. . . because action speaks louder than words.
League history, NOW v. Scheidler, Action News, Joe Scheidler, League staff
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Helping abortion-bound women choose life for their babies
Unmasking the truth about abortion in the public square
Our youth outreach, raising up a new generation of pro-life leaders
Abortion industry converts tell the inside story
News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
Despite the current war on Christmas, with futile efforts like trying to substitute “Happy Holidays” for “Merry Christmas” and the rampant commercialization even in an economic downturn, what it all comes down to is that a baby was born 2,000 years ago, that that baby is mankind’s Savior and only hope for happiness. Period.
Some of us recognize with no shade of doubt that this birth in the central event in history — that Christmas celebrates the birth of mankind’s one and only hope, while for others it is just another day off.
Those who don’t know the purpose of this feast will discover it some day, that everyone from Adam on eventually comes to realize that this birthday determines each person’s eternity — those who celebrate it, those who ignore it, those who hate it, those who mock it — everyone will come to know its meaning.
The coming of Christ to earth is what it is all about, what our lives are all about. How we accept or reject Him is all that really matters in life. There is nothing else that counts. [Continue reading ...]
When abortion became the law of the land in 1973 with a fiat from the U.S. Supreme Court, the first thing I did was go to the library and look through the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature.
I checked out most of the magazines and secular journals to find what they had been saying about abortion during the past decade or so, and I found that the stories were almost always slanted toward the legalization of abortion.
Coverage of events such as Sherry Finkbine’s highly publicized abortion in 1962 was mostly pro-abortion. Finkbine, hostess of the then popular Romper Room, had taken thalidomide—which could cause fetal defects—and Finkbine feared that she would have a deformed baby.
When her story went public and she was denied an abortion in Phoenix, she went to Sweden for an abortion. The media took her side, and abortion for fetal defect became “reasonable.”
More stories followed and the secular media had set its course.
We could cite hundreds of such stories, always with a pro-abortion slant or outright support. The secular media cheered Roe v. Wade in 1973 and has never steered away from this course.
There were occasional articles pointing out this bias, even by writers in the secular press, but while they were noted, they were mostly ignored. The abortion bias continues to this day.
A recent example appears in a Newsweek article by Nancy Hass. [Continue reading ...]
Pro-abortion IL Governor Pat Quinn
Following the League’s protest of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn at Personal PAC’s luncheon November 17 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, our longtime friend Jim Finnegan — who was part of our protest that day &mdadsh; read a Chicago Sun-Times story that explained what had gone on inside.
The article so inflamed Finnegan that he wrote in high dudgeon a rebuttal to the Sun-Times:
Disturbing to read the remarks from Personal Pac Executive Terry Cosgrove to Gov. Quinn at the event at the Hilton Towers. You can safely say “it got my Irish up.”
Cosgrove was just getting warmed up when he yelled down to Quinn, “Governor, I think that’s the Irish Catholic in us, isn’t it?”
That’s as disgusting as it gets. Both of these lightweights are total sellouts to their ancestral and faith beliefs.
Canon laws 1398 and 1329 of our Catholic Church clearly state that those who by their assistance allow abortions are automatically excommunicated from the Church that both Quinn and Cosgrove membership within.
I must admit, as I was one of the 61 standing in the cold in front of the Hilton Towers, I thought that without a sincere confession from both of these so called “Irishmen,” the cold might be the least of their worries when their earthly journey is over.
Jim’s letter to the editor was the lead in Sunday’s Sun-Times letters page, under the headline, “Gov. Quinn’s a Catholic sellout.” He signed his letter, James Patrick McManus Finnegan. How Irish can you get!
Pro-Life Anderson with League National Director Joe Scheidler in the 1980s
I knew Charles F. Anderson even before he had his first name officially changed to “Pro-Life.”
Pro-Life Andy was so tired of never seeing the word “pro-life” used in news stories — but always the weasel-word, “anti-choice”—that he went to court and had his name changed so the press would have to use “pro-life” whenever he did something newsworthy—which was often.
In fact, when Collins Publishers sent out 200 photographers to capture “A Day in the Life of America,” the day being May 2, 1986, they did a two page spread on Andy praying in his front yard. He was surrounded by six large pro-life signs leaning against his house and car, as he held a crucified doll in one hand and his rosary in the other.
In the photograph he is wearing his trademark white cowboy hat with the red badge on the front reading, “Protect Life.” The caption explains that Andy goes to church every morning at 7:30 and then hits the streets of Reno to campaign against abortion. [Continue reading ...]
