"Good morality and economic justice is good
business!"
Mission
Statement: Reclaim Christ-centered health care by reforming corporate and public
policy to allow God's people a "conscientious choice" in selecting health
insurance.
"Walk
as children of light…Take no part
in the unfruitful works of darkness"
(Eph 5:8, 10, 11)
*******************************************
"All together, we must build a new
culture of life" (Evangelium Vitae, 95) Pope John Paul II ******************************************* CHRISTUS MEDICUS 2008
UPDATE
Hear the truth about President Bush's veto of SCHIP.
"President Bush's 2008 Budget
Must Stop Children's Health Insurance Plan (S-CHIP) Public Funding to States that Fund Contraception, Sterilization, and Abortion!" >read moreDeclaration 2007, click to see how you can do your part.
or mail to:
Christus Medicus Foundation
P.O. Box 2606
Southfield, MI 48037
Fourth Quarter 2007 Progress
Dear CMF Friends:
During 2007, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives attempted to overturn several pro-life policies: the Hyde amendment, the Hyde/Weldon conscience protection amendment, the Dickey amendment against embryo research, and the Mexico City policy, which prevents U.S. funding of groups promoting abortion as a method of family planning in developing nations. Thanks to the strong pro-life leadership of President Bush, the enemies of life were unable to advance the "culture of death".
Congress also attempted to drive more children into state-run health plans through massive funding of the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). During this past year’s SCHIP reauthorization process, four bills were passed, one of which would have required extending family planning procedures to school-based clinics without parental knowledge and/or consent. Another would have allowed states to include children of families with income up to $80,000, and more adults. Some 60% of these children already are covered by private health insurance. Their parents would, in all likelihood, drop the private insurance in favor of this nationalizing coverage. None of these bills included language to codify the protection of the unborn child.
Congress failed in their attempt to rapidly expand SCHIP. On December 12, President Bush vetoed the second, equally flawed bill that Congress sent him, and congressional leaders know they do not have the votes to override. Once again, the president and the congressional leaders that voted with him were courageous and did the right thing. But this is not the end of this battle. Congressional leaders have vowed to reintroduce SCHIP legislation during the end of the 2008 election campaign season so as to exert maximum pressure on those that support the "culture of life" in their voting patterns. We need your continued support to combat this national evil!
Since the inception of SCHIP in 1997, the Christus Medicus Foundation has been the leader in identifying and alerting pro-life, pro-family and religious leaders on the need to educate law makers on the dangerous threat SCHIP is to the health and welfare of our children. It has taken 10 years, but our message is finally being heard. Only with your prayers, personal leadership and immediate financial assistance can we take advantage of the momentum that the reauthorization of SCHIP has created to reform SCHIP nationwide. Your gift at this time is most important because nearly 50% of CMF’s annual income comes in December. If possible, please send us a check today (payable to Christus Medicus) for $100, $300, $500, $1000 or $5000. You can also donate online, visit www.christusmedicus.com. Like most tax deductible charities 80% of CMF’s contributions come from 10% of our contributors. Please be as generous as you can. Since we are a 501(c)(3), non-profit, your gift is totally tax deductible.
While the SCHIP program provides many benevolent services to children, parents, in most states are not being informed of the abortion and contraceptive procedures that are included. CMF released declarations in 2000 and 2007 to gather support for SCHIP Reform. Declaration 2000 documented the following unhealthy consequences of family planning procedures in SCHIP that are particularly detrimental given the long lasting, life-threatening psychological complications and physical complications of abortion and contraception:
Higher risk of suicide for women who have undergone abortions.
Higher risk of breast and cervical cancer, and cervical incompetence.
Higher risk of breast cancer for women who began taking oral contraceptives before the age of 18. This is precisely the population targeted by the recent SCHIP legislative proposal. This population is already routinely covered under most SCHIP and state Medicaid programs, without parental notification or consent. The incidence of breast cancer peaks decades after the pill is discontinued. Thus, we have no idea how harmful this legislation will be to the long-term health of our children. It is a veritable medical time bomb in the making.
Higher risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attacks, and cancer of the liver.
Encourages promiscuity and multiple sex partners at an early age which inevitably places our children at risk for the development of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the cervix.
Sections 506 and 616, of the compromised SCHIP bill would have allowed SCHIP and Medicaid funding to go to school-based health clinics, making it easier and cheaper to provide free contraception to children without their parents' knowledge or consent. (These contraceptives are now being dispensed to 11 year olds at schools in Maine.) Other provisions would make significant numbers of "middle income" children eligible for SCHIP and increase illegal immigrants' access to Medicaid, thus further expanding the pool of children at risk for serious disease and moral concupiscence.
Currently, 17 states (AL, AZ, CA, CT, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, MO, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA, WV) are using their own funds to pay for all abortions for poor women in Medicaid. It is quite possible they are also using their own funds to pay for all abortions in SCHIP. Now more than ever Christus Medicus needs your prayers, your leadership and financial assistance. Your dollars will directly affect all our children and grandchildren and millions of other families that are trying to raise their children in a wholesome environment. Our vigilance of what the presidential candidates say about health care reform and what we do in 2008 to reform SCHIP give us an enormous legacy building opportunity, particularly for those that value the "culture of life". The cost to establish an effective State CHIP Reform Committee is $20,000 (based on CMF’s cost for establishing the Michigan SCHIP Reform Committee).
Again, please be as generous as you can. Thank you for your support and all you do for life. Have a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year,
Michael J. O'Dea
Executive Director
