Family Integrity

Tag: Abortion

  • Abortion Supervisory Committee Report 2009

    Media Release

    Abortion Supervisory Committee Report 2009

    The Abortion Supervisory Committee’s [ASC] report was tabled in Parliament on 8th December. The Committee reported 17,940 abortions in New Zealand 2008.

    This is a reduction of 440 on the 2007 year figure of 18,380. While encouraging, Right to Life reminds New Zealanders that each life is unique and irreplaceable. Hopefully one reason for the decrease is the increasing recognition in the community that abortion not only destroys innocent defenceless unborn children, it also harms the physical and mental health of women and their families.

    Right to Life is concerned about the unlawful abortions authorised in 2008.

    The statistics for 2008 reveal that 98% of abortions performed were authorised on the grounds of serious danger to the mental health of the mother. This statistic has been constant since 1977. Justice Miller’s judgement in the High Court in Wellington, (date) in the judicial review of the Abortion Supervisory Committee, supported the conclusion that many of these abortions are unlawful.

    Justice Miller stated that “there is reason to doubt the lawfulness of many abortions authorised by certifying consultants. Indeed the Committee itself has stated that the law is being used more liberally than Parliament intended.”

    “In my opinion, the statistics and the committee’s comments since the Court of Appeal made that observation, do give rise to powerful misgivings about the lawfulness of many abortions. They tend to confirm Dr Forster’s view that New Zealand has abortion on request” Dr Christine Forster was previously chairperson of the ASC from June 1993 to August 2001, a period of nearly eight years.

    The Abortion Supervisory Committee’s response is tragic. They are seeking to provide even greater access to chemical abortion by supporting the wider use of the toxic chemical Mifegyne RU486. This use of RU486, a ‘human pesticide’, in a pill form imposes an incredible psychological trauma on women, often leaving the mother to cope with aborted body parts from their baby.

    The report reveals that 140 disabled unborn children were killed in 2008 – how is this justified? It is deplorable that only the perfect are permitted to be born. A child does not forfeit its right to life because it has a disability.

    Right to Life believes that many innocent healthy unborn children have been deprived of their life unlawfully; this is a grave injustice – a violation of their right to life. It also permits the exploitation and abandonment of women. This is the justice issue of our era.

    Right to Life is gravely concerned at the increase in repeat abortions in 2008. Of the 17,940 abortions performed,

    • 11,312, (63%) of the total abortions were a woman’s first abortion.
    • 6628, (37%) were repeat abortions, an increase of 2% on 2007 figures
    • 4,469 women in 2008 were having their second abortion,
    • 1490 were having their third abortion,
    • 461 were having their fourth abortion,
    • 143 their fifth,
    • 40 their sixth and
    • 25 their seventh or more abortion.

    These statistics are scandalous and indicate that abortion is being used as a back up for failed contraception. The abortion laws do not provide for failed contraception as grounds for abortion.

    Right to Life asks why the Committee is not taking action to address this critical problem.

    The report reveals that:

    • 8,041 women were using contraceptives at the time their child was conceived.

    Of these women,

    • 4,898 were using condoms
    • 2,901 were using contraceptives.
    • These statistics show that contraceptives have a high failure rate. It is a tragedy that innocent unborn children are being killed in order to provide for another’s so called sexual freedom. The Committee suggested  in its report that because of New Zealand’s high abortion rate (in comparison with other countries) that we need more long acting contraceptives and that the government should consider reducing financial barriers to their use. If the Committee was serious about reducing our high abortion rate they would ask the government to:
    • promote abstinence before marriage
    • adoption in preference to terminating the lives of healthy unborn children
    • promote child/teen protection from sexual exploitation and sexualizing by the media and advertising agencies

    The Committee reports that “Over the past year the ASC has become conscious that workforce issues will need to be addressed in coming years to ensure continuity of abortion services in future.” The ASC is aware that there are very few operating doctors in New Zealand under the age of 50. Right to Life commends those doctors who faithful to the Hippocratic traditions of their healing profession have the utmost respect for the right to life of every child from the moment of conception and refuse to have any part in the killing of innocent and defenceless unborn children. Right to Life is opposed to any efforts that the Abortion Supervisory Committee  might make to subvert the ethics of good doctors by encouraging them to become involved in the killing of unborn babies.

