"The large number of multiple-burial sites, some containing skeletons of dwarfs and deformed children accompanied by ornate grave goods, suggests that human sacrifice was a custom in Europe between 28,000 and 10,000 years ago, says biologist Vincenzo Formicola of the University of Pisa in Italy.
"These findings point to the possibility that human sacrifices were part of the ritual activity of these populations," writes Formicola.
"Elaborate burials, selected individuals, rich ornamentation, and site of inhumation continue to raise questions... and stimulate reflections about social organization, conceptions of life and death, and the perception of diversity," writes Formicola.
Housley said that evidence of cannibalism has been found at sites 12,000 years ago in the same area, so if Formicola's conclusions are correct it could be part of a pattern." CBSnews
Many may be shocked at such findings, however, Christians should not be. Such atrocities are the rule and not the exception for man without the grace of God. "Left to itself, human nature tends to death, and utter apostasy from God, however plausible it may look externally." Card. Newman.
Historically, it was only Christianity that elevated human life, and man from the depths of such evil. Lest we doubt the veracity of such a claim, one can look at the fact that post-Christian Europe (and most of Western "civilization") has come full circle and is now once again engaging in human sacrifice on many fronts.
From the woman who kills her child for the sake of her career, to the scientist who disobeys the laws of God and nature and advocates the destruction of the unborn to save life, these are indeed human sacrifices. Clearly these modern-day acts of human sacrifice are not for the benefit of some alleged "spirit in the sky", and are not performed on a literal altar, but it is nevertheless idolatry--"Whatever a man seeks, honors, or exalts more than God that is the god of his idolatry." Archb. Ullathorne.
This technology will no doubt push the West into the diabolical realm of sex selection. Any limitation on the right to abort --even for sex selection --will be seen as an infringement on the woman's right to choose. The irony is that a woman's right to choose will ultimately kill women. The death and destruction of feminism has come full circle.
From The London Paper:
"Women in Britain can now discover the gender of their unborn baby just six weeks into their pregnancy with special DNA testing kits being sold over the internet.
International company DNA Worldwide is selling testing kits allowing parents in the UK to find out the sex of their baby a month and a half after conception, according to its website.
The kit is likely to fuel the controversy about the ethics of abortions as it could allow couples to "play God" and abort children if they are not of the gender they want.
Couples can pay just £189.95 over the internet for the kit, which will then be sent through the post complete with a prepaid return envelope.
It provides everything needed to take a prick of blood from the mother which is returned for testing and the result made available online or by post in a maximum of six business days.
Those willing to pay £239,95 for the "express" version of the service will know the result in just four business days after the kit arrives back at the company's offices.
The company website claims: "Since an ultrasound is not always accurate in determining the gender of a baby, and is most commonly performed four to six months during the pregnancy to determine the gender, the Early Gender Test is the best solution to determining the sex of an unborn child."
The test is claimed to be 99% accurate and couples will get their money back if it wrongly predicts the sex of their child. It is not recommended for women who have had a miscarriage, abortion or blood transfusion.
The kit is thought to have launched first in the US before coming to the UK and the company website carries several testimonials from American women.
The launch of the test comes after a poll revealed that almost a quarter of GPs refuse to sign abortion referral forms and nearly one in five believe it should not be legal."
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long- awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench.
The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.
The opponents of the act "have not demonstrated that the Act would be unconstitutional in a large fraction of relevant cases," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion.
The decision pitted the court's conservatives against its liberals, with President Bush's two appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, siding with the majority.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia also were in the majority.
It was the first time the court banned a specific procedure in a case over how—not whether—to perform an abortion.
Abortion rights groups have said the procedure sometimes is the safest for a woman. They also said that such a ruling could threaten most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, although government lawyers and others who favor the ban said there are alternate, more widely used procedures that remain legal.
The outcome is likely to spur efforts at the state level to place more restrictions on abortions.
More than 1 million abortions are performed in the United States each year, according to recent statistics. Nearly 90 percent of those occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and are not affected by Tuesday's ruling.
Six federal courts have said the law that was in focus Wednesday is an impermissible restriction on a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.
The law bans a method of ending a pregnancy, rather than limiting when an abortion can be performed.
"Moving forward, pharmacists with personal objections to a drug must get a co-worker to fill the order. Failing that, they are duty-bound to fill it themselves. Bottom line: A patient must be able to get her prescription filled in the same pharmacy visit."
