Colombia Aborts
Colombia has followed the example of much of the rest of the world in the abortion holocaust, as her first legal abortion has been committed.
The Catholic country’s courts legalized abortion in May in the cases of rape, danger to the mother’s life and deformed fetus.
Although the case was considered extreme, the subject of abortion is a contentious one in Colombia. Protesters assembled outside the hospital to oppose the abortion and Catholic Church officials spoke out against it.
Anti-lifers hoped this would be a first step to abortion-on-demand in Colombia. “But with the fury amused during this abortion,” says the BBC, “… it is clear that such a step is still a way off.”
See the Source: Jeremy McDermott, “First legal abortion in Columbia,” BBC News, 25 August, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5284604.stm
Brazilians Don’t Want Change
The people of Brazil have spoken and most of them don’t want their abortion laws changed! According to a poll by Datafolha and published in Folha de Sao Paulo, 63% of Brazilians responding said they felt the current law should not be changed and that they approve of the current regulations on abortion.
On the other hand, 17% of those responding to the poll would like to see Brazilian abortion legislation revised and expanded while only 11% said they would like to see abortion decriminalized altogether. Brazil now allows abortion only for cases of rape and danger to the life of the mother. Abortion in other cases has been classified as a crime since 1940.
Brazil is a predominantly Catholic country, with approximately 80% of Brazilians being Roman Catholic. Pope Benedict XVI recently expressed his views on abortion, declaring, “As far as abortion is concerned, it’s part of the fifth, not the sixth, commandment: You shall not kill.” It looks like the general population of Brazil agrees.
Polling Data
Question asked
What is your opinion on abortion?
Answers
The current law should not be modified: 63%
The current law should be altered to allow abortion in other cases: 17%
Abortion should be decriminalized: 11%
Not sure: 9%
( Source: Datafolha /Folha de Sao Paulo Methodology: Interviews with 6, 969 Brazilian adults, conducted on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8, 2006. Margin of error is 2 points.)
See the Source: Angus Reid Global Scan: Polls & Research, “Brazilians Satisfied with Abortion Law, Angus Reid Consultants,” 20 August, 2006, http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/12850
Indian Prime Minister Sees People as Asset
The prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, seems to have found some good common sense missed by so many leaders of developed and developing nations in the world today. Prime Minister Singh’s recent comments suggest he may see the growing population of his country as beneficial rather than a problem to be eliminated. Hopefully this insightful revelation will continue to nurture India so she continues to grow.
The prime minister told parliamentarians in New Delhi, India, recently that he felt India’s growing population could be a national asset. “A person may be regarded by society as a liability if he or she cannot be a productive member of society, “Singh said. “However, we can convert a liability into an asset by investing in education, health and skills and it is such investment that not only enriches and liberates individual lives but also contributes to national progress.”
Today India’s population is 1.08 billion. It is expected to grow to 1.63 billion by 2050, overtaking China as the most populous country. (China has 1.3 billion people today and her population is predicted to reach 1.44 billion by 2050, according to the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C.)
Prime Minister Singh continued to speak on India’s health and population policies as being “areas of national concern.” Showing more good sense, he said, “There is a vital link between reproductive health, the health of mother and child and the general health of the entire family.”
Unfortunately, of every 1,000 babies born in India today, 72 die before age one, 7% of those deaths were due to malnutrition, diseases and infections, according to India’s most recent census.
Singh’s comments came as the state of Orissa is preparing to introduce measures to penalize couples with more than two children. Orissa, located on the eastern coast of India, is considered one of the poorest states in India and has a population of 36.7 million people.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also urged parliamentarians to work on issues related to human sexuality and to consider the social and economic burdens imposed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
“I make particular emphasis on the control of AIDS because in our setting, there are still many cultural taboos which prevent the openness in discussions on matters relating to human sexuality.” The Prime Minister continued: “If we don’t wake up (to the gravity of the issue), this will leave a deep burden on our economy as it affects the most productive sections of our population.”
See the Source: “PM says growing population could be an asset,” The Peninsula, 24 August, 2006, http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp’section=World_News&subsection=India&month=August2006&file=World_News200608242187.xml
