Thursday, May 8, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
From Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
Inside the Vatican magazine has named Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life, as one of the Top Ten People of 2007. She has become one of the leading voices for the unborn in America and in the world.
This award is a sign of the times and a sign of developments in the pro-life movement. African-Americans are finding their voice on this issue. While for decades, pro-life leaders have asked how to “get African-Americans involved in the pro-life movement,” the more precise question is, “How do we encourage African-Americans to take up their own leadership of the pro-life movement, recognizing that this movement belongs to them as much as to anyone else?”
On Martin Luther King Day of 2007, I was privileged to proclaim the New Testament reading at the national observance of the holiday at the King Center in Atlanta, GA. Speaker after speaker declared that there is “unfinished business” regarding the dream of Dr. King, because various forms of inequity and injustice continue to affect the Black community and society generally. This is true and must be addressed.
Yet so many forget the “unfinished business” of restoring protection to unborn children, and ending the violence of abortion. Alveda asks the poignant question, "How can the dream survive if we murder the children? If the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to live, our babies must live."
Many black leaders are awakening to how abortion is devastating their community. Black women are more than three times as likely as white women to have an abortion. Although black women constitute only 6% of the population, they comprise 36% of the abortion industry’s clientele. On average, 1,452 black babies are aborted every day in the United States. The leading abortion providers have placed over 90% of their abortuaries in urban neighborhoods with high black populations.
Alveda declares confidently that her uncle Martin would be marching for life with us were he alive today. He did not only stand for the equality of the Black man. He stood for the equality of every human being.
On Christmas of 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. preached the following words: "Now let me say that the next thing we must be concerned about if we are to have peace on earth and good will toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life. Every man is somebody because he is a child of God…Man is more than a tiny vagary of whirling electrons or a wisp of smoke from a limitless smoldering. Man is a child of God, made in His image, and therefore must be respected as such….And when we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we won't exploit people, we won't trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we won't kill anybody."
February is Black History Month. Let’s honor that history by learning how to strive for equal justice for all, including the unborn.
This award is a sign of the times and a sign of developments in the pro-life movement. African-Americans are finding their voice on this issue. While for decades, pro-life leaders have asked how to “get African-Americans involved in the pro-life movement,” the more precise question is, “How do we encourage African-Americans to take up their own leadership of the pro-life movement, recognizing that this movement belongs to them as much as to anyone else?”
On Martin Luther King Day of 2007, I was privileged to proclaim the New Testament reading at the national observance of the holiday at the King Center in Atlanta, GA. Speaker after speaker declared that there is “unfinished business” regarding the dream of Dr. King, because various forms of inequity and injustice continue to affect the Black community and society generally. This is true and must be addressed.
Yet so many forget the “unfinished business” of restoring protection to unborn children, and ending the violence of abortion. Alveda asks the poignant question, "How can the dream survive if we murder the children? If the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to live, our babies must live."
Many black leaders are awakening to how abortion is devastating their community. Black women are more than three times as likely as white women to have an abortion. Although black women constitute only 6% of the population, they comprise 36% of the abortion industry’s clientele. On average, 1,452 black babies are aborted every day in the United States. The leading abortion providers have placed over 90% of their abortuaries in urban neighborhoods with high black populations.
Alveda declares confidently that her uncle Martin would be marching for life with us were he alive today. He did not only stand for the equality of the Black man. He stood for the equality of every human being.
On Christmas of 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. preached the following words: "Now let me say that the next thing we must be concerned about if we are to have peace on earth and good will toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life. Every man is somebody because he is a child of God…Man is more than a tiny vagary of whirling electrons or a wisp of smoke from a limitless smoldering. Man is a child of God, made in His image, and therefore must be respected as such….And when we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we won't exploit people, we won't trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we won't kill anybody."
February is Black History Month. Let’s honor that history by learning how to strive for equal justice for all, including the unborn.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
A new "David" to slay the "giant"...
