and spirituality at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; Sr. Augusta de Oliveira, SMR, Vicar General of the Servants of Mary Reparatrix; and Professor Carlos Nobre, a 2007 Nobel Prize winner and member of the Scientific Environmental Commission and National Council of Scientific and Technological Development.
Also contributing via video-message will be Bishop David Martínez de Aguirre Guinea, OP, of Puerto Maldonado, who served as Special Secretary for the Pan-Amazon Synod.
As LifeSite reported earlier this week, various and potentially conflicting draft texts of the apostolic exhortation have recently been circulating in the Vatican and among several bishops conferences.
Italian historian Roberto de Mattei said multiple sources confirmed that neither the Vatican Secretary of State nor the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith were given a partial draft of the apostolic exhortation that Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, General Relator of the October 6-27 Amazon Synod, sent to at least several bishops conferences in mid-January.
The partial draft circulated by the Brazilian cardinal reproduced verbatim paragraph 111 of the Amazon Synod’s final document. In paragraph 111, the synod fathers proposed ordaining married men in “the most remote areas of the Amazon region.”
De Mattei, president of the Rome-based Lepanto Foundation and director of Corrispondenza Romana, argued that the positive inclusion of this passage in the apostolic exhortation (whether in the main body or a footnote) would effectively “open the door” for the German Bishops, and others, to create a married clergy. “There is no reason to prohibit in other regions of the world what will be permitted in some parts of the Amazon,” he wrote.
He said sources also confirmed that “the document approved by the Congregation for the Faith does not contain this passage” and is “Catholic.”
Only time will tell.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-07--Canadian politician threatens therapists: ‘We will come at you’ if you help people leave

Canadian politician threatens therapists: ‘We will come at you’ if you help people leave homosexuality

CALGARY , February 6 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A Canadian сity сouncilor has threatened to “ bring teeth ” if anyone practices “ conversion therapy ” in his city after the City Council voted unanimously to ban the practice , which helps those wanting to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction .
The City of Calgary ’ s Coun .
Evan Woolley said the city will go after those who offer “ conversion therapy , ” saying , “ We will bring teeth ” and adding , “ If you are practicing this in our city , we will come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve got.
” The Calgary City Council passed a motion ( see page 801 ) titled “ Banning Conversion Therapy ” at a council meeting on Monday .
The motion was first brought to Calgary City Council in mid-January , when the Council ’ s Priorities and Finance Committee unanimously voted in favor of proceeding with the motion .
The ban means that organizations that offer any type of “ conversion therapy ” could face steep fines .
A bylaw is now being drafted to impose fines on anyone who offers or advertises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The motion includes a request to the Canadian federal and provincial governments to put similar laws in place .
Critics say the move comes with potential consequences to the religious freedom of various groups whose faith teaches them that homosexuality is a disorder .
There was a small counter-protest against the motion at Calgary City Hall from members of Journey Canada .
They said that while they are not outright opposed to the ban , the new bylaw ’ s wording should avoid language that could “ infringe on religious freedoms.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed later in the year at a council committee meeting .
Journey Canada believes that marriage is between a man and a women , as said here on the group ’ s website : “ To receive the gift of sex in a way that is most life-giving and joyful , it is reserved for marriage , which is undertaken by one man and one woman together as a life-long journey toward greater intimacy , mutual spiritual maturity , and self-giving love.
” Canada ’ s pro-life , pro-family organization Campaign Life Coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a disservice to those with unwanted same-sex attraction who want legitimate help and that they also constitute a direct attack on religious freedom .
Calgary ’ s ban mimics what prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau is hoping to achieve Canada-wide .
He fully supports independent Senator Serge Joyal ’ s Bill S-202 .
This bill would make it an indictable offense , punishable by up to five years in jail , should anyone benefit materially or financially , directly or indirectly , from the provision of “ conversion therapy ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Calgary joins other Alberta cities — Edmonton , St. Albert , Sherwood Park , and Fort McMurray — in banning “ conversion therapy.
