What's wrong with HB 3773? A LOT!!! (New Online Petitions added!)

[mannyamador]

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This just shows how COERCIVE HB 3773 is! They want to force everyone to obey their population control program.

[dacs]

Brief defends freedom of religious schools to choose religion teachers based on religion

Note: This may not be directly related to abortion, but the complainant here is a dismissed religious teacher who publicly supported abortion as a right.

Whole Article:

Urges Court of Appeals to preserve church autonomy and avoid entanglement

The First Amendment requires dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a former religion teacher against Ursuline Academy and the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty reiterated today in a brief filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Last year, the trial court threw out the religion teacher’s suit challenging the school’s decision to dismiss her after she literally advertised her opposition to the Church’s teaching on abortion.

The Becket Fund--a nonpartisan, interfaith, legal and educational institute dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions--filed the brief on behalf of defendants Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli and the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. The Becket Fund is Of Counsel to all defendants.

Plaintiff Michele Curay-Cramer taught Religion and English at Ursuline Academy, a Catholic independent school in Wilmington, Delaware. On January 22, 2003, her name appeared among the signers of a statement endorsing abortion rights in a full-page ad in The News Journal, Wilmington's daily newspaper. After she refused to back down from her public opposition to the Church’s teaching on abortion, the school dismissed her from her position. A few months later, she filed an employment discrimination suit in federal court against Ursuline Academy, two Ursuline employees, the Diocese of Wilmington, and its Bishop, Michael Saltarelli. She lost that suit, but has now appealed to the Third Circuit.

“Just as the First Amendment protects Planned Parenthood’s right to fire employees who oppose abortion rights, so too does it guarantee a religious school’s right to fire teachers who oppose the Church’s position on abortion,” declared Becket Fund President Anthony Picarello.

The Becket Fund’s brief explains that the “church autonomy” doctrine of the First Amendment prohibits the state from regulating the relationship between a religious institution and its leaders, and from interfering with matters of church discipline and governance. “In short, if the government could preclude any religious group from disciplining those who renounce its doctrines—especially teachers at its own schools—the government would eviscerate the ability of all religious groups to maintain the integrity of their belief systems,” The Becket Fund’s brief argues.

In his November decision, District Judge Kent Jordan called Curay-Cramer’s argument that Ursuline was not a religious institution “patently absurd” and “illogical.” Applying federal employment law in this case would raise “substantial constitutional questions” that courts must avoid. Judge Jordan wrote: “Short of a declaration that the Pope should pass draft encyclicals through the courts for approval, it is hard to conceive of a more obvious violation of the free exercise rights of the Catholic Church or a clearer case of inappropriate entanglement of church and state.”

[mannyamador]

UN Agencies and their anti-life and anti-family agenda

UN Announces it Will Recognize Homosexual Civil Unions and Unmarried Heterosexual Partnerships
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04013005.html

United Nations Pushes Nepal to Allow More Abortions
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jan/04011501.html

United Nations Tells Ethiopia to Decriminalize Abortion, Publicly Fund Contraceptives
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/feb/04020601.html

Kofi Annan Enthusiastically Accepts Award from Radical Abortion Promoters
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/mar/04030403.html

United Nations Sponsored Women's Clinic in Kenya Admits to Illegal Abortions
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/mar/04031703.html

UNICEF Nigerian Polio Vaccine Contaminated with Sterilizing Agents Scientist Finds
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/mar/04031101.html

UN: Don't Worry About our Support for Gay 'Marriage'; We Support Polygamy Too
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/mar/04032301.html

United Nations Human Rights Emissary Pushes Peru to Allow Abortion
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/aug/04080604.html

U.N. Demands Poland Overturn Anti-Abortion Laws, Implement ***-Ed, Contraception and Gay Rights Programs
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/041109a.html

United Nations Chief Kofi Annan Endorses Human Cloning
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/oct/04102101.html

United Nations Tells Morocco to Decriminalize Abortion
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111002.html

United Nations Body Set up to Make Recommendations on Governing Internet
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111602.html

United Nations Now Pushes Chile and Malta to Legalize Abortion
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04113003.html

[mannyamador]

12th Pro-Life Philippines Annual Convention
Celebrate Life! Celebrate Family!

Come and join us on for the 12th Annual Pro-Life Philippines National Convention with the theme:
"Defend the Family, the Sanctuary of Life". As we celebrate the gift of life and the family on:

February 12, 2006
8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Layforce Auditorium
San Carlos Seminary
Guadalupe, Makati City.

To register, download our Convention Registration Form.

