Canadian Parliament Flooded With Pro-Life Letters Before Abortion Debate

International   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 20, 2012   |   12:36PM   |   Ottawa, Canada

The Canadian Parliament has been flooded with tens of thousands of letters and postcards from pro-life people in Canada who are supportive of the upcoming debate on Motion 312, which says Canada should reopen its abortion debate.

Motion 312 proposes that, with so many significant advances in medicine, Parliament should revisit Canada’s current 400 year old definition of human being. In the Canadian Criminal Code, Section 223 states that “a child becomes a human being within the meaning of this Act when it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother.”

“Should such an important 400 year old law be frozen in time forever?” asks MP Stephen Woodworth, who is behind the motion. “Should such an important 400 year old law be forever immune from democratic review…[or] be forever immune from advances in modern understanding?”

“Tens of thousands of Canadians have expressed their support for Motion 312 and I hope that this support will also be reflected in Parliament at the vote,” he said.

Woodworth is hoping for a “constructive” second hour of debate this Friday, September 21st.  He admits that, despite, good support from many MP’s, there is still not enough to make 50%.  The Member of Parliament from Kitchener Waterloo is asking people to contact not only their Member of Parliament, but Party Leaders.

“I’m keeping up my efforts, and ask others to do so too” he said.

Natalie Hudson Sonnen, LifeCanada’s executive director, agrees.

“These are fundamental questions that deserve our nation’s honest attention,” she says. “It is merely common sense that this kind of archaic understanding of human life be revisited.”

LifeCanada has joined dozens of organizations and individuals across Canada who have signed a Declaration of Support for Parliamentary Study of Canada’s Legal Definition of “Human Being.”

CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!

 

The Declaration states that “The current definition was first enacted in Canada in 1892, founded in concepts argued before the courts and the Parliament of England more than three centuries prior, and does not reflect the medical and scientific knowledge acquired over the last century. Given the high value human life is given in our society, as reflected in our social policies and Criminal Code, it is essential that the Parliament of Canada provide clarity in the law on this point which impacts parental choice, biomedical research, medical practice and matters being brought before the courts of the nation.”

LifeCanada is also urging supporters to contact their MP’s, party leaders and also to sign their on-line petition which has had over 60,000 visits and over 6,350 signatures.  The petition has received national media attention.

The second hour of debate is set for Friday, September 21st, at 1:30 p.m. EST and the final vote will be on Wednesday, September 26th, 2012. Both of these events can be viewed on your local CPAC television channel or by visiting www.cpac.ca for a live podcast.