High Noon for All Seasons

For those who missed it in the comments to yesterday's post on the 1966 film "A Man For All Seasons" ("More, More, More — How Do You Like It?"), Robert N. Going has responded to my request that he rewrite the lyrics of the "High Noon" theme to fit the classic film about St. Thomas More.


After all, both films were made by the same director, Fred Zinnemann, and they're basically the same film — except that in "Seasons," the hero dies in the end, and "High Noon"'s Grace Kelly character, whose human failings are ultimately transcended by her divine love, is replaced by the Church, whose human failings are ultimately transcended by divine love.

Here's Going's rewrite, now titled "High Noon for All Seasons." All it needs is Tex Ritter:

Do not forsake me good King Henry
For this divorcing “Nay”.
Do not forsake me good King Henry-
Wait! Hold that blade!

I am your good and faithful servant,
So full of wit and not a bore,
I don’t know why it’s so unnervin’
To call your wedding
No more than bedding
And say your Anne Boleyn’s a whore.

What is this thing called Church of England?
Protestant/Catholic doctrine minglin’
Look at those people lining up,
Signing that oath.
I made a vow to Higher Power,
Now I am waiting in the Tower.
Look at that axe man standing tall-
What if my top part should leave me?

Do not forsake me good King Henry,
Just ‘cause I take my cues from Rome.
In school I wish I’d had more mem’ry
And learned ebonics
Instead of phonics
To say that I beheading home.

Let it swing, let it swing.
Let it swing, let it swing!

News You Won't Hear From Planned Parenthood

The guardians of women's health at Planned Parenthood appear to be a tad reluctant to inform women of the dangers of abortion procedures. For example, scanning the organization's Web sites, I notice it has yet to inform women that the maker of a drug it gives to complete abortions has issued a warning against using the drug for that purpose.

The story came out in Australia, where politicians are debating whether to legalize the abortion drug RU-486. Planned Parenthood doctors prescribe RU-486 in conjunction with another drug called misoprostol, which is normally prescribed for ulcers. From The Australian:

THE maker of a drug used to complete an abortion that has been brought on by the controversial drug RU486 warns that it cannot recommend its use in the termination of pregnancies because of potential risks.

The drug, Misoprostol, also known as Cytotec, is used to bring on contractions to expel the fetus after the woman has taken RU486, as if to expel a blood clot. But despite the use of Misoprostol overseas, the manufacturer, Pfizer, says it cannot vouch for its safety for that procedure.

Pfizer warns against the use of the drug on pregnant women, not just because of the danger of miscarriage, but also because of other effects. Clinical tests have been performed only on its use for stomach ulcers.

Anti-abortionists are expected to use the information as part of their campaign, arguing that the drug RU486 poses a health risk.

They want MPs to reject a change in the law that would remove a ministerial veto on RU486, leaving it in the hands ofthe Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Pro-choice campaigners argue the rate of complications from using RU486 is no greater than for surgical abortion.
Misoprostol, available in Australia, brings on uterine contractions to expel what appears as clotted blood, completing the abortion process.

But a spokesman for Pfizer Australia, said the company did not think it should be used after RU486.

"We would not recommend use outside TGA-endorsed indication and at this stage that just involves stomach ulcers," the spokesman said.

"To get any other use of the drug would involve major clinical trials and that can take years."

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists notes in its November statement on the "use of Misoprostol in obstetrics and gynaecology" that "the company which markets an oral formulation of Misoprostol (Cytotec) has not researched and does not support its use in pregnancy, nor does it intend to do so".

The RANZCOG statement also observes that "studies (of Misoprostol in obstetrics and gynaecology) have not been large enough to exclude low risks of serious adverse events".

Previous Dawn Patrol coverage of Planned Parenthood's promotion of misoprostol for abortions — and the deadly consequences:

• "Women's Abortion Deaths Only 'a Local Issue,' Says Planned Parenthood"
• "Planned Parenthood's Latest Victim"
• "Planned Parenthood Tells How to Abort Your Baby At Home —No Prescription Necessary"

To add your voice to those wishing to cut off Planned Parenthood's stream of taxpayer money, visit stopplannedparenthoodtaxfunding.com.