    Right to Life believes that a nation that kills its own children does not have a future and earnestly requests that:

    • The government promote a culture of life by promoting adoption as a loving life affirming option.
    • Hold the Abortion Supervisory Committee accountable for “pseudo-legal” abortions in this country.

    This is preferable to life destroying abortion which promotes a culture of death.

    Ken Orr

    Spokesperson,

    Right to Life New Zealand Inc.

    Phone 03 3856111

  • Wellington Protest Against FPA Abortion License

    Press Release: Wellington Protest Against FPA Abortion License

    Pro-life Kiwis will on Friday march in solidarity with the unborn, protesting the abortion bid by the Family Planning Clinic.

    The protest coincides with the 30 November end date for the petition put forward by Sue Roe. The petition calls for the Abortion Supervisory Committee to deny the Family Planning Association’s request to be permitted to commit abortions against mothers and their pre-born children up to 9 weeks at their Hamilton clinic.

    The Family Planning Association has previously announced its intention to convert all of its centres into providers of chemical abortions. If the Hamilton clinic is granted a license it will be a matter of time before New Zealand receives the dubious honour of having 30 new abortion clinics throughout the country.

    Women and girls of any age will be able to come into the clinic without an appointment, receive counselling and then go ahead with an abortion in the same visit.

    “This is terrible as mothers will be compelled to make an abortion decision within a very short time-frame,” says march co-organiser Andy Moore. “This will lead to women being encouraged to have an abortion, taking the pill and then regretting their decision shortly afterwards.”

    “They want to be allowed to kill children with the chemical abortion method,” he says. “The first pill starves the baby of essential nutrients followed by the second pill about 48 hours later which artificially stimulates an extremely premature birth. It’s an unthinkably awful way for anyone to die. Not only this, but often the baby is pushed out when the mother is at home, occasionally alive and then dying very shortly afterwards. RU486 abortions not only destroy innocent human life but are often a traumatic experience for the mother.”

    Marchers will gather in front of Parliament at 4:30pm on Friday 27 November, marching to the Margaret Sparrow Family Planning Clinic at 35 Victoria Street. All are welcome to this peaceful march.

    ENDS

  • NZ Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity Standing silent for those who have no voice.

    Prolife NZ
    Date:
    Tuesday, October 20, 2009
    Time:
    12:00am – 11:55pm
    Location:
    New Zealand
    Street:
    Everywhere
    Email:

    Everyday in NZ almost 50 babies have their lives ended by abortion.

    On October 20, 2009 people from all over this nation will give up their voices for a day in solidarity for these children. They will stand together silently for those who have no voice. They will carry fliers explaining why they are silent and educate others about the plight of the innocent children we are losing every day.

    Are you willing to give up your voice for a day for those who will never have a voice?

    Join the movement! Change your facebook profile picture to the Silent Solidarity picture! So many are doing this already, use the following picture…
    http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq197/equipbiz/10426_138311896621_645886621_269338.jpg

    Contact Simeon to get more info about silent protests in your area, or start your own and let him know! simeon@prolife.org.nz

  • Children’s rights in the society

    Ruby Harrold-Claesson sent us this translated article:

    http://www.nkmr.org/english/childrens_rights_in_the_society.htm

    Children’s rights in the

    society

    By Annette Westöö, Göteborg

    This year, marks the thirtieth year since Sweden became the first in the world to prohibit child-smacking. The law has attracted much attention internationally and Sweden is considered in large parts of the world as a pioneer country in terms of children’s rights. Bris (Children’s Rights in the Society) notes the anniversary with a campaign where they ask the question “What has actually happened?” It is a sensible question, because now is the time to look back on these thirty years and see what has been achieved. How much is there behind all Sweden’s fine words about the rights of the children?

