In 3 Rivers Pastoral Area we are at least 1,500 -
If all Roman Catholics register their objection then we have a real chance to
influence this fundamentally immoral, un-Christian and bad legislation - please
encourage others to object.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
From: Ian Lucas [mailto:ian.lucas@appplg.co.uk]
Sent: 28 August 2008 20:53
To: Ian Lucas
Subject: Passion for Life update - SEPTEMBER CAMPAIGN STARTS HERE!
Dear Friends
It’s been a few weeks since I wrote – I do hope you have had/are
having a good summer holiday.
The Passion for Life campaign has been hard at it, working on
its’ third and final stage – a brand new postcard campaign to run
for the month of September.
Whether or not you have sent postcards to MPs before, it is
absolutely vital that as many cards are sent in as possible – PLEASE
CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS?
In the Autumn, probably mid October, the HFE bill will come back
to the House of Commons for final voting, and soon after it will
become law (after a final hurdle in the House of Lords).
You will remember that many of the issues we campaigned upon in
the earlier stages have now been voted on – but the bill has moved
on, and there are now new issues we need to campaign on. It is these
issues that are covered on the new postcard. I have attached the pdf
of the new card for your information, but please do let me know by
email how many cards you will require for distribution to your
family, friends, church, street, clubs etc. We must act now, and
have these returned to MPs by the end of September to have an
impact.
I will be writing again soon with details of the amendments that
are being presented to the House of Commons – including some
extremely worrying attempts to liberate the abortion law.
There is no shortage of cards, and I will have them sent to you
asap, so do please get in touch.
Kind regards, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Ian Lucas
Campaign Co-ordinator
Passion for Life campaign
Tel: 07889 109809
ian.lucas@appplg.co.uk
www.passionforlife.org.uk
www.hfebill.org
JULY UPDATE
From: Ian Lucas [mailto:ian.lucas@appplg.co.uk]
Sent: 10 July 2008 16:38
To: Ian Lucas
Subject: Passion for Life UPDATE
Dear Friends
I am writing to let you know that the Government has decided to
delay the final stages of the HFE bill until the Autumn. This is an
astonishing turn around, given their earlier desire to push it
through as quickly as possible. It could well be something to do
with the amount of public uproar that the bill has caused – and also
something to do with the Glasgow by-election!
Either way we can consider it a small victory – for now – so
thank you to all who have written to their MP and the Prime Minister
– it really works!
However, there is of course a bigger battle ahead. In the Autumn
it would be possible for the Government to allocate more time for
the remaining stages in the Commons, meaning that more amendments
could be voted on, on abortion and all the other issues in the bill
that we have been fighting so hard.
It is absolutely crucial that we keep up the momentum that has
been built up over the last few months, and don’t let the Government
off the hook. I will be writing again very shortly to let you know
how the ‘Passion For Life’ campaign will go forward into the Summer.
In the meantime, thank you again for all your support. Be
encouraged, writing to MPs DOES make a difference, and if we keep
the pressure up, who knows what else we can achieve!
Keep in touch..
Kind regards
Ian Lucas
Campaign Co-ordinator
Passion for Life campaign
Suite 452, Southbank House, Black Prince Road, London SE1 7SJ
Tel: 0203 176 0032
Mob: 07889 109809
ian.lucas@appplg.co.uk
www.passionforlife.org.uk
www.hfebill.org
From: Ian Lucas [mailto:ian.lucas@appplg.co.uk]
Sent: 04 July 2008 13:54
To: Ian Lucas
Subject: Passion for Life - URGENT campaign update
Dear Friends.
Please read and act, and then forward to your friends and
contacts to do the same!
As you may know, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill has
already allowed the creation of human/animal hybrid embryos,
‘saviour’ (or spare part) siblings and the end of the ‘need for a
father’. Additionally, MPs have decided not to reduce the upper time
limit for abortion.
We are now told that the remaining House of Commons stages of the
Bill will be on Monday 14th July.
Please now take the opportunity to email your MP to ask him/her
to vote against;
• Liberalising the Abortion Act. Some MPs are attempting to do
this.
