UN Wants Billions for STD Vaccination Scheme
By Susan Yoshihara, Ph.D.
http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.1847/pub_detail.asp
NEW YORK, May 5 (C-FAM) The UN is about to ask governments to fund the vaccination of every girl in the world against the sexually transmitted disease HPV, human papillomavirus. The controversial campaign could cost as much as $300 per person, totaling billions.
Dignitaries who launched the campaign at the UN in mid-April included a prominent African first lady, leaders from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the American Cancer Society, and the contraceptives manufacturer PATH.
UNFPA and PATH want donor nations to buy the vaccine at $14 per shot. Three shots are required over a period of six months, totaling $42, and the treatment is only good for five years. Seven treatments would be required to cover each woman’s reproductive lifetime.
Advocates warned the assembly that the idea would be contentious. Casting the campaign as an effort to eradicate cervical cancer rather than a massive vaccination program against a sexually transmitted disease will help steer clear of political resistance, they said.
One advocate advised the dignitaries that when they are asked why children should be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease, the UN should use the precedent of infant vaccinations against Hepatitis B.
When American local governments tried to mandate inoculation of school girls against HPV several years ago, popular outcry quashed the initiatives.
While none of the UN speakers addressed the issue, cervical cancer is caused by HPV infection, which is spread through sexual contact. The panel lamented a dramatic increase in the cancer in the developing world, but were less clear on the reasons for its rise, sidestepping issues of sexual behavior and focusing instead on gaining political will to fund the vaccination program.
Of the half million new cases of cervical cancer each year, more than half of the patients die, usually because they did not know they had the disease until it had reached advanced stages.
UNFPA deputy executive director Purnima Mane said UNFPA would spearhead the campaign. If approved by UN member states, UNFPA stands to receive a significant boost in funding, given the fact that there are billions of women and girls who would require the $42 treatment every five years.
The funding would reverse a decline in donations for international population programs, which have fallen from a high in 2008 due to the global economic downturn and plummeting global fertility rates. The Obama administration had to marginally cut UNFPA funding for 2011 during budget battles with U.S. lawmakers, but promised to increase it to $50 million in 2012. PATH likewise received $50 million, about a fifth of its funding, from the U.S. government in 2009.
Critics are concerned that the vaccination scheme will subsume the fight against cancer into the already well-funded reproductive rights agenda at the UN. They warn that because UNFPA aggressively promotes “sexual rights” for minors, the effort will not address sexual behavior or parental rights regarding medical decisions and could lead to an increase of the disease rather than its cure.
UN member states will deliberate the issue September 19th and 20th at the UN High Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Does an 'enemy' deserve a compassionate viewpoint? I think so . . .
Osama Bin Laden! How Much Do You Love Your Enemies?
Posted: 04 May 2011 08:21 AM PDT
This will make many people upset. It is a homily from Fr. Timothy Henderson. Very wise words for us to contemplate following the death of Osama Bin Laden. He answers some of the following questions.
How does our reaction to Osama Bin Laden’s death stack up against the teachings of Christ?
Why was he killed?
Are you angry at this man?
Can we curse Him?
Can we want him to be in hell?
Have you forgiven him?
Have you or will you pray for him?
Do you want justice against this man’s crimes?
Emphasis added.
_____________________
The Death of Osama Bin Laden and the Christian Response
Padre Pio once said, ‘without the Grace of God, all I know how to do is to sin and sin again.’ The Epistle of St. Jude tells us, ‘The archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, “May the Lord rebuke you”.’ Jesus personally has told us, ‘”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’
How do your emotions and my emotions concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden stack up against the teachings of this Christ who we claim to be our leader and savior?
I do not speak of the question of whether or not he should be killed; by any standard of Just War Theory, his death saved lives. The question of the morality of his killing is not – repeat NOT – what I am talking about. He was killed to save lives, and I have every confidence his death achieved that.
Are you angry at this man? You have every right to be angry. There is such a thing as just anger. Do you believe he deserved justice? He deserved justice.
But now that he is dead, how does our reaction to this man’s death stack up against the teachings of this Christ who we claim to be our leader and savior? His actions were evil – there is no question about this. But are not the words of Padre Pio not also true? ‘Without the Grace of God, all I know how to do is to sin and sin again.’ There but the grace of God go you and I. His actions make us angry – and rightfully so, but as the Epistle of Jude tells us, the very holy St. Michael feared to curse out Satan – Satan who is more evil even the actions of this man bin Laden.
St. Michael feared to pronounce a reviling judgment on Satan. And if there was ever a human in our lifetime whom would fit my category of enemy, it is this man who ordered 19 other men to slam planes into buildings. But the words of Jesus tell us, ‘I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’
I am sure most of us are not going lose too much sleep over the death of a man who was the cause of so much trouble – I know I will not. Yet at the same time, how does our reaction to this man’s death stack up against our Christian calling? Can we even say a quick prayer asking God for mercy or a last second conversion? Remember what I said yesterday, the call of being a Christian is absolutely incomprehensible to the world.
