‘House of Horrors’ Abortionist Will Head to Trial on Monday, March 4, in Philadelphia

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Kermit Gosnell is charged with eight murders,
other criminal charges

Harrisburg, PA – Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday, March 4, for the trial of an infamous Philadelphia abortionist who is charged with eight murders and numerous other criminal charges.

Kermit Gosnell

Kermit Gosnell

In 2011, investigators revealed the horrific practices of Kermit Gosnell and his squalid abortion facility in West Philadelphia. Gosnell allegedly killed one female patient and seven newborn babies in a facility the prosecutor described as a “house of horrors.”

“Gosnell must be held accountable for his blatant disregard for the lives of newborn babies and the health and safety of women,” said Micaiah Bilger, education coordinator at the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life. “Clearly, Gosnell was more concerned about earning millions of dollars than he was about his patients’ welfare.”

Prior to the investigation, Gosnell’s Women’s Medical Society had not been inspected for 17 years. Hair and nail salons in Pennsylvania were held to greater scrutiny than Gosnell’s abortion center.

“Kermit Gosnell’s ‘house of horrors’ served as a wake-up call to Pennsylvania about the disastrous effects of unregulated abortion,” Bilger said. “Fortunately, our governor and legislators took swift action to put safeguards in place for women and preborn babies after the Gosnell discoveries. Now, as a result of a new law, Act 122, abortion centers in our state are being held accountable.”

How Can Churches Promote the Sanctity of Life?

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It’s a question that I’ve heard fairly often from pro-lifers.

They are concerned that their church is not doing more to protect life from the moment of conception, and they want to know how to change that.Choose Life!

Some of the best answers that I have heard come from the Rev. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. He hosted a seminar last summer about how churches in pro-life denominations can be more fruitful.

Let me share with you his three-step advice for churches:

First step – Your denomination may be pro-life, but that doesn’t mean everyone in your congregation is. People tend to have very strong feelings about abortion, and those who think abortion should be legal can be put off by the pro-life message. They may see pro-lifers as extremists who don’t care about women. Our job is to neutralize the hostile opinions by starting friendly conversations about the issue, finding common ground (such as our desire to help women and their families), and helping them to see that there really is some truth to the pro-life argument.

Second step – There may be other people in your church who say that while they would never have an abortion themselves, they don’t believe it’s right to stop someone else from making that decision. Our job is to explain why abortion is wrong not just for us personally but for everyone: because abortion destroys a life.

Third step – The most important step toward protecting the sanctity of life in church is to help stop abortions among believers. Our job is to offer compassion, support, and resources to women facing a crisis pregnancy, as well as to women who have had abortions. From there, we can actively continue to teach about the issue, maybe by doing a Bible study on the topic or examining the denomination’s pro-life statement. We also can encourage prayer for women considering abortion, their babies, the fathers, pregnancy counselors, lawmakers, and ministers.

Finally, the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation has developed some practical suggestions for churches that want to become more actively involved. Click here for the list.

A side note: The protection of every human’s right to life is a compassionate cause that attracts many religious people. However, it is not simply a religious viewpoint. The right to life from the moment of conception is a truth supported by both science and logic. Read more here.

Abortion Deaths of Mom, Baby Draw Attention to Aborting Babies with Disabilities

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The tragic abortion death of Jennifer Morbelli and her 8-month-old baby girl has brought new attention to the issue of aborting babies with disabilities.

According to reports, Morbelli and her husband were looking life-potentialforward to the birth of their baby girl. Then, doctors discovered problems with the baby’s brain. The couple decided to have a late-term abortion. Sadly, both mother and child died as a result of the procedure.

While we don’t know the details about the Morbelli family’s situation, we do know that many families feel pressured into having abortions when their baby has a disability.

Peter Saunders, a pro-life doctor from the UK, relates the concerns he heard from families and advocates during a government inquiry about abortion and people with disabilities:

“First, there seemed to be very little support or information available for families who wanted to keep their babies, as opposed to having them aborted.

“Second, there was a strong presumption from doctors that parents with disabled children would choose to have them aborted.

“Third, there was a huge amount of subtle or direct pressure placed on parents who decided not to abort. They were repeatedly asked to reconsider their decisions and treated like pariahs – in short they were discriminated against.”