• Human reproductive cloning. The bill as it stands has a loophole
which needs tightening up.
• GM (Genetically Modified) babies, There’s concern that this could
lead to designer babies.
It is also vital you ask them to support an amendment on the
‘Hunt test’. This would ensure that anyone who wanted to create
mixed animal and human embryos would have to prove that the research
is needed, and that there is no alternative available.
Please also ask MPs to push for free votes on all these issues at
the remaining stages of the Bill, by signing Early Day Motion No.
1953. Currently the Government intends to impose a whip, meaning
that their MPs are not allowed to vote according to their
conscience.
It is absolutely vital that as many people as possible email
their MP AND the Prime Minister now, expressing their concern over
these issues, as well as calling for a free vote at the ‘ Report’
and ‘3rd Reading’ stages. Please email your MP now – and as many of
your friends and contacts and ask them to do the same.
MPs email addresses are surname followed by first initial @
parliament.uk
For example Gordon Brown would be browng@parliament.uk
David Cameron would be camerond@parliament.uk
If you can’t identify your MP or their email address, do let me
know.
There is further information on www.passionforlife.org.uk
Thank you for all your support so far – please take this late
opportunity to affect the final shape of this bill.
Ian Lucas
Campaign Co-ordinator
Passion for Life campaign
BACKGROUND
At the moment Parliament is considering a piece of legislation
called the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
This is the most important Bill to affect life issues since
the 1967 Abortion Act. Some of the issues at stake are:
- It would allow scientists to create embryos that are half
human, half animal.
- It would mean that infertility clinics would no longer have
to consider a child’s need for a father. This would, for
example, allow a female couple to proceed with IVF treatment
with one of the females taking the role of the child’s father.
The Bill also relaxes rules on surrogate mothers.
- At present the Government has an organisation which decides
what scientists are allowed to do in terms of life issues. This
body is unelected and has no pro-life members. The Bill proposes
to continue using this body, but the Catholic Church believes it
is deeply biased and should be replaced with an organisation
which represents all views in the life debate.
- Although the Bill does not mention abortion, it is well
known that MPs in favour of abortion are going to propose
amendments to make abortions easier to arrange in future.
- Owing to the seriousness of these issues, the Catholic
bishops of England and Wales have written to every parish urging
Catholics to register their disapproval of the contents of the
Bill.
What can you do?
1. Find out more about what the Bill proposes, and what the issues
are:
> See useful talks given by our own Charles Forrest at Our
Lady Queen of Apostles
>
Latest statement from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor:
>
Catholic Church resources:
2. Write to you MP - One of the most effective measures is to write to your MP.
Write in your own words, because MPs are not convinced by hundreds
of identical letters. You don’t have to cover all the points above –
just write what you believe about the issues that matter to you
most. 3 Rivers MPs are:
However if you find it difficult to write words that cover the
main issues etc. here is format that may help you:
Dear (MP)
I support the aims of the "Passion for Life" campaign and
ask you to vote accordingly. There are already 600 UK abortions
every day, so it should not be made easier.
Please vote against:
any further liberalisation of the abortion laws
the creation of Animal/Human hybrids
the removal of the ' need for a Father' from law and birth
certificates
increased use of embryos in stem cell research, especially where
alternatives are available.
Please don't vote for any further weakening of the value of
human life. My own vote at the next general election will be
influenced by how you vote, so please let me know where you
stand on these vital issues.
Your card or letter must be signed and an address given.
(scroll down to see a real example of a letter to Sandra
Gidley from our own John Williams
(If you are not sure who your MP is,
visit www.writetothem.com and
type in your postcode......)
3. If you have more time, why not visit your MP and talk to him or
her face to face? This will help you get to know them and put some
of the counter-arguments if they support parts of the Bill.
4. If you are in Mark Oaten’s constituency, why not visit his
online poll, [hotlink to www.markoaten.com/getinteractive.phtml]
where you can register your opposition to the Bill.