    Five years before the anti-smacking law was passed the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament) passed another controversial law: that of free abortion. Since 1974, this decision led to over 1 million children being killed in our country. The consequences of the two laws in combination are absurd. In Sweden, a parent is prosecuted and tried in court for a slap in the face. The same parents can be – completely within boundaries of the law – to poison, maim and kill their children if they are younger than 18 weeks old. Smacking a child can lead to police action, whereas that same child could have had its head crushed by an adult at an earlier stage of its development – quite legally. The situation is bizarre and profoundly tragic. Save the Children, Bris and other organizations that claim to protect children’s rights – as far as I know – do not lift a finger to save the unborn children.

    Where is the logic? I who am approximately contemporary with these laws, I am experiencing great pain over the disaster that contempt for the smallest children’s rights has meant for Sweden. The Sweden that we from the late seventies have grown up in has been deprived of one million citizens. People who would have lived among us as our family members, neighbours, schoolmates, colleagues, friends and spouses. People who would have helped to build this country and take care of the older generation. People who are irreplaceable and unique.

    Can all you experts, ideologues and opinion leaders – especially those from the forties – who contributed to the passing of these two laws give me an explanation?

    What were you really thinking?

    Annette Westöö, born 1977, is a MA in Religious Knowledge and she is a teacher for seven years. She is the vice president of the pro-life organisation “Human Rights for the Unborn” and she is an active member of the Swedish Church. Annette Westöö has for many years been an active protector of children’s and their families’ rights. During the past years she has written several debate articles and opinion pieces about the rights of the unborn child.

    The Swedish version of this article has been sent to several Swedish newspapers, but so far its fate is unknown. It is published here with the kind consent of the author.

    Destroying the Family: Swedish style

    A family flees from the Welfare State

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    Original Article:

    Barnens rätt i samhället

    Annette Westöö, Göteborg

    I år är det trettio år sedan Sverige blev först ut i världen med att förbjuda barnaga. Lagen har väckt stor uppmärksamhet internationellt och Sverige betraktas i stora delar av världen som ett föregångsland när det gäller barns rättigheter. Bris uppmärksammar jubileet i en kampanj där man ställer frågan ”Vad har egentligen hänt?”. Det är en klok fråga, för nu är det tid att blicka bakåt på dessa trettio år och se vad som åstadkommits. Hur mycket ligger det egentligen bakom Sveriges alla vackra ord om barnens rätt?

    Fem år före anti-agalagens tillkomst stiftade Sveriges riksdag en annan kontroversiell lag: den om fri abort. Sedan 1974 har detta beslut lett till över en miljon barns död i vårt land. Följderna av de båda lagarna i kombination är absurda. I Sverige kan en förälder åtalas och dömas i domstol för en örfil. Samma förälder kan – helt inom lagens råmärken – låta förgifta, lemlästa och döda sitt barn om det är yngre än 18 veckor. En dask riktad mot ett barn kan leda till polisingripanden, medan detta barn kunde ha fått sitt huvud krossat av en vuxen i ett tidigare stadium av sin utveckling –  helt lagligt. Situationen är bisarr och bottenlöst tragisk. Rädda barnen, Bris och andra organisationer som säger sig värna om barns rättigheter har vad jag vet inte lyft ett finger för att rädda de ofödda barnen. Var finns logiken?

    Jag, som är ungefär jämnårig med dessa lagar, upplever stor smärta över den katastrof som föraktet för de minsta barnens rättigheter har inneburit för Sverige. Det Sverige som vi sena sjuttiotalister har vuxit upp i saknar en miljon medborgare. Människor som skulle ha levt ibland oss som våra familjemedlemmar, grannar, skolkamrater, kollegor, vänner och makar. Människor som skulle ha hjälpt till att bygga det här landet och ta hand om den äldre generationen. Människor som är oersättliga och unika.

    Kan alla ni experter, ideologer och opinionsbildare – förmodligen främst fyrtiotalister – som var med och drev fram dessa båda lagar ge mig en förklaring?

    Hur tänkte ni, egentligen?

