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THE PRACTICE of NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING VERSUS THE USE of ARTIFICIAL BIRTH CONTROL: FAMILY, SEXUAL, and MORAL ISSUES
by Mercedes Arzú Wilson,
Wilson, Mercedes Arzú. 2002. "The Practice of Natural Family Planning versus the Use of Artificial Birth Control: Family, Sexual, and Moral Issues." Catholic Social Science Review 7: 185-211.
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/wils/wils_01naturalfamilyplanning1.html
It is essential to understand what is meant by natural family planning in order to realize why it produces so many benefits to the marriage. In general, Natural Family Planning (NFP) is defined as methods for achieving or postponing pregnancy that are based on observations of naturally occurring signs in the woman's body that inform her of the fertile and infertile phases of her cycle. Authentic Natural Family Planning never interferes with the transmission of life; its sincere openness to the Will of God and respect for life is its most vital virtue. Various natural methods are being taught throughout the world that respect the natural law and are accepted by most cultures and religions. The Ovulation Method (OM) of Natural Family Planning is at present the most widely used method because it is the easiest to learn and simplest to follow.
The NFP survey participants in the following study were generally practicing the Ovulation Method. This Method is neither the old "Rhythm" method nor the "Temperature" or Sympto-thermal method. It is based on the simple recognition of natural signs of fertility that appear for a few days during the woman's fertile cycle. It is important to recognize that a woman is only fertile for approximately 100 hours per cycle during her reproductive years, whereas a man is potentially fertile every day from puberty onward. The advantages of the OM that influence the practice of natural family planning within the marriage are not only spiritual, but also psychological and physical. It is simple to learn and safe to practice and does not depend on regularity of cycles for effectiveness. It has no physical side effects, and it does not interfere with the conjugal act nor does it involve distasteful procedures. When practiced for the avoidance of pregnancy, it is 98 effective in postponing pregnancy, even among the poorest of the poor in developing countries1, or among couples of no religious persuasion, as in China2. Women discover signs of fertility never fully understood before. The OM has proven extremely helpful in assisting seemingly infertile couples to conceive a baby. It fosters communication and mutual respect between the spouses as they accept responsibility in their decision to achieve or postpone pregnancy. It seems to bring peace and greater intimacy to the marriage. When practiced generously and not for selfish or materialistic reasons, the spouses respect life and the privilege given to them of transmitting life.
Figure 1 depicts the simplicity of the OM by teaching women to recognize the natural signs of her fertility comparing it to the fertility and infertility of the land.
Figure 1: The Ovulation Method Chart3
Figure 2: Effectiveness Rates of OM
Artificial Birth Control
In contrast, couples who use artificial methods of birth control seem to experience disturbing spiritual, and psychological as well as physical risks to their body and soul. The normal functions of the woman's body are disrupted by the ingestion of dangerous chemicals or the use of mechanical devices. Often the woman is not informed of the internal effects on her body, nor of the abortifacient effect of most artificial methods of birth control (birth control pills, Norplant, Depo-Provera injections, intrauterine devices), as they interfere with the normal growth and development of the endometrial lining, turning it hostile to the implantation of a new human life already conceived a few days earlier. Young people are persuaded early in life, through amoral sex education, to experiment prematurely, becoming promiscuous with different partners, increasing the prevalence of venereal diseases and endangering their fertility. The burden on the poor is particularly serious because of the often subhuman conditions they live under and the lack of medical facilities to treat the serious side effects of artificial birth control. Artificial methods do not encourage intimate communication between spouses as they transfer the burden of responsibility primarily on the woman. Artificial birth control places an artificial barrier between husband and wife and limits the most intense physical expression of human love. Such methods facilitate the couple's use and misuse of each other rendering them unable to fully appreciate the gift of their sexuality. Birth control, sterilization and abortion are responsible for the present population implosion of the West now rapidly expanding to the developing world.4
Methodology of Data Collection
The data used to examine the NFP survey came from a survey conducted during the summer and fall of 2000 by Family of the Americas Foundation (FAF), an international, educational non-profit organization that promotes NFP, headquartered in Dunkirk, Maryland. FAF staff contacted NFP teachers from various regions of the U.S. and asked them to solicit former students (women who had been instructed in Natural Family Planning) to participate in the survey. Teachers sent names and addresses of willing participants to FAF headquarters. Family of the Americas staff mailed questionnaires to 683 prospective respondents. 505 women returned useable completed questionnaires to an independent investigator retained by Family of the Americas Foundation to provide data entry and descriptive statistical analysis. The survey achieved a 74% response rate. Sampling for the NFP study was nonrandom, although the investigator did attempt to generate a representative sample of women in the U.S. who practice NFP. Participants were drawn from 31 states, making the NFP sample national in scope.