To add your name to those willing to help women in need who wish to bring their pregnancies to term, visit Americans on Call.

Grief, Gratitude, and Baby Lee

Reader See-Dubya tipped me off to a stunning article about the short life of an anencephalic baby — from the Los Angeles Times, amazingly enough. Rightwingsparkle has already noted the article and adds a story of her own.

More, More, More—How Do You Like It?

Had a nightmare experience Friday night, dropping in on the movie night of another church's RCIA group — one that's known for being intellectually rigorous — and discovering that the featured film was an awful "Blue Velvet" ripoff (complete with grisly violence played for laughs, and Marianne Faithfull caterwauling like Edith Piaf in a goatyard). After the obligatory post-film discussion, with the leader saying, "What did the knives mean?" I escaped to my local Blockbuster and rented the original 1966 version of "A Man for All Seasons," which I'd never seen.

Not knowing anything but the barest facts about Thomas More, I was bowled over by the film. Now I'm eager to find a good biography of him. The movie gave me insight into why Catholics in particular have such deep sympathy and understanding for those who are persecuted for their faith. (That's not by any means to say that people of other faiths aren't as sympathetic; being of Jewish heritage, I know better than that. However, each faith has its own experience of persecution because of the nature of that which they have endured, and the nature of attacks on Catholicism is in many ways unchanged since More's time.)

If you've seen "A Man for All Seasons" and would like to discuss it—especially to say how authentic or inauthentic it is—I'd appreciate your leaving a comment. I'd also appreciate any other thoughts you might have on More, especially leads on further reading. Thanks.

Quote of the Day

“I absolutely believe in divine providence now, absolutely believe God totally cares about every single one of us intimately, that we’re not alone, that we’re surrounded by love. That everything is OK.”

— Naomi Wolf, describing her newfound love of Jesus (thanks to John Zmirak for the tip)

Prayer Request

Brent Mykel Henderson would like prayers for his wife, Val, who is at risk of losing her pharmacist job because of pressure from Planned Parenthood and their cohorts:

As you know, it is Illinois law to dispense emergency contraception given a valid prescription. Walgreens has been hard hit by a couple of incidents (largely orchestrated by Planned Parenthood), so they have cracked down on their pharmacists more than other chains. In particular, they required all their pharmacists to sign a policy saying they will comply with the law. Val has refused to sign it. It wasn't a problem, however, and her local management was very understanding. They even agreed that her store will not stock the drug so she can honestly say it is not in stock and refer customers to another store.

Fine. But two days ago word came down from one high that she had to sign it or face consequences. She refused again. But it turns out the threat was mostly an attempt to scare. Both her manager and regional supervisor are very sympathetic to Val's convictions and have agreed to try and work with the corporate office to reach a compromise. So it seems we have a couple more weeks at least before any final action will be taken. Some breathing room at least.

Thanks for all your prayers. The whole situation is so surreal. That one person's convenience of having to drive five minutes down the road to another pharmacy should trump another person's right of conscience...I really don't understand it.

Read more about the Illinois law banning pharmacists from exercising freedom of conscience at the Web site for the American Center for Law and Justice, which is defending several fired pharmacists.

Crimes of Passion

Reader Saint Kansas sent me a news story about the BBC's "Manchester Passion," an Easter TV special which will feature rock musicians singing pop tunes in the guise of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, etc. I'm familiar with the songs, which are from the punk era through the 1990s. Many if not most of them were originally written about sex and drugs:

The climax of the event sees Jesus sing the Smiths classic song 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' as he is being flayed by Roman soldiers. He will then come face-to-face with his Roman prosecutor Pontius Pilate with the two of them singing a duet of the Oasis hit 'Wonderwall' and its chorus:

'I said maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall.'

I thought the article was a joke, but further research revealed it's not.

From the first article:

BBC spokeswoman declined to comment on the details of the line-up but promised that the event would be "exciting".

Indeed.

Surely You Gestate

Greg Gutfeld's fetus jokes are causing a stirrup at the Huffington Post.

The jokes contain juvenile gross-out humor of the "South Park" variety and may be too much for many people, particularly those whose lives have been touched by abortion. That said,you can see where Gutfeld's sympathies lie. Here's a sampling:

What do you get when you cross a fetus with a feminist?
A fetus that desperately wants to survive in order to inform you later that it should be her mother's choice to abort a fetus.

