In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Against the Renewal
- No Insurrection, Please
- Deepening Depopulation
- Japan Abandoned
- Families Prefer Red
- Journal Attacks Pro-Natalism
- Communist China
- China’s Desperate Attempts
- UN Misdeeds
- Radical UN Expert
- Science Gone Mad
- Hiding the Evidence
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Doctors Protest New Bill
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Souls to the Polls
- Abortion Back in Ohio
- Built on Fraud
- Good News
- Little Star
Vote as if Life depends on it, because it does!
PRI in the Media
Against the Renewal: As the Vatican renews its controversial deal with Communist China regarding the appointment of bishops, experts and human rights advocates warn that this will only encourage Beijing to intensify its repression of Catholics. After the announcement of the Sino-Vatican Agreement renewal, PRI President Steven Mosher stated, “The Vatican continues to engage in the pretense that it has an ‘agreement’ with the Chinese Communist Party.” He is one of many leaders, including Lord David Alton and Benedict Rogers, speaking out against the renewal of this so-called “agreement.” The renewal extends the deal for four years, raising concerns that it may become permanent, despite the ongoing persecution of Christians in China and a lack of transparency about the agreement’s terms.
No Insurrection, Please: On November 3, 2020, many Americans went to bed believing Donald Trump had been re-elected, only to wake up to Joe Biden leading in crucial swing states as ballot counting continued for weeks. With the upcoming 2024 election, swing states have already announced that counting will take several days, raising concerns among Trump supporters about potential voter fraud and ballot manipulation. Mr. Mosher warns that any protests outside counting centers could escalate and be manipulated. He advises against causing any disturbances that could be used by the Democratic Party to undermine a potential Republican victory and to provoke conflict.
Deepening Depopulation
Japan Abandoned: Japan’s low birth rate and aging population have had a surprising side effect. In Japan’s cities, homes are being abandoned as their residents pass away with no relatives to fill them. These abandoned homes, known as “akiyas,” are being bought by social media influencers to renovate and sell at a profit. In the rural areas, where the issue of depopulation is even more pronounced, whole towns have been abandoned as the few young people remaining leave for cities. Abandoned homes that are hours outside of the big cities are even being given away for free. Japan simply doesn’t have the people, specifically the families, to fill the homes throughout the nation.
Families Prefer Red: Many academics and journalists argue that blue states are better for families due to progressive policies such as universal pre-K and paid family leave. However, a new study by the Institute for Family Studies found parents are much more likely to move out of blue states and into red ones than vice versa. The Institute’s study also found that the highest fertility rates in the U.S. are in red states: South Dakota, Texas, and Utah. Additionally, between 2021 and 2022, a significant number of families are relocating from blue states to red ones, with about 180,000 more families moving to red states. All of these findings suggest that many families may find red states more appealing for raising children, contradicting the notion that blue states are inherently more family-friendly.
“The last people I would take advice from are ‘academics and journalists’, not least because the overwhelming majority support both abortion and population control,” says Mr. Mosher. “Would you ask a Vegan which steakhouse he recommends? Having lived among academics for several years, I can assure you that many never marry, that their birthrate is extraordinarily low, and their family lives leave much to be desired.”
Journal Attacks Pro-Natalism: As the world heads into a “demographic winter,” government leaders have started placing more emphasis on the importance of boosting the number of births, referring to the issue as “a matter of national urgency.” But one woke medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, has angrily rejected this push for more people. The journalists go so far as to condemn the “pro-natal” attitude because it encourages and strengthens traditional families, while allegedly having negative effects on childless individuals. Filled with cliche references to The Handmaid’s Tale, the journalists also fear that the pro-natal attitude will reduce abortion rates throughout the nation. This piece from the New England Journal of Medicine certainly proves J.D. Vance’s point that some factions in the U.S. have become “almost pathologically anti-child.”
Communist China
China’s Desperate Attempts: On Monday, China’s cabinet, the State Council, published a slew of measures including childbirth subsidies, better healthcare for mothers and children, and comprehensive childcare services. The State Council’s announcement went on to say that officials at all levels of government should “actively build a new marriage and childbearing culture and carry forward the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, advocating … marriage and childbearing at the right age.” This includes “vigorously promot[ing] positive views of marriage, relationships, childbearing, and family” and building online matchmaking and dating services to help young people find partners while getting rid of “lavish weddings and high bride prices.” However, young women in today’s China are increasingly opting not to marry or have children, citing significant inequalities and enduring patriarchal attitudes within family life, along with the substantial economic burden of raising a family.
UN Misdeeds
Radical UN Expert: A so-called UN expert has called for the decriminalization of drug use, prostitution, abortion, and HIV non-disclosure to sexual partners. But, in sharp contrast, when it comes to alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy food, governments must adopt strict regulations. Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN Rapporteur on the Right to Health, made these claims in her latest report on a “human rights based approach to harm reduction.” Mofokeng incorrectly claims that abortion, prostitution, and non-disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners may pose “no actual or potential harm” and that laws criminalizing such conduct are part of the legacy of “harmful norms and policies” spread by colonialism. The views of UN human rights experts like Mofokeng are not binding or authoritative, and they are likely to spark controversy in the General Assembly.