The comparison results in different parts of this paper are from three distinct sources: 1) a survey conducted by Family of the Americas Foundation, directed by Robert Lerner, Ph. D. an independent evaluator, from here on addressed as the Natural Family Planning Survey (NFP), which is the first-ever survey of its kind to examine the impact of Natural Family Planning on a wide variety of family, sexual and moral issues; 2) the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) which was carried out by the U.S. Government's National Center for Health Statistics; and 3) the General Social Survey (GSS) conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) on a continuous basis, a well-known and highly regarded national survey research organization, whose data collection efforts in this instance is funded by the U.S. Government's National Science Foundation Social Science Data Program.
The NFP survey asked questions of 505 couples 21 to 66 years of age; the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) queried 10,847 women 15 to 44 years; the General Social Survey (GSS) questioned 19,786 women 18 years of age and older; and the sub-group (Ever Married Catholic) pertains only to GSS respondents who are Catholic, and who have been married at some time in their lives, (including those who are currently married). Another sub-group from the NSFG survey was also analyzed that compared Catholics from the NFP survey and Catholics from the NSFG survey who ranged in age from 21 to 44. These sub-groups, both Catholics within the same age range, gave us a more accurate comparison.
The NFP respondents had taken instruction in Natural Family Planning at least three to over ten years ago. 92% of the women were White, 6% Hispanic and the remaining 2% Other. Their age ranged from 21 to 66 years, with a sample mean of 39.8 years (median = 39), and they were married on average 15.4 years longer than in the other studies. When asked for their religious denomination 91% were Roman Catholic, 8% described themselves as Protestant/Christian and only 4 respondents out of the total sample of 505 specifically indicated no religion. In general, these women were highly educated: 45% were college graduates and 15% reported completing a Master's degree or higher. Median income fell between $50,000 and $60,000 annually, with approximately 20% describing themselves as working full-time. An additional 26% describe themselves as part-time workers and 42% list their occupation as that of a homemaker. Regarding their current marital status, 98% identified themselves as married and only one woman described herself as divorced, and 18 women (3.56%) described themselves as having been divorced at some time during their life.
Review of NFP Survey
Following is a closer scrutiny of the NFP survey including a few graphs that have been chosen to exemplify some of the most significant findings of the surveys. The questions asked in the NFP survey were formatted after those in the NSFG and GSS surveys for easier comparisons. This report is based on "A Survey of Users of Natural Family Planning and Other American Women" by Robert Lerner, Ph.D. that was prepared for Family of the Americas Foundation.
Pope John Paul II has written that sexuality is "the arena of constant conflict between two fundamentally different value systems, two fundamentally different ways of determining norms of behavior, the utilitarian and the personalistic." He goes on to remind us that "the love which is the content and commandment of the Gospels, can be combined only with the personalistic, not with the utilitarian norm."5 Artificial birth control epitomizes the battle between the personalistic and the utilitarian norms in their application to sexual behavior and sexual morality. To be sure, one of the many great contributions of Pope John Paul II has been to situate the natural law tradition of the Church's moral teaching in personalistic terms.
