The World Hits 7 Billion: Is That Too Many People or Too Few People Who Really Care?

Well, the day has come that the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) has been warning us about: October 31, 2011 is supposedly the day that the world’s population hits 7 billion!  The UNFPA has been loudly beating the warning gong (just as they have been for years) that we are growing ourselves into disaster! Dr. Eric Tayag of the Philippine Department of Health, stated that “we should focus on the question of whether there will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every child. If the answer is ‘no,’ it would be better for people to look at easing this population explosion.”  How? According to the United Nations: by expanding birth control and abortion services to the world.

However, is over population really the problem? Will decreasing the number of babies being born really make a substantial difference with hunger or clean water or shelter or education? Let’s examine a few of these areas:

The following is a quote from the World Hunger Education Service: “The world produces enough food to feed everyone. World agriculture produces 17 percent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago, despite a 70 percent population increase. This is enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 kilocalories (kcal) per person per day (FAO 2002, p.9). ”

They go on to describe the main causes of hunger. Poverty, of course, tops the list. However, the two main reasons for poverty do not include too many children. Instead, people are primarily impoverished by harmful economic systems and conflicts (in other words, war.) Cataclysmic natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, etc., play a large role as well.  Overpopulation is not even mentioned as a reason, except that, tragically, it is the world’s children who pay the biggest price as far as hunger is concerned.

So, what about the world’s supply of clean water? In 2001, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) asked an organization called  Global Water to perform an investigation of groundwater availability in water-short regions of the world.  That investigation was documented in a report entitled: Groundwater Availability Study for Water-Short Developing Countries, where it was shown there are significant groundwater assets available even in some of the most drought-prone areas of the world.  Although available, these groundwater assets are not being used today because often the leaders of drought-prone countries will not make the provisions necessary for the wells to be dug. In other words, there is no lack of water, just a lack of those willing to provide the resources or the concern to dig for it.

Every indication is that our world contains all the resources that people need. In fact, with today’s modern farming methods and technology, more food can be produced than ever before and shipped anywhere in the world without much problem. The same holds true with materials to build sturdy homes. Or to build and staff new schools. It is greed and ignorance and poor or evil government organizations that keeps most of the world hungry, thirsty, homeless and uneducated, not overpopulation. Sadly, most of the world’s children are born into poverty, but that just means we need to do more to meet those needs instead of expending our energy and resources to keep those children from being born.

I wonder if the United Nations took all the time and money they are investing into birth control and used it for helping countries to establish caring, stable governments if more of the world’s population would be lifted out of poverty? Or, if the teams now setting up abortion clinics for little villages would put their efforts into digging wells or building shelters? Perhaps I am being naively simplistic, but I wonder all the same.

The Bible makes it clear that we are responsible for feeding the poor as well as clothing and housing those in need. How exactly we are supposed to do this is the confusing part in our world today. I know that donated grain often rots in shipyards and money given in compassion ends up lining the pockets of corrupt leaders. But this does not mean we can stop trying.

Whenever there have been natural disasters, my husband and I have made a point of giving our money directly into the hands of those we know and trust. We are blessed to know people who travel all over the world to feed the hungry during natural disasters. We can be assured when we give to them that our money translates into actual food for those who need it. Unfortunately, with our world the way it is, you must do research before you give.

So, are 7 billion people too many? To me, the question is irrelevant.  New life is always a blessing. The thing that needs to be combated in this world is not the number of babies being born, but the amount of compassion we are willing to show, as well as our determination to fight injustice.

I am not trying to minimize the pain that most of the world suffers everyday. I count myself so blessed that I have never seen my children hungry or without a roof over their heads. The point I am making is that these problems will never be solved until we focus our time and resources in the right directions. And these do not include birth control or abortion!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Rihanna: America’s “Sexiest Woman” or Angry and Lost Little Girl?

I confess that I have a fascination with Rihanna.  To me she represents a lot of what is destructive about the music industry. And yet, at the same time, I feel a stirring of compassion for her. In the midst of her sex-filled antics, all I can see is a lost, and quite angry, little girl looking for love.

Esquire Magazine has given Rihanna the title of “Sexiest Woman Alive.” She is featured in their November issue dressed in nothing but patches of seaweed. However, it is the look on her face that grips me. Her eyes have patches of black under them and she looks like someone who is lost and without purpose.

There can be no denial that she is a role model for many girls. Raised in a poor household, with an abusive father addicted to crack cocaine, she has risen to the top of the music industry. Many of her recent songs have a gritty, abusive edge to them. Rihanna is unapologetic in expressing her desire to continue to “push the envelope” as far as what is acceptable. Her video, S & M, was banned in several countries. However, it is not the outlandish things which disturb me, but, rather, the subtle (or not so subtle) messages being sent in some of her songs.

