This week on the Pro-Life World View we bring you stories about harmful and experimental gender affirming care, children and pornography, the impact of abortion on men, and much more.
European psychiatrists warn against ‘experimental’ and harmful transgender medicine
Andreas Wailzer – LifeSite
First, do no harm
This article reports on moves by the European Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ESCAP) to warn against promoting “experimental and unnecessarily invasive treatments with unproven psycho-social effects.” ESCAP have issued a Policy Statement to this effect. The article also highlights a growing pushback around the world concerning the dangers of gender affirming medicine, and the lack of evidence in support of it.
In praise of prayer and sacrifice
The mission of FLI is achieved through prayer, education, and service. Don Dolindo Ruotolo, (1882-1970) epitomized this in his life of intense prayer, great writing and preaching (education), and humble service. His days were “interspersed by numerous rosaries and prayers, the study of the sacred texts, by writing and unfailing support for all those who needed him.” He was totally devoted to Our Lady, and credits her with his great giftedness. Such holy and saintly men and women give us hope and encouragement!
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Subsequent First-Time Use of Psychiatric Treatment Among Fathers in Denmark
Frederik Christiansen, BSc; Janne Petersen, PhD; Ida Holte Thorius, MSc; et al – JAMA Network Open
Abortion affects men and they must be given a voice
“Don’t ever dare to tell me again that abortion doesn’t affect men, or that men can’t speak about this.” So tweeted Dr Calum Miller (a British medical doctor, philosopher and ethicist), drawing our attention to an article in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on the impact of abortion on men’s mental health. The JAMA article is pretty comprehensive, but the results section in the Abstract is certainly worth reading.
Breeding Immortal Beings
Rachel Lu – Law & Liberty
Breeding Immortal Beings
This intriguing headline for a book review, has the subtitle “What motivates an educated woman to have seven children?”
The reviewed book is Hannah’s Children by Catherine Ruth Pakaluk, (herself a mother of 8). Pakaluk interviewed 50 women – all mothers of five or more children, exploring the question about why some women choose to have larger families.
Some sample take-outs from the review:
- In short: it’s about the children.
- “Nothing (else) is as good”.
- All of Pakaluk’s subjects believed they were “breeding immortal beings”.
Yes, your child is being targeted by online predators
Kimberly Ells – Mercator
Is your child being targeted by on-line predators?
This highly readable article presents three true stories of young people who were drawn into immorality via their access to online devices. What is the best advice? You’ll need to read the article to find out.
What Happens When Children Are Exposed to Pornography?
Gabriela Coca and Jocelyn Wikle – Institute for Family Studies
Pornography and our children
In a somewhat similar vein to the last story, access to pornography is distressingly easy and pervasive within the online world. The average age of first exposure is around 12 years of age.
So what happens to children exposed to it? This article lists some of the devastating consequences, but also offers tips. For example:
- Educate and form your children about and for healthy relationships.
- Teach about the negative effects of pornography.
- What to do / not to do in the face of encounters with pornography.
- Install filtering software.
- Undertake active (or restrictive) control of access, including engagement in children’s use of computers and devices.
Large families will save the planet
Carlos Beltramo, Ph.D. – Population Research Institute
Large families will save the planet!
There are some startling catch-cries within this punchy article such as “Save the planet!” and “Have more children!”
Other insights:
- Paul Erlich’s 1968 book The Population Bomb predicted doom if population growth was not controlled. Every exaggerated prediction has been proved wrong in spite of the success of his population control message.
- Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae (also in 1968) spoke hard truths, and outlined the inescapable consequences if these were ignored. Sadly, because the warnings went unheeded, every negative prediction has been realised, and we are now in the predicted demographic winter.
It seems that the way to a new demographic spring lies in promoting large families.
Canada is Euthanizing Its Poor and Disabled People
Alex Schadenberg – LifeNews
For want of a mattress, a man is dead
This heartbreaking story illustrates the awful trajectory of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MaiD) euthanasia laws and practice.
Normand Meunier, a quadriplegic man from Quebec, suffered shocking neglect when hospitalised. Given his resulting poor prognosis, he ‘chose’ the MAiD programme, rather than “be a burden.”
Disability advocates have been warning of this risk – of people choosing death “because it’s easier than fighting to survive.” Within just two years of ‘track two’ being added to Canada’s MAiD law, enabling physician-assisted death even for people who do not face “a reasonably foreseeable death,” nearly 700 disabled people have opted to end their lives.
FLI Comment
New Zealand’s euthanasia and assisted-death law, the End of Life Choice Act, 2019, includes supposed safeguards’ to limit death via this route. As stated on FLI’s page about the End of Life Choice Act:
It is important to remember at all times that the End of Life Choice Act is solely about legalising the killing of another person, or assisting someone to commit suicide. So-called safeguards lure citizens into a false sense of security that no abuses will occur. However, overseas experience shows that no amount of so-called safeguards will ever stop the abuse of a law which fundamentally is about killing.
Overseas experience shows us that the access criteria for euthanasia and assisted suicide will almost certainly be made easier and wider, leading to a greater number of deaths.
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