National Campus Life Network

By Rebecca Richmond, Executive Director

To be honest, I’m not surprised by the news that aid ends up supporting organizations that perform abortions, even where abortions are illegal.  It’s terrible, but not surprising.

These organizations are motivated by a concern for the well-being and the safety of women in difficult circumstances.  But sentiment is not the same as doing what is right.

Yes, women do die from illegal abortions, and we can all agree that illegal abortions are terrible.  Illegal abortions are not safe for women.  (I would argue that legal abortions are also not safe for women.)  But every abortion, whether illegal or legal, is not safe for the child.  Some women, desperate and afraid, die from illegal abortions, but babies die regardless of the legality of the act.  I hate what some illegal abortions do to women, but I hate more what all abortions do to their children.

So instead of making the murder of one party safer for the other, these organizations should provide the support these desperate women need to make decisions that both parties can live with.

By Sara Hall, Maritime Campus Coordinator

Below is the new video created by Lia Mills, a popular young woman in the pro-life community. In this video campaign she explains how some choices are wrong and some are a matter of personal preference. She goes on to show the humanity of the unborn by revealing the illogic of common pro-choice arguments. Lia completes her video by asking the question “Is it possible to be a human but not a person.” She is currently working on a video to answer that very question.

By Rebecca Richmond, Executive Director

A great column by Susan Martinuk appears in the Calgary Herald today on the stem cell debate and the media hype that is clouding the issue.

As she astutely points out,

The debate has indeed resurfaced but, based on reaction by the American media, any hope for real discussion is lost. The debate is still being fought on the basis of erroneous perceptions and, without the facts, there can be no intelligent resolution.

And the facts seem to be that a) embryo stem cells haven’t seen much in the way of successes; b) embryos have to die in order to get the stem cells; and c) these are human embryos we are talking about.  How do they differ from any of us?  (Check out uOttawa Students For Life’s analysis of the differences between the unborn and the born based on Size, Level of Development, Environment and Degree of Dependence).

On the other hand, adult stem cells a) have been highly successful in treatments; and b) are ethical.  No one has to die to harvest adult stem cells.

I’m all for scientific progress, but not when that “progress” costs innocent lives.

By Sara Hall, Maritime Campus Coordinator

The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) is encouraging doctors to advise adolescents to use the abortifacient morning-after pill as a “safe” and confidential birth control method. In the statement released by the CPS this month they claim that, “emergency contraception (EC) is an effective way to prevent an unintended or unplanned pregnancy. Teens should also be counselled that the progestin-only method is widely available without a doctor’s prescription across Canada.”  Their statement goes on to say that, “paediatricians, family physicians and advanced practice nurses should consider having EC available in their respective clinical settings to give to teens at risk for unwanted pregnancy.”

The CPS also defends the provision of emergency contraceptives to adolescents and pre-teens in a private and completely confidential manner. They even urge medical practitioners to begin discussing the availability of the drug to girls as young as twelve years old.

Alissa Golob from Campaign Life Coalition Youth called their approach “a recipe for enabling child rapists to continue sexually assaulting young girls behind their parents’ backs.

The approach of the CPS also gives these young boys and girls the false impression that they can continue having sexual intercourse without consequences and/or without their parent’s knowledge.  There is also very little information given to these minors on the side effects, such as an ectoptic pregnancy, blood clots, and the possible abortifacient effect this drug can have. Also, without parental consent, parents will be unable to give their young children appropriate counsel and support concerning this serious issue.

There are two forms of emergency contraception available in Canada.  Plan B, the recommended method of EC for teens, is a high dose of progestin.  It is used up to a few days after sexual intercourse to either prevent ovulation or to prevent a newly conceived human being from implanting in the uterus. To learn more about the Morning After Pill visit: http://www.morningafterpill.org/index.html

By Sara Hall, Maritime Campus Coordinator

If any of our readers follow Sarah Palin, you have probably seen the video, Sarah Doesn’t Speak for Me,  from the group EMILY’s List. The video, though clever and well done, contradicts itself. You will notice they claim to protect their young when threatened, but directly after that condone the murder of unborn children in the name of “choice”.

In Sarah Palin’s response to this video she writes, “The sad part is that the attack comes from other sisters who happen to be on the other side of an issue that has been of great importance to American women from the time of our feminist foremothers, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, down to today. I’m speaking of the issue of life.”

