Although assisting suicide is only legal for a small fraction of the world’s population, advocates are in high gear promoting this dangerous legislation in several states. Currently, doctor-prescribed suicide is legal in only two states–Oregon and Washington–and may have some legal protection in the state of Montana, due to a court decision. The assisting-suicide advocacy groups, [...]
Overwhelmed by messages that come through texting, e-mails, the computer, and various apps on phones and iPads, today’s culture seems to be missing something. It is slowly becoming obvious that people are losing the ability to think, hear, and understand. Life seems to revolve around sending and receiving, even when the substance is totally lacking. [...]
As I write this in mid-March I look forward to soon being with two special families, who because of the depth of their love for a family member, found themselves in the midst of an international spotlight they did not seek, and a fierce conflict they did not shirk. They are the families of Terri [...]
A new book by Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC), challenges the myth that vulnerable people are not at risk under euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation. Using only data gathered from peer reviewed journal articles and studies, Schadenberg proves this assertion false in Exposing Vulnerable People to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, published in [...]
It was a surprising announcement indeed that Pope Benedict made this week. Of course, a Pope has the authority to say he will no longer be the Pope. But this will certainly be a new experience for the Church in our day. Having worked in the Vatican, it also raises some interesting protocol questions in [...]
It was an emotional day at the Vatican as Pope Benedict XVI, in two of his last public addresses, called again on Christians to continue to defend the lives of innocent unborn and vulnerable people and to uphold the sanctity of natural marriage. In this morning’s regular Wednesday general audience, he warned that Christians will [...]
Pope Benedict XVI’s impending resignation, announced this morning, has opened the usual spate of questions prior to a conclave, as well as new ones about the status of a living Pope emeritus. Among some pro-lifers there is lots of buzz about whether the new pontiff will be pro-life, as was John Paul II. It’s an [...]
Many of you probably read the recent heartbreaking news of Marc and Eddy, deaf twins who requested, and were granted, euthanization in Belgium after discovering they were going blind.Later this year, Belgium’s ruling party is set to consider allowing the euthanasia of children and Alzheimer’s sufferers. This news was on my mind recently when I read about Robert Gleason, [...]
Late last week, House Republicans passed a package of rules that will guide the next (113th) Congress. Contained within these rules was a simple provision stating that “[The] Independent Payment Advisory Board … shall not apply in the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress.” The Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, has remained one of the most [...]
Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo, is seeking permission to act as a guardian of a New York State man who is in a persistent vegetative state. Schindler is petitioning New York State’s Supreme County to serve as guardian for Gary Harvey, a Chemung County resident who suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling [...]
As a new year approaches, we naturally reflect on the one past. While it’s easy to get caught up in the negatives of the past year, we must identify and focus on the positive things that have happened as well. When we do this, we see that there are many reasons to look to this [...]
During Advent, Christians gather around the Manger, as yet empty. “Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay,” the Church’s liturgy prays. Just as the Baby in the Manger represents for us the greatest Gift God brings, so the emptiness of the Manger represents the deep needs of the human heart — needs that not only we [...]
During the months leading up to the passage of Obamacare, Sarah Palin was mocked and excoriated for her use of the term “death panels” to describe the comparative effectiveness approach embraced by architects of the legislation. Granted, the phrase sounds a bit hyperbolic, and downright macabre. Who could possibly be in favor of faceless bureaucrats [...]
Last Tuesday night I watched in disbelief as a slim majority of Americans voted to give Barack Hussein Obama a second term as president, but in the clear light of morning it is clear how this debacle happened—and what the pro-life movement needs to focus on now. I do not mean to make light of [...]
On the 6th of November, citizens of Massachusetts will face a critical vote. The choice people make on Question 2 is a choice that literally involves a life or death decision. The so-called “Death with Dignity Act” brings with it a dark deception. The citizens of Massachusetts are being asked to vote for or against the [...]
A group of pro-life physicians and other professionals, as well as the Catholic archbishop of Southwark, and innumerable patient’s families, are now being joined by the UK Health Secretary in calling for a thorough, independent review of the reported abuses of the Liverpool Care Pathway, a controversial end-of-life medical care protocol. A public outcry is [...]
On June 15, 2012, the Canadian province of British Columbia Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting euthanasia and assisted suicide. It won’t be long before the other provinces follow suit. My country is on the same slippery slope as Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Oregon and Washington. Within minutes of the law being struck down, my [...]
“A rose by any other name,” Shakespeare wrote, “would smell just as sweet.” Unfortunately, the same is true when the fragrance is less pleasant. When the role of ObamaCare’s Independent Payment Advisory Board in rationing life-saving medical treatments is alleged, the law’s apologists indignantly point out that the law specifically precludes the board from “rationing.” [...]
Today is the feast of Blessed John Paul II. He is often referred to as John Paul the Great, but I will always know him simply as JPII. No doubt he was a mighty world/religious leader, but to many of us who grew up under his pontificate, he was also a gentle and humble shepherd [...]
With the matter of legalized physician assisted suicide facing the Massachusetts voters this November (and a new law proposed in New Jersey), I thought it would be a good time to remind readers why the CBC opposes physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. To be clear, we support people dying a natural death. Sometimes the zeal for assisted legalized [...]
Sometimes I wonder if anyone really thinks through what it means to be a human being anymore. There are so many signals being transmitted hither and yon these days that it makes the mind spin—and very few of these signals are grounded in natural law or even common sense. For example, I read a headline asking, “Is [...]
Steven Rattner, whose pedigree includes Wall Street financial expert and MSNBC’s economic analyst, is also a proponent of “death panels,” and he explains his use of the term in such a way that one is left wondering exactly what he would do with the ill and dying if he were in charge. He recently opined [...]
Happy October! And what a month it will be! There are various powerful observances and events this month whose themes reinforce one another and the overall mission of the Church on behalf of human life. It is, first of all, Respect Life Month. It’s a time to let the pulpits roar with the Church’s Biblical [...]
The goal for disability inclusion into mainstream society has made major strides forward. But make no mistake, it has been a long and difficult road toward equality and inclusion for people with disabilities. A reluctant public was unaccustomed to seeing people with profound disabilities in their midst. Remember, for centuries people with serious disabilities were shut [...]