” The southern Alberta city of Medicine Hat is also looking at a “ conversion ban ” of its own ; however , there does not seem to be a consensus among its councilors .
Medicine Hat councilor Jim Turner was quoted as saying , “ I honestly don ’ t think it ’ s a city issue .
I think it ’ s better left to the province or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question of how do you enforce it.
” Another Medicine Hat city councilor , Kris Samraj , said he feels that more study is required and that he is against banning faith-based counseling : “ I don ’ t condone it , but it would really depend on the details.
” “ If an adult wants faith-based counseling , I ’ m not in a position to tell them what to do.
” Alberta justice minister Doug Schweitzer promised in August of 2019 that his United Conservative Party government is against the practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Canadian federal government under pro-abortion prime minister Justin Trudeau to help come up with ways to ban it .
Until the Canadian federal government and Alberta provincial government officially pass such laws as a Criminal Code offense , which looks likely , there is not much leverage a city government can rely on in terms of full enforcement .
Even Coun .
Woolley admitted that the “ conversion therapy ” ban is largely symbolic .
Office of the Mayor , The City of Calgary P.O .
Box 2100 , Station M Calgary @ @ @ @ @

CALGARY, February 6, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian сity сouncilor has threatened to “bring teeth” if anyone practices “conversion therapy” in his city after the City Council voted unanimously to ban the practice, which helps those wanting to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction.
The City of Calgary’s Coun. Evan Woolley said the city will go after those who offer “conversion therapy,” saying, “We will bring teeth” and adding, “If you are practicing this in our city, we will come at you with everything that we’ve got.”
The Calgary City Council passed a motion (see page 801) titled “Banning Conversion Therapy” at a council meeting on Monday. The motion was first brought to Calgary City Council in mid-January, when the Council’s Priorities and Finance Committee unanimously voted in favor of proceeding with the motion. The ban means that organizations that offer any type of “conversion therapy” could face steep fines.
A bylaw is now being drafted to impose fines on anyone who offers or advertises any type of “conversion therapy.” The motion includes a request to the Canadian federal and provincial governments to put similar laws in place.
Critics say the move comes with potential consequences to the religious freedom of various groups whose faith teaches them that homosexuality is a disorder.
There was a small counter-protest against the motion at Calgary City Hall from members of Journey Canada. They said that while they are not outright opposed to the ban, the new bylaw’s wording should avoid language that could “infringe on religious freedoms.” The bylaw’s exact language will be discussed later in the year at a council committee meeting.
Journey Canada believes that marriage is between a man and a women, as said here on the group’s website: “To receive the gift of sex in a way that is most life-giving and joyful, it is reserved for marriage, which is undertaken by one man and one woman together as a life-long journey toward greater intimacy, mutual spiritual maturity, and self-giving love.”
Canada’s pro-life, pro-family organization Campaign Life Coalition holds that “conversion therapy” bans are a disservice to those with unwanted same-sex attraction who want legitimate help and that they also constitute a direct attack on religious freedom.
Calgary’s ban mimics what prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau is hoping to achieve Canada-wide. He fully supports independent Senator Serge Joyal’s Bill S-202. This bill would make it an indictable offense, punishable by up to five years in jail, should anyone benefit materially or financially, directly or indirectly, from the provision of “conversion therapy” for anyone under 18 years of age.
Calgary joins other Alberta cities — Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, and Fort McMurray — in banning “conversion therapy.” The southern Alberta city of Medicine Hat is also looking at a “conversion ban” of its own; however, there does not seem to be a consensus among its councilors.
Medicine Hat councilor Jim Turner was quoted as saying, “I honestly don’t think it’s a city issue. I think it’s better left to the province or federal government. It’s a question of how do you enforce it.”
Another Medicine Hat city councilor, Kris Samraj, said he feels that more study is required and that he is against banning faith-based counseling: “I don’t condone it, but it would really depend on the details.”
“If an adult wants faith-based counseling, I’m not in a position to tell them what to do.”
