September2010

SEPTEMBER 2010

n Recent media coverage hasbrought to light multiple caseswhere doctors have failed to beprosecuted for prematurely ending the lives of many individuals. Last year, a retireddoctor wrote a letter to theDirector of Public Prosecutions,Keir Starmer, admitting his partin an assisted suicide and challenging the DPP to bring acase against him. Dr MichaelIrwin, 79, hoped that his prosecution would be seen as anact of martyrdom in the campaign to legalise assistedsuicide in Britain. However,despite the fact that there wasclear evidence that Dr Irwinaided and abetted the suicide ofRaymond Cutkelvin (he had paid£1,500 to enable the assisted suicide in a Swiss Dignitas clinic), he has evaded prosecutionbecause of his age.

The DPP decided that a courtwould be reluctant to imprison a 79-year-old man, thus bringinga case against him would be unnecessary. However, critics suggest that such a brazen caseshould have been brought, and justice served. The mitigatingfactor of age could then be takeninto consideration during

sentencing. If this man is notheld accountable for his illegalactivity, then there appears to belittle deterrent for others in similarsituations. Since it was announcedthat Dr Irwin will not face trial,it has emerged that he hashelped at least nine people toprematurely end their lives.

In another case, a doctor, whohas been compared to HaroldShipman and struck off by theGeneral Medical Council, isunder investigation for freshallegations of killing hispatients. Retired doctor, HowardMartin, was acquitted for themurder of three patients in 2005but has since admitted to prematurely ending the lives of18 of his patients. He evenadmitted to undertaking thedecision to end life in certaincases without the consultationof the patient or relatives.

Dr Ian Kerr, who was suspendedfor prescribing sleeping pills toaid the suicide of an elderlywoman, has been deemed fit topractice again by the GeneralMedical Council. The GMC areaware that the doctor holdsviews in favour of assisted suicide,

Guidelines Tested AndFound Wanting

continued over...

n Recent figures have shown a dramaticincrease in the number of 11 and 12-year-old girls being prescribed thecontraceptive pill in the UK by familydoctors. This has served to reinforceclaims that misguided sex education policy is “facilitating the sexualisationof young people at an ever younger age.”

More than 1,000 girls aged 11 and 12have been prescribed the pill, manywithout the knowledge of their parents.The statistics also show that 58,000 fifteen-year-olds were on the pill lastyear, a shocking figure given that thelegal age of consent is 16.

In addition, over 200 girls in the 11-13age bracket were provided with long-terminjectable or implanted contraceptivedevices. Guidance from the ClinicalEffectiveness Unit of the Faculty ofReproductive Medicine, stating thatthese contraceptives are more effectivethan the pill, mean that girls as youngas 13 will be advised to undertake long-term methods of contraception.

n One in seven teenage girls has beenpregnant before reaching the age of 18.Figures show that of these pregnancies,18% were not first-time pregnancy and36% ended in abortion.

n An Ofsted report has concluded thatsex education lessons are missing outthe importance of marriage and theright of young people to ‘say no’ to sex.Ofsted suggests that many schools areusing inappropriate resources andexposing children to material that is notsuited to their age group.

n Praise God - an amendment in theAcademies Bill, that would make sexeducation compulsory in academies,was defeated in the House of Lords inJuly. The amendment was proposed by

11-Year-Old Girls onthe Pill

leading pro-abortion figure BaronessMassey, but was defeated by 245 votes to156. However, it appears that politicianswill continue to push for this type ofeducation despite clear opposition.

n The Royal College of Obstetriciansand Gynaecologists (RCOG) has published reports claiming that thefetus in the womb cannot feel painbefore 24 weeks gestation. Pro-abortion campaigners are usingthis research to rebuff attempts toreduce the termination limit.However, this issue is peripheral todebate on abortion since the baby inthe womb is a life from conceptionregardless of the moment neurologicalchanges mean that it can consciouslyfeel pain.

n A new blood test that screens pregnant women for Down’s Syndromehas been heralded as a way to preventmiscarriage from amniocentesis.However, it is felt that the test willonly serve to reinforce the belief thatDown’s Syndrome babies should be terminated.