Recently Rihanna recorded a song with rapper Eminem called “Love the Way You Lie.” The song deals with the ups and downs of a troubled relationship. The end of the song has Eminem’s character repenting for previous abuse: “Next time? There won’t be no next time. I apologize, even though I know it’s lies. I’m tired of the games, I just want her back, I know I’m a liar. If she ever tries to ******* leave again, I’ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire.”

To which Rihanna’s character responds with the song’s refrain: “Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. Well that’s alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry. Well that’s alright because I love the way you lie, I love the way you lie.”

That is a common theme in Rihanna’s music: women don’t really mind abuse because they there is a part of them that loves the pain. Some of her music revels in wanting things to be rough and abusive in her relationships. One wonders if all that stems back to her own abuse at the hands of her father and, later, boyfriend Chris Brown. However, the danger is that little girls all over the world are listening to her, and perhaps thinking this is normal behavior. So what if a boyfriend smacks you around? What is a little pain if you love someone?

Rihanna’s new video, “We Found Love,” follows right along on this same theme. Rihanna’s character and a man playing her lover pass between scenes of manic fun and very dark and deep lows. Most of their behavior seems very self-destructive. It includes lots of drug use and appears like they are looting a store in one scene. However, it is the abuse and degradation of Rihanna’s character that are the most disturbing aspects.

One scene (and yes, I did watch it myself!) shows the woman held down while the man writes the word “Mine” on her. Other scenes show him striking her as well as other degrading acts. Mostly they stumble around lustfully in a drug-filled stupor. The words, “We fell in love in a hopeless place,” echo over and over in the background. Is this what substitutes for love today? If, as I have read in many articles, the song is just trying to connect with an audience that is trapped in this type of life, where is the way out? I was left with the feeling that the writers believed there was no hope. Love is just like this sometimes… it is not something you can control.

Is it any wonder why our world is in the mess it is when young people are fed a steady diet of this type of hopeless, distorted, violent romanticism? Most of the reviews of the video focused on how sexy the young man was, and if Rhianna was having an affair with him. Many admire her for appearing not to care what anyone thinks about her and her pursuit of her “art.” However, there was also a lot of stories about how she recently visited a porn shop and stopped at a “cannabis cafe” in Paris. As with so many, has Rihanna’s life begun to mimic her art?

I don’t know about you, but this all makes me so sad, as well as afraid for this generation. Working with young women everyday, I know that even those who were raised by parents who have a strong faith must have a committed faith of their own to withstand the tide of filth that pours over them everyday. The battle for purity will not be successful if we do not fight for it. If we do nothing, our children will get sucked in by it, for the current is too strong for anything but the power of God.

I will continue to keep an eye out on what is happening and keep you informed. However, you need to keep your eyes and ears open as well. Listen for what your children are watching and hearing. Talk to them about it. Don’t allow them to have a computer or television in their room.  Restrict what they are allowed to listen to in your home, but also discuss the reasons why. Help them to understand why the messages are dangerous to their future happiness.

I am praying for Rihanna. I know she is responsible for her own choices, and that much that she does is to make money. However, she was swept up into this industry as a very young woman.  We know when we see young teens with several sexual partners and living destructive lifestyles, that they were probably sexually abused. Rihanna’s abuse may have come in a different form, but it has had a tragic impact upon her life. Like all of us, she needs Jesus to set her free!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Why is the Abortion Industry So Afraid of Ultrasounds?

Working at the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling, I have the privilege of seeing ultrasounds on a regular basis. I have gotten to the point where I can tell at first glance about how far along the woman is. Even when the baby is very tiny, and you can’t see much at all, there is a noticeable flickering on the screen: the beating of a tiny heart. The mother’s eyes usually tear up at this point, as she sees the clear evidence that her baby is alive!

It is amazing to me that, in this age of information and technology,how many women are shocked to find out that the heart starts to beat at such an early stage. Of course, the abortion industry has done a good job at de-humanizing life in the womb, classifying it as a “shapeless blob of tissue.” Therefore, when expectant mothers see clearly formed little arms and legs, and their baby swimming around and even sucking their thumb while still in the first trimester, they are shocked! That is why so many states have begun to pass laws that women must be given an opportunity to view an ultrasound before having an abortion. It is also why the abortion industry has been fighting so desperately to make sure those laws never take effect.