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All Set for February 2006 Prolife Month
http://www.prolife.org.ph/article/articleview/608/1/91/

Various activities are lined up for this year's celebration of Prolife
month in Februry 2006. The theme for this year's celebration is
"Defend the Family, the Sanctury of life." According to Mr. Jaime
Leornas, Executive Director of Prolife, this year's celebration will
be significant since the 12th Prolife National Convention will
coincide with the event.

This bi-annual convention will have Fr. Linus Clovis as its guest
speaker. Fr. Clovis is the President of Family Life International, a
big international prolife organization based in New Zealand. It has
several chapters in Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada. Population
Research International and C-FAM, a UN Prolife lobby group are also
afilliates of the said organization.

During the convention elections of the Board of Trustees will be held.
Some prominent legislators and prolife personalities will also grace
the convention as speakers.

As a part of the prolife month celebration, a group of two men and six
women from the evangelical group Redeemed for Life will come from the
United States. The women had former abortion experiences and they are
now challenging the women not to abort and learn from their
experiences. They will visit Bacolod, Lipa, and Baguio. A prayer
conference will be held on the 18th. As part of their stay, they will
make a courtesy call to Mayor Lito Atienza and will visit orphanages
and the Tomb for the Unborn in North and South Cemeteries. They will
also spearhead a Life Chain during their visit.

[mannyamador]

Petition against HB 3773

http://www.gopetition.com/online/7499.html

Please help us stop this immoral, unjust, and coercive bill!

[mannyamador]

First Lady Laura Bush Touts Abstinence as
Best Plan on AIDS in Africa

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 17, 2006

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- First Lady Laura Bush on Sunday during a tour of African nations
called the Bush Administration's abstinence-based plan for combating the AIDS epidemic in Africa the
best response against the deadly disease. She said the plan is based on a successful program in Uganda.

"The whole plan all along has been Uganda's plan," which includes abstinence and fidelity in marriage.

"I'm always a little bit irritated when I hear the criticism of abstinence, because abstinence is absolutely
100% effective in eradicating a sexually transmitted disease," she explained.

"In many countries where girls feel obligated to comply with the wishes of men, girls need to know
that abstinence is a choice," she said.

Her comments pleased pro-life groups, including Dr. Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America.

“Mrs. Bush should be applauded for taking a stand for abstinence and supporting her husband's policy
on this important issue,” Crouse said.

“She has offered hope and encouragement to many young girls in Africa," Crouse explained. "By taking
a bold stand for women's rights, Mrs. Bush has helped girls realize that their lives do have value, and
that they deserve the utmost respect.”

More than 60 percent of the 40 million people worldwide infected with the AIDS virus live in sub-Saharan
Africa. South Africa has the highest number of HIV-infected people in the world.

As a model for success, many point to a key anti-AIDS program in the African nation of Uganda that shows
how focus on abstinence can decrease infection rates.

Washington-area investigative writer Carey Roberts wrote in a Washington Times article in late 2004 that
Uganda has been using abstinence to combat AIDS for 15 years.

"The results were impressive: the HIV infection rate in Uganda dropped from 15 percent to 5 percent. In
1991, 21 percent of pregnant women had the deadly HIV virus. Ten years later, that figure had dropped
to 6 percent," Roberts wrote in the Times article.

In fact, only 6.2% of Ugandans in the 15-49 age group are now HIV-positive, compared with more than
15% in the early 1990s.

Bush spoke with reporters at the start of a four-day trip to Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria.

On Tuesday, the First Lady visited a clinic in Ghana that treats HIV-positive patients and met with children
whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS-related causes or who are HIV-positive.

[mannyamador]

Filipino Catholics: "Two-child norm is absurd
obstacle for better society"
by Santosh Digal
29 November, 2005
PHILIPPINES
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4744

A Catholic MP told AsiaNews about the limitations, contradictions
and risks inherent in laws controlling family planning: "Look at
the West or Japan. They are rich nations but without youth."

Manila (AsiaNews) – Obligatory family planning is "simply absurd" and is
merely "an obstacle in the path towards a better Filipino society". Rene
Velade, Catholic MP, told AsiaNews what he thinks about the laws in
Manila, roundly condemning them because “they oblige people to have two
children”.

He said: "The Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act, better
known as the two-child norm, should be annulled by the government together
with another two laws which are destroying our nation, 1808 and 3422.
These laws prevent a good domestic economy and a patriotic and educated
society. I find it simply absurd that the bill would give families a
semblance of choice in planning but puts a limit on the number of children
they want."

The problem is not only ethical and moral: it also has a "social"
dimension. "One must not lose sight of what is happening in the West,
Japan and Korea. In those countries, rich and industrially well-developed,
family planning is resulting in an aging population, which will destroy
their economic achievements."

"These countries now face many crises. They do not have young people. So
they depend on immigrants for everything. No one pays social benefits to
guarantee support for an ever ageing population. With less young people,
without children, who will consume products made by the domestic economy?
Who will buy national products?"

