THE FACTS OF LIFE: Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

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[This Review Originally Published On JULY 31, 2006.]
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AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE
The Life Guide Series -- Vol. 1
"The Facts Of Life"
by Judie Brown
copyright: 1998
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Although I'm not Catholic, through the years I have made monetary contributions to American Life League (ALL), a Catholic antiabortion organization which publishes quality literature in support of the Pro-Life movement. (One magazine in particular that would be beneficial to teens regardless of Christian denomination is called, 'REALITY CHECK.') Several years ago, ALL sent me Volumes 1-4 of their 'Life Guide Series' as a premium in appreciation for my years of support.
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Volume 1, 'THE FACTS OF LIFE' was evidently written with young adults in mind, though anyone might benefit from reading it. The primary goal of 'THE FACTS OF LIFE' is to explain the process of fetal development, with a focus on illustrating why "fertilization" MUST be considered the point at which human life begins. Promoting chastity in a world that has gone sexually mad is another purpose for this 80-page booklet's publication.
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Some of the information I found most enlightening:
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* At the moment you were conceived, the information contained in one single strand of your DNA held as much information as 33 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. [page 3]
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* From the moment when the sperm makes contact with the ovum ... all subsequent development to birth of a living newborn is a fait accompli. That is to say, after the initial contact of sperm and egg there is no subsequent moment or stage which is held in arbitration or abeyance by the mother, or the embryo, or the fetus. Nor is a second contribution, a signal or trigger, needed from the male in order to continue and complete full development to birth. [page 19]
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* A world-famous geneticist, Dr. Jerome Lejeune, the man who discovered the extra chromosome 21 which causes Down Syndrome, once said that "If a fertilized egg is not of itself a full human being, it could not become a man, because something would have to be added to it, and we know that this is impossible." [page 19]
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* There are no two people on this earth who are exactly the same; every human being has his own unique "bar code", and that bar code is present at fertilization. [page 24]
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* WEEK 8 - His fingers and toes are fairly well defined, and fingerprints, a unique and defining feature of every human being, are permanently engraved on his skin ... Fifty percent of the abortions performed in America take place between now and Week 9. [page 26]
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* MONTH 4 - This little baby's heart is pumping six gallons of blood every day ... Rapid eye movement (REM) can be recorded, indicating that he is dreaming. [page 26]
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* The decision to abort is a criminal act against the laws of nature. [page 33]
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'THE FACTS OF LIFE' contains an Appendix A, B, and C, which are brief essays addressing interrelated topics. I felt that the first one on chastity by Ronald Lawler was rather mundane, although the second one on chastity by Mary Beth Bonacci, and Appendix C on The Connection Between Contraception And Abortion by Janet E. Smith had some very interesting ideas to share -- even though I part ways with Smith in her denouncing contraception in marriage. And by contraception, I mean the use of condoms, diaphragms, and spermicides ONLY! Naturally, I oppose the use of the other types of "contraceptives" which are in actuality abortifacients. (More on that in Volume 2, 'THE FACTS ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL'.)
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One cannot put a price on the information in this booklet, particularly if it saves the life of an unborn child and/or prevents the ruination of a girl's youth. If your choice is to buy this at full price or do without it, I'd say make the purchase, though I'd first recommend you try to acquire a used copy at a discount.
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The one statement made by Lawler in Appendix A which really got my attention was this: "Our world suffers in countless ways from its lust. It will return to wiser ways when it can bear its pain no more."
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Of course, our world suffers in countless ways from more than just lust; there's other forms of selfishness and egotism, materialism, ignorance, and more. Lawler is right: Only when the world can bear these pains no longer will it collectively turn back to God. Although I firmly believe that we are quickly nearing the end of God's patience.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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