On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the ultrasound portion of North Carolina’s abortion law which was supposed to take effect yesterday, October 25. Abortion-rights groups had argued that subjecting women to the ultrasounds would “subject women to emotional pain and violate the medical ethics of doctors…” Excuse me? Since when is it ethical to hide the truth from women?  Shouldn’t every woman have the opportunity to know the full truth about the humanity of her unborn child before making a decision to destroy it?

One of the key crisis points that women who have had abortions face is when they get pregnant with a child they want to keep, and they watch an ultrasound at the same stage at which they had their abortion. It is at that moment, as they see the heartbeat and watch the baby move, that the full impact of what they have done comes crashing down upon them. Some of them ask us why no one ever told them how alive their baby was. Leaving women in ignorance is the thing that inflicts pain, not the truth.  We all deserve to know the full truth before making decisions about any type of medical procedure, especially one which involves life and death!

Most pregnancy centers around the country offer free ultrasounds. That is one of the key reasons that Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) are trying to close them down. They claim it is because we give “misinformation” on the link between breast cancer and abortion, and about the negative consequences, emotional and physical, which can occur with abortion. However, I am convinced that the real reason is that we provide that “window into the womb.”

The abortion industry knows as well as we do that there is no more powerful tool against abortion than the ultrasound. There is a powerful bonding which can take place between a woman and her child at that first glimpse, even if the only thing visible is the flickering heart. The rhythmic “thump, thump, thump” on doppler is a powerful sound.  Adult or unborn child- it all sounds the same.  A beating heart shouts to the world that this is a unique and valuable life. That same heart will continue to pump life through the person’s veins until the moment of death, unless abortion prematurely snuffs it out.

This is the truth that the advocates for abortion desire to keep in the darkness. They would rather that women would abort in ignorance than take a chance on her changing her mind when she witnesses the truth. There is not one of these laws that require her to look at the ultrasound screen, they just demand that she be given the opportunity. How can anyone object to that?

Well, greed would be one explanation, because these laws have been proven to work. Women who have seen their unborn babies on an ultrasound screen change their minds and walk away! Here at the Center, we see over 80% of those who might otherwise abort choose life when confronted with the humanity of their child. That translates over to big bucks for those who make their money killing unborn children.

As ultrasound technology continues to improve, it may cause the abortion industry to be on a collision course with itself. It has already been crucial in convincing state legislatures to pass laws prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks. I can’t help but believe that it has also been instrumental in bringing the majority of Americans around to a pro-life conviction. It is the most powerful tool we have in our fight to bring abortion to an end!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Teaching Bestiality and Oral Sex: What in the World is New York City Thinking?

New York City is one of the most dismal places in America to be in the public schools. The failure rate of students, unless one is fortunate enough to get into a private school, is astronomical. It also has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and abortion in the nation.

So, the New York City Department of Education has decided that they are going to implement some classes to combat this trend. They have decided that the problem is that their kids don’t know enough about sex, so they are taking a “everything you need to know about sex” approach in their education.

According to an article in the Huffington Post, this includes lessons on every type of sex that there can be, including bestiality (sex with animals,) anal and oral sex, and even phone sex. Students will be sent on field trips to find the best condom prices and research which type is most effective (with or without lubrication.) They will discuss which types of sexual activity provide the most risk, going into intricate detail on which each act consists.

Oh, and of course, condoms will be made available in abundance to every student that wants them. In fact, the New York Department of Health has been advertising for a “Condom Coordinator” to make certain that the condoms are adequately distributed. The position pays $88,000 a year and is provided with tax money!

Are they kidding me? They really think that the problem in New York City is that kids don’t know enough about sexual behavior, deviant or otherwise? That is NOT the problem!  And even if it was, how is a class discussion on the details of such behavior going to help anyone?

I can just picture it. You have a classroom filled with adolescent boys and girls listening to a detailed account on how to perform different sexual positions. What is their response going to be? Are they going to think, “Oh, I guess I better act more responsibly”? You and I both know that this type of discussion is not going to do anything but stir their passions up to go out and do what has just been demonstrated for them in class. Thinking anything else shows a blatant disregard for how teenagers are made.

Our young people are assaulted by sexual messages on every side. Radios blare with songs which spell things out pretty graphically. One no longer has to search for books and magazines that do the same. No, what kids today need to know is how to handle the sexual overload that bombards them everyday! They certainly don’t need the school system to add to the clutter with more garbage!

I have spoken before about the team of speakers that the AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling sends out into the schools. They make it their focus to talk with the kids about building healthy relationships. They bring a message that each student is special and that they should be focusing on their futures and the life they want to make for themselves. Do they want to continue their education? Have they always dreamed of a happy marriage? Those are things that they need to plan for in the way they live their lives. Sex, and along with it, pregnancy and disease, can ruin all those plans.