  • Ruling on scan offer before abortions

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2390236/Ruling-on-scan-offer-before-abortions

    Ruling on scan offer before abortions

    By EMILY WATT – The Dominion Post

    Women should be offered the opportunity to view the ultrasound scan of their baby before they decide to abort it, the Health and Disability Commissioner says.

    Anti-abortion group Right to Life complained to the commissioner after finding four district health boards Auckland, Waikato, Wairarapa and Canterbury did not offer women the chance to view the scan before going ahead with an abortion. Waikato DHB said it was an “infringement of the patient’s rights” to offer it.

    Commissioner Ron Paterson said any pregnant woman should be told of their right to view an ultrasound, and it was up to them whether they did or not.

    It is a debate that is raging in the United States, where a number of states are considering passing laws that would force women to view an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion. Some want them to listen to a fetal heartbeat as well. Critics have labelled the proposals “emotional blackmail”.

    New Zealand’s abortion rates are high, with more than one in five known pregnancies in New Zealand aborted. In 2007 the most recent statistics available 18,380 abortions were done.

    The High Court made a landmark ruling last year that expressed “powerful misgivings” about the lawfulness of many abortions. That decision is due to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal next week.

    Right to Life spokesman Ken Orr said offering women the opportunity to view an ultrasound scan would reduce abortions. He said American research showed when women considering an abortion were given the opportunity to view a scan, a large number of them chose not to go ahead.

    Right to Life last year canvassed 13 DHBs to see whether they offer women considering abortion the chance to view ultrasound scans, which are taken to help determine the week of the pregnancy. Four did not.

    Commissioner Ron Paterson has written to Waikato District Health board chief executive Craig Climo saying it was a woman’s choice whether or not to view the scan.

    “She needs the information that she has the ability to view the scan to make this choice,” he wrote. Health Waikato said it supported the commissioner’s advice.Mr Paterson told The Dominion Post his comments “should not be misconstrued as being about abortion”.

    “Most pregnant women undergoing an ultrasound scan would expect to be told that they can see the scan image if they wish to. There is nothing novel about confirming that the law entitles them to do so.”

    He said in some cases it would be “distressing and inappropriate” to ask a woman if she wanted to see her scan.

    Mr Orr now wants the abortion consent form changed so women confirm they were offered the chance to see the ultrasound.

    Health Minister Tony Ryall said it was “a matter that should be addressed to the Abortion Supervisory Committee and I have directed Mr Orr to them”.

  • Pro-life group at Canterbury University

    “Back in September 2008, a group of interested young people  had a meeting about the possibility of setting up a pro-life group in the University of Canterbury. We decided at that meeting that this was definitely something we wanted to pursue. University campuses are one of the best places to spread the pro-life message as there are thousands of young people at each campus, and the majority of women who have abortions are at campuses. Unfortunately, this is an opportunity that is not being used: there are no known pro-life groups in any campus in New Zealand at the moment, however we are hoping that our new group will be the first in a network of campus groups all over New Zealand.

    Here’s a description of our new group:
    We want to be a hub at the University of Canterbury for students who are pro-life, that is, valuing the preciousness of a baby’s life before birth. Also, we wish to help pregnant mothers by pointing them towards useful, caring counseling services. As well as having regular club meetings during term-time, we plan to run public forums and seminars at which we would present our views and welcome input. We believe this is a very relevant issue in today’s society and would like to help co-students understand better what abortion is.

    – Lillian Hoyt, pro-life UC President

    We have a site booked for each of the clubs days, running from the 23-25th February, where we will (Lord willing) have a stall, hand out brochures, talk with people about pro-life issues, and give away little hands gingerbread biscuits. :) If you’d like to get involved with our group or become a member, we’d love to hear from you – contact us at: prolifenz@gmail.com , or come along to the clubs days and have a chat to us there. If you’d like more information with what’s happening in New Zealand in regard to abortion, or you’d like to donate to the cause, look us up on http://www.prolife.org.nz where we have news updates, videos and links to other pro-life groups.  Please pray that there will be a lot of support for this group and its activities

    See you there!

    Lydie Moore”