You know, one of the first homilies I ever preached here was on forgiveness, and I never ever received so much angry mail and e-mail in my life – no other homily has compared… and the anger was on forgiveness. I know I choose an extreme example, but Jesus’ example included the extremes. The level of anger I saw tells me I need to keep preaching about anger and forgiveness and how we treat our enemies until we all get it. This is a core teaching of our Faith.
Do you have a just anger at bin Laden? You should. Did you want justice against this man’s crimes? That is okay. Justice and mercy are – repeat are – compatible.
Jesus said, ‘I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’ How does your reaction and my reaction towards this criminal stand up against the call of our Christianity? And I do not ask this question only for the sake of Osama Bin Laden; if you and I have non-Christian attitudes towards him, might we have them to a greater or lesser degree towards our neighbor?
_________________
Posted: 04 May 2011 08:21 AM PDT
This will make many people upset. It is a homily from Fr. Timothy Henderson. Very wise words for us to contemplate following the death of Osama Bin Laden. He answers some of the following questions.
How does our reaction to Osama Bin Laden’s death stack up against the teachings of Christ?
Why was he killed?
Are you angry at this man?
Can we curse Him?
Can we want him to be in hell?
Have you forgiven him?
Have you or will you pray for him?
Do you want justice against this man’s crimes?
Emphasis added.
_____________________
The Death of Osama Bin Laden and the Christian Response
Padre Pio once said, ‘without the Grace of God, all I know how to do is to sin and sin again.’ The Epistle of St. Jude tells us, ‘The archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil in a dispute over the body of Moses, did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him but said, “May the Lord rebuke you”.’ Jesus personally has told us, ‘”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’
How do your emotions and my emotions concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden stack up against the teachings of this Christ who we claim to be our leader and savior?
I do not speak of the question of whether or not he should be killed; by any standard of Just War Theory, his death saved lives. The question of the morality of his killing is not – repeat NOT – what I am talking about. He was killed to save lives, and I have every confidence his death achieved that.
Are you angry at this man? You have every right to be angry. There is such a thing as just anger. Do you believe he deserved justice? He deserved justice.
But now that he is dead, how does our reaction to this man’s death stack up against the teachings of this Christ who we claim to be our leader and savior? His actions were evil – there is no question about this. But are not the words of Padre Pio not also true? ‘Without the Grace of God, all I know how to do is to sin and sin again.’ There but the grace of God go you and I. His actions make us angry – and rightfully so, but as the Epistle of Jude tells us, the very holy St. Michael feared to curse out Satan – Satan who is more evil even the actions of this man bin Laden.
St. Michael feared to pronounce a reviling judgment on Satan. And if there was ever a human in our lifetime whom would fit my category of enemy, it is this man who ordered 19 other men to slam planes into buildings. But the words of Jesus tell us, ‘I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’
I am sure most of us are not going lose too much sleep over the death of a man who was the cause of so much trouble – I know I will not. Yet at the same time, how does our reaction to this man’s death stack up against our Christian calling? Can we even say a quick prayer asking God for mercy or a last second conversion? Remember what I said yesterday, the call of being a Christian is absolutely incomprehensible to the world.
You know, one of the first homilies I ever preached here was on forgiveness, and I never ever received so much angry mail and e-mail in my life – no other homily has compared… and the anger was on forgiveness. I know I choose an extreme example, but Jesus’ example included the extremes. The level of anger I saw tells me I need to keep preaching about anger and forgiveness and how we treat our enemies until we all get it. This is a core teaching of our Faith.
Do you have a just anger at bin Laden? You should. Did you want justice against this man’s crimes? That is okay. Justice and mercy are – repeat are – compatible.
Jesus said, ‘I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’ How does your reaction and my reaction towards this criminal stand up against the call of our Christianity? And I do not ask this question only for the sake of Osama Bin Laden; if you and I have non-Christian attitudes towards him, might we have them to a greater or lesser degree towards our neighbor?
_________________
This is officially my favorite!
I love this link. It is not only some of my favorite music, the way it brought smiles to so many individuals in an unexpected situation, is wonderful.
http://www.godvine.com/Flash-Mob-Surprises-Everyone-by-Singing-Hallelujah-in-the-Food-Court-90.html
http://www.godvine.com/Flash-Mob-Surprises-Everyone-by-Singing-Hallelujah-in-the-Food-Court-90.html
How many pounds in a Pound Cake?
I love pound cake because it is good alone and a great supporting role for crushed strawberries or sliced peaches. It makes great cupcakes and takes well to a tart lemon icing. This is a particularly good recipe.
2 sticks butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix flour and soda together in a separate bowl. Add flour and sour cream alternately to batter. Add extracts and zest and beat until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into ungresed tube pan. Bake approximately an hour and a half.