Unfortunately, I know there are many kids in New York City who don’t see themselves with much of a future. They were born into generational poverty and don’t have much hope for their lives. However, what is more likely to change their destructive behavior: telling them about bestiality, or helping them to understand that they are not animals; they are human beings with great value and purpose and that they need to live with greater respect for themselves and others?

Young men need to be taught to respect women, that they are not merely sexual objects to be used and tossed away. Young women need to be told that their life can have greater purpose than heading into motherhood before they are ready for such responsibility; that their children require both a mother and a father in order to have all their needs met. The dangers of sexual activity today, with all the diseases and untreatable conditions, must be explained;  but they need to also understand that a part of their heart is given away with each sexual encounter that they can never get back.

Our speakers tell the students that the best sex is found in a long-term committed marriage relationship where both spouses feel loved and secure. It is found in the midst of mutual respect and trust. If one has too many sexual relationships outside of marriage, it makes this bond of trust harder to make. They often compare it to a flower, with each sexual encounter removing one of the petals. The students are asked if they want to be able to present a full, beautiful flower to their spouse on their wedding day, or one with most of the petals gone.

Our world is already too full of people living broken lives because of their past choices. Teaching children how to perform sexual acts is only going to compound the problem, and do nothing to decrease the number of pregnancies, disease, or abortions.  More condoms aren’t the solution. What children need is to be respected and taught to respect themselves and others. That is the direction our schools need to go. Shame on New York! Let’s pray they wake up before too much more damage is done.

Keeping it true!  Barb

Pills and Condoms: Will What Doesn’t Work Here Work in the Philippines?

International health organizations are very zealous evangelists. Unfortunately, the gospel they preach has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Instead, it is a message of population control through the use of contraception and abortion. Their constant cry is that our world has too many people and that we can only be saved by the same old methods that have never worked anywhere else.

The Philippines have been fighting a hard-fought battle against a bill which is now called “An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development.” This is but the latest version of a bill which has been hotly contested since 1998. Filipinos are 81% Catholic and tend to have larger families, some of which live in poverty. (A very convincing argument can be made that the poverty issue in the Philippines is one of a corrupt government and poor distribution of daily needs.) The solution which this bill recommends is comprehensive sex education and contraceptives supplied with government funding. I read some troubling articles on the bill, but decided that I needed to read it for myself to be able to provide objective input.

I must preface all this by saying that I have many personal objections to artificial contraception, primarily the birth control pill in its many forms.  In the literature for the birth control pill is clearly stated that one of the back-up functions of the medication is to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg into the uterine wall. That fits the definition of an abortion. Plus, the hormones in the pill can cause many health problems, including an increased risk for breast cancer. Women deserve to at least know the truth about these drugs before taking them!

I have also learned to be quite a student of the language of the pro-abortion industry. They tend to use very benign terms, such as “choice” and “women’s reproductive health”, and “family planning” to cover up death in the womb. Therefore, I focused upon the terminology used in the bill and discovered some things which I found quite troubling.

First, the bill will provide for “mandatory (not opt-in or opt-out, or by parental consent), age-appropriate Reproductive Health Education starting from Grade 5 to Fourth Year High School to develop youth into responsible adults.”  Hmmm…. who decides what is appropriate for each grade? And, how do they define “responsible” adults?  If it is based at all upon our American definition of what is “appropriate” sex education, I imagine the Catholic faith of many of these children is going to come under some major attack and their parents aren’t going to be able to do much about it. Also, with sex education in this country, the teen pregnancy rate, STD’s, and sex out of marriage continue to steadily rise. Why would the future of the Philippines be any different?

This law states many times that even though there will be a suggested family limit of two children, it will not be mandated and will be strictly voluntary. It also declares those with more children will not be punished and that abortion will not be made legal. That may be true as a first step, but this has never been the ending point with any other country in which these initiatives have been pushed into law. If history is any indicator, legalized abortion will be right around the corner and parents will find themselves under increasing pressure to limit their family size.

The bill states that “all accredited health facilities shall provide a full range of modern family planning methods.” It does provide an exemption for those who have objections to giving out contraception based on their ethical or religious beliefs, but goes on to state that they “shall immediately refer the person seeking such care and services to another healthcare service provider… who is willing to provide the requisite information and services.” In other words, they will all be forced to either give the information or find someone who will.

Even more disturbing is a clause which would penalize any medical workers from speaking out against contraceptives. The law states that they are prohibited from providing any information which would be considered “incorrect.” In other words, once the government makes the decision that the pill is good and necessary, doctors would be punished for providing any information to the contrary.