Figure 3: NFP Study Data - Interest in NFP Over Other Methods
As seen in Figure 3, interest in NFP is higher for "ethical, moral or religious reasons", for "desire to use a natural method" and for "side effects with other methods" than for "requirements of marriage preparation." It is disturbing to read that less than 5% were interested because the Church "required it" for marriage preparation and over 20% were interested because of "side effects from artificial birth control". This suggests that the majority of the NFP respondents learned about natural family planning not because it was required of them, but because they had a desire to follow the natural law. The low percentage of "advice of doctor, nurse, or midwife" suggests that the majority in the medical profession remain unaware or disinterested in a "natural alternative" and remain unwilling to recommend it. When looking for help in having or spacing their children, couples usually turn to their physician and, if they are practicing their faith, turn to their priest. It appears that the medical profession is negligent in encouraging couples to practice Natural Family Planning, a method that encompasses good health, good morals, and strengthens their marriage.
Figure 4: NFP Study Data - Reasons for Taking NFP Class
In comparing the reasons for learning about natural family planning as shown in Figure 4, the majority (53%) of NFP respondents were "postponing pregnancy" while only 22% learned about it during marriage preparation and 14% to follow the Church's teachings. The survey also revealed that when NFP couples were asked why they wanted to practice NFP, the overwhelming response (87%) was "for moral, religious and ethical reasons." Can we conclude then, that if Catholic couples had been taught the benefits of discipline and self-control as the ideal virtue in marriage, together with NFP during their marriage preparation classes, they most likely would have chosen to respect and follow the natural law from the very beginning of their marriage? Instead, most couples fall prey to artificial birth control not knowing of the Church-approved "natural alternative". It is critical to mention the high percentage of sterilizations (almost 50%) of women and men in the U.S., who have willingly submitted themselves to voluntary mutilation of their most precious reproductive organs6. This procedure is anti-life, and possibly even more damaging morally and psychologically than abortion. A woman who has aborted her baby and consequently repents is then able with her husband to become co-creators of new life with God. Conversely, the sterilization of a man or a woman is almost impossible to reverse both physically and financially. The physical, psychological and spiritual effects of sterilization are often detrimental to the marriage. A scientific study on the association of sterilization and divorce should be conducted and would be of great interest to society.
Support of Husbands, Spousal Communication and Intimate Conversation
NFP respondents were asked how generally supportive their husbands were regarding NFP. The majority (58%) of wives said their husbands were very supportive, an additional 13% said their husbands were supportive, while another 4% said their husbands were somewhat supportive. In total, general support from the husbands for NFP was 75%, which is impressive. The survey also revealed that 89% of NFP couples share a deep intimacy with their spouse. Very few had husbands who were hostile to the practice of NFP. Only 1% had husbands who were unsupportive and 1% had husbands who were very unsupportive.
Figure 5: NFP Study Data - Communication With Husband
When asked how satisfied they were with communication with their spouse, 88% of the NFP women responded positively. The high level of communication between spouses is without a doubt the fundamental ingredient that contributes to the success of any marriage. As this sharing and bonding develops, both husband and wife embrace mutual responsibility in postponing or bringing new lif e into the world each cycle. It is not surprising, therefore, that the divorce rate among couples who practice NFP is so low. As the results of Figure 5 indicate, 26% are extremely satisfied with their communication with their husband, 30% are very satisfied, and 20% are satisfied, comprising 76% of the total. 3% are dissatisfied while 1% are very dissatisfied and 1% are extremely dissatisfied. NFP fosters communication and intimate conversation between spouses, as they need to be aware of their combined fertility and infertility.
When asked how often they had intimate conversations with their spouse, 13% said every day, 20% said almost every day, and 31% said quite frequently for a total of 64%. One quarter (25%) responded that they had intimate conversations occasionally, and 6% said rarely, while only 2% said they almost never have such conversations. When communication and intimate conversation becomes habitual between spouses, it seems reasonable to presume that potential concerns would be addressed prior to becoming divisive problems. Our study showed that the level of communication between couples of a high income bracket and couples of a low income bracket were not different. A recently concluded, unpublished study in Guatemala among low income couples practicing NFP showed an impressive level of cooperation (93.3%) and communication (90%) between them. This confirms that the educational, and economic status of the couple has no bearing on the success in cooperation and communication within the marriage.
How Artificial Birth Control Use Is Linked to Sexual Promiscuity, Abortion and Divorce Among the NFP Study
Artificial Birth Control Use Among NFP Women Reporting Pre-Marital Sexual Relations
Of the 505 NFP cou ples surveyed:
243 women in the NFP study (49%) reported being sexually promiscuous before marriage.
