As president and founder of American Life League , Judie Brown focuses on the urgent need for America to restore respect for innocent human beings--in society, in the law and in daily life. American Life League began in 1979. It is the nation's largest grass-roots pro-life educational organization, with more than 300,000 American families supporting its work in prayer and with donations.
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In Pope Francis, we have seen an excellent example of the kind of leader our Church needs. This is not always the case with other members of the clergy, especially here in the United States. If we cannot find the truth, wisdom, and understanding of Church law from those we should look up to in the faith, then how can we ever expect anyone else to understand or follow? When leadership crumbles, so do the people. And we see a massive amount of crumbling today.
Date posted: 2013-05-25
While we were all horrified by the actions of Kermit Gosnell, we should likewise be horrified by the millions of babies killed since abortion was decriminalized, and by the number of lives lost because of contraception. A baby is a baby from the moment he is created, but most people either choose to ignore that fact or remain uneducated. We must learn from the horrors we have seen and vow to do whatever we can to ensure that life, in all stages, is respected and protected.
Date posted: 2013-05-19
Throughout history, during scandals and difficult times, men have stood up for what is right and for what should happen according to God's will and the natural law. Today is no different, though we do not see this heroism as often as we should. Yet, in recent days, we have seen wonderful examples of this.
Date posted: 2013-05-19
Mother's Day is Sunday. Traditionally, it is a day to honor and respect all that mothers do and sacrifice for the sake of their children. And while this day is important, special, and necessary, we can't help but wonder what our country would be like if we celebrated mothers every day. If mothers and babies were held in the highest regard, as they should be, each and every day of the year, think about the lives that could be spared. Think about the heartache that would not come about because a mother chose to abort her child. That would truly be a celebration.
Date posted: 2013-05-19
When a society teaches its children to value things above people and to value personal pleasure above all else, what is the result? A society of people who no longer care about their own health, well-being, or future, or about the well-being of others. This misguided notion of what is important leads them into a dangerous lifestyle, and this is where a seemingly innocuous little pill enters. Yet if you delve into this pill - not only what it does, but what it represents - you will find a horror story to rival some of the best. Except that this is reality.
Date posted: 2013-05-19
Vicki McCaffrey's first moment of motherhood began halfway around the world, when a caretaker placed a 10-month-old baby girl into her arms. It seemed like it had taken her forever to get there. Vicki was raised in upstate New York, as a Byzantine Catholic in a strong, faithful, multigenerational Catholic home. In her grandmother, Vicki found a spiritual anchor that kept her from drifting or questioning her faith. But it wasn't always smooth sailing.
Date posted: 2013-05-16
We all know how easy it is to become sensitized to something -- whether it be violence on TV, song lyrics on the radio, or something else entirely. But what kind of nation do we live in when we find the majority of people sensitized to the killing of innocent babies? For 40 years now, it has been legal for a mother to have her tiny child killed. For 40 years, too few tears have been shed for these babies. And now we discover a man like Kermit Gosnell, who devalues life so much that he stabs it out of a baby with a pair of scissors. This is what the last 40 years has brought us. What will happen in the next 40?
Date posted: 2013-05-04
How does humanity get to the point where a person can actually feel comfortable telling another human being to flush her baby down the toilet? This sickening remark, and the mentality behind it, are permeating our society. As we see more and more houses of horror, we realize just how unconcerned most people are about human life, and we have to wonder how bad it will get.
Date posted: 2013-05-04
Amidst the nation's numerous tragedies occurring today, we find our president willing to comfort the victims and rush to their aid. While this is both necessary and most certainly appreciated by those suffering, we must not forget those tiny victims of the nation's most appalling tragedy -- the victims of abortion. Not merely forgotten by our president, these innocent victims have been brushed aside and considered only a problem to dispose of -- problems that necessitate not even a second thought.
Date posted: 2013-04-29
As states seek to balance budgets, population planning groups are touting abortion and contraception as money-saving measures. According to their crude calculus, Medicaid-paid births to poor mothers strain the social safety net and must be reduced. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, for example, claimed that money would be saved if fewer babies were born. The Guttmacher Institute insists that "the [contraceptive] services provided at publicly funded centers saved the federal and state government an estimated $4.3 billion" in pregnancy- and infancy-related healthcare costs.
Date posted: 2013-04-24
What is it that makes mainstream media all but ignore the horrors perpetrated by Kermit Gosnell? What is it that makes most Americans have only a passing interest, if any, in this gruesome case? And what can be done to change this?