Lastly, this statement made my blood run cold: “No marriage license shall by issued… unless the applicants present a Certificate of Compliance issued for free by the local Family Planning Office certifying that they had duly received adequate instructions and information on family planning….”  Wow!  This program doesn’t sound very voluntary to me. It sounds like, for the sake of peace, they are allowing older couples to skirt around the issue of birth control, but new couples will not be allowed that kind of freedom. They will be forced into the whole birth control education process or they will not be allowed to marry!

The Bible is true when it says that “there is nothing new under the sun.” There is really not even anything very original. This is the same old evil plan that is being used everywhere in the world to attempt to reduce the population. Again, it all stems back to our eternal enemy, whose plan is to “steal, kill and destroy.” Now matter how neatly it is packaged, it still has the stink of death!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Wall Street Protestors and the Neutering of Sexuality: Fighting To Save This Generation!

I don’t know about you, but I have been both intrigued and distressed at the protestors that started out on Wall Street, but have now become a world-wide movement. Of course, I am distressed about a lot of things I see today. In searching the internet today, I found an interview that really spoke to a lot of what I have been feeling.

A woman named Marybeth Hicks has written a book called, “Don’t Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid: Confronting the Left’s Assault on our Families, Faith, and Freedom.” In it she addresses several areas in which our children are being bombarded and drawn into belief systems contrary to the truth. “The institutions with the greatest influence on our kids are decidedly leftist- that is, the schools and educational infrastructure, the media and pop culture.”

She begins by pointing out that it all starts with the “equality of outcomes” movement, in which children are taught that everyone is the same and that we should all feel great about everything we do.  Those who do not exert themselves should feel just as good as those who study hard. Those who watch television rather than practicing should not be beaten in sports by those who spend many hours in practice.

This kind of thinking leads to a generation who are now standing outside of Wall Street demanding to be given money to live as well as a free education. Equality on the soccer field should now translate to equal income for all, regardless of hard work or sacrifice or the lack there-of. In simplified terms, this is the definition of socialism.  And, it is only one step in the breakdown of our society.

Marybeth Hicks also points out that we are seeing a deliberate increase in “gender confusion.” She predicts that “by the time today’s children are young adults with little ones of their own, the issue of gender confusion will have been normalized. It won’t be considered a disorder, but just a ‘normal’ aspect of sexual questioning, which will include other ‘normal phases of hetero- or homosexuality in one’s life.” Boys will no longer be taught to be men, or little girls how to become the women they were meant to be.

Recent articles already point out how this is encroaching on our society. A story came out not too long ago about a Canadian couple who were not going to tell anyone their child’s sex and raise him or her as gender neutral in hopes that they could one day choose that for themself. Just last week there was an article about a lesbian couple who were giving their son drugs to prevent normal hormonal development so that he could choose as a teen which sex he would prefer to be!

As if our society does not have enough problems with sexual identity as it is! Statistics show that one of the main reasons that young men go to prison and teen girls get pregnant is because their father is missing from the home. Fathers are key to a young person’s understanding of the person God made them to be. Boys need role models to show them how to be responsible fathers and husbands. Young women need to know the love of a father to teach them when affection is wrong. If the roles are blurred any further, families will continue to disintegrate. However, perhaps that is all part of the plan.

In fact, television and movies seem to be carrying on a full-scale attack on what the definition of a family really is.  Considering a family as one man and one woman with their children is under siege, and being placed in the category of “homophobic.” I have many friends who love the show “Modern Family.” I realize that it’s writers are very creative and funny, but the purpose of the program is to subtly change our image of what a family should be. We may resist at first, but as we continue to be subjected to this type of programming, we will begin to change.

The article also dealt with the attack upon sexual mores and the re-labeling of what is considered right and wrong. Abstinence has been combined with terms such as “archaic” and “uptight.” The number of young women from solid Christian homes who come to our office for a pregnancy test, and see no problem with their sexual activity outside of marriage, bears witness to the success of this assault.

Marylou Hicks ends her article with this exhortation: “So much of my hope rests in the knowledge that millions of American families like ours are working hard to instill the values that have made our nation the freest, most prosperous, most inventive nation in human history. The book is meant to take the blinders off so more people understand just what we’re up against, and exhort them to get in the game and take responsibility for our nation’s future by focusing on the character of the next generation.”

That is much of the purpose for this blog as well. I want to be continually firing off warning shots of the attacks from a world that would sweep this generation into a life filled with the hopelessness of a life lived for themselves. The decaying fruit of this is evident: abortion, disease, selfishness, separation from God, and ruined lives. We must begin with our own families. And, it must begin by courageously facing the truth!

