In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Upcoming Seminar
- Chow Remains Unconcerned
- COVID Controversy
- Pregnant Vaccine Targets
- Deepening Depopulation
- Alone Above Replacement
- Fewer Kids All-Around
- Changing the Script
- Communist China
- American Gets Life Sentence
- Building a “New Era”
- Religious Conditions Worsen
- UN Misdeeds
- Global Censorship
- Science Gone Mad
- Three-Parent Baby Born
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Abortion Pill Approved
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- The Hidden Epidemic
- Men and Abortion
- Heartbeat Clash
- Panel Backs OTC Birth Control
- One-Thousand Amendments
- Good News
- A Rare Set of Babies
PRI in the Media
Upcoming Seminar: On July 10th, PRI President Steven Mosher will be speaking at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. He, along with many other distinguished speakers, will be participating in the eighth annual National Seminar for Middle School and High School Educators. If you are an educator at either of those levels, you can register for the seminar here.
Chow Remains Unconcerned: In an interview with La Civiltà Cattolica, Bishop Stephen Chow downplayed the dangers of the Sino-Vatican agreement. He went even further, encouraging the CCP’s Sinicization of religion and praising the bishops who have defected to the state-run church. Bishop Chow shared no concerns for the future of the Diocese of Hong Kong, though it is only a matter of time before the CCP takes over.
According to Mr. Mosher, “the United Front Department of the CCP, which is responsible for directing the activities of the Patriotic Catholic Church, will also try the same tactics on the Church in Hong Kong. Remember, ‘Sinicization means that all religious communities should be led by the Party, controlled by the Party, and support the Party.’ The CCP only allows religious organizations to exist if they agree to serve, in effect, as extensions of the Party. That’s what ‘united front’ means in the Chinese Communist context.”
COVID Controversy
Pregnant Vaccine Targets: Attorney Maggie Thorpe discovered a troubling relationship between a lead OB/GYN group and the CDC. Her investigation revealed that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) received $11 million to push COVID-19 vaccines on pregnant women.
“The sell-out of the medical establishment to Big Pharma and its CDC minions was complete,” says Mr. Mosher. “Even the doctors who should understand that they have two patients–the mother and her unborn child–were bribed into promoting experimental gene therapy (the mRNA vaccines) to their unwitting patients. The result has been miscarriages, birth defects, and many other problems.”
Deepening Depopulation
Alone Above Replacement: East Asia is in demographic collapse. But there is one exception: the Dungans. This Chinese Muslim group resides in Central Asia. While exact data is difficult to come by, it is predicted that their fertility rate has increased since the last rate on record, 2.32, in 2009.
Fewer Kids All-Around: Thirty-five states have fewer children compared to five years ago. This is not only due to falling birth rates, but also families moving to states with affordable housing. Among the fifteen states that gained children through these mass movements, all but one still had greater growth in the adult population, leaving children in the minority.
Changing the Script: The way women think and talk about motherhood has a major impact on future generations. One contributing factor to the fall in birth rates is the negative perception of pregnancy, children, and motherhood. Shifting the current culture to use a more positive lens could boost births in the long run.
Communist China
American Gets Life Sentence: This past Monday, the CCP sentenced a 78-year-old American citizen to life in prison on spying charges. John Shing-Wan Leung, a Hong Kong resident, was initially detained in 2021 and ultimately convicted of espionage. Chinese officials did not disclose details on his detention or the court process that led to his conviction.
Building a “New Era”: China is planning to launch pilot programs in twenty cities to build a “new era” of marriage and childbearing. In these cities, China’s Family Planning Association will implement many policies that have already started in scattered provinces throughout the country. These include the curbing of bride prices, increases in financial incentives, and active promotion of family life.
Religious Conditions Worsen: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its annual report on religious freedom around the world. Unsurprisingly, China is categorized as a “County of Particular Concern (CPC).” The organization acknowledged that China saw a severe regression in religious freedom in 2022 that continues today.
UN Misdeeds
Global Censorship: UN Member States met with tech giants and UN officials this week to discuss a new global technology agreement. In the course of the discussion, the topic of global censorship arose. A majority of Western countries and tech giants supported the use of censorship for “disinformation and hate speech,” despite these terms not being internationally defined.
“‘Hate speech’ is a catch-all term for any speech the authorities and their protected classes do not like,” says Mr. Mosher. “‘Disinformation’ is any speech that questions their agenda. They are both euphemisms for censorship to advance their own interests. The UN would love to enlist the tech companies in global censorship efforts the same way that the intelligence agencies have been doing in the U.S. since before Trump took office.”
Science Gone Mad
Three-Parent Baby Born: The first baby in the U.K. with three parents was born, as a result of a new IVF procedure used to prevent rare mitochondrial diseases. The Parliament of the United Kingdom approved two methods to create these embryos. Pronuclear transfer (PNT) requires the destruction of embryos each round of IVF, while maternal spindle transfer (MST) does not. But both required the destruction of many embryos during the research process.
Pro-Life Around the World
Abortion Pill Approved: For the first time, abortion pills will become available in Japan. The Health Ministry approved the dangerous, and controversial, drugs mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate pregnancies up to 9 weeks. Unfortunately, this new ease of access will undoubtedly increase the number of abortions in the country, although neither the chemical nor surgical process are covered by Japan’s public health insurance.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
The Hidden Epidemic: A new peer-reviewed study confirms that millions of women have had unwanted abortions. The study, published in the journal Cureus, found that 70% of women have had an abortion that was coerced, unwanted, or inconsistent with their preferences.
Men and Abortion: Research conducted by the Support After Abortion organization shows that there is a long-term negative effect on men after their partner has an abortion. 83% of the respondents shared that they either sought help or knew that they could benefit from talking to someone. But only 18% actually knew where they could go for support after the loss.
Heartbeat Clash: Pro-life groups are once again pushing back against Trump over his stance on legislation for life. The former president caused tension after criticizing Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’s heartbeat bill saying, “many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh.”
“We at PRI pushed for the passage of Florida’s Heartbeat Bill, as well as similar legislation in other states, and we will continue doing so,” says Mr. Mosher. “We don’t think it is too restrictive. At the same time we recognize that in the Northeast, Midwest, and the West Coast the majority of voters oppose such measures. We have much more work to do and we need to elect a president who will work with us to get it done.”
Panel Backs OTC Birth Control: A panel of FDA advisors voted unanimously in favor of selling over-the-counter birth control. While this is not the final decision, it increases the likelihood that the once-a-day “Opill” will be approved for sale on the average store shelf.
One-Thousand Amendments: This coming Tuesday, South Carolina legislators will be having a lengthy debate over the state’s upcoming heartbeat bill. The democrats filed 1000 amendments against the pro-life legislation, in response to House Speaker Murrell Smith stating that the meeting will not adjourn until the measure gets approved.
Good News
A Rare Set of Babies: A couple in Alabama was blessed with an incredibly rare set of quadruplets. Michael and Hannah Carmack naturally conceived two sets of identical twins, an occurrence that has a 1-in-70-million chance of happening. The double set of twins–Evelyn and Adeline, and David and Daniel–were born at 27 weeks but are doing well and will remain in the hospital until their original due date in June.
Quote of the Week
“I believe that the soul of one baby is worth the entire material universe. Because the material universe will one day pass away, but the soul of that baby will be with us forever.”
~ PRI President Steven Mosher, source