To refuse to dispense the pill now endangers one's employment and livelihood. To dispense it endangers one's immortal soul. The judicially created false "right" of a women to kill her child now trumps the God given, constitutionally mandated right to religious freedom. Here is yet another example of radical secularism eroding our freedoms. I cannot see how a pro-life pharmacist can continue working in the state of Washington.
And what about when the liberal state of Washington decides to legalize physician assisted suicide? No doubt this ruling also mandates pharmacies to dispense lethal doses of drugs to kill a human being--without the ability to object based upon conscience.
This story comes upon the heels of another article pertaining to an "abortion crisis" in the U.K. as doctors refuse to perform abortions.
"Distaste at performing terminations combined with ethical and religious convictions has led to a big increase in "conscientious objectors" who request exemption from the task, the RCOG says. A key factor is what specialists call "the dinner party test". Gynaecologists who specialise in fertility treatment creating babies for childless couples are almost universally revered - but no one boasts of being an abortionist.
"As a result, after decades of campaigning, anti-abortion organisations may be on the point of achieving their objective by default. Repeated efforts to tighten the law have failed and public opinion remains firmly in support, but the growing number of doctors refusing to do the work means there may soon not be enough prepared to carry out terminations to meet demand.
"Ann Furedi, chief executive of BPAS, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which carries out a quarter of all abortions performed in England, said: "There is a real crisis looming. Unless we can address the problem and motivate doctors to train in abortion, we may well face a situation in five years' time in which women's access to abortion is severely restricted. It is our biggest headache."
"Richard Warren, honorary secretary of the RCOG and a consultant obstetrician in Norfolk, said: "In the past, abortion was an accepted part of the workload. People did not like it but they accepted that it was in the best interests of the woman concerned. Now people are given the option of opting out of the bits of the job they don't like doing and if two or three say 'No thanks', it makes it easier for others to follow."
"He added: "There is an ethos that people go into medicine to save lives and look after people. Usually, a decision for termination is taken reluctantly even though it is recognised that it is in the best interests of the woman. It is difficult and upsetting work and it is done with obvious reticence. We are seeing more doctors who are reluctant to be involved in the process and this is happening in the context of growing demand."
Are Doctors next?
"The Next Magazine, a weekly publication from Hong
Kong, reported that infant corpses and fetuses have
become the newest supplements for health and beauty
in China. Not only is the placenta considered a
beauty remedy, but also aborted fetuses are much
sought after delicacies. In Guangdong, gourmet body
parts are in high demand and can even be purchased
through hospitals. The magazine's investigations into
this form of cannibalism took them to Liaoning
province.
"According to The Next Magazine, during a banquet
hosted by a Taiwanese businessman, a servant Ms Liu
from Liaoning province on the mainland inadvertently
revealed the habit of eating infants/fetuses in
Liaoning province and her intention to return for the
supplement due to health concerns. The Taiwanese
women present were horrified.
"Ms Liu also disclosed that even though people can
afford the human parts there are still waiting lists
and those with the right connections get the "highest
quality" human parts, which translates to the more
mature fetuses. A male fetus is considered the
"prime" human part.
"At the The Next Magazine's request, Ms Liu
personally escorted the reporter to a location where
a fetus was being prepared. The reporter observed a
woman chopping up a male fetus and making soup from
the placenta. During the process, the woman even
tried to comfort everyone by saying, "Don't be
afraid, this is just the flesh of a higher animal."
"The boy's remains were cremated in the mountains in
accordance with the customs of the region.
"In fact, in China, reports about meals made from
infant flesh have surfaced from time to time. A video
is on the Internet for people to view. In the
introduction, the Chinese claim that eating a human
fetus is an art form.
"On March 22, 2003, police in Bingyan, Guangxi
Province seized 28 female babies smuggled in a truck
from Yulin, Guangxi Province going to Houzhou in
Anhui Province. The oldest baby was only three months
old. The babies were packed three or four to a bag
and many of them were near death—none were claimed by
their parents.
"On the morning of October 9, 2004, a person rifling
through the garbage on the outskirts of Jiuquan city
in the Suzhou region, found dismembered babies in a
dumpster. There were two heads, two torsos, four
arms, and six legs. According to the investigation,
these corpses were no more than a week old and they
had been dismembered after cooking.
"Although China has laws that prohibit the eating of
human fetus, the regime's forced abortions to ensure
the one child policy is strictly adhered to thereby
creating many opportunities for these sorts of
atrocities to occur.
"What would make people do such a thing without any
fear of condemnation? Since Mao's Cultural
Revolution, a complete lack of morality and respect
for human life has become the norm in China. Over
time, domination by the Chinese Communist regime has
led to inhuman behavior and human rights violations
resulting in abnormal practices such as cannibalism."