Alberta justice minister Doug Schweitzer promised in August of 2019 that his United Conservative Party government is against the practice. He said he will work with the Canadian federal government under pro-abortion prime minister Justin Trudeau to help come up with ways to ban it.
Until the Canadian federal government and Alberta provincial government officially pass such laws as a Criminal Code offense, which looks likely, there is not much leverage a city government can rely on in terms of full enforcement.
Even Coun. Woolley admitted that the “conversion therapy” ban is largely symbolic.
To respectfully express your concerns, contact:
Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Office of the Mayor, The City of Calgary
P.O. Box 2100, Station M
Calgary, AB, T2P 2M5
Phone 403-268-5622
https://www.calgary.ca/citycouncil/mayor/Pages/contact.aspx
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lifesitenews--2020-02-08--Trump admin announces global alliance to defend religious liberty, end religious persecution

WASHINGTON , D.C. , February 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Trump administration has announced a new International Religious Freedom Alliance that joins more than two dozen countries to push for religious tolerance and an end to religious persecution .
At an event on Wednesday , secretary of state Mike Pompeo stated while country representatives listened , “ Together , we say that freedom of religion or belief is not a Western ideal , but truly the bedrock of societies , ” adding that it is outlined in the alliance ’ s Declaration of Principles and the Universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have pledged to uphold the Declaration of Principles , ” a joint statement read , “ solidifying our collective commitment to object and oppose , publicly and privately , all abuses or violations of religious freedom.
” Pompeo said the alliance brings together “ like-minded partners who treasure , and fight for , international religious freedom for every human being.
” According to the alliance ’ s description , it “ will advocate for freedom of religion or belief for all , which includes the right of individuals to hold any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or belief and to manifest religion or belief , either alone or in community with others , in worship , observance , practice and teaching.
” A State Department press release stated that this is the first international coalition ever to bring together national leaders to advance religious freedom around the world .
It stated , “ Egregious perpetrators of religious persecution have long operated with impunity .
The Alliance will unify powerful nations and leverage their resources to stop bad actors and advocate for the persecuted , the defenseless , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are global .
They require global participation and global solutions.
” Grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the stage was set for the alliance by President Trump in his address at an event on The Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom in September .
He said America “ calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution , to stop the crimes against people of faith , release prisoners of conscience , repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and belief , protect the vulnerable , the defenseless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo said , includes “ like-minded partners who treasure , and fight for , international religious freedom for every human being.
” The chief U.S. diplomat said such a joint effort is facing a growing need to address “ terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities , whether they are Yazidis in Iraq , Hindus in Pakistan , Christians in northeast Nigeria , or Muslims in Burma ” and “ the Chinese Communist Party ’ s hostility to all faiths.
” So far , 27 countries have joined the the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austria , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Brazil , Bulgaria , Colombia , Croatia , the Czech Republic , Estonia , the Gambia , Georgia , Greece , Hungary , Israel , Kosovo , Latvia , Lithuania , Malta , the Netherlands , Poland , Senegal , Slovakia , Slovenia , Togo , Ukraine , and the United Kingdom .
Of the countries signing up , the only Muslim-majority country is Senegal , which as of yet has been largely untouched by Muslim terrorist groups .
Notable for their absence were NATO allies France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also absent were China , India , and Russia .
A senior State Department official told a press conference on Wednesday that the alliance is necessary in view of a “ deterioration ” in human rights over the last few decades .
He said religious freedom is a “ fundamental ” upon which “ you can really build and expand the other human rights off of.
” This fundamental freedom must be prioritized , the official said , noting the continued rise of religious persecution and resulting loss of life .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions taken would be “ consensual ” in the sense that joint actions taken by some of the signatory countries would not bind the others to participate .
The “ Declaration of Principles ” offers “ reactive ” and “ proactive ” measures for the members to use to protect freedom of religion around the world .
