No plans to review abortion law, insists health minister Earl Howe [Independent, 11 October]
Related story:
Viability bad guide to abortion law reform, says SPUC
SPUC has responded to the latest official statistics on infant mortality, by warning that viability is a bad guide to abortion law reform. Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's communications manager, said: ”Anyone who has experienced the trauma of a premature birth will warmly welcome scientific advances in saving prematurely-born babies, but the viability of unborn children should not be used as a guide for reforming the law on abortion. Viability is a criterion which varies from place to place in the country and from place to place in the world. Viability has nothing to do with the humanity of the child in the womb; it has everything to do with technological progress and the excellence and dedication of medical staff. A child's capacity to survive is not what makes him or her a human being. When a premature baby, after receiving expert treatment, sadly dies, doctors are not criticised for treating a non-person. They have tried to save a baby, but sadly failed. Passing legislation on such an arbitrary basis leads to legislatures making equally arbitrary exceptions – as the UK Parliament did in 1990, making abortion lawful up till birth for disabled babies and on certain other grounds.” [Telegraph, 11 October]
SPUC condemns Belfast abortion centre plans
Claims that Marie Stopes International is to carry out abortions at a new centre in Belfast have been condemned by SPUC. It is irresponsible and crass for the abortion giant to suggest it would provide abortions at a newly-established centre. The procedure is only legal when there is a serious danger to the mother’s life. SPUC has twice taken Northern Ireland health department to court to force it to withdraw abortion guidelines, because they failed to reflect the law accurately. SPUC was proved correct in its approach to the law on both occasions. [SPUC, 11 October]
Other stories:
Abortion
- Irish bishops: A decisive moment for nation, we must choose life [Pat Buckley, 12 October]
- Mayor of Buenos Aires announces veto of abortion law [LifeSiteNews.com, 11 October]
- An inside view: abortion is foreign to Africa [LifeSiteNews.com, 10 October]
- Dolly the sheep scientist Keith Campbell dies [Guardian, 12 October]
- Colombian bishops say nothing justifies legalizing euthanasia [CNA, 11 October]
- ‘Prosecute doctors who put my mother on pathway to death’ [Scotsman, 11 October]
- The drive for gay marriage is causing a major rift in Labour as well as Conservative ranks [Anglican Mainstream, 12 October]
- Attorney General hints at 'profound difficulties' ahead for religious public servants over gay marriage [Premier Christian Media, 11 October]
- Rick Santorum: Equal marriage will destroy families [Pink Paper, 11 October]
- Ontario minister says Catholic schools can’t teach pro-life views [LifeSiteNews.com, 11 October]
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