Date posted: 2013-04-24
All day long we are bombarded by message - from the TV, Internet, friends, family, and newspapers. Often we hear them, but don't really think. And therein lies the proble - the growing inability to think and to include morality and God's will for humans into our thoughts and beliefs.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
This past week, we saw how a simple Internet-based effort initiated by three of our pro-life colleagues from across the country put social media to work for pro-life efforts in an organized and effective manner. The whole purpose was to hold the mainstream news media outlets accountable for not reporting on what could be one of the grisliest criminal trials in American history. As most of you already know, the infamous abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell is on trial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for several gruesome murders of babies outside the womb.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
We have become a society of people mostly concerned with only the wants and needs of our own selves. If a baby is inconvenient in any way - created at the "wrong time" or deemed not "perfect" - many people jump at the chance to "get rid of the problem." This despicable attitude toward children, if not altered, will lead to the downfall of humanity.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
The murder of a human being is a tragic, horrible crime. Lives are shattered, people mourn. In cases where multiple people are murdered, our nation's press pounces like a hungry cat. But what about when multiple tiny babies are murdered and discarded like trash? Where is the outrage? Today's commentary examines the case of Kermit Gosnell - a murderer of the most innocent among us.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) candidate Geoffrey Clarke recently sparked outrage by calling for the forced abortions of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome, spina bifida, or any "similar syndrome which, if it is born, will render the child a burden on the state as well as on the family." UKIP suspended him, and Clarke apologized, saying that he expressed his views poorly and does not believe in compulsory abortion. Whether he does or doesn't, there are plenty of people worldwide who do believe that children with disabilities should be eliminated before birth.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
The disruptive results for individuals and society spawned by the revolution in attitudes and behavior regarding sex, marriage, family, and childbearing that erupted a half-century ago have become too obvious to ignore. These things were predictable -- in fact, some people actually predicted them from the start -- but by now their impact has grown so painfully apparent that even secular voices are being raised in alarm. The problems are increasingly visible in the United States. They include an aging population with fewer young workers to support the elderly, along with a disturbingly high incidence of disabilities among children born to parents who put off having them until their 30s and 40s and then, in many instances, resorted to drugs or reproductive technologies to achieve pregnancy.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
"The law has a word for someone who lies, cheats, and steals. That person is called a criminal. Yet when an organization such as Planned Parenthood takes actions that mirror a criminal's, people look the other way, the government willingly hands it money, and supporters cry out about the unfair treatment it receives. If we are to stop these crimes committed by Planned Parenthood, we must teach, we must open eyes, and we must expose its secrets.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
I recently heard an adoptive mother say, "When we brought our daughter home, we couldn't afford a babysitter, so we just had to tough it out. We wondered why people didn't help more. It felt like they didn't care, which really hurt." This statement broke my heart because this mom is my friend.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
When we look around our country and see people mired in actions that hurt or maim themselves, put their health in jeopardy, or kill an innocent baby, we must wonder where all the morals have gone. We see an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, an increase in the use of emergency contraceptives, and a decrease in the respect for life. This fog is covering us and, unless we take actions to clear it, will envelop and choke us.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
Are events in the Chicago area a hint of what will happen in the future in our nation? As our country falls deeper and deeper into moral insanity, people must fight harder to not be swept away into this seemingly bottomless pit.
Date posted: 2013-04-20
Planned Parenthood has seen the polling data and is backing away from the term "pro-choice." This is not surprising. You cannot claim to support a woman's "right to choose" unless you fill in the blank and say what she can choose. In the case of abortion advocacy, the "right to choose" means the right of a woman to choose to kill her unborn child. Who is comfortable supporting that?
Date posted: 2013-04-19
As we are about to begin the last days of Holy Week, we must reflect upon all Jesus Christ has done for us and how He expects us to live our lives. It is a time to recognize His role in everything we do. It is a time for prayer, fasting, and action.
Date posted: 2013-04-19
The constant devaluing of human life is sinking daily to a new low. With widespread appreciation for techniques that manipulate and destroy human embryos, our society grows farther and farther away from truly appreciating and respecting every human being.
Date posted: 2013-04-19
As Catholics around the world rejoice at the election of a new pope, Americans worry about the leadership in our country by our bishops. We read canon law and wonder why it isn't always being upheld. We question those in politics who claim to be Catholic, yet who trounce on the faith.
Date posted: 2013-04-19
Last week, the Holy Spirit inspired dozens of men to elect a new leader for the Catholic Church. Though speculation abounded as to which of the cardinals would become the next pope, we trusted that God had a plan. God knows and understands the trials facing the Church and her people, and He gave us Pope Francis - a man drawing inspiration from a saint who gave up everything for God and the Church.
Date posted: 2013-04-19
During a time when our Church is so often fraught with negativity, we must applaud those clergy who are standing up for the faith. Though they may be criticized by others, we must be the ones who praise them for their unshakable qualities that help guide us toward a path that Christ wants us to follow.
