.."We present new worldwide estimates of abortion rates and trends and discuss their implications for policies and programmes to reduce unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion and to increase access to safe abortion. ".."Findings An estimated 42 million abortions were induced in 2003, compared with 46 million in 1995. The induced abortion rate in 2003 was 29 per 1000 women aged 15–44 years, down from 35 in 1995. Abortion rates were lowest in western Europe (12 per 1000 women). Rates were 17 per 1000 women in northern Europe, 18 per 1000 women in southern Europe, and 21 per 1000 women in northern America (USA and Canada). In 2003, 48% of all abortions worldwide were unsafe, and more than 97% of all unsafe abortions were in developing countries. There were 31 abortions for every 100 livebirths worldwide in 2003, and this ratio was highest in eastern Europe (105 for every 100 livebirths). "...

"Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama is being taken to task for his recent Father's Day message in which he said that fatherhood begins at conception. A pro-family group says Obama's seemingly "pro-family" statements stand in a stark, disturbing contrast to his radical support for abortion, which is anything but "pro-family." "..."Obama has a long history of defending unrestricted abortion as a legislator and has stated that he would never want his two girls "punished with a baby" if they made the mistake of engaging in pre-marital sex. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08040105.html) The Illinois Senator even went so far as to vote against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which would have protected children who survived failed abortion attempts from infanticide. Obama argued that recognizing the rights of those children under the 14th amendment would lead to the equal protection of the unborn and thus endanger the legal footing of abortion. Sen. Obama has promised to make abortion a priority of his presidency, including the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), legislation that would annihilate every single state law limiting or regulating abortion, including the federal ban on partial birth abortion. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08061010.html) "...

"Race and abortion politics will merge Thursday when a group of African-American pastors, led by the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., march on the Democratic and Republican Party headquarters to demand that candidates refuse donations from Planned Parenthood. The reason: They believe that Planned Parenthood allows racist donors to designate that their money go to fund abortions of blacks. Planned Parenthood has outlined a $10 million campaign to fund candidates who support abortion. But the ministers say they have evidence in videos that African-American babies are being targeted. The group tells Washington Whispers that it is circulating two YouTube videos in which a racist donor wins agreement from Planned Parenthood workers to have his donation designated for blacks. A similar protest took place in front of Planned Parenthood in Washington in April. "...

..."Religion may, in fact, be playing a more powerful, albeit indirect, role in shaping people's thinking than many Americans recognize. This chapter examines the views of members of the various religious traditions on many of the social and political issues of the day. "..."The religious beliefs, practices and identities of U.S. adults are extremely diverse, but among almost all faiths there is broad agreement about the positive impact religion exerts in society. Most Americans disagree with the notion that religion causes more problems than it solves. Most people who are affiliated with a religion also do not see a conflict between being a devout person and living in a modern society. American adults are very content with their family and personal lives, with 59% of the public overall and majorities of almost every religious group reporting they are very satisfied with their personal lives. Opinions are more negative when it comes to American politics, however, with 68% expressing dissatisfaction with the way the political system is working and similar numbers expressing dissatisfaction with the way things are going in the country. "..."Views on social or cultural issues such as abortion and homosexuality are strongly tied to both an individual’s religious affiliation and level of religious commitment. For instance, while a slim majority of Americans (51%) favor keeping abortion legal in all or most cases, Mormons and members of evangelical churches remain strongly opposed to legalized abortion (70% and 61%, respectively). There is also significant variation within religious traditions, with more highly committed believers holding more conservative positions on these issues. Not only does religious affiliation influence Americans’ attitudes on important social and cultural questions, it is also closely related to Americans’ basic political orientation. For example, while members of historically black Protestant churches, Jews and people who are not affiliated with a religion are largely Democratic, members of evangelical Protestant churches and Mormons lean more Republican. Further, across several religious traditions, Americans who pray more frequently, attend worship services more often, are more certain in their belief in a personal God or say religion is very important in their lives tend to be more conservative and somewhat more Republican than others. "....

"A major survey by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that most Americans have a non-dogmatic approach to faith. A majority of those who are affiliated with a religion, for instance, do not believe their religion is the only way to salvation. ".."This is not to suggest that Americans do not take religion seriously. ".."The Landscape Survey confirms the close link between Americans' religious affiliation, beliefs and practices, on the one hand, and their social and political attitudes, on the other. Indeed, the survey demonstrates that the social and political fault lines in American society run through, as well as alongside, religious traditions. The relationship between religion and politics is particularly strong with respect to political ideology and views on social issues such as abortion and homosexuality, with the more religiously committed adherents across several religious traditions expressing more conservative political views. On other issues included in the survey, such as environmental protection, foreign affairs, and the proper size and role of government, differences based on religion tend to be smaller. "..."Most Americans also have a non-dogmatic approach when it comes to interpreting the tenets of their own religion. ...The exceptions are Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, 54% and 77% of whom, respectively, say there is only one true way to interpret the teachings of their religion. "..."The lack of dogmatism in American religion may well r