Letters

No oxygen

Fr M. Durham

Contents - Aug 2011 - Buy a copy now Homily: Benedict XVI: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Pope Benedict XVI The Carbon (dioxide) Tax: a religious perspective - Peter Finlayson News: The Church Around the World Britain's anti-Christian brave new world - AD2000 REPORT Events: In defence of the authentic meaning of marriage - Canberra, 16 August 2011 - Babette Francis Bishop Conley on the new Missal translation: 'The very words of God' - Bishop James Conley Defending the Catholic Church against ill-informed attacks - Fr John Flynn LC Obituary: John Wright (1923-2011): pillar of the Catholic faith - Michael Gilchrist Exegesis: Genesis account of creation and fall: what does the Church teach? - John Young Young adult Catholic ministry: further progress - Br Barry Coldrey Letters: Archbishop Hickey - Frank Bellet Letters: Unseen kindness - Anne Lastman Letters: , - Arnold Jago Letters: Catholic schools - Fr Brendan Dillon PP Letters: No oxygen - Fr M. Durham Letters: Rose-coloured glasses - Cathy Cleary Letters: Christian heritage - Fr Bernard McGrath Letters: Anglican ordinariate - Michael Apthorp Books: PRODIGAL DAUGHTERS: Catholic women come home to the Church, ed. Donna Steichen - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: STANDARD-BEARERS OF THE FAITH: Lives of the Saints for Young and Old - Terri Kelleher (reviewer) Poetry: Consequences - Bruce Dawe Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The new evangelisation: 'missionary spirit' needed - Fr Dennis W. Byrnes

"You know the damage that the chemicals in cigarettes do to a fully-grown adult. Imagine what they do to a baby the size of a thumb."

Do those words mean that the Australian Government now recognises that an embryo is in fact a baby and not just a blob of cells?

Why so? Because these words are taken from a recent full page Quitline advertisement (described therein as being "authorised by the Australian Government") in a popular and widely read Australian women's magazine ( Women's Day).

The advert portrays a large, three-dimensional, ultrasound colour image of a baby in the womb. At the bottom of the image are these words in large type: "When you smoke, she gets less oxygen." One could readily add: "And when you have an abortion, she gets no oxygen".

FR M. DURHAM
Retired priest, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 24 No 7 (August 2011), p. 16