Unfortunately, I don’t have that expectation. The culture of life is not alive and well enough in this country, but we should never give up hope. I really believe we need to continue to change hearts and minds. Then maybe the laws will change. Maybe people will give up the ridiculous idea that having an abortion or using contraception is just a “health choice.”

Last week our so very mis-guided Washington administration basically re-affirmed a rule that would require health insurers to “provide preventive health services.” Convenient way of saying abortion and contraception. I really think they use these words to cover their shame as much as try to hide the truth from people.

So, let’s keep praying for the unborn and those who never even have a chance to be conceived. And those who support the atrocity of taking innocent human life.

You can listen to my interview with Sen. Carlson here: Sen. Tom Carlson Comment

The recent horror story in Philadelphia with the abortion doctor who is now being charged with multiple accounts of murder contains all the elements of what make abortion so incredibly horrible. You can read the details for yourself. Just do a Google search for it. This story should be the top one in the news but guess what? It’s not. Our news folks are more interested in what President O is going to say about the economy. Yeah. That’s more important than human life.

What it means is that we need to continue to pray and especially for our lawmakers, women facing tough choices and those who have had an abortion. I would like to think this will change in our country some day. I keep praying that it will.

We’re all tied together spiritually which is why something as gravely wrong as abortion affects us all. It’s pretty easy to understand how an abortion can have an immediate affect on the family members of the woman having the abortion and the man/father of the baby. It shouldn’t be hard therefore to see a connection to all of us. And if you factor in how many millions of babies that have been killed in just the last 30 years there is an extreme amount of impact on all of us. None of it is positive.

This has been on my mind after reading an “anonymous” story on a website that was supposedly written by a woman about having an abortion. She didn’t like it but had it done because she decided she wasn’t ready to be a mother. Her casual attitude about having innocuous sex after an involuntary sexual hiatus was disturbing enough. What really got me though was the comments written in about how brave and courageous she was. I don’t know about you but I would be very skeptical of anything that’s written anonymously on the internet. But if it was a truthful story it is as disturbing as many of the comments that people wrote on the site.

The man who shared the quote I opened with agreed with me that we can’t let the thought of how many babies have been killed by abortion discourage us or keep us from doing what we can to encourage a culture of life. I really believe we need to encourage people to return to God who is the only source of answers on this and any other issue. The removal of faith from our society is more at the core of why abortion was ever legalized and why it has grown so tremendously in just a few decades than that all of the sudden a woman’s right to choose became necessary. I have known a number of women who have had one or more abortions. I don’t personally know what went through their mind at the time of the abortion but I do know they regret it. I will continue to pray for a culture of life, for all who have made this choice and the souls of the babies who have never been born.

A life-size statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe had just been installed days prior. Upon the wall were colorful glass tiles, which will soon contain a growing list of etched names memorializing children who died from abortion, through miscarriage, who were stillborn, or who died from any cause at a young age.

And here is the ad that aired during the first quarter of the game. LOL, think N.O.W. will start complaining that the ad promotes violence against women? Well done!:

Both ads are also available on the Focus on the Family website, which features a more in-depth interview with Tim’s parents Bob and Pam and their choice for life.

You can read my final thoughts on the “controversial” commercial over at Reflections of a Paralytic.

The 40-day campaign tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities … and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ’s resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.

If you’re not sure how to go about contacting your legislators the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops makes it easy with an online form that takes the work out of it. I used it this morning to notify me leaders of my opposition to what they’re doing and I urge you to do the same.

I liked him quoting Mother Teresa of Calcutta as saying that when a couple adopts a child they are welcoming Jesus into their home but when they abort a baby they are shutting Jesus out. I don’t have the exact quote but that’s close enough.

You can see a photo of Fr. Ben after today’s Mass from my Twitter account.

Here’s part of the statement on Respect Life Sunday (pdf) by Cardinal Justin Rigali:

Respect Life Sunday, this year celebrated on October 4th is a day set aside for Catholics in the United States to reflect with gratitude on God’s priceless gift of human life. It is also an occasion to examine how well we, as a nation and individually, are living up to our obligation to protect the rights of those who, due to age, dependency, poverty or other circumstances, are at risk of their very lives.

Unborn children remain the persons whose lives are most at risk in America: Over one million children each year die in abortion facilities. The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 rendered states powerless to halt this killing. Thankfully Congress and most states acted to prevent public funding of abortions (with narrowly defined exceptions). Yet despite the opposition of 67% of Americans to taxpayer-funded abortion, all current health care proposals being considered by Congress would allow or mandate abortion funding, either through premiums paid into government programs or out of federal revenues.