Thursday, January 22, 2009

News from SPUC

Comments on new BBC drama series 'Hunters' presenting 'wicked' ways of pro-life activists abducting children(!) and also on inaugural address of new American President.


A British television police drama shows pro-life people kidnapping children. SPUC supporters have expressed concern about BBC1's Hunter. Betty Gibson of SPUC Northern Ireland who watched the programme said: "These supposed pro-lifers were shown inscribing 'sacred' on one of their captives and also killing a hostage. The BBC wouldn't dare portray other groups in this way." John Smeaton of SPUC said: "Of course, this is just a fictional situation, but pro-life people are the last to threaten children. Indeed, we defend them. There is a grim irony that one of the extremists in the programme has spina bifida and seems to want revenge for the deaths of people with a similar disability through abortion. (The overwheming majority of unborn babies discovered to have spina bifida in Britain are aborted). We mustn't be distracted by a TV show from our defence of vulnerable human beings, but maybe it's worth remarking on such an eccentric portrayal of pro-life people just when the most pro-abortion president in US history has been inaugurated." [John Smeaton, 21 January]

SPUC has also commented on President Barack Obama's inaugural address. The new president referred to America's founding documents. John Smeaton cited the declaration of independence which says: "... all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life..." and commented that this statement should make killing children before birth unthinkable. Mr Obama's probable pro-abortion laws and policies made it unlikely that "the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness" would be honoured. He claims to want to "restore science to its rightful place" yet would abuse and kill embryonic children. Mr Obama spoke of "those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents" to which John Smeaton asks: "What else is abortion than slaughtering innocents?" He said: "It is ... a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate." John asks: "What about the majority of Chinese women who are willing to have another child, but will be denied one by an Obama-funded population control programme?" [John Smeaton, 20 January] Ms Ellen Moran, the new president's communications director, used to work for Emily's list which supports pro-abortion politicians. [Independent, 20 January]

An aborted child's tissue could be used to treat stroke victims in Scotland. The ReNeuron company of Surrey, England, developed the therapies for the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, at a cost of £10 million. There may be trials in June where stem cells would be injected in patients' brains to see if they help. [Nursing Times, 20 January] SPUC's John Smeaton said: "It is unethical in every way - killing one member of the human race to help another. We are totally opposed to this." Comment on Reproductive Ethics said: "Even using just one foetus in this way is wrong. The stem cells will have been taken from a healthy foetus. Would any woman want her unborn baby to have its brain used in this way?" [Christian Institute, 19 January]

A handbook on pregnancy for people with learning disabilities is to be published next month. My Pregnancy, My Choice, by the Change organisation in the UK, has been endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing. [Royal College of Nursing, 20 January]