After a couple has sex, the woman turns to the man and says, "If i get pregnant, what should we call the baby?" "A fetus!" he bellows before erratically speeding off to his home in Hyannisport, Mass.

Barbara Boxer, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton and a fetus go to heaven and meet St Peter at the gates.
They each give their names, except the fetus, who just says, "Fetus."
St Peter checks his paperwork. "You're not human," he says. So Boxer goes to hell.

Please refrain from leaving fetus jokes in the comments. Thank you.

Great Rejected Front-Page Headlines,Part 1

For today's paper, with the photos of Knicks President Isiah (pronounced "Isaiah") Thomas and the former team executive who's accused him of sexual harassment, I suggested, "ISIAH/SHE SAY-AH."

Eden in January

Thanks to Martine Mallary for the pic.

Pro-Choice

Spotted by Kevin Walsh in Bayonne, N.J.

Quote of the Day

"Sex can be tamed; that’s what marriage is for. But to attempt to render it trivial is to attempt to flee from the burden of being human." —Maclin Horton

P.S. Maclin is also a singer-songwriter with a gentle touch. His "Lost in the World" sounds like a cross between Dennis Wilson and Noel Harrison.

One Hand SlappingA Guest Post by The Raving Atheist

"What good is choice if no one is there to provide it?" asks Jessica of NARAL Pro-Choice's BushvChoice. Note the power of the euphemism in her question. Employing the word "choice" saves her from beginning the query with "what good is abortion . . .," which would likely provoke immediate, negative answers from many people. It also allows her to maintain the charade that "pro-choice is not pro-abortion" -- although it's easy enough to guess which of the two choices she's thinks it's better to "provide."

Indeed, as we soon find out, abortion not just good, it's a necessity. And like a good aspirin commercial, she trots out a doctor to make her point. Actually, it's future doctor Amelia Welsh Jones, a second-year medical student, and she's quoted from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer rather than JAMA. Almost-Dr. Jones' thesis confirms that she's writing for a post-intelligent world:

Abortion is one of the most common surgical procedures among U.S. women. More than 1 million women have abortions each year. Despite this medical need, doctors emerging from medical schools and residency programs are not being trained to meet the needs of their patients.

"Scary stuff," says Jessica. Now, Jessica finds lots of stuff to be scary, but I'm with her on this one if she's talking about Jones' logic. The quasi-doctor has inferred a need from a number -- a medical need at that -- and used it to conclude that the number isn't big enough. Presumably if the "need" were fully met, we'd have two million abortions a year, which in turn would demonstrate a need for even more.

I blogged here a few months ago about the irrelevant and misleading "access" statistics that NARAL uses in its annual "Who Decides" reports. But whereas NARAL just drops them in without explanation, Jones makes them an explicit part of her "need" equation. "87 percent of U.S. counties and 98 percent of rural counties do not have a single abortion provider," she warns, leading us to wonder whether high school fire extinguishers should be replaced by suction aspiration machines.

But it's best she can do. When we speak of the "need" to increase the number of facilities to perform a particular medical procedure, the first number we consider the total incidence of the disease. But the "disease" that abortion "cures" is pregnancy. So for Jones' statistics to make any sense she'd have to opine how many of the 5 million unborn she thinks belong in the trash each year, rather than diverting us with a geography lecture.

But it's the doctor here who needs a lecture. Borrowing from a couple of old Zen koans, I'll give one that responds to a question slightly different from the one Jessica poses: "What is the sound of choice if there is no one to provide it?" The answer is one known to every delivery room doctor: the sound of one hand slapping -- and a baby drawing its first breath.

Quote of the Day

"I felt like I felt when I was dumb enough to give a serious answer to the mean kids who used to ask me if I thought Cassius Clay would beat Muhammad Ali."

     — A friend who would probably prefer not to be identified, writing to me today about the premature "senior moment" he had at a party, where he appeared to forget that Cardinal Ratzinger and Pope Benedict were the same person.