Date posted: 2013-03-31
There should be no debate when it comes to a human life. Once a child is created, he is a person from that moment onward -- a person who deserves both respect and protection. Yet in today's world, he has little of either. Abortion takes countless lives day after day and, unless we as a society come to realize the value of a person -- no matter how small, no matter what stage of development -- babies will never be safe.
Date posted: 2013-03-31
The evil and the horror that are abortion and the blatant disregard for the value of human life cannot be overcome by merely reducing their amount. When people continually commit atrocities, lives are continually lost. The only way to combat this is to completely eradicate this evil.
Date posted: 2013-03-05
As the Church prepares for the election of a new pope, we reflect upon the inspiring works and teachings of Pope Benedict XVI. We thank God for his service and his dedication to our faith and to the people of the world. We continue to pray for him as he leaves the papacy, and we pray for the cardinals as they choose a new pope.
Date posted: 2013-03-05
If we lie to ourselves long enough, we will begin to believe those lies. And after 40 years, enough people believe the lies of abortion that they are hardly concerned about the loss of a baby. When babies die, these people chalk it up to choice. No one wants to hear the realities of abortion - that the result is a dead child, and sometimes a dead mother as well.
Date posted: 2013-03-05
With Obamacare and the HHS contraceptive mandate looming, many eyes seem to be opening for the first time about the destructiveness of these laws - not just for human life, but for conscience rights as well. It will likely be a tough road ahead - one fraught with many obstacles. But we must persevere in both action and prayer. We must speak up and encourage others to do the same. For if we do not, what outcome should we expect?
Date posted: 2013-03-05
Today's commentary advises us to take a step back and look at the next generation that we are attempting to raise. Do we see a generation of young people concerned about their health, about academic success, about future families, about morality? Or do we see these same children living in the here and now, and only for their own selfish needs? And how do we go about fixing this devastating societal problem? Judie Brown offers words of encouragement.
Date posted: 2013-02-17
When leadership fails, those following often tend to fail as well. Our country and our Church cannot survive without strong leaders - and we need them now more than ever. Today's commentary addresses this and encourages us to take action through fasting and prayer so that the leaders within the Church will heroically defend the Church and Christ's teaching.
Date posted: 2013-02-17
Today's commentary addresses the sad fact that one woman's words and desires can not only influence so many, but be said to be a model for women everywhere. What's even more tragic is that so many misguided souls listen to, and believe, her. This is why we must listen to the voice of another woman - a woman who lives and teaches Christ's truths - for a clear understanding about the moral decline of society today. For it is only when we hear the truth that we will be able to live the truth.
Date posted: 2013-02-17
After countless months of protestations and lawsuits related to Obama's contraceptive mandate, a "compromise" has been issued. Yet has anything really changed because of this compromise or will employers still be forced to violate their consciences when it comes to insurance plans?
Date posted: 2013-02-17
Once a child is created, he is a human being who should have all the rights of those who have lived to be born. But this is not the case. The taking of an innocent life has always been, and will always be, an evil act. Yet too many people either don't care or are too busy to worry about something that may or may not directly affect them. They fail to understand how abortion affects everyone. This lack of understanding can be traced back, in part, to lack of good leadership within the Church.
Date posted: 2013-02-17
A recent survey regarding opinions about abortion shows just how little Americans know about the preborn baby and his humanity. Most see abortion as merely an issue to be debated, yet they fail to recognize that the life of a human being hangs in the balance of this debate.
Date posted: 2013-02-17
As thousands march today to commemorate the day the Supreme Court legalized the murder of preborn babies, we must take a look at the road that led here. We must look at how we could have become a nation that so callously disregards the most innocent among us. Judie Brown's insights may surprise you.
Date posted: 2013-02-17
For 40 years, America has allowed the legalized killing of the most innocent among us. Millions upon millions of babies have been slaughtered under the guise of women's "rights." As we lament the anniversary of the court cases that brought us here, we reflect upon what we must now do to change, to heal, and to save lives.
