The RECORD

By Mike Hein

The public policy representative of the Roman Catholic Chancery leveled a serious charge against the Christian Civic League of Maine in Sunday's Maine Sunday Telegram.

The paper reports that the Diocese of Portland (ME) will work with all parties of good will. This Diocese is a member of the pro-abortion and pro-homosexual marriage Maine Council of Churches. While he doesn't claim that the League acted with ill will toward the Chancery, Diocesan Public Affairs Director Marc Mutty claims that the Chancery has found that it is "impossible to work with [the League]." He further states that the League has been "unkind and un-Christian."

"I am saddened by the Chancery's remarks," said League Executive Director Michael Heath. I've worked well with Marc Mutty and the Chancery in the past on issues where we have been able to forge agreement." The League has partnered more than once with the Chancery in both the State House, and in referendum campaigns. The League has been unwavering in its stand against sexual immorality being forced on Mainers, and has called on the Roman Catholic Church to join it in it's stand.

On Saturday, Heath joined 27 Catholic men on a bus trip to the annual Boston Men's Conference. Heath talked briefly with Archbishop Sean O'Malley in the lobby of the Boston Conference Center. He also listened to the leader of the Knights of Columbus and a Cardinal from Africa.

"The Cardinal spoke of family practices in Africa," said Heath. "He said families in Africa don't nurture an awareness of rights, only obligations. I liked that. While I disagree with some of the theology of the Catholic Church, I came away appreciating much of what I saw and heard. I especially enjoyed time spent talking with the Catholic men on the bus, including my good friend Paul Madore."

The leadership of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Maine has adopted a relaxed strategy toward the threat posed by sexual orientation theory. The League has remained steadfast and unwavering in its support of Biblical moral purity.

Heath stated, "We've worked hard to stay close to God and the Bible on all matters related to sexual morality. For this we have been condemned viciously by Maine's institutional leadership. The people of Maine, of course, agree with [the League's] position when they are allowed to fully appreciate it."

Heath lamented the lack of comity that currently exists between the League and the Chancery. He said he sees little likelihood of improvement as long as Mr. Mutty is allowed to launch public attacks against the 110 year-old Christian ministry. The League is merely working politically in the light of the Gospel on matters related to sexual morality, law and politics.

Heath said, "I extended an invitation to Marc Mutty personally to join our Coalition for Marriage at a lunch in 2005. He never responded."

Heath expressed deep disappointment with the Chancery over their support of so-called 'gay rights' in 2005. Their support tipped the scales in favor of sexual orientation theorists, and unleashed an unspeakable evil on our homes.

One young man in Rockland is facing imprisonment now because he was proselytized by confused adults into living with a homosexual identity. He has twice threatened his male lover with a knife. In his second encounter he succeeded in stabbing both him and his father. This man's confusion is made worse by the Chancery's refusal to act and speak with clarity and precision about sexual morality.

"The Bible and the Vatican are clear about sex outside of marriage. The Diocese of Portland (ME) has a duty to be equally clear." said Heath. "Paul the Apostle said homosexuals will spend eternity in hell. And Jesus said it was better to lose an eye than to practice adultery."

Heath has said many times that Maine will fall to same-sex marriage or civil unions unless the Church decides to stop it. The Roman Catholic Church claims almost a quarter million members in Maine. Most Catholics are Democrats. While the Maine Republican Party is somewhat favorable toward traditional morality, the Democratic Party in Maine has been stridently liberal on abortion and homosexuality for decades.

By Mike Hein

Four Maine GOP Legislators Co-Sponsor Abortion Funding Bill

Maine Democrat Senate President Betheda G. (Beth) Edmonds (D-Cumberland County) is sponsoring LD 1309 "An Act To Provide Equity in Funding for Women's Health Services." The bill, which will have a public hearing later this spring, would allot over $283,000 in new spending to directly fund abortions for low-income Maine women. Maine currently does not directly fund abortions, but does give over $1 million annually to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, which does provide abortions in Maine. The bill is being supported by the Family Planning Association of Maine and the Maine Women's Lobby.

Senate President Edmonds, for her part, at a State House press conference recently asked, "How many more deaths will it take before we realize whatever it is we're doing is not enough?" She asked this in the context of the death of women in Maine from domestic abuse, not the death of unborn children from legal abortion. The irony was not lost on League Executive Director Michael Heath, however. Heath wryly noted that at the approximate cost of $500 per abortion, the number Edmonds was looking for was, "600(deaths), if she were referring to abortion."

While LD 1309 is being sponsored by Edmonds, the bill already has secured bi-partisan support among Maine's legislators. Four Maine Republican legislators are co-sponsoring the bill. Included as current co-sponsors of the abortion funding bill are: State Senator Peter Mills (R-Somerset County), State Rep. Abigail Holman (R-Fayette), State Rep. Roberta M. Muse (R-Fryeburg), and State Rep. Meredith N. Strang Burgess (R-Cumberland). The Maine Republican Party Platform, adopted just last year, states "We [Maine Republicans] believe in the sanctity of life and the right of parents to be involved in the reproductive decisions of their minor children."

The Christian Civic League of Maine has publicly opposed this legislation since learning about it in December, 2006. In a recent Bangor Daily News interview, League Executive Director Mike Heath reaffirmed the League's pro-life stand stating, "It's immoral for us to have abortion, period. To think that Christian, tax-paying [Maine] citizens will be forced to pay for abortions is absolutely unconscionable, it's beyond wrong." The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland (Maine) has just recently agreed with Heath and the League's position, stating they will also oppose the bill.