Joe Scheidler speaks at the Heartbeat Bill rally in Columbus, OH [Photo by Ann Scheidler]
I don’t know when, if ever, Ann and I have attended a more up-beat, exciting and colorful rally than the one held by Created Equal pro-lifers in the Ohio State Capitol last Tuesday, Sept. 20. The occasion was an all out effort to convince the State Senate to pass the Heartbeat Bill.
As law, it would make it illegal to perform an abortion after the heartbeat of an unborn baby is detected. The House passed the bill earlier by a margin of 54 to 43, and the Senate, made up of 33 members, could pass the bill with 17 votes.
The rally was to urge the crowd of more than four-hundred to encourage their senators to vote “yes” on HB 125. According to the experts, a heartbeat law could save 26,000 lives in Ohio each year. [Continue reading ...]
Ann and I will be traveling to Columbus, Ohio with our good friend Jill Stanek this Tuesday, September 20 to join the rally urging the state Senate to pass the state’s “Heartbeat Bill”.
The rally is being touted as “the most important pro-life rally of our time.” And it may well be, since its passage would, according to medical specialists, save 96 to 99% of unborn babies slated for abortion. The heart begins to beat as early as 18 days from conception and be detected on present monitors as early as 6 weeks.
House Bill 125 (the “Heartbeat Bill”) says that no abortion can be performed if the unborn baby has a detectable heartbeat, with the only exception being to prevent the death of the mother or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. THe bill has enormous support in the state and needs only 17 votes to pass in the 33-member Senate. The House vote was 54-43. [Continue reading ...]
I was dismayed to read the letter released by Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo, Texas, advising his fellow bishops that he is calling Fr. Frank Pavone back to the diocese, effectively stopping his work as head of Priests for Life.
I have known Fr. Frank personally since he was appointed by Cardinal John O’Connor as director of Priests for Life 20 years ago. I have frequently appeared with Fr. Frank at pro-life conferences and have participated in myriad projects with him. I can honestly say that I have never met a more dedicated, passionate and hard-working pro-lifer, priest or layman.
I know for a fact that Fr. Pavone never charges a dime for a speaking engagement. He travels wherever he is invited and pours himself into his mission to motivate Catholics and faithful Christians to join the fight against abortion, to reach out in compassion to troubled and desperate pregnant mothers and to lead post-abortive women and men to healing in Jesus Christ. [Continue reading ...]
Joe Scheidler speaks at pro-life candlelight vigil in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Aug 27 [Photo by Rebecca Kiessling]
More than 400 pro-life activists gathered Saturday in front of the shell of a massive building that has been purchased by Planned Parenthood to be used as another mega-abortion facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
I was among those invited to address the prayer warriors during the three-hour prayer vigil. Other speakers included attorney Rebecca Kiessling, who spoke about how she was conceived in rape, and how her life was spared only because the law would not allow her mother to have an abortion in 1969. As such, Kiessling said she had a very personal reason for preventing this Planned Parenthood abortion facility from opening.
The prayer vigil was planned and conducted by nationally known pro-life leader Dr. Monica Miller and her organization, Citizens for a Pro-Life Society.
The prayer vigil consisted of readings by local pastors, many religious hymns, a time for private and small group prayer and a blessing at the conclusion. As the vigil continued into darkness, candles were distributed to the assembly, and a chorus of young students sang in harmony, adding to its solemnity.
The main purpose of the vigil was to seek Divine help in keeping Planned Parenthood from completing the building and turning it into an abortion center. [Continue reading ...]
The Pro-Life Action League’s staff will show pro-lifers in Cincinnati, Ohio how a “Face the Truth Tour” is carried out by taking this highly successful project to the streets of the Queen City on Saturday, October 8.
Bringing the tour to Cincinnati was suggested by my cousin Tim Scheidler at the Tribute held in my honor earlier this year. Tim is from Cincinnati and believes a tour will not only alert the public to the barbaric practice of abortion, but will also help to increase the number of pro-life activists in the area.
Working with Tim to sign up volunteers for the tour is Jennifer Giroux, a legendary pro-life leader known across the country for her many successful campaigns against abortion. She has been instrumental in publicizing films such as The Passion of the Christ, promoting the campaigns of pro-life politicians and working behind the scenes to get local legislators to sponsor and pass anti-abortion legislation. [Continue reading ...]
ComEd letter to “New Resident.” Joe and Ann Scheidler have lived in the same home for 44 years. [View full size (PDF)]
In our 38 years of pro-life activism, our home on the north side of Chicago has been the target of various kinds of harassment. In the days before caller ID, we received fairly frequent crank phone calls, including a phony call for Ann to come down to the morgue to identify my dead body.
Our home has been picketed, our house and garage spray painted. Last December our front windows were broken by self-proclaimed pro-abortion vandals.
But the latest incident may be the most unusual. [Continue reading ...]