Pro-life movie

From an email from a friend of mine:

Also, I wanted to let you know that there is a very special film being shown up in Big Rapids on February 10th. I think this is such an important movie for all to see.  Preemie is a 90 min. documentary being shown at an art festival. Nick Kuiper, the movie's producer, is dad to Mollie, who was born several months premature and spent nearly a year at Devos before being released with major medical issues.  Nick documented this journey with Mollie along with a few other families of preemie babies. I have only viewed the trailer, but it seems like this is a very prolife film.....here is the website:  http://www.preemiefilm.com/

It is being shown at a facility called, "Artworks" on February 10th at 7pm.  Here is a link to Artworks so you can see how to get there.

http://artworksinbigrapids.com/press/festival-of-the-arts-2012/

The HHS Mandate

If you're not a fan of this, follow this link.

Praise the Lord!

Shortly before going to bed last night, I got a great email.  The abortion clinic in East Grand Rapids is closing for good!!!!  That means there is only one left in GR.  Now we can really focus our efforts at 320 Fulton next time 40 Days for Life rolls around!

Marching in Holland

I just got back from the local March for Life I posted about last time.  I had gone to the same one last year as well.  It looks like the awareness of the cause for life has increased somewhat over the last year as the crowd was somewhat larger.  Also, instead of a talk, Holland Right to Life changed things up with a play called The Decision.  As one can imagine, it was a play about a young couple unexpectedly pregnant who suddenly are forced to choose between life and abortion.  They did an excellent job of showing the beauty of life, even (especially?) when it is unexpected.  Between that and some rather inspiring music at the end, it was a highly motivating experience and I for one feel a renewed sense of motivation to get work on the next conference and one or two things in between.

Local Marh for Life

Heads up for my fellow Hollanders!

March for Life and Memorial Service for the Unborn Children

January 16, 2012 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm

January 22, 2012 marks the 39th anniversary of the date of the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973 which legalized the violence of abortion throughout our country during the entire nine months of a woman's pregnancy.  Since that day over 53 million lives have been destroyed by abortion.
Join us on Monday, January 16, 2012 at the March for Life beginning at the NE corner of Centennial Park in Holland (Central Avenue & 10th Street) at 7:00 pm followed by a memorial service for the unborn children at 7:30 pm at Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church.

Culture of Life Conference Video 4

Culture of Life Conference Video 3

Thanks

Thanks go out to Mark Shea for linking to our conference videos.  And of course welcome to new visitors.  Updates will be few and far between for a little while yet but stay-tuned, we've been working behind the scenes on some potential new projects.

The ultimate pro-life activity

Is having a baby.  We just had our fifth this past Monday.  Things have thus been a little hectic around here but rest assured, we should be back in business soon.  And yes Mom, the baby and the siblings are doing great.

Encouraging news

Coming to my inbox from Right to life is some encouraging stats concerning abortion:

• Abortions performed in 2009 (most recent annual statistic available) dropped 13.9 percent over 2008. Second largest decrease in Michigan history! Despite the economy!
• Abortions performed in Michigan hit a high mark in 1987. Since that time, the overall abortion number has decreased 54.4 percent.
• Minor abortions in Michigan have decreased 63 percent since the 1990s.
• Michigan has put together the finest track-record in the nation in terms of reducing abortions performed.

Culture of Life, Part 2

And part two.  More to come soon.

Culture of Life video again

Here's the video, no pesky link!

The Pope...

...reminds us that the Culture of Life includes things in addition to the usual life issues.  This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, at least if they've been paying attention and especially if they've ever read The Gospel of Life.  Yet, it does seem that we do need to be reminded that opposition the death penalty and caring about the environment are not the sole possession of the left wing of western politics.  Basically, the term Culture of Life refers to more than just a handful of (very) important issues but rather to the building of an entire culture in which it is oriented towards the protection and promotion of life in all of its stages as well as promoting respect and care for all of God's creation. 

As is turns out...

...the whole Siri thing I posted about yesterday probably isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Oh well, hope springs eternal!

Apple comes through?

Now, I have my problems with Apple beginning but certainly not ending with their banning of the Manhattan Declaration app from the App Store.  That said, there is also the well know banning of porn apps from the store as well.  Now we get this story about how the digital assistant software Siri sends people asking about abortion to pregnancy resource centers.  I'm not quite sure what if anything this means, but it is definitely interesting.

Ever wonder...

...what Planned Parenthood was planning way back in 1969?  Here ya go!

http://cdn.abbyjohnson.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jaffememo.pdf

Video!

At last, we have the first part of the conference up on YouTube!

2 Points for the Home Team!

Good just arrived in my inbox.  Check it out below!