An
accompanying (highly disturbing) video on this story
can be seen in the video collection on the sidebar to
the left or visit:
http://realclearreligion.vodpod.com
From Timesonline:
‘Dump your children here’ box to stop mothers from killing their babies:
"Desperate mothers are being urged to drop their unwanted babies through hatches at hospitals in an effort to halt a spate of infanticides that has shocked Germany.
At least 23 babies have been killed so far this year, many of them beaten to death or strangled by their mothers before being dumped on wasteland and in dustbins... Experts believe that the true figure is even higher.
Police investigating the murders are at a loss to explain the sudden surge in such cases, which have involved mothers of all ages all over the country.
The drop-off point is usually hidden from view, shielded by trees and away from security cameras. The baby is put on to a tray that slides through a hole in the wall and is gently lowered into a heated cot. An alarm bell alerts nursing staff — but only after the mother has been given sufficient time to make a getaway. The baby can be reclaimed, usually up to three months later, should the mother change her mind.
In Berlin alone 6 babies have been pushed through a slot since they were introduced in 2003. Initial scepticism started to melt after a woman in eastern German was arrested for letting nine of her babies die. Some were buried in plant pots in her garden."
"If a person's death is worthless then his life is worthless too. If man is ultimately jettisoned in death, if he becomes as so much refuse, then he is, even beforehand, one of the things that humanity can jettison and can treat as such. But if man never becomes refuse, if his value is called eternity, then his value is always his and marks his whole life....Only eternity can unite present and future. It always transcends the moment, is always more than we presently have but it is not limited just to the future, it always extends even now into all our days. Those who have talked us out of our belief in heaven, or would like to talk us out of it, have not given us the earth in exchange but have made it desolate and empty, have covered it with darkness. We must find once more the courage to believe in eternal life with all our hearts." Cardinal Ratzinger, CoWorkers of the Truth.
A culture that has been talked out of a belief in heaven is capable of treating its children as refuse.
"I think you're strong, smart, thoughtful and
caring. I believe in you and your ability to
make the best decision. I think you did the
right thing."
From NEWSMAX:
Group Launches Post-Abortion
E-Cards
A nonprofit
organization has unveiled a series of electronic
greeting cards that concerned friends and relatives
can send to a woman after she chooses to have an
abortion.
Like Exhale's confidential talk line for women who
have had abortions, the six e-cards available on the
group's Web site were designed to be nonpartisan and
encompass the range of someone's potential responses
to going through an abortion.
"Women having abortions are calling our line because
often they don't have someone to talk to — it's a
stigmatized issue," said Aspen Baker, founder and
executive director of Oakland-based
Exhale.
One card expresses sympathy, offering the gentle
reminder that, "As you grieve, remember that you are
loved." Another provides encouragement for someone
who "did the right thing." Yet another strikes a
religious tone with the thought that "God will never
leave you or forsake you."
An E-card and a
nonjudgmental hotline is the world's answer to the
pain and torture that comes from abortion and mortal
sin. No amount of confessions via a secular
hotline will relieve these women of the burden of
such a heinous sin. They need divine
intervention. Only Jesus through His Church can
loose these women from their sins.
From LIFENEWS: Italy Baby Boy Dies When Doctors Do Erroneous Abortion After Bad Test
The baby boy who became the victim of an abortion after doctors failed a disability test on him died over the weekend. Physicians advised his mother to have an abortion after they had misdiagnosed a physical deformity but the boy survived the procedure.
Doctors at the teaching hospital Careggi performed two ultrasounds on the boy and his mother and they said he had a defective esophagus. That's a disorder that surgery could have corrected after birth in some cases.
However, when they went to abort the baby boy, they discovered he was healthy and desperately tried to resuscitate him.
The boy was born healthy and lived for six days following the failed abortion, which was done at 22 weeks into the pregnancy.
Italy's abortion law allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy in certain cases but it also requires doctors to do all they can to save the life of a baby who survives a botched abortion attempt.
Doctors today heavily promote these diagnostic tests on pregnant women. So many of these tests are inaccurate and have a very high false positive rate.
I had first hand experience with false positive results when I was pregnant with my first child. I was completely uninformed and agreed to every blood test available. One day at work I received a call from a nurse who informed me: "Your child tested positive for Down's syndrome." The test turned out to be wrong.
Countless pregnant women have these tests every day and based upon the results-- whether accurate or not--abort their children. These tests cause abortions.
Look around-- where have all the Down's Syndrome children gone? Mothers were tested, Down's Syndrome detected and babies were exterminated.