The Darkest of Dark Weeks

In July 2019 this excuse for an United Kingdom Parliament passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019, which received Royal Assent on 24th July 2019. The premise for its introduction was to give more time for the Northern Ireland political parties to agree to return to government and establish the Northern Ireland Executive.

However the legislation was hijacked by the liberal opponents of decency and morality. Amendments were tabled and adopted which required two pieces of wicked legislation to be foisted upon Northern Ireland if the Northern Ireland Executive was not restored by 21st October 2019. 

The Act required that the following regulations be introduced:

• To extend same sex marriage and opposite sex civil partnerships to Northern Ireland by 13 January 2020 (s8);
• To give effect to recommendations set out in the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) report in respect of lawful access to abortion services by 31 March 2020 (s9);
• To introduce a system of victims payments (a “victims pension”) in Northern Ireland made by the end of January 2020 to be in force by the end of May 2020 (s10)

Abortion

With immediate changes from 22nd October 2019 sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 have been repealed. This means that no criminal charges can be brought under that Act against women who terminate the life of an unborn child or against health care professionals, or others, who provide and assist in terminating the life of an unborn child. Any investigations or prosecutions under this law that were underway have been stopped. Guidance for healthcare workers was published on 7th October 2019.

A Slap Down for the Pro-Abortionist Lobby

The Pro-Abortionist Lobby have a received a set back in their quest for abortion on demand in Northern Ireland. Aided and abetted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) they took a case to the Supreme Court over the legality of Northern Ireland's abortion law.

The Pro-Abortionist Lobby lost their Supreme Court appeal. The court dismissed the appeal.

BBC News - Supreme Court rejects NI abortion law case

Abortion is a Holocaust - What else would you call the Slaughter of over 9 million unborn children?

Jim Wells MLA has been criticised for comparing the number of abortions since laws were relaxed in England, Scotland and Wales to the number of people murdered by the Nazis in concentration camps during World War Two. He made the remarks on the BBC's Radio Ulster's Nolan Show on Wednesday.

The Stormont Assembly member stated that Nine-point-two million people have had their lives terminated through abortion in Britain since 1967 … That is actually more than the number of lives murdered in the gas and concentration camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

Mr Wells went on to describe it as a ghastly situation and clarified that he was only made the comparison due to the numbers involved.

Mr Wells has been criticised in response to these comments. That criticism has come from, among others, his party leader, Arlene Foster, who told UTV: I think it's the wrong use of language and again it brings us back to the fact that this is a very emotive issue and people need to be aware of that when they are discussing it.

What else would you call the killing of over 9 million unborn children but a Holocaust? 

Presbytery Statement on Abortion Referendum in the Republic of Ireland

Much of Ireland imagines they have joined the ranks of the liberated as a result of the demolition of its constitutional protection for the unborn. It does not seem to care that by the same action it has effectively delivered a death sentence on a significant percentage of its potential population. 

Actions of this nature are the inevitable consequence of secularisation. As belief in God and awareness of His Word declines, so does resistance to abortion laws. It’s a matter of anthropology: when man believes himself to be a random event instead of a purposeful creation, he will inevitably draw the same conclusion about those both within him and around him. This will then enable him to weigh lives on utilitarian scales and so make distinctions about their respective value.

The Bible makes it plain that God considers even the deliberate abandonment of one’s child as an extreme example of heartlessness (Isaiah 49:15); and does not distinguish between the value of the child in the womb and the child who has made it into the world, using exactly the same word to describe both (Luke 1:41&44; Luke 18:15).

Abortion Referendum in the Republic of Ireland

The government of the Republic of Ireland has confirmed that the national referendum on changing abortion law will be held on Friday, 25th May 2018.

The referendum will centre around the Eighth Amendment of the Irish constitution. Voters will decide if they want to make changes to Republic's strict abortion laws.

Below is a link to a sermon preached in 2007 to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act being introduced in mainland United Kingdom. Thankfully that iniquitous Abortion Act has never been extended to Northern Ireland. 

Also included is a link to an earlier post on this Blog which contains some Scriptural Observations on the issue of Abortion. These form the basis of the sermon.

Abortions to be granted to under 16s from Northern Ireland

Not content with interfering in devolved matters in Northern Ireland the Westminster Government has now confirmed that it will provide free abortions for those under the age of 16 from Northern Ireland.

