World Vision is believed by many to be a basically Christian organisation.

Unaware, no doubt, of an article appearing on WV’s website concerning “Improving Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Papua New Guinea” (October 2011) — which says that, amongst other things, the provision of “safe abortion” is “very good” value for money.

The Salvation Army represents itself as a Christian group — but it’s a fence-sitter regarding the sanctity of human life.

It teaches that in cases of rape or incest “an abortion may be justified because . . . .”

Also that abortion “may also be justified where reliable diagnostic procedures determine that a foetal abnormality is present which is incompatible with life other than a brief post-natal survival . . . .”

And the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) in its recent policy platform recommends “protection and promotion of reproductive health, including . . . secure access to safe, affordable, Medicare-funded abortions . . . .”

Oxfam Australia, CARE Australia and Save the Children Australia jointly published a media statement praising President Obama’s 2009 decision to “abolish the rule that denies US taxpayer dollars to international family planning clinics that provide . . . abortion to women in developing countries.”

* * *

Some well-meaning donors to the above groups might feel they’ve been recruited under false pretences if they ever learn what their agency really stands for.

Last year girls’ jewellery company DIVA ran — alongside their promotions for Disney Princesses etc. — Playboy accessories including Playmate and Miss January pendants.

Over 6800 Australians signed a petition complaining about this . . . .

And by early November received assurances from DIVA that the offending promotions would stop.

Which they did.

* * *

However there are stores which still continue to exploit clothing-porn . . . .

Including T-shirt depictions of naked female body parts — and demeaning anti-women slogans.

According to women’s issues website, Collective Shout, offenders include CITY BEACH AUSTRALIA, COTTON ON and ROGER DAVID.

Thinking Australians should definitely complain about this.

They should buy nothing from these outlets until certain that they have cleaned up their act.

For more details visit: www.collectiveshout.org

In the last 20 years the population of Russia has FALLEN 3 percent.

The average number of children per family is currently 1.4, well below replacement rate.

The Russian government has enacted a scheme which pays mothers $10,000 approx for having more children – but with no effect.

It recently voted to ban abortions beyond 12 weeks into pregnancy – hoping to reverse the downhill trend.

But it hasn’t.

There are built-in loopholes.

For those in “economic hardship”, abortions will be allowed up to 22 weeks.

Some of the injustices of the past still persist. Consent of husband is not required.

For under-age girls, consent by parents is not required.

Doctors with conscientious objection to exterminating the unborn are not exempted.

The new legislation at least acknowledges that Russia is aborting itself out of existence — but the bullet hasn’t really been bitten.

They will need to pass further, more realistic, laws.

Fauzi Bowo, Governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, is in the news for warning females not to wear provocative clothing on public transport to avoid being raped.

Feminist groups, greenie groups and similar are condemning his remark as being “deeply insulting and insensitive”. (e.g. petition-organising lobby group, Care-2)

Such people claim that rapists are not looking for exhibitionist fashion-wearers, but for those whose appearance is “submissive”.

And they claim that rape is motivated, not so much by sexual desire, as by desire to exert power and to express contempt for their victim.

* * *

The question of motives is indeed important.

Women should turn that question on themselves as well as on others.

Females exposing themselves is contrary to nature. Why do male birds have the bright colours while the females are more often brownish or other inconspicuous colours?

Because the mother bird, attending to her eggs or hatchlings needs to go unnoticed by predators.

Mother bird would tell us, “I don’t need to display myself. The job I do for my family is more important than attention-seeking.”

* * *

And are women who dress immodestly also acting out feelings of contempt for males?

Knowing that boys/men have trouble ignoring distracting displays of thighs, breasts etc . . . .

They seek to exploit this weakness – and so exert a bit of dominance.

* * *

The Bible warns against attention-seeking clothing:

“Women should dress themselves decently, with modesty . . . let a woman learn in silence with submissiveness . . . in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.” (Saint Paul’s first letter to Timothy)

Tonight, Tuesday 13 September, around 6:30pm, in Canberra’s Parliament House Theatre, Prime Minister Julia Gillard is making the “Emily’s List Inaugural Oration”.

Emily’s List being (according to its website) “a financial, political and personal support network for the election of progressive Labor women candidates.”

It stipulates that: “A woman candidate, to be satisfactory, must be a ‘feminist’ in the best sense of the word….”

* * *

The key word in all that is the word “progressive”

“Pro-gressive” is a code word for pro-abortion.

What Emily’s List really stands for can be summed up in two words: “DEAD BABIES”.

So, within the Australian Labor Party is a power-hungry inner circle of females committed to promoting the “right” to abortion.

About three-quarters of ALP women Members of Parliament belong to Emily’s List.

A good reason why a thinking person cannot, unfortunately, even think about supporting the Australian Labor Party in its present form.

* * *

Sometimes I think I detect in Julia G a kind of embarrassment about the anti-life, anti-family postures of her party.

She is an intelligent person. She is capable of abstract thought.

One day she may make a stand on an important issue — and simultaneously both destroy her political future and save her soul.

It’s just a thought.

The media were yesterday quoting recent research suggesting that women in their 50s who drink alcohol are more likely to have a healthy old age than non-drinkers.

Popular news, no doubt.

But does it tell us anything of practical relevance?

The small print reveals that the research is talking about women who drink one standard drink or less per day.

Microscopic amounts – especially by Australian standards.

Less than two thirds of a can of standard strength beer . . . .

Less than 20 teaspoons of table wine . . . .

Professor Jennie Connor of the Dunedin Medical School in New Zealand comments, “I feel very strongly that there is no scientific justification for the promotion of alcohol as health-enhancing for any subgroup of the population. The potential for harm is great and the potential for good is unknown.”

* * *

This Friday, September 9, has been designated Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Day.

Did you know that FASD is the leading cause of mental retardation in Western countries?

The media don’t seem keen on telling us that. **

FASD is totally preventable if mothers-to-be drank no alcohol.

It seems there is no safe minimum amount of alcohol-drinking in pregnancy.

For more facts on this, Google “Isabella’s List”.

** www.come-over.to/FAS/FASDfacts.htm