Keeping it true!  Barb

Designer Babies and Creating New Bodies For Ourselves: At What Price?

Many families all over the world are flocking to Thailand these days. The hot commodity for sale: babies which have the desired sex the parents want.  Such technology can be purchased elsewhere, but in Thailand there are fewer legal restrictions and the price is much less expensive.

Yesterday I told you about the new blood test which is available to screen for Down Syndrome. The hope is that the same thing can soon be done for a whole host of medical conditions. Researchers are even attempting to find a way to predict which life-changing conditions a child might contract during their lifetime, leaving the parents with the god-like choice as to whether their child should die in the womb to keep them from suffering later.

It all sounds very science-fictionist, but all of this may be closer than we think. I have shared with you many times before about the exciting advances being make with adult stem cell research. Scientists see a day in the not too distant future when new organs will be produced from a patient’s own cells to be used in transplantation. There doesn’t seem to really be a limitation as to the hopes of which conditions may be able to be cured through this technology. However, as with everything, there is also a dark side to this type of medical advance.

Professor John Wyatt is an academic neonatologist who now concentrates on the ethical issues in reproductive and medical technology. Just like in almost every area of life these days, a Christian world-view and the prevailing societal philosophies seem to be drifting further and further apart. As believers, if we do not actively educated ourselves and establish firmly where we stand, we will find ourselves floating further and further from God’s truth on the sea of relativism and science.

Professor Wyatt argues that our bodies are being seen more and more as machines rather than a being created in the image of God. More and more, science is scrutinizing the beginning and end of life in order to make sure that no ”malfunctioning machines” (ie, babies with Downs or other medical conditions) are born or that the elderly who seem to no longer serve any “worthy purpose” are hastened in death. The more we see ourselves as machines and not as beloved creatures with innate meaning and purpose, no matter what our condition, the more our intolerance will grow of those who don’t measure up.

Secondly, we also seem to be filled with a greater and greater desire for control and autonomy. We dream about how our children should be, and are growing increasingly unwilling to sacrifice those dreams for who they really turn out to be. Instead of accepting that God is giving us the children He knows we need, we choose to play god, demanding they not only be perfect, but also that they come at the right time and under the right circumstances.

Professor Wyatt points out that while “the frailty of the human condition frustrates” it was “not an unfortunate side effect, but part of God’s design.” We were created to be dependant upon one another, as well as God.  When we are sick, or even left lying in a so-called “vegetative state,” and need to have everything done for us, that does not diminish our worth.

He concludes his message by stating: “The threat to human identity from biomedical technology is less obvious and more subtle than that which comes from obvious threats like terrorism or totalitarianism…. but I believe it is more dangerous because it strikes at the heart of what it means to be human. With the facade of doing good, it is much more dangerous.”

Everyone loves a picture of a healthy, happy family. When I was a little girl, I dreamed about a loving husband and children who were free to follow their dreams. However, sometimes the pursuit of this type of life leaves the dead bodies of unborn children in its wake.  And, I’m afraid we haven’t seen anything yet.

This is just another reminder that we need to keep ourselves grounded in God’s word. Once we stray even a little from the truth, we will soon find ourselves miles off course. No matter how good new technologies look, we need to see them through the eyes of God. Remember, even Satan masquerades as an angel of light!

Keeping it true!  Barb

October: Down Syndrome Awareness Month and Release of New “Seek and Destroy” Drug

October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is also a month set aside for understanding Down Syndrome. Basically, these are individuals which are born with one extra chromosome. They are distinctive in appearance; but, actually, what I usually notice is the bright smile upon their faces. And new facts back up my observations.

A new study that was recently released from Children’s Hospital in Boston reveals that having a child with Down Syndrome is actually a very good thing for most families. Seventy- nine percent of the parents interviewed stated that their life was more positive because of their child.  With siblings, that rate went even higher, with 88% saying that their lives were better because of their brother or sister and 97% saying they were proud of them. Even more important, 97% of Down’s children liked who they were and 99% said they were happy with their lives. What other segment of the population can say that?

The article spotlighted the Reilly family. Their daughter, Melissa, has Downs, but is a college student who travels internationally to represent the Down Syndrome community. She is also active in Special Olympics with gold medals in skiing, cycling and swimming. Melissa interns for a state senator and tutors others with Down Syndrome in math and reading. She is higher functioning than many, but her story showcases the possibilities that exist with a diagnosis of this chromosomal condition.