In June, Theresa May's government at Westminster, were bounced into a dramatic last-minute climb down, just hours before a crunch vote threatened to derail the Queen’s Speech. More than 50 MPs, from the major parties, led by Labour MP Stella Creasy, had backed a call for women from Northern Ireland to be given free access to NHS abortions in England. This led to the Westminster government making a concession on the issue rather than risk a possible defeat in the House of Commons on the Queen's Speech.

Another Anniversary - This Time a Shameful One

This is the 500th anniversary year for the Reformation. On 31st October we will mark the 500th anniversary of Luther nailing up his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Church.

Today also marks another important anniversary, albeit a most sad and shameful one. Today is the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act being passed in Parliament. The Act didn't come into effect until 27th April 1968.

This shameful Abortion Act was first introduced by Member of Parliament Dr David Steel, now Lord Steel of Aikwood, as a Private Member's Bill. His private members' bill was, however, supported by the government of the day, who appointed the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Sir John Peel, to chair a medical advisory committee that reported in favour of passing the bill.

This Abortion Act made abortion legal in all of Great Britain, with the exception of Northern Ireland, up to 28 weeks' gestation. 

In 1990, the law was amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act so that abortion was no longer legal after 24 weeks, except in cases where it was necessary to save the life of the woman, where there was evidence of extreme foetal abnormality, or where there was a grave risk of physical or mental injury to the woman.

Abortion - 100,000 children alive in Northern Ireland today due to restrictions on abortion.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has endorsed a billboard campaign claiming Northern Ireland's abortion laws have saved 100,000 lives. See here

Fourteen complaints had been made against the claim alleging that it could not be substantiated. However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has dismissed the complaints stating that the assertion was not misleading and there was a "reasonable probability" it was largely accurate.

A Pro-life lobby group called Both Lives Matter (BLM) had run the billboard campaign. BLM, while acknowledging that it was not possible to calculate an exact figure, claimed that 100,000 represented a credible and conservative estimate. This calculation was based on a comparison with Scotland's abortion ratio.

A Good Day for the Unborn in Northern Ireland

Click on graphic above to read article on BBC website

Scandal-hit Marie Stopes abortion clinics are facing fresh investigations

Marie Stopes abortion clinics are facing fresh investigations because call-centre practices show 'lack of respect for women and the law'.

The Daily Mail has recently revealed that doctors approve terminations for thousands of women they've never met. Wider investigations are due to take place after reporters discovered that some women are being signed off for abortions after only a brief phone conversation with a call centre worker. In some cases the conversation lasted as little as 22 seconds.

Marie Stopes doctors are then reported as agreeing to the procedures based on a one-line summary from the call centre workers, who have no medical training. This in reality is 'abortion on demand’.

An undercover reporter visited a Marie Stopes clinic, pretending to seek an abortion. Upon visiting a clinic, following a telephone consultation, the reporter noticed that staff had altered her reason for the abortion from what she had said on the phone. The request now stated: I just don't want the baby. This was designed to fit the legal requirements of the Abortion Act. If the woman fails to give a reason for the abortion which reflects those set out in the Abortion Act, she is encouraged to come up with a different reason, it was reported.

Marie Stopes abortion clinics put mothers in danger as well as unborn children

Just before the end of 2016 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) released its report in the Marie Stopes International (MSI) abortion clinics. These clinics perform around 70,000 abortions each year. The Daily Telegraph described it as a "damning report". The Guardian’s headline stated that “Marie Stopes UK abortion clinics put women at risk”.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had earlier last year raised concerns about the conduct of these abortion clinics. This led to Marie Stopes International having to suspend specific types of abortions between 19th August and 7th October 2016. Abortions for under-18s and vulnerable groups of women, along with all surgical terminations under general anaesthetic or conscious sedation and all surgical terminations at its Norwich centre were suspended. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued four warning notices to Marie Stopes International, in response to regulatory breaches. Twelve reports were published on Tuesday 20th December in their conduct.

Justice Minister to press ahead with change to abortion law despite overwhelming opposition

David Ford MLA, Justice Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive government, has announced that he is pressing ahead with a change in the abortion law in Northern Ireland. This change will allow doctors to abort an unborn child which has been diagnosed with 'fatal foetal abnormality'.

Mr Ford has held back from seeking to legislate for abortion in cases of rape.

This announcement was made following a public consultation on proposed reforms to Northern Ireland's abortion law. It transpires that the overwhelming view expressed in the responses, received during the consultation period, were against any change in the law. 

The Cruel Mercies of the Wicked

Richard Dawkins has been in the news again in recent days. This time being challenged about comments he made last year [August 2014] about children with Down Syndrome.

Dawkins became embroiled in Twitter row, when responding to another user who said she would be faced with "a real ethical dilemma" if she became pregnant and learned that the baby would be born with Down Syndrome.