"Some of us in the Philippines think of these countries as a model to
follow but they do not realise that their experience only highlights the
failure of a birth control policy."

A lower birth rate among the Filipino population "may be attained, however
in a correct manner, following the social doctrine of the Church: if the
population is informed in a proper way and medical and hygiene-sanitary
assistance is provided, the same result will be attained and what’s more,
a stable economy will be supported."

"Human resources are our main hope. We must make sure we give them maximum
protection."

[mannyamador]

A Summary of Major Studies on Condom Breakage and Slippage Rates

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study   Total Condoms Users | Breakage Rate (percent) | Slippage Rate (percent) | Total Breaks | Total Slips
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 1:
Nevada(A)      353          0.0%           3.9%	        0       14
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 2:
United States(B) 4,632          4.0%           0.6%           185       28
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 3:
Sydney, 
Australia(C)    605          0.5%           ---            3       ---
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 4:
United States(D)  147          0.7%           7.4%            1       11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 5:
Atlanta,
Georgia(E)     478          3.7%           13.7%           18       65
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 6:
Atlanta, 
Georgia(F)     405          2.4%           13.1%           10       53
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 7:
California(G)   3,717          3.0%           2.9%           112       108
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 8: 
North Carolina(H) 1,072          3.3%           5.4%           35       58
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study # 9:
North Carolina(I) 4,589          11.1%           ---           507       ---
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study #10:
North Carolina(J) 1,947          5.3%           3.5%           103       68
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study #11:
California(K)   2,059          4.3%           2.2%           89       45
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study #12:
North Carolina(L)  752          4.1%           ---            31       ---
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study #13:
Denmark(M)     385          5.0%           ---            19       ---
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study #14:
New Zealand(N)  3,685          5.3%           5.1%           195       188
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study #15:
North Carolina(O)  358          12.0%           15.0%           43       54
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals and
Averages     25,184          5.36%           3.67%         1,351       692

Summary of Studies
Average breakage rate of all condoms: 1,351/25,184 = 5.36%
Average slippage rate of all condoms: 692/18,853 = 3.67%
Total failure rate of all condoms: 9.13%

Reference: All of these studies are listed in Robert A. Hatcher, et. al. Contraceptive Technology (17th Revised Edition) [New York: Ardent Media, Inc., 1998]. Table 16-3, "Prospective Studies of Condom Breakage and Slippage," pages 330 to 332. The Table refers to the following studies, as listed above. All studies or parts of studies refer to vaginal intercourse only.

[A] Study of Nevada Brothel Prostitutes. A.E. Albert, D.L. Warner, R.A Hatcher, J. Trussell, and C. Bennett. "Condom Use Among Female Commercial *** Workers in Nevada's Legal Brothels." American Journal of Public Health, 1995;85:1,514-1,520.
[B] Study of Monogamous American Couples. M.J. Rosenberg and M.S Waugh. "Latex Condom Breakage and Slippage in a Controlled Clinical Trial." Contraception, 1997;56:17.21 (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted).
[C] Study of Sydney Female Prostitutes. J. Richters, B. Donovan, J. Gerofi and L. Watson. "Low Condom Breakage Rate in Commercial ***" [letter]. Lancet 1988;2:1,487-1,488. Correction by John Gerofi in personal communication to Philip Kestelman, July 1989.
[D] U.S. Clinical Research Participants. M.A. Leeper and M. Conrardy. "Preliminary Evaluation of REALITY, a Condom for Women to Wear." Advances in Contraception 1989;5:229-235.
[E] Study of Atlanta Family Planning Recruits. J. Trussel, D.L. Warner and R.A. Hatcher. "Comdom Performance During Vaginal Intercourse: Comparison of Trojan-Enz and Tactylon Condoms." Contraception 1992;45:11-19.
[F] Study of Atlanta Family Planning Recruits. J. Trussel, D.L. Warner and R.A. Hatcher. "Condom Slippage and Breakage Rates." Family Planning Perspectives 1992;24:20-23 (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted; slippage rate recalculated from original article and reflects condoms that fell off or slipped down during intercourse or withdrawal).
[G] Study of Southern California Monogamous Couples. A. Nelson, G.S. Bernstein, R. Frezieres, T. Walsh, V. Clark and A. Coulson. "A Study of the Efficacy, Acceptability and Safety of a Non-Latex (Polyurethane) Male Condom; Revised Final Report (N01-HD-1-3109). Bethesda, Maryland: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, September 15, 1997 (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted).
[H] Study of North Carolina Monogamous Couples (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted; among new condoms used with either no additional lubricant or water-based lubricant, rates recalculated from the original article) .
[I] Study of North Carolina Monogamous Couples (breakage rates ranged from 3.5% for a new lot to 18.6% for an 81-month old lot).
[J] Study of North Carolina Monogamous Couples (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted).
[K] Study of Southern California Monogamous Couples. A. Nelson, R. Frezieres, T. Walsh, V. Clark and A. Coulson. "A Controlled Randomized Evaluation of a Commercially Available Polyurethane and Latex Condom (Avanti Versus Ramses Sensitol): Final Report (N01- HD-1-3109). Bethesda, Maryland: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, November 6, 1996 (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted).
[L] Study of North Carolina Couples Recruited by Mail.
[M] Study of Denmark Female Prostitutes and Male and Female Hospital Staff.
[N] Study of New Zealand Male and Female Family Planning Clinic Clients (events of breakage and slippage were unambiguously not double counted).
[O] Study of North Carolina Local Recruits.