n The Advertising Standards Agency(ASA) has ruled in favour of the MarieStopes abortion adverts, despite a largenumber of complaints. The result issomewhat surprising owing to the factthat the adverts appear to breach theadvertising code that prohibits theadvertisement of medical treatmentsavailable only on prescription. A number of pro-life organisationshave pledged to keep up the pressureon the ASA and hope to gain a judicialreview of the decision to let theadverts stand.

n Couples desperate to have a babyhave been going as far as placingadverts in newspapers requesting eggdonors. Since new laws were broughtin allowing children to trace donorparents, the number of donations hassteadily declined.

yet still believe that the doctorwill refuse to help any patientswho want to die in future.

n A man who can only communicatethrough blinking and nodding at aboard has requested High Courtclarification as to whether hiswife will face conviction if shehelps him to die. Tony Nicklinson,who has ‘locked-in syndrome’, hasreceived support from MS suffererDebbie Purdy - the woman responsiblefor the clarification of prosecutionguidelines. However, MrNicklinson’s case clearly differsfrom that of Ms Purdy since hiswife would have to take the finalaction, which in law would equateto murder rather than assisted suicide.

Mr Nicklinson has claimed that heis ‘fed up’with life, whilst ironically a man with the samecondition has expressed his greatdesire to live. Richard Rudd, whohad been in a non-responsivestate after a motorcycle accident,sensationally managed to flick hiseyes to the right on the day doctorswere going to turn off his life support machine, signifying thathe wanted to live.

Additionally, two women who suffer from ‘locked-in syndrome’have pleaded with other sufferersto never lose hope. One of them,Kerry Pink, mother of two, hasmiraculously recovered herspeech and can now walk somesteps despite the fact that doctorswrote off any type of recovery. Theother, Marini McNeilly says, “Hope

is the last thing you should lose.”

n A leading palliative care professor has warned against thedangers of weakening the lawregarding assisted suicide. BaronessFinlay of Llandaff says, “It is notheartless to provide for a person’scare needs; it is heartless to makethem feel they ought to opt fordeath.”

n Cases of euthanasia have risenin Holland by 13% in one year. Thisdramatic increase has led to aninvestigation into how the law isbeing applied.

n A man, suffering from an incurable illness in the USA, isattempting to be gain permission toend his life by donating his organs.Please pray that he will not besuccessful in his pursuit, sincethis would certainly place furtherpressure on the terminally ill to die.

n Adult stem cell research has hadtwo major breakthroughs in recentmonths. Firstly, British doctorshave saved the life of a 19-year-oldgirl by regenerating tissue usingher own stem cells. This tissue wasthen used to create a new windpipe for the girl who had cancer of the trachea. Secondly,American researchers have discovered a new technique thatmay, in future, be used to regrowbroken or diseased joints. Whilstthis particular method has onlybeen successful using stem cellsfrom adult rabbits, it is hoped thatany progression in this type ofresearch will deter the developmentof embryonic stem cell research.

n Recent figures have shown a dramaticincrease in the number of 11 and 12-year-old girls being prescribed thecontraceptive pill in the UK by familydoctors. This has served to reinforceclaims that misguided sex education policy is “facilitating the sexualisationof young people at an ever younger age.”

More than 1,000 girls aged 11 and 12have been prescribed the pill, manywithout the knowledge of their parents.The statistics also show that 58,000 fifteen-year-olds were on the pill lastyear, a shocking figure given that thelegal age of consent is 16.

