Recognizing personhood for all human beings

Pro-life Wisconsin has issued truly awesome a video with a brief but straightforward message: in a world increasingly aware of human rights, can it be long before the battle is won for recognizing personhood for all human beings - born and unborn?

About the rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb

Following Vatican approval, the “Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb” is now available for use by dioceses in the United States. The text of the blessing in English and Spanish is posted online and is being published as a booklet addendum to the Book of Blessings/Bendicional. The blessing was prepared to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and recognition of the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. “We hope the use of this blessing will provide not only support and God’s blessing for expectant parents and their child in the womb, but also another effective witness to the sanctity of human life from the first moment of conception,” said Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, Louisiana, chairman of the bishops' Committee on Divine Worship." The blessing can be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass. It originated at the request of then-Bishop Joseph Kurtz of Knoxville, Tennessee, (now archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky). The USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities then prepared and submitted a text to the Divine Worship committee in March of 2008. It was approved by the U.S. bishops in November 2008, and then sent to Rome for editing and final approval.For parishes wishing to use the blessing this Mother’s Day: www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/prayers/pro-life-blessings.cfm Posted with permission:ZE12050901 - 2012-05-09, permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-34746?l=english

Young Slovakian Sculptor Captures Post-Abortion Pain, Mercy and Forgiveness by Dan Zeidler

"As an art student, Martin Hudáček of Slovakia was moved to create a sculpture to draw attention to the devastation abortion can bring to the woman, and that through the Love and Mercy of God, reconciliation and healing are possible. The sculpture shows a woman in great sorrow grieving her abortion. The second figure in the work is the aborted child, presented as a young child, who in a very touching, healing way, comes to the mother, to offer forgiveness. Martin, who named the work “Memorial for Unborn Children,” said the sculpture also “expresses hope which is given to believers by the One who died on the cross for us, and showed how much He cares about all of us.” Marek Hudáček, brother of Martin, says both he and his brother were extremely surprised by the positive reactions from all over the world to the sculpture, “We did not expect it… The main intention of my brother to do the sculpture was not to be famous, but to speak about the important value of human life and the necessity to protect it from conception.”

Praised by many as an extremely effective representation of post-abortion trauma, the work sensitively communicates this reality, and draws out many emotions and interpretations.

Dr. Martha Shuping, M.D., a psychiatrist with more than 20 years experience in helping women with abortion recovery, says, "I believe this beautiful image will resonate in the hearts of many women who have had abortions. It illustrates powerfully their experience.”

"This presents a very beautiful image of a core component of post abortion healing,” comments Kevin Burke, LSW, of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries, “- that the very child that was lost to abortion with God's grace is now instrumental in calling the wounded mother and father to repentance and healing in Christ."

See more at: http://www.4life4family.org/sculpture or http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/heart-rending-young-slovakian-sculptor-captures-post-abortion-pain-mercy-an

Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?

What's The Right Thing To Do? Thats the question Professor Michael Sandel uses to launch his course on moral reasoning. Is torture ever justified? Would you steal a drug that your child needs to survive? Is it sometimes wrong to tell the truth? How much is one human life worth? Watch the videos to hear Harvard professor Michael Sandel talk about justice, equality, democracy, and citizenship. More at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYor at http://www.justiceharvard.org/.

Rights of the Child...

"Human rights are those rights which are essential to live as human beings – basic standards without which people cannot survive and develop in dignity. They are inherent to the human person, inalienable and universal. The United Nations set a common standard on human rights with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Although this Declaration is not part of binding international law, its acceptance by all countries around the world gives great moral weight to the fundamental principle that all human beings, rich and poor, strong and weak, male and female, of all races and religions, are to be treated equally and with respect for their natural worth as human beings. 

The instruments of the international human rights framework are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the six core human rights treaties: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Every country in the world has ratified at least one of these, and many have ratified most of them. These treaties are important tools for holding governments accountable for the respect for, protection of and realization of the rights of individuals in their country."

You can find more information at:  Rights of the Child - The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust.

The Virtual Human Embryo Project

"The Virtual Human Embryo Project (VHE) was originally developed as a collaboration between embryologist Dr. Raymond Gasser at Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC) and the Human Developmental Anatomy Center (HDAC) in Washington D.C. The overall aim of the project is to make the Carnegie collection, which is housed at the HDAC, accessible for research and teaching of human embryology. Dr. John Cork at LSUHSC joined the project at its inception as the software developer with a special interest in 3D-reconstruction."
More at: http://www.ehd.org/virtual-human-embryo/

Bioethics and Film by the Stanford Center of Bioethics

For those interested in bioethics and film documentaries, here are some suggestions for excellent bioethics movies on "how think deeply about important issues in healthcare and improve care" from the Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford, CA, USA.

1."Grainger-Monsen’s most recent work, Hold Your Breath, is a haunting documentary that exposes the tragic consequences of cross-cultural miscommunication. This dramatic face off between ancient Islamic traditions and contemporary medical technology follows the dramatic journey of an Afghan refugee family, as cultures collide over medical treatment of their father’s illness. The film, which is scheduled for national broadcast on PBS in Spring 2007, has attracted national media attention, including a Newsweek cover story and a story on ABC World News Tonight with the late Peter Jennings."

2."Hold Your Breath evolved out of Grainger-Monsen’s last project, Worlds Apart, a series of four short films, produced for medical education, that explore cultural conflicts over medical treatment. Shot in patients' homes, neighborhoods, and places of worship, hospital wards and community clinics, Worlds Apart provides a penetrating look at both the patient's culture and the culture of modern medicine."

3."The Vanishing Line, a feature documentary broadcast nationally on PBS’ award winning POV series, poses the question: “When does life become a fate worse than death?” An intensely personal look at sustaining life at any cost, the film takes Dr. Grainger-Monsen on a quest to discover the "art of dying" in a world that taught her how to prolong life, but offered few prescriptions for treating death."

*For more see: http://medethicsfilms.stanford.edu/

Recent Advances in Adult Stem Cell Research

For all interested in recent advances in Adult Stem Cell Research and other alternatives to Embryonic Stem Cell Research see article by DoNoHarm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics, "75 NEW REASONS TO RECONSIDER THE ALLEGED NEED FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH THAT DESTROYS HUMAN EMBRYOS".
See full article at: http://www.stemcellresearch.org/alternatives/75newreasons.pdf