Date posted: 2013-02-01
You don't have to go out of your way today to be confronted with the subject of contraception. In November 2012, the United Nations Population Fund issued its annual report entitled "By Choice, Not by Chance," describing contraception as a global "right" for women, and calling for the removal of all social and financial obstacles to access to its presumed benefits. In the very same month, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists publicly called on the federal government to permit over-the-counter sales of birth control pills.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
In all areas of life, people need to look to the actions of a strong moral leader. This is especially true within the Catholic Church, where a growing number of people are ignorant of what the faith actually teaches. This is why those who lead the Church must publicly stand for the faith and live and teach according to the laws of God.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
It all comes down to abortion. That's what my late father-in-law always said. No philosophical disagreement, no policy debate, no theological quibble rivals our fundamental and unbridgeable divide on the question of abortion. No other issue carries half as much baggage in the public mind. Not taxes, not healthcare, not immigration, not war, not peace. In the final tally, it all comes down to abortion. This disease has so infected the body politic that it has begun to make bitter enemies even out of those with seemingly aligned interests. Don't believe me? Consider the strange case of the competing Down syndrome booklets.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
When it comes to the actions of Planned Parenthood, we must all be aware and informed. And it is our responsibility to make others aware as well. We cannot sit idly by and wonder what's happening if we choose to ignore the evidence presented to us daily by those who understand.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
A "perfect" person with no flaws, no illnesses, super strength, and a long life. Sound great in theory, doesn't it? Who wouldn't want to eradicate suffering and loss? But think of the cost and the different kind of loss that would result. With these "superhuman" characteristics come the loss of free will, the loss of our uniqueness, and the loss of what makes us human. God has created us in His image and likeness. If we strip ourselves of that and become essentially robots, where will that leave us? More importantly, where will that leave our souls?
Date posted: 2013-01-24
People often wonder why many people involved in the pro-life movement are also interested in homosexuality-related issues. They especially wonder if defending traditional marriage really has anything to do with being pro-life. The answer to this is simple: Being pro-life is much more than saving babies. It's also about fighting for the flourishing of the human person every step of the way, from conception, through birth, through childhood, through adulthood, till natural death.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
Love, kindness, and compassion. These are words that seem to be finding their way out of the treatment process when it comes to dealings with someone suffering from a terminal illness. We must always remember how truly important and vital each human being is - no matter the stage of life.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
Speaking to an audience at Oxford University, Bishop Anthony Fisher of the Diocese of Parramatta, Australia, declared, "The elderly are not a problem, a market, a budget: They are real individuals, our own people, our ancestors, in due course-ourselves."
Date posted: 2013-01-24
The road to victory is paved with many battles. When articulate community members come forward to speak out against Planned Parenthood at every corner, it is a victory in the making. That was the case in Portland, Oregon, on December 3 when the school board entertained comments on the topic of Planned Parenthood's Teen Outreach Program (TOP) in the public schools. The abortion giant is using taxpayer dollars to train the teachers and provide the curriculum, which includes after-school excursions with the Planned Parenthood teachers. If you are fighting Planned Parenthood in your school, or plan to, we highly suggest listening to the testimony presented here.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
The line between what is an acceptable and moral practice is continually blurred, and may soon be nonexistent. In our "me first" society, it is expected that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, with our bodies because, after all, they are our bodies and no one can tell us what we can or can't do. And so science marches along. Science can be a great thing, and miracles happen every day in the field of science. But just because we can do something doesn't mean we should do it.
Date posted: 2013-01-24
It's personal. It's painful. And for the millions of people affected by infertility, it can also be very isolating. For those who have never experienced the sorrow and complexity of this condition, it's impossible to truly comprehend the degree of suffering it causes. I had considered myself empathetic to those who couldn't conceive, but I didn't fully understand what they were going through until it happened to my husband and me.
Date posted: 2013-01-02
When parents send their children to college, they expect them to grow emotionally and intellectually, and to develop into healthy adults. When a child is sent to a Catholic college, the expectations are even grander. Parents expect that their children, who are immersed in Catholicism, will grow spiritually as well. Through theology classes, enriching dorm life, and extracurricular activities, children should flourish in the faith. Yet, what exactly are our children learning?
Date posted: 2013-01-02
Parents and other concerned citizens in the Cy-Fair School District of Houston, Texas, launched a website, recently to expose the graphic It's Your Game sex ed curriculum developed by the University of Texas Prevention Research Center (UTPRC). According to Jennifer Fleck, our contact in Houston, Planned Parenthood subsequently rewrote the information on its website that tied the abortion giant to the curriculum and took down the It's Your Game videos from the Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast website in an apparent attempt to hide its involvement in the UTPRC curriculum. As of December 17, Planned Parenthood had eliminated the It's Your Game videos that were previously on the Planned Parenthood website.
Date posted: 2013-01-02
Boxer Hector Camacho died on [November 24, 2012], his doctor said. "His death was reported by Dr. Ernesto Torres, the director of the Centro Medico trauma center in Puerto Rico, who said Camacho had a heart attack and died a short time later after being taken off life support." This is confusing, because the same doctor had announced on Thursday that Camacho was "brain dead." If "brain death" really is death, then the doctor appears to be saying that Camacho died twice, which is absurd. Can a dead man have a heart attack? Would it be medically significant?
Date posted: 2013-01-02