Silent No More in Manhattan

Theresa Bonapartis wrote to ask if I would pass on the following information about the upcoming Silent No More gathering in Rockefeller Center, right by the offices of NBC, CNN, Fox News, and the New York Post. She also writes, "Please keep it in prayer too. We did this a couple of years ago in the same spot. It was interesting. People were on their cells calling other people and saying, 'You are not going to believe what is going on here…' Some people went out of their way not to pass us. With God’s blessing it will bring a message of hope to some walking by who are hurting."

Here are the details:

The National Silent No More Awareness Campaign
New York City Gathering

WHEN: February 23, 2006, 4 p.m.
WHERE: 6th Ave. between 49th and 50th streets
WHAT: Event to break the silence of abortion and let women testify to the damage abortion has caused them
CONTACT: Colleen Barry at Silentnomorenyc -at- yahoo.com.

The Campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion. Since officially launching the Campaign in January 2003, 110 Gatherings have occurred in 3 countries and 44 states.

This gathering is one of 20 happening throughout America and in Washington D.C. in January/February of 2006. Each participant is “Silent No More” by giving a 2 minute testimonial. Those without a testimonial attend in support with the speakers.

The campaign has three main goals:
1. Educate the public that abortion is harmful emotionally, physically and spiritually.
2. Inform women who are hurting from an abortion that there is help.
3. Invite women to join us in speaking the truth about abortion’s negative consequences.

3 ways to participate:
1. If you are a post-abortive person who would like to speak out about the harm abortion has brought to your life.
2. If you are a post-abortive person who does not wish to speak but is willing to hold a sign saying “I Regret My Abortion”.
3. As a general support and prayer person who will attend as a spectator (we need you there!)


If you are planning to attend or have questions please e-mail Colleen Barry at Silentnomorenyc -at- yahoo.com. Your feedback is appreciated.

Georgette Forney, Executive Director of NOEL (National Organization of Episcopalians for Life) and Janet Morana, Associate Director of Priests for Life are the Co-Founders of this Campaign.

www.silentnomoreawareness.org

Cornell's Big Fat Greek Shredding

Wesley J. Smith reports that Cornell Medical School has rewritten the Hippocratic Oath to remove not only the prohibitions against abortion and euthanasia, but also those barring sexual relations with patients.

Smith compares the old with the new:

Hippocrates: "Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves." The clear call here is active, requiring doctors never to act in a way that would take advantage of patients, with one specific example, e.g. sexual relations.

Cornell: "That into whatever house I shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick. [Forget for the moment that most doctors don't make house calls.] That I will maintain this sacred trust, holding myself far aloof from wrong, from corrupting, from the tempting of others to vice." This is a far more passive and vague approach. What does holding oneself "aloof from wrong" mean, anyway? Indeed, what does "tempting others to vice" mean in the context of today's anything goes society?

Straining Credibility

Kudos to Credo of the Credibility blog for discovering a novel way to get his mom to clean his home.

He also has an item on "Papal Spam" guaranteed to bring a smile to Vatican-watchers.

Quote of the Day

Speaking of The Raving Atheist (star of today's other post), I just read the following quote from G.K. Chesterton and noticed it doesn't seem to apply to him. I think it does apply to Christopher Hitchens, though—and Andrew Sullivan, come to think of it. Chesterton wrote:

An interesting essay might be written on the possession of an atheistic literary style. There is such a thing. The mark of it is that wherever anything is named or described, such words are chosen as suggest that the thing has not got a soul in it. Thus they will not talk of love or passion, which imply a purpose and a desire. They talk of the "relations" of the sexes, as if they were simply related to each other in a certain way, like a chair and a table. Thus they will not talk of the waging of war (which implies a will), but of the outbreak of war - as if it were a sort of boil. Thus they will not talk of masters paying more or less wages, which faintly suggests some moral responsibility in the masters: they will talk of the rise and fall of wages, as if the thing were automatic, like the tides of the sea. Thus they will not call progress an attempt to improve, but a tendency to improve. And thus, above all, they will not call the sympathy between oppressed nations sympathy; they will call it solidarity. For that suggests brick and coke, and clay and mud, and all the things they are fond of.

The Thrill Is Gone (to the Publisher)

I sent my book, The Thrill of the Chaste, to my editor at W Publishing Group Monday. Hallelujah! It's due out in October.

