Biden hopes faith works on DNC’s final night

Denver, Colo., Oct 26, 2020 / 05:06 pm (CNA).-  

Coloradans are preparing for a ballot referendum that would ban abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy in the state. While abortion advocates argue that such abortions are “extremely rare,” statistics recorded by a longtime Colorado abortionist shed light on the late term abortions performed at one Boulder clinic.

The data reveals hundreds of late-term abortions performed over a 20-year period on babies with fetal abnormalities such as Down syndrome.

Warren Hern, an abortionist who has been active in Boulder, Colorado since 1975, released a paper in 2014 which included many self-reported statistics about the abortions his clinic performed between 1992 and 2012.

The statistics show that Hern’s clinic performed hundreds of abortions between 1992-2012 on women who were at or past 24 weeks pregnant, including several performed on women between 38 and 39 weeks gestation.

Nearly 240 of those late-term abortions were performed on babies with Down syndrome.

The self-reported statistics only cover abortions Hern performed for reasons of fetal abnormality, which in some years made up just 2.5% of the thousands of abortions he performed.

Colorado remains one of the only a handful of states that does not have some legislation on  late-term abortion. As a result, abortions can take place in the state up until birth.

The Boulder Abortion Clinic is one of just a handful of clinics in the U.S. that publicly accept patients seeking late-term abortions from anywhere in the world.

Colorado voters are set to decide on Proposition 115 in November, which asks voters whether to ban abortion in the state after 22 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases where a mother’s life is threatened.

More than 150,000 Coloradans signed a petition to put Prop. 115 on the ballot, which has garnered bipartisan support.

A poll conducted in early October by 9 News / Colorado Politics found that among 1,021 registered likely voters, 42% of respondents said they are certain to vote yes on Prop. 115; 45% said no, while 13% are uncertain.

If the late-term abortion ban passes in November, it would mark the first time since 1967 that Colorado would impose voter-approved restrictions on abortion.

While some abortion supporters claim the phrase “late-term abortion” is “imprecise and misleading,” Hern uses the term “late abortion” throughout his paper.

Hern reports that between Jan. 4, 1992 and Oct. 31, 2012, just more than 1,000 women requested a “late abortion” for reasons of fetal disorder.

Abortion supporters frequently cite CDC data from 2016— data which excludes abortion hotspots like California, Illinois, New York state, and Washington DC— to argue that abortions after 21 weeks gestation make up only 1.2% of all abortions performed in the US and are thus “extremely rare.”

In Colorado, the percentage of abortions performed after 21 weeks is higher than the national average, at 3.3%— a figure higher than any other state in the CDC’s data except New Mexico.

The statistics do not account for the fact that women have traveled from other states to Boulder for decades to avail themselves of Hern’s late-term abortion services. At least 11% of all abortions performed in Colorado are on out-of-state residents, according to the CDC data.  

Each year, about 200 to 300 babies are aborted after 21 weeks gestation in Colorado. Dilation and evacuation abortions are typically used in the second trimester of pregnancy, and result in the crushing of the head and eventual dismemberment of an unborn child.

The trend in Hern’s statistics suggest that the proportion of all patients seeking abortions because of fetal disorders increased over time from 2.5% to 30%.

Hern credited this increase to “gradual change in clinic policy to accept patients with more advanced gestations, more requests for late termination of pregnancy because of fewer options being available elsewhere, and advances in fetal diagnosis.”

“Genetic disorders”— as opposed to “structural anomalies”— were the most common disorders among the babies aborted, appearing in 40% of cases.

Of those cases, 63% of the genetic disorders were Trisomy 21, commonly known as Down syndrome. Hern reported 237 total abortions of babies with Down syndrome.

The most common “structural anomalies” reported were neural tube defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida; but some of the babies were aborted for reasons such as extra fingers or toes, cleft hands or lips, or because two twins were conjoined. 

The median age of all 1,005 patients in Hern’s study was 32, and the median gestational age was 24 weeks, or five and a half months. He said many patients who request abortions after 30 weeks have had their fetus evaluated as “normal” around 18 to 20 weeks.

Patients seeking particular kinds of abortions at Hern’s clinic tended to request abortions, on average, around eight months into their pregnancies.

For example, some patients carrying twins requested an abortion for one of the twins—“selective termination”— usually because of a fetal abnormality.

Hern writes that in these cases, the abortions were generally done after 32 weeks— more than seven months— gestation to “permit optimum development and survival probability for the healthy twin.”

Patients seeking “selective termination” or “induced fetal demise”— an injection to kill the fetus before the abortion operation— tended to be in their mid-30s in age. Hern said these patients typically request abortions between 33 and 36 weeks— over eight months— gestation.

Several of his patients suffered major complications, including major unintended surgery, hemorrhage requiring transfusion, and pelvic infection, he reported.

A Nebraska couple filed a lawsuit against Hern and the Boulder Abortion Clinic in 2015, alleging that Hern left a nearly two-inch piece of a fetus’ skull inside a patient’s uterus during a late-term abortion, apparently forcing a patient to undergo a hysterectomy.