Fortunately, many parents are now sharing their stories about raising a child with a disability and encouraging others to do the same. Check out some of their stories:

  • Doctors said Riley had no chance of survival and urged his parents to abort him. They refused. Riley was born with several serious medical issues, but he fought for his life. Read the rest of his incredible story here.
  • Adeline was given a one-in-ten chance of surviving birth after being diagnosed with multiple birth defects. After her parents were pressured by doctors to abort her, they decided to get a second opinion. Find out what happened here.
  • Benedict lived for only 24 hours after he was born. But his mother made the most of the short time she had to spend with him. Read more here.
  • Chloe was born with Down Syndrome in 2003. Today, she and her dad are on a mission to teach the world about the abilities of people with Down Syndrome. Read more here about her incredible life.

These stories remind us of why there is always a reason to choose life!

Kindergarten Teacher Dies after Late-Term Abortion; Abortionist Didn’t Answer Emergency Calls

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A kindergarten teacher has died at the hands of a late-term abortionist.Not long ago, Jennifer Morbelli and her husband were making plans to Jennifer Morbelliwelcome their baby girl into the world. They had picked out baby things for her in a registry, and they even had chosen a name – Madison.

But when the couple found out that their baby girl had abnormalities, they decided to abort her. Read more here.

Infamous late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart performed Jennifer’s abortion earlier this month at a center in Maryland. After the surgery, Jennifer went home and began experiencing intense pain. According to reports, the family tried to call Carhart, but he did not answer. They took her to the emergency room, and she died a few hours later.

Now, a source reveals that Carhart’s abortion center instructs its patients NOT to go to the emergency room. The instructions say that if the woman is having problems, she should call and meet someone at the center.

This case mirrors the tragic death of young Chicago mother Tonya Reeves last summer. In her case, she went to Planned Parenthood for an abortion and started having problems while she was there. The staff waited six hours before taking her to the emergency room. And then they failed to inform the hospital staff about her condition.

It’s also reminiscent of the horror stories that were revealed in Philadelphia two years ago. Abortionist Kermit Gosnell butchered women and newborn infants in his gristly practice. He now awaits trial for the deaths of seven newborns and a woman.

When will these sickening killings end? When will our society wake up and realize how devastating abortion is to preborn babies and their mothers?

40 Days for Life Campaign Starts on Wednesday

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Wednesday, February 13, marks the beginning of Lent for Christians. This forty-day period leading up to Easter is set aside for reflection, prayer, and fasting.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the powerful 40 Days for Life campaign 40 days for lifebegins on the same day. The pro-life campaign focuses on prayer and fasting, peaceful vigils, and community outreach to draw attention to the evil of abortion.

These 40-day campaigns have proved to be a powerful witness to the value of life. One community’s vigils inspired Abby Johnson to quit her job at Planned Parenthood. Since then she has become a pro-life household name as she defends the lives of preborn babies, supports their mothers, and offers help to abortion workers who want to quit their jobs.

Because of the campaign, there have been thousands of reports from mothers who chose life for their babies.

To participate in Pennsylvania, click here for a list of participating communities.

Reflecting on the Tragedy of Abortion, Hope for Life during Black History Month

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As we celebrate Black History Month this February, I think back to all of the things I learned this year as I began working in the pro-life movement.

So much has disturbed and surprised me about abortion in our country, mother_and_childbut there is little that I find more disturbing than abortion in African American communities.

Take a look with me:

The statistics – The number of abortions that black women have in Pennsylvania is troubling. While about 11 percent of our population is African American, 41 percent of abortions in the Commonwealth are to African Americans.

The targets – A new study shows that abortion centers target minorities. Life Issues Institute analyzed the 2010 Census data, and found “… that Planned Parenthood continues to strategically place the majority of their surgical abortion facilities in locations that target Black Americans for abortion. This analysis shows that 62% of Planned Parenthood abortion facilities are within walking distance (2 miles) of relatively high African American populations.”

The stories – This summer, the news of a tragic abortion death unfolded. A young black mother named Tonya Reaves walked in to a Planned Parenthood to have an abortion. Hours later, both she and her baby were dead. Later investigations revealed that her uterus has been perforated during the abortion; and staff waited several hours before taking her to the hospital. By then, it was too late. Planned Parenthood now faces two lawsuits because of Tonya’s death.