Of these 243 women, 204 (84%) reported using artificial birth control at some time in their lives. 39 (16%) reported never having used artificial birth control.
The average number of sexual partners reported by women who were sexually promiscuous before marriage was 3. This average was significantly different from the average (1 partner) for women who were not sexually active before marriage.
Premarital Sexual Activity Among NFP Women Reporting Abortions
The responses of the NFP group regarding sexual promiscuity and having had an induced abortion are:
25 women (5%) reported having an induced abortion at some time during their lives.
Of these twenty-five, 24 (96%) reported being sexually active before marriage. Only 1 (4%) reported not being sexually active before marriage.
The average number of sexual partners reported by women who had induced abortions during their lives was 4. This average was significantly different from the average (2 partners) for women who did not report having had an induced abortion.
Premarital Sexual Relations Among NFP Women Reporting Divorce
The responses regarding divorce among the 505 NFP couples showed that 18 women (4%) reported being divorced at least once in their lives:
Of these eighteen, 14 (78%) reported being sexually active before marriage. 4 (22%) reported not being sexually active before marriage.
The average number of sexual part ners reported by women who had been divorced during their lives was 4. This average was significantly different from the average (2 partners) for women who did not report having been divorced. Part of this difference is due to the fact that most of the divorced women later remarried.
Artificial Birth Control Use Among NFP Women Reporting Divorce
Studying the artificial birth control use among the women reporting divorce shows another connection:
Of the eighteen women who reported being divorced at least once in their lives, 17 (94%) reported using artificial birth control at some time in their lives. Only 1 woman (6%) who reported never using artificial birth control was divorced.
Out of the total sample of 505, the average number of sexual partners reported by women who ever used artificial birth control was 2. This average was significantly different from the average (1 partner) for women who never used artificial birth control. In the NFP data, the divorce rate among women who reported never using artificial birth control is 0.002.
How Abortion, Divorce, and Promiscuity are Linked to the Use of Artificial Birth Control as Shown in the Following Adjusted Tabulations
The connections are becoming clear. Abortion, divorce, and multiple sexual partners are all statistically associated with artificial birth control. Abstinence before marriage and chastity within, is not only the message taught with Natural Family Planning, it is the essential message that should be taught to Young men and women before they become entrenched in the dominant artificial birth control mentality that is so harmful to marriage and family.
In our thirty-two years of experience, seldom have we counseled couples that have not been wounded by the experience of using artificial birth control. They are surprised and often angry at not having been privy to such vital and simple knowledge as NFP earlier in their lives. Artificial birth control has not only affected the physical and psychological health of many, but for some it appears to have scarred their souls forever. It does not seem surprising that the consequences of violating the natural law has reduced their dignity as human persons often to the detriment of their own marriage.
Even though 91% of the couples in our survey were Catholic, most of them (65%) had violated Church teaching on artificial birth control, and 5% of the women had induced abortions. Nevertheless, as we study their replies in the survey, a change of heart appears to have taken place in their married life and seems to correlate with the practice of natural family planning.
Adjusted Tabulations
Dr. Robert Lerner, the principal investigator recognized the importance of incorporating adjusted tabulations in the report. This way the NSFG sample and the NFP sample are more directly comparable to each other. It is useful to use some kind of adjustment procedure because the NFP sample consists almost entirely of married Catholics who range in age from 21 to 66 years old, while the NSFG sample consists of women of all faiths including those who have never been married, and who range in age from 15 to 44 years old. These factors - religious affiliation, age, ever married or not - may play a role in accounting for the results obtained thus far.
Therefore, all the adjusted results from the NSFG survey are only from those respondents who are Catholic, who have been married at some time in their lives (including those who are currently married), and who range in age from 21 to 44 years old. Similarly, all the adjusted results from the NFP survey are only from those respondents who are Catholic, who have been married at some time in their lives, (including those who are currently married), and who range in age from 21 to 44 years old. These results are referred to as "adjusted tabulations".