In 2016, Hern was the subject of a congressional investigation into the practices of late-term abortionists. The panel requested information on any infants who were born alive at his clinic and the babies’ records thereafter. According to the Denver Post, Hern refused to provide any of the requested documentation, calling the panel a “witchhunt.”

During May 2019, Hern argued in a New York Times op-ed that because women are more likely to die in childbirth than from complications related to an abortion, “pregnancy is dangerous; abortion can be lifesaving.”

Dr. Mary Jo O’Sullivan, a high-risk obstetrician and Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Miami, responded at the time that although any pregnancy carries some risk, it is not a “serious” threat to a woman’s health, especially in the United States where maternal deaths are still very rare, even in rural areas.

Opponents of Colorado’s late-term abortion ban, including groups like Abortion Access for All, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America have raised millions of dollars to attempt to defeat the proposition.

If the ballot measure becomes law, doctors would face a three-year license suspension for performing or attempting to perform an abortion of an unborn child beyond 22-weeks of gestation. Women would not be charged with seeking or obtaining an abortion.

The Catholic bishops of Colorado asked voters to support the ban in a June 30 letter and placed the ballot measure under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, also known as Mother Cabrini, who aided orphans and immigrants in her time in Colorado.

In addition, the Catholic Medical Association and a group of more than 130 medical professionals and scientists in Colorado have backed Proposition 115.

Colorado was the first state in the nation to decriminalize abortion. The initial legislation, signed into law April 25, 1967, allowed abortion in certain limited cases: rape, incest, or a prediction of permanent mental or physical disability of either the child or mother. Six years later, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade declared abortion a constitutional right nationwide.

Abortion-rights groups in Colorado have touted the fact that for a time during the pandemic, many women from other states were traveling to Colorado to take advantage of the state’s permissive abortion laws.

Abortion clinics in states like Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico, which did not introduce any pandemic-related restrictions on abortion, saw increases in patients traveling from other states, such as Texas, to undergo the procedure during spring 2020.

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Washington D.C., Aug 31, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Inside a Greek Orthodox Cathedral in the middle of Washington, D.C., self-described “geeks” decorated the meeting hall to look like the “Lantern Waste” of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

Over the course of a weekend, the hall’s snow-covered tabletops and frosted windows were replaced with flowers and bright colors, as springtime came for Narnia.

In the meantime, a group of video game characters, Star Trek crew members, Marvel heroes and villains from Narnia itself hustled back and forth to talks on Christian themes in horror films, the brokenness of the world, and the meaning of death in the Doctor Who series.

Neither the topics of the talks nor the importance of the shifting scenery were lost on attendees of Christian Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention Doxacon – a gathering its organizers jokingly refer to as “Christian ComiCon,” when not lauding its “Geek Orthodox” credentials.

Like the warming of Narnia occasioned by Aslan’s sacrifice, the sci-fi and fantasy fans hope that Christian reflection on the greatest stories and fictional worlds of today  can shed light on the good, the beautiful, and the enchanting truths reflected in these works.

“Great stories are just something everybody loves (and they) go deeply into the humanity that a lot of the culture can’t do,” Edmund Lazzari, a Doxacon attendee, told CNA.

He said that many of the authors, TV shows and films discussed during the weekend point to “something deeper,” and that questions like “can aliens be saved,” or considerations surrounding liturgy and worship in space or on other worlds, can lead to fruitful reflection on the Gospel.

“I love these sorts of conversations and I’m so glad to be in a place where we can have these conversations.”

Lazzari said that Christians have something important to bring to all aspects of the world – even stories as fantastical and strange as these. “You can see everything in the light of theology,” he said. “There’s nothing authentically human that’s alien to the Catholic faith.”

“Looking at these stories that have aspects of humanity in them – the good and the bad all in display – we’ve definitely got something to say.”

Lazzari joined about 80 other fans of science fiction and fantasy at Doxacon, held this year in Washington, D.C. The fourth annual event gathered a crowd of just under 100 people to St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, with various talks and discussions held throughout the building.

The conference, put on by a team of local science-fiction and fantasy fans incorporates a Christian worldview while looking at topics within the genres. This year’s Doxacon talks spanned topics such as beauty within fantasy, mortality within the Doctor Who series, the authority of faith and of people on the margins within horror films, and loving one’s enemies in stories like Beauty and the Beast. Since the first conference held in Washington, D.C. in 2013, other Doxacon conferences have also been held in Toronto and Seattle.

The exploration of science fiction and fantasy through a Christian perspective was something, Father David Subu, found lacking both at other science-fiction meetings as well as within many Christian spaces. Fr. Subu is an Orthodox priest in Fairfax, Virginia and one of the founders of Doxacon. He told CNA that one day, he found himself talking to other Christians about some of their favorite sci-fi series and wishing they could have the same kind of deep conversations about these topics on an openly Christian setting.

“We were lamenting one year how they have these amazing conventions like ComiCon, but there’s not really a venue that existed to explore those ideas from a Christian point of view,” he said. “For so long, Christians were told from both sides that these worlds can’t mix.”