Science Gone Mad
Hiding the Evidence: Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, a researcher funded by the federal government to study the effects of puberty blockers on transgender youth, has refused to publish her findings. Her study, which began in 2015 as part of a $9.7 million federal project on transgender health, found that the mental health of the 95 adolescents who received puberty blockers remained largely unchanged after two years. Since the study’s findings do not affirm transgender ideology, Olson-Kennedy refuses to publish the findings because they could be used to fight the use of gender-transition drugs for minors. The situation has sparked backlash on social media, with critics accusing the research team and the NIH of prioritizing activism over scientific integrity.“This is not science. This is activism and the NIH should not be funding it,” Camilo Ortiz, a professor of clinical psychology at Long Island University, wrote on X. “A real scientist accepts what the data show[s] and has an allegiance to the truth.”
“This so-called scientist refused to reveal the results of her study on ‘transgender youth,’ which showed that they were not helped by being injected with ‘gender-transition drugs,’ because people might use her results to argue that gender-confused youth are not helped by being injected with ‘gender-transition drugs,’” says Mr. Mosher. “Did you get that? In other words, because her findings conflict with her ideology, she is hiding them.”
Pro-Life Around the World
Doctors Protest New Bill: Palliative care doctors are raising concerns about an upcoming assisted suicide bill in the U.K., emphasizing that current end-of-life care is insufficient to meet rising demand and requires significant investment. The Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) recently stated its opposition to any legal changes that would allow the administration of lethal medications to end life, citing risks to vulnerable populations, inadequate funding for palliative care, and potential negative impacts on the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Sarah Foot, a member of the APM, has called for increased government investment in palliative care. She argues that reliance on charitable funding is inadequate. Resources should be allocated to improve the workforce and palliative care facilities to ensure patients can die comfortably.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Souls to the Polls: Kamala Harris has continued her efforts to push churchgoers to vote for her with an appearance at the Church of Christian Compassion in Philadelphia, as part of her “souls-to-the-polls” campaign aimed at mobilizing historically black churches. This effort comes amid a recent George Barna survey indicating that up to 40 million self-identified Christians plan not to vote in the upcoming election. Despite these efforts, Harris’s campaign has struggled to resonate with churchgoing voters, primarily focusing on abortion as her central issue. David Closson of the Family Research Council noted that this singular focus may alienate potential supporters. The Harris-Walz campaign has taken the most extreme stance on abortion in election history.
“Kamala Harris is trying to convince Christians that abortion, fornication, and homosexuality are moral choices,” says Mr. Mosher. “I am quite frankly surprised that any Christian church would let her speak from the pulpit. Although she would be welcome to sit in the pews along with the other sinners.”
Abortion Back in Ohio: An Ohio judge has permanently invalidated the state’s six-week abortion ban. Judge Christian Jenkins argued that the 2019 law would impede women’s access to “necessary medical care” and discourage doctors from performing abortions, thus violating a constitutional amendment approved by Ohioans last year. Although Attorney General Dave Yost recognized that the ban conflicted with the ballot initiative, he attempted to uphold 14 other provisions of the law, such as requiring fetal heartbeat checks and imposing waiting periods. Jenkins ruled these provisions unconstitutional, claiming the ballot measure forbids any burdens on the right to access abortion. This situation in Ohio will be repeated in many states if the pro-abortion amendments on states’ ballots are passed this November.
Help us stop abortion in the states! For more information on which states have abortion amendments on the ballots, visit our webpage here.
Built on Fraud: With her essay, “Abortion Pills Are Safe. Post-Roe America Isn’t,” Dr. Chavi Eve Karkowsky, a physician who practices maternal-fetal medicine, showed that the campaign for abortion-on-demand is as fraudulent and deceptive as ever. From the outset, the so-called “right” to abortion was founded on deception. Abortion advocates urged states to overturn their pro-life laws by making unfounded claims about illegal abortions. Today, pro-abortion activists continue to twist stories to back their agenda. They assert that laws banning abortion also obstruct medical care for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies. Additionally, some argue that pro-life laws necessitate that a pregnant woman must be critically ill before a doctor is allowed to address complications. As the author of this Daily Signal piece states, “The entire abortion industry is, after all, built on fraud. Americans would do well to ignore the hype.”
For more information on the abortion pill, read our fact sheet here.
Good News
Little Star: A group of mothers in Wales has established Seren Dwt, a ministry dedicated to supporting parents who receive a Down syndrome diagnosis. The organization aims to provide comfort and welcome boxes filled with positive encouragement and information, countering the often negative narratives surrounding the condition. Founders Laura Howard, Lou Kennedy, and Laura Thomas emphasize that having a child with Down syndrome does not conflict with having a fulfilling, wonderful life. Kennedy expressed a desire to reassure new parents that life will be positive, while Howard highlighted the significant impact of people’s reactions and language on parents’ experiences.
Quote of the Week
“When we say no to children, we offer an individual and a societal no to hope in the future.”
~ Leah Libresco Sargeant, source