Artificial Birth Control Use By NFP And NSFG Women
Concerning the use of artificial birth control, a majority of couples in both adjusted subsamples have used some kind of artificial birth control, but a substantial majority has done so in the NSFG group.
Figure 6: NFP Adjusted and NSFG Adjusted Data - Methods Ever Used
The percentages of the types of methods ever used are significantly fewer among the NFP participants. Responses indicate that the NFP Catholics have used birth control pills (35%), Depo-Provera (2%), Norplant (1%), diaphragms (9%), IUDs (2%), foams, jellies or creams (6%), condoms (52%) and withdrawal (29%). NSFG Catholics, 21-44 years of age have used birth control pills (83%), Depo-Provera (4%), Norplant (2%), diaphragms (19%), IUDs (11%), foams, jellies or creams (24%), condoms (75%) and withdrawal (41%). The most widely used methods are the condom and the birth control pill. A majority of both adjusted groups have used the condom, but the percentage is higher for NSFG Catholics (75%) than for NFP Catholics (52%). 83% of NSFG Catholics have used birth control pills while only 35% NFP Catholics had used them. Among the NSFG Catholics, 21-44 years of age, 30% practiced the old calendar Rhythm and only 8% have practiced a more modern method of Natural Family Planning - either the Sympto-thermal or the Ovulation Method.
Figure 7: NFP Adjusted and NSFG Adjusted Data - Current Methods Used
Of the current artificial birth control being used by the Catholics, 21-44 years of age in the NSFG: 13% use birth control pills, 12% use condoms, .4% use foam, jelly or cream, 2% use the diaphragm, .1% use Depo-Provera, 2% use withdrawal, and .6% use other methods. Among the Catholics, 21-44 years of age in the NFP group, 84% practice NFP and the use of artificial birth control is considerably lower: 2% birth control pills, 3% condoms, 0% foam, jelly or cream, .3% diaphragm, 0% Depo-Provera, 3% withdrawal and 1% other.
One might believe that with Catholic couples, widespread use of artificial birth control would be less prevalent, as would an induced abortion. Unfortunately, history has shown that when artificial birth control becomes a widely accepted practice, the legalization of abortion usually follows. Catholics are no less immune to governmental pressures and societal influences, concurrent with the mass media propaganda from the pharmaceutical industry that has aggressively promoted the widespread use of artificial birth control, sterilization and abortion. Our experience confirms that both men and women instinctively perceived a lack of fulfillment with artificial birth control and lamented that they had not been informed of a natural, harmless and simple alternative by their physician or church leader.
Incidence of Induced Abortions
Figure 8: NFP, NFP Adjusted, NSFG, and NSFG Adjusted Data
Among the NFP respondents, only one in twenty women (5%) had induced abortions (the same in the NFP Adjusted), which is twenty percent fewer than the NSFG (25%). One in five (21%) of the NSFG Catholic, 21-44 years Adjusted, had induced abortions, which is 4% lower than the NSFG respondents. Even though our NFP survey did not ask if the induced abortions took place prior to practicing NFP, we feel that theydid. We are basing this belief on the 21% abortion rate reported by the NSFG Catholics, who are not practicing NFP, and who have a considerably higher number of induced abortions. Our NFP group's induced abortion rate might have risen to 21% had they not been introduced to NFP. It appears that the low abortion rate could not be due only to their religiosity, because 65% had violated the Catholic Church's teachings on artificial birth control. As Catholics, we believe that when we are in the state of sanctifying grace respecting the Ten Commandments and not violating the Natural Law, God pours His blessings upon us to strengthen our faith and free will to remain faithful to His teachings. For this reason, the spiritual graces and benefits of respecting God's Moral and Divine Laws seem to be essential in marital happiness and conjugal harmony.
According to a 1995 study, using the same NSFG data as part of their calculations, it was reported that the proportion of abortions resulting from contraceptive failure was 58%7. As reported by the American Life League, 49% of pregnancies among American women are unintended and half of these are terminated by abortion. Judging by the widespread use of artificial birth control in the NSFG survey (94.3%), and their confusion in recognizing right from wrong, (see Figures 16 and 17), it is not surprising that the abortion rate is 25%. Further studies using current information may show an even greater percentage of abortions, especially if chemical abortion methods such as the morning after pills and the RU-486 are included.
