THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
“Human life begins at conception and to destroy a human embryo means impeding the birth of a human being”, Argentinian Academy of Medicine says in a statement. AUTHOR Evangelical Focus BUENOS AIRES 03 AUGUST 2018 16:55 h GMT+1
Argentinian doctors in one of the protests.
Hundreds of Argentinian doctors recently took the streets to protest against the abortion Bill that passed the lower house in June and will be debated on August 8. During the protests, many doctors held signs with the message, “I’m a doctor, not a murderer”. Some said they would rather go to jail than kill unborn babies in abortions. “How far are we willing to go to? Jail”, said Ernesto Beruti, chief of obstetrics at the Austral University Hospital. Even if the law is passed, “I’m not going to eliminate the life of a human being. The most important right is the right to live”, he added.
LEGAL ABORTION AT 14 WEEKS
Abortion is forbidden in Argentina, except in cases of rape, severe disabilities or threats to the mother’s life. However, the Bill proposes to legalize abortions for any reason up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, arguing that the measure will reduce women’s deaths. About 300 private and public hospitals across the country have shown their opposition to the legislation. Private hospitals denounce that the law would not allow them to opt out of performing abortions. Although individual doctors might be able to opt out, other confusing aspects of the law could make them vulnerable to prosecution and persecution for their beliefs. “Doctors can't work under the threat of prison time”, said Maria de los Angeles Carmona, Head of gynecology at the Eva Peron public Hospital.
MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS AGAINST THE BILL
Argentina's Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Societies issued a statement, expressing concern that “doctors who refuse to perform abortions on moral grounds might suffer professional discrimination”. Additionally, objectors would have to register, and they are worried that could be used to “blacklist” them at hospitals. The highly respected Argentinian Academy of Medicine is also against the Bill: “human life begins at conception and to destroy a human embryo means impeding the birth of a human being”, the pointed out in a statement. “Nothing good can come when society chooses death as a solution”, the Academy said.
LATE TERM ABORTIONS
Opponents also warn it could open the way to widespread late term abortions, because it waives the 14-week limit in cases of rape or when a woman's health is at stake. If the Bill is approved, Argentina will be the first nation to legalize abortion since a historic vote in Ireland to overturn its Eighth Amendment, which provided legal protections for unborn children. It would be one of the only nations in South America with legalized abortion on demand. ______________________________________________________________ UPDATE AUGUST 9, 2018:
There was anguish among many activists when the result was announced Supporters say dangerous abortions have killed thousands in the country - but politicians have voted against changing the law.
Protesters have lit fires and thrown bottles at police after Argentina's senate rejected a bill to legalize abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Thousands of pro and anti-abortion protesters in rival colors gathered in heavy rain outside Congress in Buenos Aires as politicians debated the proposal for 15 hours.
Officers fired tear gas as some protesters reacted angrily to the result, setting up flaming barricades and throwing bottles at police in riot gear.
Image:Violence broke out outside the country's congress
Image:Police arrested some pro-life demonstrators as violence broke out
Meanwhile, at the city's Metropolitan Cathedral, a "mass for life" was held in support of keeping laws unchanged.
President Mauricio Macri, who is against abortion, had already said he would sign the bill after the country's lower house chose to support it - but senators voted it down 38 to 31.
Abortion is illegal in the South American country except in cases of rape or risks to a woman's health.
Image:Pro-choice protesters held their green banners aloft as politicians voted
Many women, most of them poor, have dangerous and degrading abortions every year - and activists estimate 3,000 have died since 1983.
Some resort to using a clothes hanger wire or knitting needle to break the amniotic sac inside the womb, others take toxic mixtures or herbs that can prove fatal.
Image:A model of fetus was carried by anti-abortion protesters
Image:Anti-abortion activists celebrated the senate's decision
Supporters of the bill argued it would save lives, and the run-up to the vote sparked months of passionate debate and protest in the Catholic country.