I was also privileged to read a blog written by the mother of a child with Down Syndrome. She responds to parents who do not think they can handle a child with special needs: “If you had asked me 7 years ago if I would be able to handle ONE child with special needs, I don’t know if I would have said yes. I now have two children with special needs. I wasn’t the person I am now going into this. I wasn’t given these children because I was strong, patient or even willing. I was given these children to make me strong, patient and willing.“

She goes on to say that her little girl does not suffer from Downs. She is happy and thriving and lights up the lives of all around her.  “Having a child with, a sibling with, or even having Down syndrome yourself is a BLESSING. It makes life richer. I am a lucky mom to have Abby. Abby is my happy.”

In the face of all this, Sequenom, Inc., announced this week that is has launched its new test for earlier detection of Down Syndrome in the womb. Unlike the previous test which required amniotic fluid and could not be done until 10-12 weeks, this is a blood test which can be carried out earlier, with less risk of miscarriage. The company claims the results are 99.1 accurate.

Even with the older, riskier test, it is estimated that up to 90% of mothers who were diagnosed as carrying a baby with Downs chose to abort. However, since the risk of miscarriage was real,  many younger women did not have the test done. Even though the chances for Downs increase with age, 80% of these special children are born to women under 35. If the blood test becomes standard pre-natal care, the diagnosis rate will increase as well. How high will the rate of destruction actually go?

The survey at Children’s Hospital was actually born out of a desire to encourage more families to not abort. One of the researchers was inspired to do the study because he has a sister with Down Syndrome. He calls her the “inspiration of his practice and research.” He wants other families to know that raising a child with Downs can be a “fulfilling and rewarding experience.”

It is fascinating to me that most of the activism occurring to save the lives of Downs children is not coming from pro-lifers, but from families raising precious children of their own. They are speaking out in condemnation of tests and advice from physicians which threaten to eradicate Down Syndrome altogether. They know that eliminating the condition actually means the destruction of wonderful and priceless children in the womb; boys and girls who have made their own lives richer and happier.

Unfortunately, the medical community as a whole is not on their side. Either out of fear of lawsuit or ignorance, most doctors recommend abortion once a diagnosis of Downs is made. And, unless the parents have strong pro-life convictions or know of families happily raising Downs children, they will most likely follow that advise.

Sadly, our society is striving for greater perfection in our children. Science is getting closer all the time to opening up the possibility of not only eradicating things like Down Syndrome, but even choosing sex and the color of hair and eyes.  Children have to appear at the right time and the right conditions, or they are destroyed. We are not encouraged to seek self growth, or to put our needs last. We are a very selfish society in which those we see as “less perfect” are not desired.

Ironically, there are hundreds who would willingly adopt a child with Down Syndrome. Just like there are thousands eager to adopt the unwanted babies who are aborted everyday. There is no such thing as an unwanted child. There are just individuals who are either ignorant or don’t care about the intrinsic worth of the baby God has given them.

Keeping it true!  Barb

Meet Nicola Moore: Omaha’s New “Fly-In Abortionista!”

Since the new Planned Parenthood in Omaha began doing abortions this year, no one knew for sure who was performing the procedures. Operation Rescue released her name just this last week: a British woman named Nicola Moore. She goes by the alias, Clara Taylor.

The Santa Fe Reporter released an expose on the woman earlier this month. She is one of several “fly-in abortionists” (or abortionista, as she calls herself.) Besides our new clinic off of 90th and Maple, she also does abortions in Des Moines, Iowa City, Bettendorf and Sioux City. For awhile last year she also worked in Mississippi, but stopped once her identity was discovered.

Moore told the reporter for the Santa Fe paper that she kills unborn children from a “deep-seated desire to save the world.” The paper describes her “self-sacrifice,” in foregoing a regular schedule, personal life, salary and benefits, in glowing terms. They don’t mention how much she makes, but I bet it is a lot! With abortion, it usually comes down to the huge profit margins to be made!

The article went on to discuss why these traveling abortionists are “necessary.” It turns out that the doctors who “pioneered” the abortion movement in the early 70′s are now retiring, and there are not enough new ones to take their place. They went on to bemoan the fact that only half of all medical schools even offer abortion training, and that doctors are hesitant to go into that area out of concern for their reputations. Many find it difficult to live in a community once people know who they are.

Of course, the article blamed zealous pro-lifers for this. However, imagine if you discovered that your neighbor was an abortionist. How would that make you feel? What would that say to you about their character? There is something innate in all of us that is repellant to the death of unborn children. God have mercy upon us if that ever changes!

The article describes a day that was spent with Nicola by the reporter at the Santa Fe paper. I am guessing that it was at the Planned Parenthood in Omaha, mostly because it mentioned that abortions could not be done after 20 weeks, which is Nebraska law. (It is pointed out, however, that Nicola does not destroy any babies past 16 weeks. It is good to know that even she has limits as to the lives she will take.) Around 23 women were waiting for her so they could have either medical or surgical procedures done.