[mannyamador]

Filipino-American Group Fights HB 3773

A group in the US is helping fight the coercive and immoral HB 3773. Check them out at:

http://www.filipinofamilyfund.org

They have a petition against HB 3773 too and are mobilizing Filipino-Americans for the cause.
The text of the petition is below:

Dear Members of the Congress of the Philippines,

As friends of the Republic of the Philippines, we are concerned. Filipinos are properly
passionate about family. We see the Philippines as a beacon of hope for the sanctity of life
at all stages. Since many of us have family or friends in the Philippines, we hope that you
will oppose H.B. 3773 "The Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of
2005" and the agenda of UNFPA to mandate family size limits.

In our own country, on June 16th, with a bipartisan vote of 192-233, the U.S. House of
Representatives soundly rejected a bid to subsidize the United Nation's Population Fund,
which has refused to divest itself from coercive population and forced abortion programs in
China.

For 25 years, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been an aggressive and
shameful accessory to gross crimes against women and babies in the Peoples Republic of
China. Despite being admonished to do otherwise on countless occasions, the UNFPA
continues to be the chief apologist and enabler for past and ongoing crimes against humanity.

Since the UNFPA is working with Philippine government leaders, we are also concerned with
news reports of coercive practices in forced contraception.(1) We hope that further
investigations of the funding sources and training objectives of these healthcare organizations
continue. As the UNFPA has promised $26 million in population control programs until 2009,
we hope that you will instead insist that the UN provide programs for education, skills training,
and regional growth centers in provinces to discourage urban migration to help you meet your
Millenium Development Goals (MDG's).

We are also concerned for the Filipino youth. We feel that the UNFPA funded information
campaigns will give the minors a false sense of "adolescent sexual/reproductive rights" that
does not respect the dignity of the human person or the rich family values of Filipinos.

We are grateful for His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin's many contributions to the political,
spiritual and moral life of the Philippines, and we extend our condolences to his family and to
the Catholic faithful. We are concerned that if this bill passes that according to the Constitution
of 1987, the proposed bill would be unconstitutional on the grounds that the human life must
be protected from the moment of conception.(2) Also, we feel that the bill discriminates against
Catholic healthcare workers who cannot offer reproductive health care services out of
conscientious objection.(3) Further, we hope that our family and friends who are Catholic or
Muslim educators will be protected by their constitution and not imprisoned, (up to six months),
because they will not be able to offer *** education or contraceptives to children as a matter of
personal conscience.(4) Finally, we hope that for the sake of Filipino marriages, the bill does not
pass for it does not acknowledge the right of husbands or wives to refuse tubal ligation,
sterilization, contraception or other such reproductive healthcare.(5) Many Americans, including
many of the 3,000,000 Filipino Americans, are concerned that Filipinos should have a government
that protects their choice to determine the size of their own families and respects their rich
cultural heritage.

We are encouraged with the spirit of the Filipino people to fight for values that are important to
family and faith traditions because you are known as a people of hope. The 1.9 population growth
rate reported by the National Statistics Bureau is a solid basis for the future. Western European
countries with smaller population growth rates now have increasing mortality rates that impact
their Social Security programs. Citizens of working age will soon be unable to sustain the retirement
of the aging population. We do not want that for our Filipino family members and friends. We
respectfully encourage you to join us in solidarity to the opposition of any coercive practices of the
UNFPA and we hope you will encourage others to oppose H.B. 3773 "The Responsible Parenthood
and Population Management Act of 2005".

Notes:

1 Manila Standard Today, May 16,2005 “Bishops building up case vs. family planning workers”
2 The Constitution of the Philippines, Article 2: Declaration of Principles and State Policies and Principles, Section 12.
3 H.B. 3773, Section 14, Section 16b, Section 17.
4 H.B. 3773, Section 10, Section 17.
5 H.B. 3773, Section 16, a2.