In addition, over 200 girls in the 11-13age bracket were provided with long-terminjectable or implanted contraceptivedevices. Guidance from the ClinicalEffectiveness Unit of the Faculty ofReproductive Medicine, stating thatthese contraceptives are more effectivethan the pill, mean that girls as youngas 13 will be advised to undertake long-term methods of contraception.

n One in seven teenage girls has beenpregnant before reaching the age of 18.Figures show that of these pregnancies,18% were not first-time pregnancy and36% ended in abortion.

n An Ofsted report has concluded thatsex education lessons are missing outthe importance of marriage and theright of young people to ‘say no’ to sex.Ofsted suggests that many schools areusing inappropriate resources andexposing children to material that is notsuited to their age group.

n Praise God - an amendment in theAcademies Bill, that would make sexeducation compulsory in academies,was defeated in the House of Lords inJuly. The amendment was proposed by

11-Year-Old Girls onthe Pill

leading pro-abortion figure BaronessMassey, but was defeated by 245 votes to156. However, it appears that politicianswill continue to push for this type ofeducation despite clear opposition.

n The Royal College of Obstetriciansand Gynaecologists (RCOG) has published reports claiming that thefetus in the womb cannot feel painbefore 24 weeks gestation. Pro-abortion campaigners are usingthis research to rebuff attempts toreduce the termination limit.However, this issue is peripheral todebate on abortion since the baby inthe womb is a life from conceptionregardless of the moment neurologicalchanges mean that it can consciouslyfeel pain.

n A new blood test that screens pregnant women for Down’s Syndromehas been heralded as a way to preventmiscarriage from amniocentesis.However, it is felt that the test willonly serve to reinforce the belief thatDown’s Syndrome babies should be terminated.

n The Advertising Standards Agency(ASA) has ruled in favour of the MarieStopes abortion adverts, despite a largenumber of complaints. The result issomewhat surprising owing to the factthat the adverts appear to breach theadvertising code that prohibits theadvertisement of medical treatmentsavailable only on prescription. A number of pro-life organisationshave pledged to keep up the pressureon the ASA and hope to gain a judicialreview of the decision to let theadverts stand.

n Couples desperate to have a babyhave been going as far as placingadverts in newspapers requesting eggdonors. Since new laws were broughtin allowing children to trace donorparents, the number of donations hassteadily declined.

yet still believe that the doctorwill refuse to help any patientswho want to die in future.

n A man who can only communicatethrough blinking and nodding at aboard has requested High Courtclarification as to whether hiswife will face conviction if shehelps him to die. Tony Nicklinson,who has ‘locked-in syndrome’, hasreceived support from MS suffererDebbie Purdy - the woman responsiblefor the clarification of prosecutionguidelines. However, MrNicklinson’s case clearly differsfrom that of Ms Purdy since hiswife would have to take the finalaction, which in law would equateto murder rather than assisted suicide.

Mr Nicklinson has claimed that heis ‘fed up’with life, whilst ironically a man with the samecondition has expressed his greatdesire to live. Richard Rudd, whohad been in a non-responsivestate after a motorcycle accident,sensationally managed to flick hiseyes to the right on the day doctorswere going to turn off his life support machine, signifying thathe wanted to live.

Additionally, two women who suffer from ‘locked-in syndrome’have pleaded with other sufferersto never lose hope. One of them,Kerry Pink, mother of two, hasmiraculously recovered herspeech and can now walk somesteps despite the fact that doctorswrote off any type of recovery. Theother, Marini McNeilly says, “Hope

is the last thing you should lose.”

n A leading palliative care professor has warned against thedangers of weakening the lawregarding assisted suicide. BaronessFinlay of Llandaff says, “It is notheartless to provide for a person’scare needs; it is heartless to makethem feel they ought to opt fordeath.”

n Cases of euthanasia have risenin Holland by 13% in one year. Thisdramatic increase has led to aninvestigation into how the law isbeing applied.

n A man, suffering from an incurable illness in the USA, isattempting to be gain permission toend his life by donating his organs.Please pray that he will not besuccessful in his pursuit, sincethis would certainly place furtherpressure on the terminally ill to die.

n Adult stem cell research has hadtwo major breakthroughs in recentmonths. Firstly, British doctorshave saved the life of a 19-year-oldgirl by regenerating tissue usingher own stem cells. This tissue wasthen used to create a new windpipe for the girl who had cancer of the trachea. Secondly,American researchers have discovered a new technique thatmay, in future, be used to regrowbroken or diseased joints. Whilstthis particular method has onlybeen successful using stem cellsfrom adult rabbits, it is hoped thatany progression in this type ofresearch will deter the developmentof embryonic stem cell research.