And just recently, two black women shared their abortion experiences in a new film about the Philadelphia abortion mill run by Kermit Gosnell. The first woman changed her mind on the abortion table, but the staff forced her to go through with the abortion. The second woman was lied to about abortion and the health risks. Gosnell left both women damaged mentally and physically. Neither one can have any more children.

The life advocates – These numbers and stories break my heart. So many babies are dying at the hands of the abortionist. So many women are being lied to. Yet, I also found hope in the black community, whose strong pro-life advocates refuse to stop fighting against this injustice.

Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dedicates her life to ending abortion. She visited Central Pa. last fall and joined area black religious leaders in praying for an end to abortion. King had two abortions as a young woman, and now she shares a message of hope and healing with other women who have been damaged by abortions. Read more about her here.

Arlene Campbell bravely speaks about having an abortion in college. The Philadelphia woman almost died after complications resulting from her abortion. She now tells her story with the hope that other women will choose life for their preborn babies. Listen to her story here.

Dr. Mildred Fay Jefferson left an amazing legacy, breaking racial and gender barriers as African American leader. She was the first African American women to graduate from Harvard Medical School. In the 1975, she became the president of the National Right to Life Committee. Her eloquence and passion for the preborn even influenced Ronald Reagan. Watch her story here.

I find new hope in these leaders, hope that one day our society will respect the rights of every human life.

The Pro-life Fight for Women

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By Maria Gallagher

The line “War on Women” did not die on Election Night 2012. The pro-abortion lobby carefully coined this phrase in an attempt to neutralize advances made by those who believe that law and public policy should protect an innocent person’s right to life. It’s catchy, alliterative, and denotes violence and death, and so it works well in a soundbite world.

Every time the catch-phrase is uttered—on cable news, radio talk shows, and in the Twitterverse, it should be countered—in an equally soundbite-savvy way. For what the pro-life movement has been engaging in for the past 40 years is a Fight for Women. And many women are leading the charge:

• Abby Johnson. This courageous mom once worked for Planned Parenthood, but, Former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnsonwhen viewing an ultrasound-guided abortion—and seeing the goodness and kindness of the 40 Days for Life members standing vigil outside the abortion center door—walked bravely to “the other side.” She now assists those who work within the abortion industry to find a safe way out. You can learn more about her And Then There Were None ministry at http://www.attwn.org/ . (And be sure to read her fascinating account of her transition from abortion proponent to pro-life advocate in her ground-breaking book, “Unplanned.” Abby is a passionate leader in the Fight for Women.

• Lila Rose. This remarkable twenty-something is lila3tthe founder of Live Action, which uses the tried-and-true tools of investigative journalism to expose the illegal activity and corruption present in the abortion industry. Lila has been especially effective at lifting the veil behind the cover-up of the sexual abuse of minor girls. You can learn more about her at http://www.liveaction.org/lilarose/ . Lila is a fearless truth-seeker in the Fight for Women.

• Gianna Jessen and Melissa Ohden. These two articulate young women have put a face on “choice.” Both are survivors of attempts to take their lives through abortion. They have raised their voices for those unborn girls who have none, and their testimony is powerful. Discover their stories at http://www.giannajessen.com/main/octoberbaby.html and http://www.melissaohden.com/ . Gianna and Melissa represent the heart and soul of the Fight for Women.

• Kristan Hawkins. She is the Executive Director of Students Kristan_Hawkinsfor Life. She has invigorated pro-life activism on college campuses around the nation, and has helped to show the world that youth have a particular stake in the Fight for Women. The Students for Life success story can be found at www.studentsforlife.org . Kristan is among the leading strategists in the Fight for Women.

This is far from a complete list—but it does spotlight the role that young, vibrant leaders are playing in the Fight for Women. Whenever you hear abortion advocates talking about the War on Women, point to the awe-inspiring Millennials and Gen-Xers at the forefront of the pro-life movement and respond, “No, you must mean the Fight for Women—and we are winning!”

Half a Million Join March for Life in Washington, D.C.

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You may not have heard it on the news, but this year’s March for Life brought a record crowd to Washington, D.C. on January 25. About half a million people from all across the country braved the wind and snow to stand up for the rights of the preborn.