The pro-abortion group who created the video worry that their “cubs” would be denied healthcare under a Palin administration.  Apparently healthcare includes the “right” to kill their own children. So much for protecting their “young”, or particularly their grandchildren.

By Rebecca Richmond, Executive Director

Earlier this summer, Theresa Gilbert and I spoke at a large youth retreat outside of Cornwall, Ontario.  Over the course of two 1-hour workshops on what it is to be pro-life we spoke to about 300 high school students.  The feedback we received following the workshops was very positive.  I remember speaking to several people, both high school students and chaperones, who told us they had never heard the pro-life message communicated in such an effective way, where they felt equipped to defend the truth.  Still, I can never help wondering what happens to some of the young people who hear our presentations.

About two weeks ago I heard from one high school student who attended the talk.  Prior to the talk, she told me, she had been ‘on the fence’ about abortion.  But not anymore. “I know now,” she wrote in a message, “that being pro-life isn’t about denying a woman’s right to her body but instead to fight for the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Here’s her story:

“The reason my mind was 100% changed was because of your talk. I was on the fence about being pro-life because my mom is not. She’s not totally pro-choice either, but she believes that there are some gray areas concerning abortion (such as rape and incest), and that it cannot be as black & white as the pro-life message makes it. I was ignorant about abortion and even as I learned more about it and decided it was wrong, I told myself that I can’t make decisions for other people. I’ve also told myself that even if abortion wasn’t legal anymore there would be more women dying from unsafe abortions. I kept on telling myself anything that would justify not being pro-life, but deep down I felt as if I was lying to myself.

In your talk you addressed all the justifications I had told myself and undermined each one, until I realised that the excuses I had been feeding my conscience were not valid, and weren’t even based on the facts. I decided then that I needed to tell people. I didn’t know what I was going to do, or how I was going to do it, or if I’d even have the guts to tell my mom my plans, but I felt God telling me that this was something I needed to do. When I told my mom, she respected my decision.

When I thought of how I was going to tell people about what abortion really is, I wanted to have it somehow made a part of a subject in school. I figured since the developing of a human life is taught in science class, so should the absolute destruction of that same being. I was planning on talking to my principal to see how I could even get that started. The more I thought about it, however, the more I wasn’t sure how that would work. Would I be able to start that in my school? My school board? Or would I have to reach the really big people: the government? As my answer was leaning to the hardest people to reach, I decided I would have to start smaller. I thought about maybe writing a poem about abortion and reading it to my school at an assembly, but what ended up happening was instead of a poem, a whole play was emerging. The script is evolving into not just a play about abortion, but about teen pregnancy and the many challenges pregnant teens face. It’s still in the works, but… I’m hoping it will be completed soon. “

by Sara Hall, Maritime Campus Coordinator

The Irish pro-life organization called “Youth Defense” released a radio ad that was banned by the government because it was “too political”.  They have now released the powerful and challenging video on youtube to spread the message about abortion and life in the womb. Note that instead of allowing themselves to be censored by the government they simply found a new channel to spread the message of life that will now reach a greater population than a single radio show in Ireland.

Welcome to the new and improved www.ncln.ca!!!!

Our site features more information about who we are, including staff and board profiles, as well as what others in the Pro-Life Movement are saying about NCLN.  Check out our Resources, including an updated Speakers List, Links, and more.   Our website features an NCLN blog as well as a Campus Blog Section, which includes feeds from all of the pro-life campus blogs in Canada!  This gives you one-click access to the blogs of the Canadian Campus Pro-Life Movement.

Be sure to visit often!

by Rebecca Richmond, NCLN Executive Director

Wanted: Followers.

NCLN is now on twitter so look us up and follow us to stay on top of all the exciting happenings in the Campus Pro-Life Movement. Whether it’s an interesting article or breaking news, whether it’s me getting lost trying to find a Campus during one of my visits or a noteworthy encounter, you’ll want to keep an eye on @ncln.

by Rebecca Richmond, NCLN Executive Director

Mark this page as a ‘favourite’, subscribe to the feed or add us on ‘Google Reader’ because this will be your one-stop page for the latest from pro-life campus groups across Canada!  Feeds from the blogs of pro-life campus groups will automatically show up here, as will our own content.

Check back often for news, commentary, inspirational testimonies and special features.