Attorney General Bill Schuette announces two

abortion businesses permanently closed

Updated November 21, 2011

Michigan's prolife Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit in Eaton County Circuit Court to permanently close two abortion clinics in Michigan. The lawsuit is focused on the Health Care Clinic in Delta Township and the Women's Choice Clinic in Saginaw.
In response to the lawsuit, Eaton County Circuit Court Judge Calvin Osterhaven signed a temporary restraining order (TRO). A hearing was scheduled for Monday, November 21, 2011.
According to an agreement submitted by Schuette and the owner of the abortion businesses, the two clinics will be permanently closed and the owner, along with his wife, are banned from ever organizing another abortion clinic. Eaton County Circuit Court Judge Calvin Osterhaven approved the agreement.
Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "I laud Attorney General Schuette for following the law and pressing charges against the owners of these two abortion businesses. Those involved in the occupation of abortion are not above the law. Our attorney general has uncovered violations which resulted in the Health Care Clinic and the Women's Choice Clinic being shut down."
Schuette said, "To ensure accountability and patient safety, Michigan law requires medical facilities to be incorporated with a licensed medical professional at the helm. Strict enforcement of the law ensures medical clinics cannot put profit ahead of responsible patient care."

March for Life

If you live around Grand Rapids and want to go to the March for Life in Washington D.C. how about going on the bus the diocese has chartered.  Here's the form:

Diocese of Grand Rapids - 2012 March for Life

Adult Bus Registration

Please submit by DECEMBER 2, 2011 with payment of $200

Name:_____________________________________________________

Home Address:______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Day Phone:_________________________________________________

Email:_____________________________________________________

Emergency Contact Information:________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Special Needs:______________________________________________

Amount enclosed: $_________

If you require financial assistance, please contact Sr. Colleen Ann Nagle, F.S.E., Director of Pro-Life Activities, at (616) 897-7842, X339

We will be leaving at 5:00 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from Cathedral Square. The $200 fee covers the bus transportation, the hotel for one night stay and any printed materials. All meals are the responsibility of the attendees. You are invited to bring a personal sized cooler to store any food and drink. We will arrive back in Grand Rapids at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

Pro-life Democrates hopefull...

...that conscience protections will be expanded beyond what HHS has suggested.  Let's hope they're right.

The Situation?

This is a pretty good assessment of what our country's leadership concerning its relationship with "the Catholic  Vote."  I've often maintained that Obama is either an idiot or a genius. 

Go Bishops!

As many of you probably already know, the Bishops are fighting the contraception mandate that recently came out of the dungeons of Health and Human Services.  Between this, the loss of funding for a successful anti-human trafficking program and other things such as the attack on the Defense of Marriage Act, it really does seem like the present administration is gunning if not for the Church in particular, then certainly for traditional Christianity in general.  And the Bishops aren't taking it lying down.  This really makes me happy as it is yet more evidence that Bishops really have been developing a spine over the last few years.  Interestingly, this "re-spinification" seems to coincide to some degree with the breaking of the sex abuse scandal.  It's as though there were a collective realization that being nice and accommodating just wasn't working and that they should return to being forthright and honest with themselves and others about some of the Church's more unpopular teachings.  Whatever the case, I'm happy to see the Bishops standing up and fighting the trend of secularization.  

Healthcare

Apparently, the Supreme Court is going to decide whether or not Obamacare is constitutional.  If they find it to not be so, this could alleviate a lot of the problems that our Catholic hospitals and colleges are looking at with the mandated contraception coverage.  To say nothing of the abortion funding loopholes that exist within the bill.

HELP

That is, the HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid Center in Grand Rapids. 
I met with one of staff last Friday who took me on a tour of their facility and explained what they do.  First, they do pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, education on abortion, contraception, child rearing, finances, etc.  They also do things like hand out diapers, and clothes for the little ones.  Now, one of the things that really set them apart is that they help mothers and their children until the child is two years old.  So they are definitely not vulnerable to the negative stereotype of the pregnancy centers, where they just hand you a bottle, a pack of diapers and send you out the door.  Of course, I haven't actually run into a crisis center that actually fits that stereotype, have you? 
Anyway, other good things are that they don't require appointments, you don't need to join anything and they don't ask questions.  They are there to help, period.
They are also Catholic, apparently the only Catholic pregnancy center in the area.  So if you can offer them any support at all, it would be a great thing. 
Speaking of which, we also spoke about fundraising.  During that conversation, she threw out a phrase that really intrigued me, "a baby shower for the Blessed Mother."  Now, what she meant by that was just have the guys from my Knights council bring in diapers or clothes or something to be donated.  But that just doesn't seem big enough.  I'm thinking that this coming spring, we might have some sort of small educational event here in Holland to raise some funds for it.  I'm not sure what shape that will take yet so I'll have to talk to some people about how to get that rolling.
And before I forget, here's the website:  http://helppregnancy.org/

Personhood

Sadly, the personhood amendment in Mississippi failed on Tuesday.  There seem to be a large number of reasons for this that largely centered around questions over just how far the amendment would reach.  It's a sad defeat but the real fight for our culture continues.