Writing the book was by far the hardest project I've ever done. I'm so glad it's over. I used some Dawn Patrol material to get some of the chapters started, but 90% of it is new. Even the Dawn Patrol bits are heavily rewritten. I thought I was pretty sharp at the time I wrote those old entries—now I see that the difference between blog-quality writing and book-quality writing is vast.

I'm very happy with the way the manuscript turned out. Many thanks to readers who offered encouragement and prayers.

Note: If you're on my mailing list, I haven't forgotten about you. Will be sending out an exclusive book excerpt very soon. Still recovering from long hours writing.

UPDATE: Finally came up with a subtitle that my publisher likes. The book's title as of today is The Thill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On. Sorry to disappoint Gawker's Jessica Coen, who was rooting for You're Going to Hell, Slut.

Fahrenheit 451, ALA-Style

Human Events has a great article on how "Parents Protest American Library Association's 'Censorship.'" Make sure you check out the link to a Web site set up by parents to show excerpts of inappropriate books that the ALA puts in children's libraries while it bans books with conservative themes.

The Times Discovers Post-Abortive Ministry

Discuss (civilly).

Song Sung Blew It

[If aliens landed on Earth, ] "if they'd listen to the music today compared to what was going on even in the early '90s, they'd say we're a sorry bunch of folks, because all we're talking about is `My baby's mama, you double-crossed me, you dirty so and so,' nobody is singing about love and the things that they sang about 30 or 40 years ago."

— WRKS-FM DJ Bob Slade

You Read It Here First

In which a little Dawn Patrol investigative report turns into an American Life League communiqué, which turns into a Drudge Report news flash.

Because an Elephant Never Regrets

NARAL Pro-Choice America's full-time blogger Jessica quotes a Republicans for Choice press release in her entry "Republican pro-choice group opposes Alito," calling it "good stuff."

The quoted press release, which she copies directly from the original, begins:

"The Republican Majority for Choice (RMC) regrettably announces its opposition to the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court."

The word they were looking for is most likely "regretfully"—though the majority of Americans would agree with their original choice.

Planned Parenthood Did Its Part to Prevent 9/11 Victims from Leaving a Trace on This Earth

For those who would like to see some background on the Raving Atheist's satire that I posted yesterday, here is Planned Parenthood of New York City's original post-9/11 press release, as it appears archived on a Planned Parenthood chapter's Web site:

Planned Parenthood of New York City Offers Free Health Care Services

October 1, 2001

Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC) understands the need to access health care.

To provide for the many New York women who have been displaced or may otherwise be in need due to the World Trade Center tragedy, PPNYC offered complete reproductive health care services from Sept. 18th through Sept. 22nd free of cost.

Comprehensive services included gynecological care, birth control, emergency contraception, sexually transmitted infection testing and counseling and more.

PPNYC has health centers in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan.

For more information, log onto www.ppnyc.org or call PPNYC at 212-965-7000.

Prayer Request

Alicia the Midwife, of Fructus Ventris, would like your advice and prayers. Please visit her blog; she's a lovely woman and a great defender of life.

Planned Parenthood Offers Free Abortions to Miners' Widows
A Satire by The Raving Atheist

Tallmansville, W.Va., January 10, 2006
Special to The Unaborted Atheist

Continuing its policy of compassion to disaster victims, Planned Parenthood is offering free abortions to the widows of the twelve men who died following an explosion at the Sago Mine in Tallmansville, West Virginia.

Together with the National Abortion Federation, Planned Parenthood made similar offers to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.

A Planned Parenthood spokeswoman noted that access to reproductive services is especially important to those families whose sole income came from mining employment. "The financial pressures occasioned by the loss of the primary wage-earner should not be compounded by the burden of another child," said Gloria Michels. "In this time of tragedy, we respect the need of women to make the right choice to bring closure to economically unfeasible pregnancies."

Michels dismissed critics who questioned the sensitivity of the abortion program. "We understand the confusion of women who might imagine a resemblance to a departed spouse in an ultrasound of a second trimester fetus," she said. "We will not attempt to unfairly influence their decisions by subjecting them to misleading three-dimensional images of the products of conception."