Dawkins tweeted in response: "Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice." A strange sense of morality indeed!

Response to Proposed Abortion Change

The Department of Justice in the Northern Ireland Assembly is proposing to change the abortion law in Northern Ireland. Thankfully at present, the law here is different to that in mainland United Kingdom, where abortion on demand has been the creed since 1967.

There are two areas where changes are being considered that have been put out to consultation in Northern Ireland. The first of these changes is in regard to what the consultation document calls 'Lethal foetal abnormality'. The Department of Justice is proposing the give the right to parents and doctors to terminate a pregnancy where this is believed to be the condition of the unborn child. 

51 abortions performed in Northern Ireland last year

Sadly, the number of abortions carried out in Northern Ireland has increased with 51 terminations performed in local hospitals last year an increase of 16 over the previous year.

BBC News - 51 abortions performed in Northern Ireland

See also - Scriptural Observations on the issue of Abortion

Scriptural Observations on the issue of Abortion

Abortion is the murder of the unborn plain and simple! The Scriptures make the following observations about the unborn:

I. The unborn child is described as a person in Scripture

The unborn child is not somehow less a person because it is yet unborn. That is what secular society seeks to say. They use terms about an unborn child that dehumanises and depersonalises the unborn and portrays them as a mere form of matter. They never talk about the unborn child in human terms. It is called an 'embryo' or 'foetus'. It might not be deliberately done by all but that is part of the reasoning behind it with many pro-abortion campaigners. This type of terminology gives the impression that somehow the unborn child is not to be looked upon as a full human being that has not yet reached the stage of being a person. But in God’s Word that is not how the unborn child is considered.

"Without natural affection"

It has been reported that the Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] have decided that it is not in the 'public interest' to bring criminal charges against doctors who were caught out performing 'gender abortions'.

Doctors who agreed to arrange illegal abortions, based on the sex of an unborn baby, have been told by the CPS that they will not now face criminal charges, despite prosecutors admitting that there is sufficient evidence to take them to court.  The CPS has been accused of failing to uphold the law regarding this failure to prosecute the two doctors who were exposed in an undercover Daily Telegraph investigation, see here.

Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary in the Westminster government has raised the case with the Attorney General.

For background and other links to this particular issue see here. 

Rank Hypocrisy on Abortion

A real media frenzy has been stirred up as the result of a local election candidate, belonging to the United Kingdom Independence Party [UKIP], calling for an National Health Service review to look at compulsory abortion of unborn children with Down's Syndrome or Spina Bifida.

Mencap, the learning disability charity, said that it was disgusted and horrified at Geoffrey Clark's comments. Mark Goldring, chief executive of Mencap, said:

Much has been written about the Paralympics this summer changing attitudes towards disabled people for the better. Yet in the very same year, a council candidate has proposed forced eugenics against disabled people. It is abhorrent that Geoffrey Clark sees disabled people solely as a burden when people with a learning disability lead full lives and make valuable contributions to their communities and families. We question if he is fit for public office.

Why no outrage at those in society who every week, willingly and freely, abort the unborn child in the womb for no other reason than it has one of these same disabilities? It is rank hypocrisy to criticise one and not the other! Is it only the 'eugenics' that are 'disgusting and horrifying'? What about the basis principle of life and the killing of a child for no other reason that it will be born with a disability? All the pretended outrage at this case and the pretended interest in disability issues and disabled people by those who in other circumstances see absolutely nothing wrong with killing a disabled unborn child is pure humbug. 

Is an Abortion ever right?

Much comment has been expended on the issue of whether the life of a pregnant woman living in the Republic of Ireland might have been saved if she had been given an abortion. The 31-year-old died after a miscarriage at Galway University Hospital on 28th October. Her family claimed she was repeatedly refused a termination during the miscarriage.

This begs the question is it ever right to grant an abortion to someone in these circumstances? The answer is yes! There are certain circumstances where it is wholly justified. This is justified on the grounds that an unborn child does not have the right to kill its mother. The unborn child must abide by the moral law of God like everyone else, which says that: Thou shalt  not kill. The unborn child like anyone else does not have an absolute right to live, even to the point where its mother loses her life as a result. An unborn child does not have an innate right to kill its parent.

Free Presbyterian protest outside Marie Stopes Clinic in Belfast

A Free Presbyterian protest was held today against the opening of the Marie Stopes Clinic in Belfast. It was led by Rev Robert Omerod, Convenor of the Government & Morals Committee of Presbytery