The numbers are damning. We’re not replacing ourselves. Our population growth is stagnant. The magic number needed to replace ourselves is 2.1 live births per woman. That’s known as the Total Fertility Rate (TFR).
Iowa’s TFR is only 1.98 according to National Vital Statistics. We’re one of 36 states not replacing ourselves. Our population growth is slower than any other state except West Virginia and North Dakota’s, according to the Iowa Fiscal Partnership.
There is a very well-argued piece over at the ADF website on the shell game the Obama Administration is playing with the contraception mandate in Obamacare.
We’ve linked Obamacare-related posts from ADF before (here, and here), but this is probably their best yet. In it, they make a number of excellent analogies which highlight just how duplicitous this most recent alleged “compromise” is.
In fact, this is no compromise at all, unless your idea of compromise is “we lose, they win”.
-By Matt Bowman, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Legal Counsel
The Obama administration proposed a new regulation last week in its assault on religious freedom through ObamaCare, but the regulation is the same old story: the government violates religious freedom while imposing its own strange moral theological views on religious groups to tell them they should not complain.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” –Isaiah 5:20 KJV
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Fully 50% of Americans are pro-life, and 41% call themselves pro-choice, according to a Gallup Poll published in May 2012. So what is Planned Parenthood talking about in its new video?
“A majority of Americans believe abortion should remain safe and legal. Many just don’t use the words pro-choice. They don’t necessarily identify as pro-life either. Truth is, they just don’t want to be labeled.”
This all sounds so very open-minded and moderate, doesn’t it? But if the Gallup statistics are accurate, it’s also a bald-faced lie.
In fact, only 9% of the public are not labeling themselves absolutely in one camp or the other. However, a further reading of Gallup results reveals that 52% of the total surveyed do in fact believe that abortion should be legal under certain circumstances. But this is NOT the same as saying they believe “abortion should remain safe and legal,” which implies legal under most or any circumstances (the Planned Parenthood position).
We should be encouraged by the fact that across all three political affiliations, Republican, Democrat and Independent, there are been a significant upswing in the number of respondents who self-identify as “pro-life.” And still more significant still were the responses to this question in the same Gallup Poll:
We just covered the 2013 March For Life, and by all accounts it was a huge success. However, the battle for the soul of our nation will be continuing for some time.
As evidence of this, below is the eight-zillionth example of the incongruous mental gymnastics the Left has to perform in order to justify abortion to themselves. This ‘Ode to Abortion‘ comes via everyone’s favorite racist, Touré, and is from just this past weekend:
We’ve just passed the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal in this country. And what did the so-called pro-choice movement feel was an appropriate gesture on such a significant occasion? At drawtheline.org, which promotes legislation known as the the Bill of Reproductive Rights, they produced a little video in which a handsome man wishes “Happy Anniversary” to his ‘baby’…he has champagne and a red rose, he smiles seductively. Firelight and soft jazz complete the romantic picture.
Who’s he toasting? The right to an abortion. If that sounds sick, it is. Continue reading →
So says Dr Laura de Rooy, a consultant neonatologist at St George’s Hospital NHS Trust in London writing in response to an article published in the British Medical Journal of the placement of disabled infants on the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP).
The LCP was developed to help push those clinging for life off the cliff, so to speak. The elderly and terminally ill.
We’ve already done our breakdown on last week’s VP debate; 2 posts, in fact. However, there is still one aspect of that evening which bothered me greatly but I didn’t get into, since (A) I knew it would take way too long to address properly, and (B) the subject makes my skull hurt.
The part to which I refer is in the following clip. Jump to the 2:53 mark to hear Biden’s remark (text is below):
“My religion defines who I am, and I have been a practicing Catholic my whole life,” Biden said. “And it has particularly informed my social doctrine. Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves, people who need help.
“With regard to abortion,” he said, “I accept my church’s position on abortion as a, what we call de fide doctrine. Life begins at conception. That’s the church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life. But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christian and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the congressman.
“I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that, women, that they can’t control their body,” said Biden. “It is a decision between them and their doctor, in my view, and the Supreme Court. I am not going to interfere with that.”
Oy, vey….
To use Biden’s favorite phrase from the other night (he said it twice): that’s a bunch of malarkey.
First of all, Twitter went insane about 5 seconds later:
Biden: my Catholic faith defines who i am. Wow.— Thomas Peters (@AmericanPapist) October 12, 2012
@FatherJimChern @AmericanPapist When Biden says that he is Catholic, What Catholic Church is he referring too? Not Roman, Eastern or Coptic— John Sheil (@nifty_john) October 12, 2012
Can’t argue with any of those sentiments.
