Welcome to The Vine, where every week I strive to bring you updates from around the pro-life community to help you keep up with the ever constant battle to save lives. If you aren’t plugged-in, it is my sincere hope that The Vine will allow you to get familiar with those on the front lines and find your place among them.

Last month, the world was horrified to find out that the remains of aborted and miscarried babies were being incinerated in the United Kingdom to provide heat for hospitals; the awful irony not lost on many. Now, news has broken that the same practice has been taking place for years in the United States. As Life News reports, an energy plant in Oregon has been receiving aborted babies from British Columbia to be burned for electricity. The British Department of Health immediately changed the law to ban using aborted babies for heat.

Unfortunately in America, changing abortion laws doesn’t seem to be on the agenda. Rand Paul recently said, if elected to the White House, his administration would not change any abortion laws until the public was further persuaded on the issue; despite the fact that polls show a majority of Americans are pro-life. Additionally, Paul (the son of a doctor and a doctor himself) maintained that he is pro-life due to his religious beliefs but he failed to mention the scientific evidence supporting life in the womb. Social conservatives were rightfully disappointed by Paul’s comments, as explained by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins in The Christian Post: “After the failures of John McCain and Mitt Romney, social conservatives are looking for someone who will put a priority on their issues, not just use them as throwaway lines in a stump speech.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Alabama left no question as to the value of life in their recent ruling which stated they must ““recognize a child’s inalienable right to life at all stages of development.” The case, according to Life Site News, concerned a mother who had exposed her unborn child to cocaine before he was born.

The Gosnell Movie, which hopes to tell the story of America’s biggest serial killer and what we should learn from his case, has two weeks left for fundraising. The campaign has steadily made strides in reaching its goal and, as long as the momentum can continue, it won’t be long before the country comes face-to-face with the chilling reality of abortion.

Seeing Kermit Gosnell on the big screen will be an important experience for those who watch the Gosnell Movie, but what if you found yourself in the same room with an abortionist? Brendan O’Morchoe, National Director of Field Operations for Students For Life, wrote about his flight last week that he shared with late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart. There are many ways he could’ve chosen to handle the situation but, with a great display of faith,  O’Morchoe took the high road and provided a wonderful example of how to respond to those who subscribe to the culture of death.

And providing proof that our prayers for life are truly answered, Life News reported today that Josie Cunningham (who was considering aborting her child) has chosen life! According to Cunningham, in the taxi one minute away from the clinic she realized she couldn’t go through with the abortion. Amazingly, the day before her appointment she had felt her baby kick for the first time and couldn’t deny the feeling of life within her. For her courage to face the truth, in the midst of a culture that begs to convince her otherwise, this week’s Branch For Life goes to Josie Cunningham. Every day women across the world choose abortion, each one feeling great pressure from society to end the life of their child. The pressure on Cunningham, being in the public eye, was even more so. Every woman that chooses life should be celebrated for her strength, courage and, in many cases, faith. I pray that Josie Cunningham and her baby will help women considering abortion hear their own children calling out to them from inside the womb.

Pope John Paul II was an inspiring leader of the Catholic Church for many reasons even apart from his dedication to the sanctity of life. On Sunday, to the joy of many, he was canonized a saint. Marie Smith of the Parliamentary Network For Critical Issues wrote a lovely reminder of why the pro-life community shares the love of Saint John Paul II with the Catholic community. I hope you’ll take the time to read her reflection of his important work.

Until next week, I pray blessings for you and for all committed to life in The Vine. Please feel free to email or tweet me with any stories you’d like to see covered or any organizations or individuals you’d like to see as the Branch For Life!

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