Imageis running a course in post-abortioncounselling over four Saturdays:September 25, October 16, November 6and 27. The course uses The Journey, anexcellent model produced by CARE. If youare interested in participating, pleasecontact image. Contact information is atthe bottom of this page.

In a recent newspaper article (the Times,June 30th), Antonia Senior makes a staggering assertion. As a feminist, MsSenior had held the pro-choice positionwhich “insists that we are talking onlyabout a potential life, with no rights. Anembryo is not a person.”The birth of herchild led her to understand the truth -that the unborn child is a life. She wrote,“Any other conclusion is a convenientlie that we on the pro-choice side of thedebate tell ourselves to make us feel better about the action of taking a life.”Having at last grasped this truth shethen takes hold of an even more horrificlie. She asserts that killing babies is a“lesser evil” than women losing their“right to fertility control”and concludes,“If you are willing to die for a cause, youmust be prepared to kill for it, too.”

Ms Senior’s contention exposes another

SEPTEMBER 2010

The Journey

Exchanging Truth for a Lie

image, 1st Floor, 110 Oldham Road, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6AG, EnglandPhone 0161 273 8090 Email image@poptel.org.uk

Website www.imagenet.org.ukRegistered charity number 1088573 • Issue September 2010

On October 27 there is an opportunity tounite in prayer with Christiansthroughout the land. A National Day ofPrayer about abortion is held each yearon this date, the anniversary of thepassing of the Abortion Act. Please praythroughout the day and ask others tojoin with you. A prayer guide is availableon the image website at: www.imagenet.org.uk/prayerguide.html

October 27 - NationalDay of Prayer aboutabortion

lie - the idea, held by those who passedthe 1967 Abortion Act, that the act wouldallow abortion for only a few womenwho were in very difficult circumstances.In fact, most of the 200,000 lives whichare taken each year in the UK are just ameans of allowing women to exercise“their right to fertility control.”

The argument of Antonia Senior goes sofar beyond what one would expect from areasonable human being, formed inGod’s image, that we should see thatdebate and argument alone will not openblind eyes. Only a work of God will turnour nation back from this lie to the truththat shows reverence for all human life.Please pray persistently that the Lordwill have mercy on our nation and drawus back to a love for His truth and Hiswisdom.

n Recent media coverage hasbrought to light multiple caseswhere doctors have failed to beprosecuted for prematurely ending the lives of many individuals. Last year, a retireddoctor wrote a letter to theDirector of Public Prosecutions,Keir Starmer, admitting his partin an assisted suicide and challenging the DPP to bring acase against him. Dr MichaelIrwin, 79, hoped that his prosecution would be seen as anact of martyrdom in the campaign to legalise assistedsuicide in Britain. However,despite the fact that there wasclear evidence that Dr Irwinaided and abetted the suicide ofRaymond Cutkelvin (he had paid£1,500 to enable the assisted suicide in a Swiss Dignitas clinic), he has evaded prosecutionbecause of his age.

The DPP decided that a courtwould be reluctant to imprison a 79-year-old man, thus bringinga case against him would be unnecessary. However, critics suggest that such a brazen caseshould have been brought, and justice served. The mitigatingfactor of age could then be takeninto consideration during

sentencing. If this man is notheld accountable for his illegalactivity, then there appears to belittle deterrent for others in similarsituations. Since it was announcedthat Dr Irwin will not face trial,it has emerged that he hashelped at least nine people toprematurely end their lives.

In another case, a doctor, whohas been compared to HaroldShipman and struck off by theGeneral Medical Council, isunder investigation for freshallegations of killing hispatients. Retired doctor, HowardMartin, was acquitted for themurder of three patients in 2005but has since admitted to prematurely ending the lives of18 of his patients. He evenadmitted to undertaking thedecision to end life in certaincases without the consultationof the patient or relatives.

Dr Ian Kerr, who was suspendedfor prescribing sleeping pills toaid the suicide of an elderlywoman, has been deemed fit topractice again by the GeneralMedical Council. The GMC areaware that the doctor holdsviews in favour of assisted suicide,

Guidelines Tested AndFound Wanting

continued over...