Hundreds of doctors who opposed the bill had laid their white medical coats outside the presidential palace, while the pro-choice movement - in their signature green - held larger demonstrations and drew support from the likes of The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood and actress Susan Sarandon.
Amnesty International had told Argentinian politicians that "the world is watching", and Human Rights Watch said the country had a "historic opportunity" to protect women's rights.
This is just a courtesy public service announcement for pseudo-Christian celebrities who think that they can sue or intimidate their critics into silence…you can’t. It’s America. We can still criticize you (even if Facebook throttles us). Paula White just discovered that.
Several years ago, Ergun Caner – a Swedish-born, American-raised, English-only speaker who claimed to be a Turkish-born, Lebanon-raised, Arabic speaker – sued Jonathan Autry and Jason Smathers for copyright infringement when they took a video of his lies and posted them on Youtube. He lost in court and was ordered to pay their attorney fees. In similar fashion, Paula White sued Shirley Johnson for taking clips of White’s videos and posting them with accompanying criticism, which is acceptable under the Fair Use Doctrine. Unless someone takes another’s intellectual material in its entirety, for the purpose of profiting from it, devoid of commentary, criticism or education, it’s not an infringement of intellectual property rights. Almost everyone recognizes this when it comes to public officials, politicians, teachers, or celebrities of any type. A few evangelical celebrities, on the other hand, think they’re above the law.
Shirley Johnson used images and videos of White to criticize her prosperity-driven ministry. White sued Johnson, but the case was dismissed. Johnson counter-sued for emotional damages due to the impastor’s frivolous lawsuit and the judge ruled in favor of Johnson, granting her $13,707 in damages. Of that amount, $12,500 was for mental anguish and the rest was for her legal fees.
The legal trouble is not over for White, however, as Johnson filed a separate complaint against her for intentionally misrepresenting copyright law. That case is still pending, and it does not bode well for the prophetess.
The judge in the case that was decided said the following:
The Court now finds that the interests of justice require default judgment as the only effective remedy. Motion Defendants willfully failed to comply with the Court’s discovery orders. Lesser sanctions would be ineffective. Indeed, the Court balks at Motion Defendants’ suggestions to allow Johnson additional discovery, impose more monetary fines, or again push back the litigation calendar. (Doc. 171, p. 3.) Been there, done that—to no avail. Motion Defendants have made clear their refusal to comply with discovery orders, and they “richly deserve[] the sanction of a default judgment.” See Malautea, 987 F.2d at 1542. Their willful disregard of discovery orders has prejudiced Johnson and brought this action to a standstill for eighteen months. Motion Defendants’ obstreperous conduct warrants the sockdolager of default. See Nat’l Hockey League, 427 U.S. at 643 (“[T[he most severe in the spectrum of sanctions must be available to the district court in appropriate cases.”); Adolph Coors, 777 F.2d at 1543; (upholding default judgment when the defendants refused to turn over crucial documents from the get-go, claiming privilege, and the district judge “exhibited great sensitivity” to the defendants’ concerns)
As TechDirt points out, the judge actually said, “Been there, done that” in an official court ruling. And that’s funny, right there.
Pulpit & Pen would like to issue a word of encouragement to those who have been similarly threatened with a lawsuit over copyright infringement for criticizing false teachers (as we have been threatened many, many times). These people are all bark and no bite. When it eventually does go to court, as it did with Caner and White, the plaintiffs are usually penalized for not showing up, not providing discovery or making their case. Their hope is that you will simply give up and stop criticizing under threat of litigation. In our case, in spite of the multitude of threats (often from completely fake “legal departments” and law firms that don’t even exist), we have never actually been taken to court. Any decent attorney knows Fair Use law and their case can’t be won. And if a decent judge understands that what’s being attempted is suppression of free speech, like with the Caner-Smathers judge, they’ll dismiss it “with prejudice.”
Don’t give up. Protect your right to speak up and speak out.
There was anguish among many activists when the result was announced