Be real: if your faith “defines” who you are, then how exactly does it not color how you go about your day-to-day activities? I’m well aware that the act of deliberately failing to live one’s faith is popularly described in society today as being able to ‘compartmentalize’ your religious values.
Yeah, I’m calling ‘malarkey’ on that one, too.
If your faith, your belief system, defines who you are, then it necessarily defines what you do & how you do it. Otherwise, your alleged faith is nothing more than a hobby, like model building. Or, in Joe’s case, having his fake teeth whitened.
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After forcing myself to watch the debate a second time, I observed that Biden chose his words just a tad too carefully. Listen to his verbiage: his answer doesn’t include the word “belief”, nor does he state that he agrees with the Catholic Church’s view. He simply says he “accepts” it, which is barely more than a grudging acknowledgment.
Someone can accept any number of things:
Convicts accept that they’re in prison; I’m guessing very few of them feel they should be.
I accept that the speed limit on the Interstate near my home is 55 mph, rather than the 70+ at which most people regularly drive. That doesn’t mean that I agree with the posted speed limit, and I certainly wouldn’t advocate to keepit that way.
In my opinion, Biden is an example of the classic ‘cafeteria’ Catholic: “I’m cool with some of the stuff the Church says, but not real hip with some other stuff, so I’ll just order from the doctrinal à la carte menu, and take only what I want“. Sorry, kids, Catholicism doesn’t work that way.
This isn’t some minor, inconsequential church belief, either: this is one of the big ones, falling under that “Thou shall not Kill” suggestion commandment. Even Joe may have heard mention of it over the years, …assuming he wasn’t too busy smirking, laughing, and interrupting the priest.
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Biden also must have been too occupied with Catholicism defining his life to have heard this statement from Pope John Paul II:
“Disregard for the right to life, precisely because it leads to the killing of the person whom society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the possibility of achieving the common good,” the pope said. “Consequently, a civil law authorizing abortion or euthanasia ceases by that very fact to be a true, morally binding civil law.
“Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize,” said the pope. “There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection.”
“In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to ‘take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law, or vote for it,’” declared the pope.
–from Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical letter,Evangelium Vitae.
Pope Benedict XVI, back in 2002 when he was still a Cardinal, also wrote of this, saying:
“Catholics, (…) have the right and the duty to recall society to a deeper understanding of human life and to the responsibility of everyone in this regard,” Cardinal Ratzinger wrote. “John Paul II, continuing the constant teaching of the Church, has reiterated many times that those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a “grave and clear obligation to oppose“any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them.”
I know Biden doesn’t exactly light up the heavens with his intellect, but that seems fairly clear, even to a simpleton like me.
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The other big Catholic whopper that St. Biden The Pious was selling last week was regarding the HHS mandate. We’ve covered (along with a host of other folks) the Obamacare contraception vs. religious freedom law ad nauseam, but Biden lied about it anyway.
“With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide.
That is a fact. That, is a fact.”
Actually, Joe, it’s kinda the opposite of a fact. In reality it’s a non-fact, or what I like to call: a lie. Honestly, I do love it when Biden speaks that way to make an I’m-really-serious rhetorical point. His voice slows…down…and he repeats things….twice….for …effect.
It tells me when he’s lying.
It tells me…..when…. he’s….. lying.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) came out with a statement last week to refute this “fact” in no uncertain terms, part of which is below:
The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain “religious employers.” That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to “Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital,” or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served.
HHS has proposed an additional “accommodation” for religious organizations like these, which HHS itself describes as “non-exempt.” That proposal does not even potentially relieve these organizations from the obligation “to pay for contraception” and “to be a vehicle to get contraception.” They will have to serve as a vehicle, because they will still be forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. They will have to pay for these things, because the premiums that the organizations (and their employees) are required to pay will still be applied, along with other funds, to cover the cost of these drugs and surgeries.
USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms, actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the mandate.
Again, that seems to be pretty easy to understand. Maybe we need to translate it into a picture book for Vice President My-Faith-Defines-Me.
I’ll give Biden this much: he’s in good company, as a plethora of Democrat politicians use the same convoluted, rationalized logic, including John Kerry and Nancy “I haven’t blinked in 20 years” Pelosi:
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Honestly, I couldn’t begin to care if Biden is Catholic, atheist, Muslim, Jewish, Wiccan, or if he pays homage to snails. I do, however, care a great deal when the Vice President in effect slanders my faith, repeatedly trying to pass off his idiotic blather as “fact”.