In his experience, he said many Christians can be distrustful of some elements of science fiction and fantasy, or discount an entire genre because of problematic elements within one book or show. Meanwhile, many fans of these works try to prove they’re the “smartest person in the room,” by promoting explicitly atheistic readings of various stories or themes.

This apparent disconnect between sci-fi fandoms and Christianity is all the more concerning given the genre’s audience, he pointed out. “The majority of people consuming fantasy fiction and sci fi are like the rest of America: they’re Christian.”

Daniel Silver, another one of Doxacon’s founders, said the presumed tension between fandom and faith is part of what inspired him to help put the conference together. Growing up in an Evangelical Christian home, “I had been told by my church that these genres were not for me.” After converting to the Orthodox faith, he discovered that “there are other people like me who enjoy these things who are geeks and nerds” – but also devout Christians.

Silver said that the conferences have also been an opportunity to both share some of the life of the faith as well as to reach out across denominational lines. Since its inception, the group has brought together speakers and attendees from a variety of Christian traditions: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant.

Still, Silver added, the conference makes sure to incorporate elements of the Orthodox tradition its founding organizers.

At the beginning of the conference, attendees gathered to sing an Akathist prayer: a chanting song of praise focused on the goodness of God and of all creation. The melody resounded in the main dining hall, a reminder that God has already enchanted this world and blessed it with an abundance of beauty and goodness. Before dinner at the end of the conference, the busy schedule was stopped so that everyone could gather to pray Vespers: one of the traditional hours of the Church and a marker of time in both the Eastern and Latin Churches. These two breaks for prayer bookended a busy schedule of discussions and debates.

While prayer was a core of the convention weekend, so was discernment. One of the keynote talks by Catholic writer Leah Libresco focused on the idea of brokenness within different magical worlds. In the “Young Wizards” series by Diane Duane, magic is used to help heal the brokenness and chaos in this world – an analogy for the Christian approach to sin that Libresco said was a helpful touchstone during in her conversion. Meanwhile, in “The Magicians” series by Lev Grossman,  magic serves as an extension of its characters’ pain, hurt and anger, and Libresco heartily encouraged all to stay away from the series.

Stephanie Subu, another one of the conference organizers, said that this kind of differentiation of themes within seemingly similar books is also an important aim of the conference. She admitted that not every story is appropriate for Christians to engage with – some stories have elements that promote worldviews or actions that challenge Christian faith and life. “There’s stuff out there that yes, really is not good to read and unless you have the tools and the spiritual eyes to know the difference.”

Several talks at the event aimed at parents and children continued this conversation, focusing more explicitly on what themes and examples of goodness to look for in good fiction and fantasy – and how to know is something is worth putting back on the shelf.

Still other attendees appreciated the philosophical depth and seriousness speakers brought to these stories  – some of which can be brushed off as fanciful or even childish.

Felix Miller, an attendee who heard about the event from a friend, said that it was this seriousness he appreciated the most.

“I really liked the idea of fantasy/sci-fi/pop culture and more rigorous philosophical and cultural considerations. One of the things I’ve liked is that the presenters have done a really good job of not presenting the conversation in a shallow way.”

“They’re doing a really good job of taking the texts seriously and engaging with them in a theological bent,” he told CNA.

Miller said he hoped some of what he heard this weekend could lay the groundwork for further discussions about some of his favorite shows and books after Doxacon.

“People are dealing with a lot of these same questions, but maybe aren’t dealing with them in the same way with careful philosophical distinctions,” he noted.

Erin Gillaspy – who wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “Ask me about Space Catholics” – also appreciated the opportunity to talk about philosophy and theology – as well as the chance to discuss the difficulties of setting liturgical calendars for astronauts.

She commented that, while some fictional worlds might have elements that are dark, fantastical or ridiculous, these stories provide the opportunity to speak to a wide audience about the truth of the human condition. This truth, Gillaspy said, is something that Catholics can dialogue with, no matter the context.

“The truth is not going to stop being true. Just because you happen to put that truth on a rocket ship or in deep space or on Mars or on Pluto or on the Moon, they’re not going to stop being true – they’re immutable truths,” she said.

However, she also said that while a Catholic can see the enchantment and truth within a number of stories, Christians also need to be actively engaged not only in interpreting these worlds, but creating them too.

“The only major players in science fiction and fantasy these days who are Catholic are JRR Tolkien and Gene Wolfe – and Gene Wolfe is not super well-known,” she pointed out. “I mean this lovingly, but there’s gotta be more representation.”

Lazzari – who joined Gillaspy in explaining the challenges and opportunities facing “Space Catholics” – agreed.

“A lot of times what happens in our culture is that Christianity is one aspect of our society. You’ve got economics, you’ve got politics, you’ve got religion, you’ve got the arts, but really, the great thing here is that our view is a whole worldview.”

“[Christianity] is not a box you check, it’s a way of life, it’s a way of seeing the world.”

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Chicago, Ill., Jan 5, 2018 / 06:45 pm (CNA).- Record-breaking cold temperatures and snowfall in the eastern United States this week have delayed flights, cancelled school, and closed workplaces.

For some Americans, however, severely cold weather is mo… […]