It is described how she covers herself with a blanket when pulling into the parking lot. In some places she dons a Three Stooges mask to hide her identity. Once she enters the doors, she will spend the next six hours silencing beating hearts, all in the name of “women’s rights.” In fact, one of her “patients” asks her why she does it. She replied: “..somebody has to do it; I’m trained, I’m competent, and women need it.”

One section of the article that I found disturbingly interesting was Nicola’s response to her own abortion, done when she was 18. She states she was not ready to have a baby and didn’t think it was any big deal. However, she still talks with the father of her baby about the experience. She speaks of how they always mention how old their child would have been if it had lived. “That person would be 35,” she says. “It always occurs to me.” That person?  Well, Nicola, that is our point exactly!

More on Nicola Moore: she was born in London, England. She was educated at Yale University and, later, got her doctorate at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She served her residency in Rochester, New York. For a time she traveled around doing abortions in Africa and South America. She also ran a HIV clinic in Africa for six years.

It almost seems like in her own distorted way, Nicola Moore is trying to have an impact on the world. Sadly, her path is one of death and destruction, even if she intends it to help women. Please pray for her that she will find healing from her abortion, and have her eyes opened to the harm she is doing to others. We can hope that now her identity is revealed and she can no longer hide, she will stop doing abortions altogether. However, even if she does, she still needs the revelation of God upon her life!

Keeping it true!  Barb

What Exactly Does ObamaCare say about Abortion: Preventing Our Tax Dollars From Paying for the Death of the Unborn.

Semantics can be a powerful thing! The abortion industry has specialized in word-play to sugar coat what they actually do. Why? Because the majority of Americans say they are against the killing of unborn babies in the womb.

Our government is attempting to do the same thing. With the passage of the Health-Care Bill, President Obama found himself walking a tightrope in order to appease everyone. He knew that he could not out-and-out prevent abortion coverage: first, because he is for abortion himself and, second, because his liberal supporters would throw a fit. And yet, he had to appease the majority of Americans.

After reading many articles on the subject, I have reached the following conclusions: first, the health-care plan sets in place a structure where the individual states can set up insurance policies which can allow for abortion coverage which will then be subsidized by the federal government. A convoluted plan was set in place in which these federal funds would supposedly go to the insurance company and not the individual, and that abortions would be paid out of a pool of money provided by the insured themselves. However, the bottom line is that abortions would be paid by state sponsored insurance providers who are supplemented with our tax dollars. (It is sort of the same philosophy used to justify our tax money going to Planned Parenthood. Supposedly our money is never used for abortion there either.)

This issue came to a head during the health-care debate when Nebraska Senator, Ben Nelson, refused to vote for the bill with this type of abortion funding loophole in it. So, the President threw him a bone and signed an Executive Order which banned federal funds from going to any insurance company which paid for abortions. Now, everyone, no matter where they stand on abortion, all admit that this was a meaningless gesture. In fact, it only took a few months before the Department of Health and Human Services had signed on to funding high risk insurance plans in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Mexico which all covered abortions.  Outside pressure did work to stop some of this, but the Executive Order was powerless to prevent it.

In my opinion, the strongest evidence that the Health-Care bill will fund abortion is the silence of the abortion industry itself. If abortion was actually excluded from coverage they would have raised a deafening cry. Instead, they have been quite content to allow it to continue. The only time we hear from them is when Congress attempts to pass a bill to ensure that taxpayer funds will not go to pay for abortions, just like the one that will be up for a vote today.

The House of Representatives will be voting today on H.R. 3, also called the Protect Life Act.  This bill would specifically prevent any federal funding through ObamaCare. It would prevent our taxpayer money from subsidizing any state plans, community health centers or high-risk pools that cover abortions. It would also strengthen the rights of health care workers and hospitals or institutions from partaking in abortions if it goes against their convictions or beliefs.

Of course, it is no surprise that President Obama opposes the bill and is threatening to veto it. He states that he is against it because it “intrudes on women’s reproductive freedom and access to health care” and that his health care bill already prohibits federal tax money from going to pay for abortions. Well, Mr. President, if that is true, why do you object to this bill? And, if you have already made this prohibition, how can this bill “intrude on women’s reproductive freedom” any more than you have already?

His response makes it obvious that this bill is badly needed. Please pray for its passage. With the make-up of the senate, it would be a miracle if it passed there,  but God specializes in miracles. If it doesn’t pass, and something is not done, we will all end up paying for the destruction of unborn children. Call your elected representatives today!

Keeping it true!  Barb