More to the point, if someone believes that abortion is fine-&-dandy, let’s have that discussion. Within my close circle of family/friends are people who disagree with me wholeheartedly on this subject. None of them, however, have the chutzpah to try passing themselves off as devout followers of any faith where they are 100% opposedto a belief so integral to that same church’s teachings.
Believe what you want; it’s a free country…for now. But for it to remain so, this pathetic excuse for a VP, along with his equally truth-challenged sidekick, need to be gone next month.
ADDENDUM from Godsbooklover for our non-Catholic readers: Of course you already know this, but it bears pointing out that the issue of abortion is NOT merely a “Catholic” issue, but one which should matter to all Christians, and all Jews. JTR mentioned that’s it’s a “Big One”…as in, one of the Big Ten, which are most certainly notsuggestions.
I’ve had the weekend after the Democrat Convention to roll things over in my mind, and I’ve come to what I believe is the only rational conclusion: that it was a huge win ……for the Republicans.
Yes, you heard me right.
If you’re a political junkie like yours-truly, you’ve been hearing what a masterful, splendiferous, super-duper week it was for the Democrats. But let’s be honest: everyoneknew going into DNC week that, regardless of WHAT actually happened, the ’Praetorian Press’ would hail the event as a success. It was equally understood that during the preceding week’s Republican’s convention, Romney and Ryan could have given their speeches while walking on water and simultaneously pulling fully assembled Chevy Volts out of their ears, and they’d stillbe derided in the press as banal.
That said, we got a decent glimpse of both parties during the fortnight, and the Dems would be wise to be concerned for several reasons.
1) In Charlotte, seemingly every speaker appeared to be sponsored by Abortions ‘R Us Planned Parenthood. Even Cokie Roberts (who is never the conservative part of ANY panel) not only noticed it on Sunday’s ‘This Week’, but observed that it was “over the top”. In fact, 25 Democrat speakers managed to work in a reference to abortion, even though practically everyone assiduously managed too avoid using the actual ‘A’ word. They used a “woman’s right to choose” and even “women’s reproductive health”, among others; I was half expecting them to start referring to it as the “practice-which-shall-not-be-named”, Harry Potter-style.
2) The old Liberal mainstay of TOLERANCE was shown to be a total sham with the videotaped booing of either God, Jerusalem or at least 50% of the delegates’ intolerance being blatantly ignored… or quite possibly all three. That video needs to be shown to every Independent and every Democrat in the country. The liberal press will try to sweep it under the rug as fast as they can, but I predict that video will be repeated incessantly for the next 8 weeks, as it should be.
3) Even more importantly still, more than Biden’s or Obama’s turns at the microphone, or even Bill Clinton’s smooth but dishonest soliloquy, we were treated to Sandra “Free Condoms” Fluke. Mark Steyn covered her address in his column, perfectly as always. From National Review:
“…she [Sandra Fluke] has concluded that the most urgent need facing the Brokest Nation in History is for someone else to pay for the contraception of 30-year-old children. She says the choice facing America is whether to be “a country where we mean it when we talk about personal freedom, or one where that freedom doesn’t apply to our bodies and our voices” — and, even as the words fall leaden from her lips, she doesn’t seem to comprehend that Catholic institutions think their “voices” ought to have freedom, too, or that Obamacare seizes jurisdiction over “our bodies” and has 16,000 new IRS agents ready to fine us for not making arrangements for “our” pancreases and “our” bladders that meet the approval of the commissars.
Sexual liberty, even as every other liberty withers, is all that matters: A middle-school girl is free to get an abortion without parental consent, but if she puts a lemonade stand on her lawn she’ll be fined.
What a bleak and reductive concept of “personal freedom.”
I include Fluke’s appearance as separate from the abortion-palooza because the only reason she was even therewas birth control. Her, and the Democrat Party’s, complete lack of perspective as to what’s paramount to Jane Six-pack is stunning yet revealing. When added to the cornucopia of abortion boosters, it sends the distinctly unsubtle message that abortion-on-demand is their #1 animating cause.
Do they really think this is the dilemma that haunts most adult women (married & otherwise), who are just trying to afford a mortgage, clothes and food for their family? Is it yours? Abortion 24/7/365 may play well on most college campuses, but the majority of adults have far bigger worries on their minds these days.
4) And lastly, they made their roughly 1000th pitch for the necessity of Obamacare. ***Yawn*** This came off as self-serving and fairly desperate, since it has never polled favorably since its inception. The public made up its mind on O-care long ago; trying to rah-rah it at this point comes off as utterly dishonest, like trying to reassure your child that the foul-tasting medicine actually tastes like bubblegum.
The American public is smarter than this, but the Dems don’t seem to have gotten the memo.