The organization also announced it would provide reduced-cost contraception to the widows who are not pregnant. "The termination of a monogamous marital union does not eliminate a woman's basic human needs," said Michels. "While we honor those who might defer their physical comfort for a number of weeks, we also respect those who choose to seek immediate relief in the wake of this catastrophe."

Confidential counseling and reproductive services will also be made available to the daughters of the deceased miners. "Young women between the ages of 11 and 17 often find it difficult to confide in a parent, particularly a grieving parent," said Michel. "Whether making the difficult decision to abort a grandchild or avoiding sexually transmitted diseases at a petting zoo, our unbiased counselors are here to help."

NARAL Pro-Choice America's Blog Calls Abortion the 'Supposedly Traumatic Decision to Excise a Few Parasitic Cells'

See today's entry "Butthead Aussie Fetalist Lacks Clue."

Thanks to the Raving Atheist for the tip.

A Study Shows That More Babies Brought to Term Were Originally 'Unwanted,' and What Does Planned Parenthood Have to Say About the Moms' Not Getting Abortions? Huh? Huh?

"That's really sad news," said Heather Estes, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood services in Contra Costa County.

"We all wish to see that number decrease so women don't get pregnant until they want to be."

—Via the Contra Costa [Calif.] Times.

RELATED: Peter at ProLifeBlogs had an insightful take on the CDC story when it came out last month.

My Daily News column today is about how some friends of Bryan Harvey and his family are using their blog to help them cope with their grief.

Chains of Fools

From Planned Parenthood of Connecticut's online shop, here's the latest fashion in U.S. taxpayer-subsidized "condom key chains":

"Condoms are cheaper than diapers." Well, that settles it, doesn't it? And look at that monstrous crying baby. Who says that Planned Parenthood is relativist? They believe in evil, all right. It's just that their idea of evil weighs 8 lbs., 6 oz., and gains its sustenance from a breast.

At any rate, if we're going to be utilitarian, e-mailing your senators and your representative is cheaper than phoning them to tell them to quit spending your tax dollars encouraging teenagers to have sex with multiple partners under the delusion that they are "safe."

In the words of Maxed Out Mama:

One commonly accepted figure is that proper and consistent use of condoms will lower a woman's chance of getting pregnant to 3% in one year.

Sounds good, until you do this simple calculation. If you have a 3% risk in one year, your risk over 5 years is 15%, and over 10 years it's 30%. [M.O.M.'s odds are not exact, but the odds of being impregnated while using condoms do accumulate significantly over time, an issue that the Planned Parenthood-funded experts who compile statistics at the Alan Guttmacher Institute appear unwilling to broach—Ed.]....Now it is easier to get pregnant than to get a veneral disease (the process isn't specifically designed to transmit disease, but it sure is designed to get a woman pregnant), so condoms are better at preventing venereal disease than pregnancy.

BUT getting many venereal diseases increases the chance for getting another, so risks balloon for the more sexually active people. [More on Maxed Out Mama's site.]

More from the Planned Parenthood catalog—you worked hard to finance this, so you might as well see it:



It's an image of an idol holding a condom, with the slogan, "Immunity idol for real survivors." Gotta give them credit for truth in advertising—at least the idol part.

Last but not least:



What could God be saying to Adam in this version of Michelangelo's masterpiece? Suggestions welcome in the comments section below.

* * *

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America's annual report shows that it received over a quarter-billion dollars in taxpayer funding in fiscal 2004. That money is fungible; it enables the organization to spend more money on condom key chains as well as on abortions. If you do not want to see your tax dollars spent on such things, contact your senators or your representative.

In Memoriam: Bryan Harvey

[Added link to Daily News article — see below:]

My friend Steve Huff just put up a post about the horrific, unthinkable murder of a married couple and their two young daughters. They were bound to chairs and their throats were slit, and then their house was burned.

I knew the husband, Bryan Harvey. He played in my old friend Steve Wynn's former band, Gutterball.

I remember chatting with Bryan, mostly about our shared love of obscure Sixties pop music, when Gutterball played the Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side, circa 1994. He had a natural sweetness about him, a warmth and lack of affectation coupled with something that I can only call integrity. I'm in a state of shock that such a thing could happen to him and his family.