These measures include “ regular monitoring , reporting , information-sharing and outreach to impacted individuals and faith communities ” ; “ support for victims , such as through redress , resettlement , or other actions as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perpetrators ” ; “ training of law enforcement officials , building the capacity of national human rights institutions , and cooperating with civil society ” ; “ investment in projects to protect space for civic engagement by assisting human rights defenders and victims of persecution , as well as to build societal resilience.
” Last week , U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback told The Christian Post , “ This is the first effort really to get a group of nations that will be the activist on a particular human right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause more aggressively.
” He added that the U.S. looks forward to working collectively with the other nations of the alliance .
During the launch of the alliance , Pompeo also announced that Poland will host the next Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Warsaw from July 14 to 16 , 2020 .
The upcoming ministerial will be organized in cooperation with the United States and will address several topics requiring urgent response , including “ improving the lives of persecuted and discriminated communities , empowering individuals to affect change , and promoting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awareness regarding the scale of persecution against religion or belief worldwide.
” Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world , according to several organizations .
In India , radicalized nationalist Hindus have murdered Christians in fiery rampages , Muslims have attacked and killed Christians in numerous countries , and China continues to persecute and imprison priests and Protestant ministers .
Reports by the State Department about human rights have long noted how Christians have been targeted .
According to Open Doors USA , a nonprofit that aids persecuted Christians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries where they are subjected to serious religious persecution .
Between Nov. 1 , 2017 , and Oct. 31 , 2018 , according to the organization , 4,305 Christians were killed for their faith , and 1,847 churches and Christian buildings were attacked or destroyed , while 3,150 believers were detained without trial , arrested , sentenced , or imprisoned .
Among these are Catholic priests and bishops in China .
According to Aid to the Church in Need , a Catholic charity , nearly “ 300 million Christians around the world — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live in a country where they suffer some form of persecution , such as arbitrary arrest , violence , a full range of human rights violations , and even murder.
” In contrast to President Trump ’ s repeated denunciations of violence directed against Christians in foreign lands , and discrimination against Christians at home , House speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) did not mention Christians when she listed religious persecutions during the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday .
In her prayer for those persecuted because of their religion , Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim faiths but failed to mention Christianity .
Pelosi , avowedly a Catholic despite her promotion of abortion , said : “ Oh , Lord , we thank all gathered at this prayer breakfast for lifting our voices for the poor and the persecuted , the millions who are missing or murdered because of their faith.
” “ Let us pray for the Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan Buddhists imprisoned in China or missing for following their faith , ” she said .
Pelosi also prayed for the “ 1 to 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes and incarcerated in camps ” and for “ Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia and for all the writers and religious freethinkers imprisoned for speaking their minds .
”

'Together,' U.S. secretary of state Michael Pompeo announced, 'we say that freedom of religion or belief is not a Western ideal, but truly the bedrock of societies.'
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Trump administration has announced a new International Religious Freedom Alliance that joins more than two dozen countries to push for religious tolerance and an end to religious persecution.
At an event on Wednesday, secretary of state Mike Pompeo stated while country representatives listened, “Together, we say that freedom of religion or belief is not a Western ideal, but truly the bedrock of societies,” adding that it is outlined in the alliance’s Declaration of Principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Together, we have pledged to uphold the Declaration of Principles,” a joint statement read, “solidifying our collective commitment to object and oppose, publicly and privately, all abuses or violations of religious freedom.”
Pompeo said the alliance brings together “like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being.”
According to the alliance’s description, it “will advocate for freedom of religion or belief for all, which includes the right of individuals to hold any belief or none, to change religion or belief and to manifest religion or belief, either alone or in community with others, in worship, observance, practice and teaching.”
A State Department press release stated that this is the first international coalition ever to bring together national leaders to advance religious freedom around the world. It stated, “Egregious perpetrators of religious persecution have long operated with impunity. The Alliance will unify powerful nations and leverage their resources to stop bad actors and advocate for the persecuted, the defenseless, and the vulnerable. The threats to religious freedom are global. They require global participation and global solutions.”
Grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the stage was set for the alliance by President Trump in his address at an event on The Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom in September. He said America “calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution, to stop the crimes against people of faith, release prisoners of conscience, repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and belief, protect the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed.”
The alliance, Pompeo said, includes “like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being.” The chief U.S. diplomat said such a joint effort is facing a growing need to address “terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma” and “the Chinese Communist Party’s hostility to all faiths.”
So far, 27 countries have joined the the United States to form the alliance: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, the Gambia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Togo, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Of the countries signing up, the only Muslim-majority country is Senegal, which as of yet has been largely untouched by Muslim terrorist groups.
Notable for their absence were NATO allies France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey. Also absent were China, India, and Russia.
A senior State Department official told a press conference on Wednesday that the alliance is necessary in view of a “deterioration” in human rights over the last few decades. He said religious freedom is a “fundamental” upon which “you can really build and expand the other human rights off of.” This fundamental freedom must be prioritized, the official said, noting the continued rise of religious persecution and resulting loss of life.
According to the principles of the alliance, actions taken would be “consensual” in the sense that joint actions taken by some of the signatory countries would not bind the others to participate.
The “Declaration of Principles” offers “reactive” and “proactive” measures for the members to use to protect freedom of religion around the world.
These measures include “regular monitoring, reporting, information-sharing and outreach to impacted individuals and faith communities”; “support for victims, such as through redress, resettlement, or other actions as appropriate”; “targeted sanctions against perpetrators”; “training of law enforcement officials, building the capacity of national human rights institutions, and cooperating with civil society”; “investment in projects to protect space for civic engagement by assisting human rights defenders and victims of persecution, as well as to build societal resilience.”
Last week, U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback told The Christian Post, “This is the first effort really to get a group of nations that will be the activist on a particular human right to try to champion and pursue that cause more aggressively.” He added that the U.S. looks forward to working collectively with the other nations of the alliance.
During the launch of the alliance, Pompeo also announced that Poland will host the next Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Warsaw from July 14 to 16, 2020. The upcoming ministerial will be organized in cooperation with the United States and will address several topics requiring urgent response, including “improving the lives of persecuted and discriminated communities, empowering individuals to affect change, and promoting inclusive dialogue to mobilize action and increase awareness regarding the scale of persecution against religion or belief worldwide.”
Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, according to several organizations. In India, radicalized nationalist Hindus have murdered Christians in fiery rampages, Muslims have attacked and killed Christians in numerous countries, and China continues to persecute and imprison priests and Protestant ministers. Reports by the State Department about human rights have long noted how Christians have been targeted.
According to Open Doors USA, a nonprofit that aids persecuted Christians, more than 245 million Christians live in countries where they are subjected to serious religious persecution. Between Nov. 1, 2017, and Oct. 31, 2018, according to the organization, 4,305 Christians were killed for their faith, and 1,847 churches and Christian buildings were attacked or destroyed, while 3,150 believers were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced, or imprisoned. Among these are Catholic priests and bishops in China.
According to Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity, nearly “300 million Christians around the world — or 1 out of every 7 — live in a country where they suffer some form of persecution, such as arbitrary arrest, violence, a full range of human rights violations, and even murder.”
In contrast to President Trump’s repeated denunciations of violence directed against Christians in foreign lands, and discrimination against Christians at home, House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not mention Christians when she listed religious persecutions during the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.
In her prayer for those persecuted because of their religion, Pelosi mentioned the Buddhist, Jewish, and Muslim faiths but failed to mention Christianity. Pelosi, avowedly a Catholic despite her promotion of abortion, said: “Oh, Lord, we thank all gathered at this prayer breakfast for lifting our voices for the poor and the persecuted, the millions who are missing or murdered because of their faith.”
“Let us pray for the Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan Buddhists imprisoned in China or missing for following their faith,” she said. Pelosi also prayed for the “1 to 3 million Uighurs in China forced from their homes and incarcerated in camps” and for “Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia and for all the writers and religious freethinkers imprisoned for speaking their minds.”
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