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International Planned Parenthood Federation Launches a New Abortion Campaign in Europe

Written by

Maciej Golubiewski

in

Using strongly anti-religious language, the European branch of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has recently issued a document entitled "Why We Need to Talk about Abortion" calling for the legalization of abortion in the European Union (EU). While acknowledging that the member states retain "ultimate responsibility" for abortion legislation, the IPPF-Europe urges the EU Commission and the European Parliamentarians to act "despite this mandate" to "drive the issues forward" and "keep them high on the political agenda."

The IPPF document praises the European Parliamentarians and the Council of Europe for issuing two non-binding pro-abortion documents in recent years. The document quotes something called the "Van Lancker Report" of the European Parliament, which calls for unrestricted abortion rights in Europe. IPPF also mentions the EU Commission's support for the conclusions of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Although the Cairo document makes no call for abortion, pro-abortion advocates claim that Cairo's call for "reproductive health" is synonymous with abortion, something the UN General Assembly never intended or voted for.

Throughout the text, the IPPF text targets the predominantly Catholic countries of Slovakia, Malta, Ireland, Portugal and Poland as specific examples where women are faced with "no other option than forced pregnancy," unless they want to risk their lives through illegal abortion or to travel abroad to have it. "Unplanned pregnancy" is portrayed as a "shock," leading to "clear-cut panic." An aborted life is equated to an exercise of a woman's right "to choose what to do with their bodies."

The IPPF document also illustrates that abortion advocates believe that linking the pro-life cause with religion will help promote abortion rights. Slovakia is criticized for allowing doctors "conscientious objection" against performing abortion for religious reasons, IPPF has clearly taken sides in the debate about religious freedom in Europe. The IPPF document also includes a section called "Every abortion has a story" contains stories of women faced with an "unplanned or unwanted pregnancy" in six European countries. One story is of a Slovakian woman who aborts her child and is supposedly castigated by a Catholic priest during Sunday Mass, though there is no substantiation for such a claim. The story ends with her Catholic husband leaving her.

It should be noted that most countries of the European Union have more limitations on abortion than the United States where there is abortion on demand. Most European countries have fairly conservative gestational limits on abortion, and some EU countries ban abortion outright. While the European Institutions have repeatedly said that abortion lies outside their competence and should be left to the individual, this recent IPPF campaign shows that pro-abortion organizations consider the institutions of the EU as useful lobbying targets to put the "right to abortion" on the EU agenda.

Comments

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Europe's population is dying off and still Planned Parenthood is crying "kill, kill, kill!"

    If nothing else convinces you of the suicidal/homicial nature of pro-deathers, this should.

  2. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Several months before the 2004 presidential election I had the opportunity of spending several hours with a young German couple (both lawyers).  She claimed Catholic identification, however, I don't think being Catholic informed her decisions.

    Before long the conversation turned to the US elections…then the issues.  Both parties, the Germans and myself learned much about the other.

    They had no idea about why abortion was such an important factor to somebody like me.  I didn't understand why they gave almost no thought to the issue.

    The answer lies in the above article: the strident pro abortion propaganda of the Abortion Advocate Cartel.  We in the US have been bombarded with the pro abortion agenda since the 1960s.  They in Europe have only recently come under attack.

    We in the US have far more liberal abortion laws than in Germany both parties learned.  For instance, I learned that in Germany an abortion can only be procurred in the first trimester and the approval must be granted by 3 professionals, including medical and religious personnel.  My acquaintances learned that babies can be killed during delivery at any stage of gestation.  (They had no clue.)  They also didn't understand at all the politicalization of the issue.  (That pro abortion is part of the Democrat platform but not the Republican).

    I think the radical nature of the abortion agenda had not yet manifested itself in Europe when I met the couple.  The above article shows that European babies previously safe in their mother's wombs, will now need champions.  My young German friends will now be forced to face the abortion agenda and make a decision on how to respond.  Perhaps next time I meet them, they'll be pro life activists.  We can only pray for that result.

  3. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    "the IPPF text targets the predominantly Catholic countries of Slovakia, Malta, Ireland, Portugal and Poland as specific examples where women are faced with "no other option"

    The countries in questions made thier "choice".  They chose life.  I find it ironic that those who clamor for "choice" only want the choice that supports their agenda.

    "Slovakia is criticized for allowing doctors "conscientious objection" against performing abortion for religious reasons"

    Um, so it's ok to conscientiously object so long as it isn't based on religion?  What nonsense is this?  What sort of freedom restricts the dictates of conscience?

    What I find here is not an arguement for wider access to abortion.  This statement seems more of a gripe that large groups are not saying abortion is "ok."  Many groups, countries, object.  That is their right.  But IPPF wants them silenced, wants to impose options on them that they don't want.  If a couple of Slovakians want to voice their disapproval of abortion, that is their right as well.  IPPF makes it sounds like a hate crime.

    It isn't enough to legalize abortion, they must silence any voice of opposition.  Chilling.

  4. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Good points stirling.  With abortion activists, "choice" means only one thing:   Kill.

  5. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Human Life International (HLI) has asked for prayers & financial support for the pro-life campaign in Mozambique where there are moves to push for the legalisation of abortion on demand.

     

    May our Lord grant us the grace of courage and endurance to face our situations, especially in extremely grave circumstances. May He preserve us from wishing the disappearance/death of the dependent and vulnerable as our solution.

    Grant us hearts of true compassion to reach beyond ourselves.

  6. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    It's an interesting world we live in; one that obviously needs a lot of prayer and conversion.  For those who are pro-choice, what "choices" are you offering expecting mothers?  If it involves Planned Parenthood, the choices are obviously money driven.  Secondly, we live in a world that wants to create their own babies (i.e. cloning, genetic altering), but want to kill the ones that God has created.  We better watch out, or we're going to abort ourselves into extinction.  It is saddening that we kill millions of babies, while at the same time, the adoption lines continue to get longer and longer.  Let us not forget that Jesus says in the Gospel, "let the little children come to me, do not hinder them".  For those involved in Planned Parenthood and Abortions, they will one day stand before God one day too.  Pray also for the mothers and children who aren't being given all of their "choices".  Lord, have mercy!

  7. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    God is patient, but He has His limits. I don't think we are going to abort ourselves into extinction, I think Christ will come soon as He promised and put an end to all evil. Will it be soon, will it be later… only God knows, but He will come again. God is trying to get our attention, many aren't listen, others won't, but He calls all of us as Christians to speak up and stand for the Truth and continue, even when it isn't popular, even when we may some day suffer persecution. We must speak the Truth about abortion, about homosexuality, about pornography, about violence and about every sin Christ so clearly tells us to warn others about. I have to say, the way things are going everywhere in the world, it is hard not to believe that Christ will be coming soon.

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