Portland Press Herald Editorial

The reaction to the idea of state-funded stem-cell research has been as intense as it was predictable.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has asked its members to voice opposition to the idea. The Christian Civic League of Maine has signaled its disapproval as well.

There are two pending bills in the Legislature that would spend $20 million or $10 million in borrowed funds to encourage stem-cell science here. The idea is that Maine could attract this sub-sector of the biotech industry if it could undertake what the federal government has declined to do.

President Bush used the only veto thus far in his tenure to strike down federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The technology is controversial because it takes stem cells from human embryos. In theory, these cells can be coaxed into becoming any kind of human tissue. They could then be used to cure or treat a range of devastating diseases, including cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's.

For those who believe human life starts with the creation of an embryo, stem-cell research is trading one life on the hope of saving another.

But even setting aside the debate over when life begins, fertility treatments create many leftover human embryos that face destruction. Meanwhile, millions of people could benefit from their study.

While the case for funding this science is compelling, its controversial nature can't be denied. No amount of public debate is going to resolve these deep divisions. Lawmakers shouldn't run away from that controversy, though. That's what we pay them to do.

Nor should they bury stem-cell research in a bond package with other proposals. Should the Legislature decide to ask voters to approve of a bond to fund this research, that proposal should stand on its own on the ballot.

Maine's need to invest in research generally is too important to get lost in this controversial issue.

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The Hands Around the Capitol 2007 pro-life event attracted a large crowd on Saturday afternoon in Augusta. The event began with an opening prayer from Bishop Richard J. Malone to the pro-life crowd of approximately 350. Carl Maddaleni of the Maine Vitae Society spoke at the event, which included tables featuring the Central Maine Pregnancy Support Center and the Knights of Columbus Pro-life Committee.

Mike Heath, the League's Executive Director, issued a press release earlier in the week inviting the media to contact the League for comments regarding the League's historically strong pro-life stand and the League's opposition to several pro-abortion bills in this upcoming Legislative session. In it, he states, "[Abortion] will go away when Maine chooses to protect and cherish innocent human life. I am absolutely dedicated to making that happen as soon as possible." Heath notes that Maine Senate President Beth Edmonds is introducing legislation to allow for Maine's tax dollars to directly pay for abortions for low-income women. "I will oppose this direct State funding of abortion-on-demand with every ounce of God-given energy I have," he said.

Two television news stations interviewed Heath at the Capitol Building ceremony shortly before 1:00 pm. WCSH (Channel 6, NBC) and WMTW (Channel 8, ABC) both planned to air Heath's commentary as part of their local broadcasts. Heath attended the Hands Around the Capitol ceremony along with his wife, Paulie, and many pro-life League supporters.
The League's Open House, held immediately after the Capitol Building ceremony where the Capitol Bell was symbolically rung 34 times, was a tremendously heartwarming affair. Three to four dozen League supporters packed the Ben Bubar League Headquarters Building at 70 Sewall Street. Mike and Paulie Heath hosted the Open House and enjoyed a spirit of fellowship with the League's many pro-life Christian friends and their families. Mike was heard to say, "With such Christ-centered and active supporters as these, and God's Word on our side, how can we fail?"

By Michael Heath

I read the other day that over 50 million babies have died by abortion since the horrific practice was legalized in 1973. Since that time a political movement has emerged that makes and breaks the careers of those who lead us. Our movement has achieved little besides. Even infanticide, now known euphemistically as "partial birth abortion," remains controversial. We all must admit that there is little beyond chatter that the political side of the pro life movement achieves. We might be somewhat good at playing defense. We don't have, however, a political offense.

It is all about imagination. I want to challenge you to imagine a pro life Maine. Even more critical is to imagine a Maine that is pro life because we are Christian. Maine is not secular, muslim or hindu. Maine is Christian. Read the constitution. Read history.

Christian societies don't kill their babies in the womb. Christian societies protect innocent life. Christian societies insist on using words that accurately define things.

Abortion has nothing to do with choice. Abortion is murder. A mother chooses to murder her child. Period. It is simple. It really is simple. No amount of liberal media bluster can change that. Even reams of so-called "scholarship" can't change that. Civilizations don't practice abortion.

How did something so obvious become so obscure?

There is a simple explanation for that also. Before we legalized abortion we declared that God is dead, and we turned our attention to more mundane things like skin color and sex. We didn't just send Jesus Christ to the back of the bus. We told Him to get off the public school bus.

C.S. Lewis said of Christianity, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else."

And Lewis gave us a clue about what we must do to continue to leaven our culture with truth. He said that men would need to choose to have chests. He said, "We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and then bid the geldings to be fruitful."

Abortion is not a woman's issue. Abortion is a man's issue. And when our society begins to make men who have chests we will then be headed in the right direction. When we expect virtue of our men we will start to love baby humans, instead of baby seals.

Important decisions are finalized with a stamped and printed seal. As devinely created human beings and not animals let us make our seal a commitment to end legalized abortion in Maine within the next five years.

Everyone knows that the killing must stop.

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It is President Bush's preoccupation with turning America into a total surveillance society that separates his administration from any and all others. Before this administration, no conservative president had endorsed the concept of turning the United States into the fulfillment of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, but that is exactly what G.W. Bush is attempting to do. -- Chuck Baldwin

Armed with intellectual, moral, and spiritual incompetence, we are hardly even fighting the war -- even on those rare occasions when we recognize that there is a war. -- Rev. Earle Fox