Several thousand of these people were from Pennsylvania. According to one news report, churches in the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg alone provided transportation for 700 people.

Click here to check out photos of Pennsylvanians at the March or take a quick look at a few below:

Young people from Butler County during the March for Life

Young people from Butler County during the March for Life

Marchers with our Pocono Chapter pause for a group photo.

Marchers with our Pocono Chapter pause for a group photo.

Youth and adults with the People for Life of Erie bus trip head to the March.

Youth and adults with the People for Life of Erie bus trip head to the March.

 

Bells to Toll in Harrisburg for 40th Anniversary of Abortion Ruling, Roe v. Wade

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Church bells throughout the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg will toll 40 times on Tuesday, January 22, to mark the somber 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision which brought us the nightmare of abortion on demand for any reason during all nine months of pregnancy.

But for whom will the bells toll?

• The nameless victims who never got to see a rainbow…never got to feel the sun’s warmth, or a gentle mother’s kiss on their foreheads. It is estimated that there are more than 55 million of them now—black, Latino, Asian, Native American, white—all of them somebody’s child.

• The millions of mothers, many of them pressured by others, who were exploited by the profiteers of the abortion industry. Some lost their lives at the hands of their abortionists, others their health–witness the depravity and the disdain for women at abortionist Kermit Gosnell’s West Philadelphia abortion center, described by a grand jury as a House of Horrors. Watch the documentary series “3801 Lancaster” to hear testimonies from women butchered at Gosnell’s practice. And learn more about the brave witness of women who regret their abortions at http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/ .

• The millions of fathers, some of whom tried valiantly to save the lives of their children, only to be told they had no say in the matter. Find out more about their struggle at http://www.fatherhoodforever.org/ .

• The millions of brothers, sisters, and cousins who grew up in families where someone important was missing. College students can get involved by going to http://studentsforlife.org/ .

• The millions of grandparents who struggle to come to grips with the loss of the grandchildren they never knew. They can find healing at http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ .

And yet, there is tragically more. The phrase “for whom the bell tolls” comes from a work by poet John Dunne:

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”

The church bells of Harrisburg will be tolling for each one of us, for, whether we knew these 55 million children or not, we have all been diminished by their deaths.

Things You Can Do at the 2013 March for Life in D.C.

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A record-breaking number of pro-lifers are expected to participate in the national March for Life on Friday, January 25 in Washington, D.C.

This year, the March will take place on the National Mall between 7th and 9th Streets. The rally will begin at noon, and the march will follow at about 1:30 p.m.

When you are at the March for Life, consider participating in one of the many other pro-life opportunities available:

• Pennsylvania legislators reception — U.S. Representatives to Congress and U.S. Senator Pat Toomey will hold a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, January 25 in the 345 Cannon Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. Sen. Toomey plans to address those present at 2:15 p.m. Sen. Robert Casey Jr. also will meet with pro-lifers at 2:45 p.m. Friday in the Hart Building 902. Please take advantage of this opportunity to meet and speak with our U.S. legislators about the right to life. Be advised that everyone entering a federal building must pass through security; so plan to arrive early.

• National Pro-Life Prayer Service – Hosted by the National Pro-Life Religious Council, the interdenominational service will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 25, at the DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D Street NW. The Rev. Frank Pavone, president of the council, will deliver the sermon.

• March for Life Exhibit Hall – The exhibit will be open noon to 9 p.m. on Thursday, January 24, and 8 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, January 25, in the lower lobby level of the Hyatt Regency hotel.

• Silent No More Testimonies – Post-abortive women will share their stories immediately after the March on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Building.

• The 5K March for Life Run – This new event will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, January 26, in the West Potomac Park. There is no cost to participate, but donations to the March for Life are encouraged. Click here for a brochure.

• Stand True Youth Rally – Strong pro-life advocates Melissa Ohden, Lila Rose and Abby Johnson are featured speakers at the rally, which will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, January 24, in the Regency Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The event is free. For more information, click here.

• The 31st Annual Rose Dinner – This special evening will be held Friday evening at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington. Tickets cost $85 online or $100 at the door. Click here for more information.

For information about traveling to the March with a group in your area, contact the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation at lifelines@paprolife.org or 717-541-0034.