UPDATE: This story is just too painful to imagine. Read the Richmond Times-Dispatch's account of how the Harvey family contributed to their community.

UPDATE #2, 1/3/06, 10 a.m.: Read today's New York Daily News article on Bryan and his family. I helped provide sources for the piece.

Please pray for the Harveys' family and friends, and for the capture and prosecution of the murderer or murderers.

The comments space below is for anyone who would like to share memories of Bryan Harvey and his music. Thank you.

RELATED, 1/8/06: My Daily News column is about bloggers' remembrances of Bryan.

My Daily News column today features advice from PsychBloggers on how to stay sane in 2006.

Abortion Industry Casts a Spell

Focus on the Family is calling upon church leaders to reach out to post-abortive women this month, letting them know that help and forgiveness is available for them.

It's very important that churches show post-abortive women compassion—particularly when spiritual leaders aligned with the Planned Parenthood-funded Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice insist that "most women who have abortions experience little or no psychological harm." That quote comes from the RCRC's pamphlet "Between a Woman and Her God." (To underscore what they mean by "most women" experiencing little or no harm, they add a reference to " the supposed harm caused by abortion.")

Here is one of the stories told by "clergy" in "Between a Woman and Her God." (You'll understand why the scare quotes when you see the author's affiliation.) There are many aspects of this attempt to use "faith" to justify abortion that I find troubling; I've highlighted some of them in bold. I invite your comments.

“A SACRED OPPORTUNITY”
Judy Harrow
High Priestess, Proteus Coven
Chair of Pastoral Counseling, Cherry Hill Seminary

[Note: The chairwoman of the public ministry department at Cherry Hill Seminary, M. Macha Nightmare, has written in her "Broomstick Chronicles" about the joys of sacrificing a deer. Also, I think I saw the seminary's president in some 1970s film, but I digress.— Dawn]
Anne stopped by for lunch last Sunday. She’s a mature, successful, professional woman and a homeowner. Looking at the wise and confident grownup in my living room, I remember a girl at the threshold of adulthood, pregnant and frightened, facing the risk of a broken future, who sat on that same couch nearly 20 years ago. She has done well with her life because some of us made sure she would not lose her chance. Total strangers fought and won the legal battle for reproductive choice, but it took real friends to help her exercise her right to choose.

She got pregnant in her senior year of college, way before she was ready, financially or emotionally, to raise a child. She was living with, and still financially dependent upon, her parents. Based on religious beliefs that she no longer shared, they would have forced her to drop out of school to have the baby. She’d have lost her financial aid and with it her promising future. Fortunately, she had others who would stand by her.

We are her coven, her chosen spiritual family, and we came through. We are a small group, and none of us was rich, but among us we were able to raise the clinic fee. In the process, we strengthened our group bond, our certainty that we could rely on one another in times of need. Every person in the group benefited from our response to one person’s crisis.

As her priestess, I arranged the appointment. Group members escorted her to the clinic and back to my house afterwards. Others dropped by with food, flowers, supportive company. She stayed with me for a few days, until she was visibly recovered, until she no longer looked shaky and weak, until she felt it was safe for her to go home.

It was not easy for her to go against all her instincts and hormonal drives, but our support freed her to choose her own best future. When I see her now and think about what might have been in the days when women had no legal right to choose or for those young women, even now, who find themselves facing a pregnancy all alone, I am grateful for the sacred opportunity to help a friend choose her own path.

* * *

RELATED:

• For more on the RCRC, read the Raving Atheist's excellent posts "God the Abortionist" and "No Respect," and my own "Planned Parenthood Celebrates Death on Good Friday—in Churches." The latter mentions Planned Parenthood Teenwire's feature article on Wicca. The article has since been removed, but you can read it via the Internet Archive. Also in the archive is another post from the site by a teen witch lamenting that she suffers from "oppression.".
• If it bothers you that Planned Parenthood receives over a quarter-billion dollars a year in taxpayer funds, contact your senators and your representative, as well as local officials.
• Also see "Holy Abortion," an RCRC exposé on the Priests for Life Web site.
• There is hope after abortion. If you or someone you know has been affected by abortion, visit Silent No More or After Abortiion.
• Mary, Exterminatrix of Heresies, ora pro nobis.

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