This reflection was sent to us by Jerry Klazura. We just had to share it with you!
...All over the USA today - the call is for Penance for the terrible sin of abortion, and a Prayer for restoration of legal protection of the right to life. The old testament reading today is from Samuel - where the Lord selected young David from Jesse's sons to be future king. That is where we are today in pro-life. There are many "David's" being selected. One "David" is the 20 year old lady who has initiated and organized the Personhood amendment. Another "David" is my senior citizen friend Bob who just recently started to think, meditate and pray about the abortion situation for the first time in his life. He decided to do something - and has already collected 600 signatures for the Personhood amendment at his church and at Walmart. Another "David" is Michele who is stepping out in faith to organize the Colorado Springs interdenominational prayer and fast and community out reach for life.
I am sensing a slow emerging from the body of Christ toward pro-life - FINALLY! They are waking up from their deep slumber. Some time in the future - the many new "Davids" will be loading a stone into their slings, and the Abortion giant will finally be slain!
As I listened to Bishop Sheridan at Mass today talk about Penance and Prayer - I thought of Penance and Prayer - P and P .... hmmm how interesting the new PP (Prayer and Penance) will replace the old pp (planned parenthood).
Praise God!
Jerry Klazura
...All over the USA today - the call is for Penance for the terrible sin of abortion, and a Prayer for restoration of legal protection of the right to life. The old testament reading today is from Samuel - where the Lord selected young David from Jesse's sons to be future king. That is where we are today in pro-life. There are many "David's" being selected. One "David" is the 20 year old lady who has initiated and organized the Personhood amendment. Another "David" is my senior citizen friend Bob who just recently started to think, meditate and pray about the abortion situation for the first time in his life. He decided to do something - and has already collected 600 signatures for the Personhood amendment at his church and at Walmart. Another "David" is Michele who is stepping out in faith to organize the Colorado Springs interdenominational prayer and fast and community out reach for life.
I am sensing a slow emerging from the body of Christ toward pro-life - FINALLY! They are waking up from their deep slumber. Some time in the future - the many new "Davids" will be loading a stone into their slings, and the Abortion giant will finally be slain!
As I listened to Bishop Sheridan at Mass today talk about Penance and Prayer - I thought of Penance and Prayer - P and P .... hmmm how interesting the new PP (Prayer and Penance) will replace the old pp (planned parenthood).
Praise God!
Jerry Klazura
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Cat's Out of the Bag
The following is from the Associated Press: "Scientists in California say they have produced embryos that are clones of two men, a potential step toward developing scientifically valuable stem cells.
The new report documents embryos made with ordinary skin cells. But it is not the first time human cloned embryos have been made. In 2005, for example, scientists in Britain reported using embryonic stem cells to produce a cloned embryo. It matured enough to produce stem cells, but none were extracted.
Stem cells were not produced by the new embryos either, and because of that, experts reacted coolly to the research.
"I found it difficult to determine what was substantially new," said Doug Melton of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He said the "next big advance will be to create a human embryonic stem cell line" from cloned embryos. "This has yet to be achieved."
Dr. George Daley of the Harvard institute and Children's Hospital Boston called the new report interesting but agreed that "the real splash" will be when somebody creates stem cell lines from cloned human embryos."
Where do we go from here?
The new report documents embryos made with ordinary skin cells. But it is not the first time human cloned embryos have been made. In 2005, for example, scientists in Britain reported using embryonic stem cells to produce a cloned embryo. It matured enough to produce stem cells, but none were extracted.
Stem cells were not produced by the new embryos either, and because of that, experts reacted coolly to the research.
"I found it difficult to determine what was substantially new," said Doug Melton of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He said the "next big advance will be to create a human embryonic stem cell line" from cloned embryos. "This has yet to be achieved."
Dr. George Daley of the Harvard institute and Children's Hospital Boston called the new report interesting but agreed that "the real splash" will be when somebody creates stem cell lines from cloned human embryos."
Where do we go from here?
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