5. Add your name to a petition calling on the Prime Minister to
allow a free vote for Labour MPs when the Bill is voted on in the
House of Commons [hotlink to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/embryovote]
Letter to Sandra Gidley from our own John Williams
3rd March 2008
Sandra Gidley MP
The Constituency Office
3A Victoria Place
Love Lane
Romsey
SO51 8DE
Dear Sandra Gidley
As my MP and also as the Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for
Health, I assume that you (and no doubt your researchers) have given
considerable thought to the issues which will arise on the Human
Tissue and Embryos Bill which will be debated in the Commons in the
near future.
Thank you for the standard letter you sent me and numerous of my
friends, acquaintances and your constituents giving your views,
although not specifically addressing many of the detailed points
which have been raised. As you presumably have some influence over
Liberal Democrat policy on health, I will comment further under the
headings you chose for your letter.
Embryo experimentation and cloning
To begin with, you say that Lib Dems have supported therapeutic
cloning and welcome the new regulation on human embryos outside the
body, but that banning human embryo research would be “subject to a
free vote”, and that you would vote against it because the benefits
could really help in some disease areas. This does not provide any
confidence that you and other Lib Dems would deviate from Party
policy. Does a “free vote” apply only to this heading or to all
parts of the Bill?
It seems from what you say that Lib Dems see nothing wrong with
the calamitous position of the Labour Government (who are not
allowing a free vote) which said that the Bill was introduced “to
reform the regulation of human embryology and ensures that Britain
remains a world leader in medical research”. They make absolutely no
mention of ethical considerations – and it looks as though you agree
with them.
Years of research on thousands of aborted foetuses have found no
cure for any disease, while, at the same time, research on adult
stem cells is proving to be successful. The time has come to accept
that there is no need to carry on with research on human foetuses.
Do you know about this research or are you choosing to ignore it?
It is a relief that you draw the line at inter-species embryos
“at this time”. But not for any declared reason. What would make you
change your mind?
Fatherhood
Numerous studies over decades have constantly shown that the
natural development of a child in a family suffers in the absence of
a father. The “good evidence” that you say exists that children of
lesbian couples are at no disadvantage can in no way compare with
the weight of evidence to the contrary. Once again Lib Dem party
policy comes down against the best interests of children.
There is no mention of a free vote on this. Who decides what Lib
Dem MPs can and cannot do? Are all your MPs of the same mind on this
subject? It is nothing to be proud of.
Abortion
I am saddened that you see no reason to at least make some
reduction on the number of abortions carried out in this country. It
is a shameful fact that Britain is top of the league in the western
world on the number of abortions carried out on demand. Are you
content with the horrifying statistic that over 6 million abortions
have been carried out in this country over the last 40 years, a
figure that even David Steel is now said to find abhorrent? If not,
what measures would you suggest to put matters right?
Even worse, the lower limit of abortion in Britain at 24 weeks is
nearly twice the average of 13 weeks in the rest of Europe – which
in itself would be lower if our figures were not included.
You say that in spite of a recent case in the USA (we have had
them in this country and have no need to look further) you have not
yet seen convincing evidence to reduce the time limit. Medical
advances (which you fully support in other connections) have reached
a stage where more and more babies are surviving at 24 weeks. The
trend is downwards. Hospitals strive to make this possible. It
should be a cause for celebration, not something to ignore. Do you
disbelieve mounting evidence that the unborn at this stage of
gestation feel the pain of their death? This is merciless killing of
the defenceless in its worst sense.
Obviously other countries do take ethical considerations into
account. The unborn child has a right to live. What sort of
civilisation is it that does not protect the weak and the
vulnerable? In fact, the most weak and the most vulnerable.
There are studies in the USA and, even more notably, a very large
study of thousands of women in Finland, which show that women who
have had an abortion without any advice and counselling, are not
warned of the long-term psychological and physical effects. These
effects are common, but have so far been either largely unknown or
ignored. Women are not best served by those who advocate abortion on
demand, and as quickly as it can possibly be arranged.
The one crumb of comfort I, and other of your constituents, found
in your letter was your opposition to experiments on inter-species
embryos. This has already been breached and might cause you to
rethink your position on much else in this Bill.
I would be grateful for a genuine reply.
Yours sincerely
John Williams.
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