*Seems to me that a quarter cup of toasted coconut could be used for a change in the traditional taste.
2 sticks butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix flour and soda together in a separate bowl. Add flour and sour cream alternately to batter. Add extracts and zest and beat until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into ungresed tube pan. Bake approximately an hour and a half.
*Seems to me that a quarter cup of toasted coconut could be used for a change in the traditional taste.
An upcoming election reminder . . .
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. it behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. (This could apply to the 2012 election year but is credited to Abraham Lincoln, 1863!)
My secret culinary weapon!
If my freezer had to be used for only one purpose, it would be to store fresh cranberries! You can't find fresh cranberries after December. As soon as they start appearing in the stores in anticipation of winter holidays and family feasts, a bag is happily put into my weekly shopping cart. When I get home, I rebag the cranberries and carefully put them into my freezer. Why?
My first reason is that I really like cranberries and have many recipes for them that used to only happen during Christmas and Thanksgiving. Now that I plan ahead, the scent of cranberry/apple muffins can scent the air in the middle of a hot summer and remind me of cooler weather. My son and I like smoothies with a handful of cranberries thrown in for color and taste. Last night, I made a favorite dessert - a butter crust topped with fresh cranberry jam and homemade chocolate pudding.
I learned to make cranberry sauce when I was around ten years old. I just followed the recipe on the back of the bag and was super proud of one of my first cooking efforts done entirely on my own. Over the years, I have tweaked the recipe to be more in line with my idea of how I want it to taste. After all, cranberries are almost my favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner. The also go great with beef meals, too.
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
zest & juice of one orange
1 cup water
Mix all of the above in a good-sized pot and slowly bring to a simmer. When all the cranberries have burst and the liquid around them has thickened a bit, you have cranberry sauce! It does thicken more as it cools.
Cranberries are tart so you might prefer it slightly sweeter and can add another half cup sugar to the recipe.
If you want to be extra creative, you can add a cup of diced apple to the mixture halfway through the cooking.
Sometimes, I like a smoother product. When it has cooled down a bit, I run it through the blender.
You can make it a day or two ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
If you worry about it not being as thick as you'd like, you can add a tablespoon of corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup of water during the last part of the cooking.
My first reason is that I really like cranberries and have many recipes for them that used to only happen during Christmas and Thanksgiving. Now that I plan ahead, the scent of cranberry/apple muffins can scent the air in the middle of a hot summer and remind me of cooler weather. My son and I like smoothies with a handful of cranberries thrown in for color and taste. Last night, I made a favorite dessert - a butter crust topped with fresh cranberry jam and homemade chocolate pudding.
I learned to make cranberry sauce when I was around ten years old. I just followed the recipe on the back of the bag and was super proud of one of my first cooking efforts done entirely on my own. Over the years, I have tweaked the recipe to be more in line with my idea of how I want it to taste. After all, cranberries are almost my favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner. The also go great with beef meals, too.
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
zest & juice of one orange
1 cup water
Mix all of the above in a good-sized pot and slowly bring to a simmer. When all the cranberries have burst and the liquid around them has thickened a bit, you have cranberry sauce! It does thicken more as it cools.
Cranberries are tart so you might prefer it slightly sweeter and can add another half cup sugar to the recipe.
If you want to be extra creative, you can add a cup of diced apple to the mixture halfway through the cooking.
Sometimes, I like a smoother product. When it has cooled down a bit, I run it through the blender.
You can make it a day or two ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
If you worry about it not being as thick as you'd like, you can add a tablespoon of corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup of water during the last part of the cooking.
Clarify and then explain again . . . and again!
For several weeks, as a preface to our evening Rosary, my husband had been reading stories from the Old Testament to our four children. My younger daughter had been absorbing it all, even more than we imagined. We were getting ready for the day and talking about the upcoming Easter celebrations. My daughter suddenly demanded, “So when are we going to sprinkle our door with lamb’s blood?” I explained that this was done at the first Passover when the Jews were trying to get the Pharaoh to let them leave Egypt. “Well, if we celebrate Passover, shouldn’t we get some lamb’s blood and sprinkle our door just in case?” My daughter continued. Trying to bring this line of thought to a conclusion, I said, “We don’t celebrate Passover because we aren’t Jewish.” My then-little girl's eyes bulged in surprise and she clapped her hand to her head in dismay and exclaimed, “We’re not Jewish? I thought we were Jewish.” At six years old, my daughter seemed to be religiously challenged. I remember jokingly remarking to my husband that I hoped there was some kind of federal funding available.
American gas prices explained . . .
The highest level of hypocrisy! This will make your blood boil!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdScVerrBU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdScVerrBU
Words to remember!
“First of all, I wish that you may never be perturbed, never grow frightened, never be afraid of anything. Is the Immaculate, perhaps, not aware of all that is going on? If she weren't, then we would really have cause for alarm.” ~St. Maximilian Kolbe
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