Comparative Divorce Rates
The main objective of this study was to discern if couples who practice NFP are less likely to be divorced than those who do not; so a more direct comparison of groups of similar age and beliefs was necessary. Figures 9 and 10 indicate support for this hypothesis.
Figure 9: NFP Adjusted and NSFG Adjusted Data - Current Marital Status
The NFP respondents (99%) are far more likely to be married, than the NSFG respondents (82%), and are also far less likely to be divorced (0%), separated (0%) or cohabitating (0%) than the NSFG are to be divorced (9%), separated (5%) or cohabitating (4%). Thus 18% of the NSFG Catholics of the purified sample are either divorced, separated or cohabitating as compared with 0% of the NFP respondents. The difference between the NFP couples who are currently married (99%) and the NSFG currently married couples (82%) is 17%, which is an impressive difference.
The reason the divorce rate among NFP couples increased from 0.2% to 3% in the adjusted tabulations is because the statistician is using a smaller number of couples in a concentrated age group (21-44 years). The divorce rate in the Catholic NSFG group increased from 7% to 15%. The NFP Catholics who have never divorced is 97%, while the NSFG Catholics is 85%. The difference between these is 12%, which is also noteworthy.
Figure 10: NFP Adjusted and NSFG Adjusted Data - Ever divorced
Figures 9 and 10 provide support for the idea that using NFP among Catholics is associated with family stability. Further research is required in order to determine if this relationship is in any sense causal, or whether the relationship between practicing NFP and family stability is due to other factors common to these couples, including their strong religious beliefs and practices, and if these developed after they began practicing NFP.
If it is found, after further studies are conducted, that religiosity is a primary factor in marital stability together with respect for the natural law through the practice of NFP, all the more important to prioritize a more faithful adherence to one's chosen faith. Such findings would provide strong reasons for advocating religious beliefs and practices among the general population who desire a fruitful and lasting marriage. If Natural Family Planning is the main reason for the spouse's conversion towards strong religious beliefs and practices, then NFP should be given top priority in all marriage preparation courses around the world.
Divorce Rate Statistics
It is interesting to note that other studies endorse our findings on the increased number of divorces. They attribute the cause to the widespread use of artificial birth control. Robert T. Michaels and former Secretary of Education, William Bennett reported the following findings:
50% of the rise in divorce rates from the 1 960's to the mid 1 970's has been attributed to the increased use of artificial birth control8.
There has been a 400% rise in the divorce rate in the U.S. between 1960 to 1990.9 (Widespread use of artificial birth control began in the 1 960's and led to increased promiscuity followed by abortion and an increase in divorce rates.)
The much slower rate of increase of divorce in Japan and Japan's refusal to adopt the pill through the early 1 970's seems to support the hypothesis that the contraceptive revolution is partially responsible for the rise in U.S. divorce rates.10
Statistical evidence of the commonly held belief that the presence of children, in particular young children, inhibits divorce.11
Pollster Lewis Harris has claimed that "the divorce rate of 50% in the United States was an inflated number, due to the Census Bureau noting that during one year there were 2.4 million marriages and 1.2 million divorces. Someone did the math without calculating the 54 million marriages already in existence."12 However, the divorce rate climbed after World War I (to 10% and then down again to 4%), and World II (to 18% and then down to 8%). Yet in the mid-sixties, after the introduction of birth control, the rate climbed steadily for nearly 20 years to about 23% and has remained level.
Divorce Rates In The General Population
Even though our NFP survey is not a random study, but is national in scope, the NSFG and GSS surveys were random. The following graph illustrates the current marital status of all three studies as well as that of the subsample of the GSS ever married Catholics. However, a definitive comparison cannot be made because of the age difference among the NSFG (15 to 44), the GSS and the GSS ever married Catholics (18 and older), and the NFP (21 to 66) survey groups. Nevertheless, the adjusted age comparisons previously reported in Figure 9 showed only a small difference.
Figure 11: NFP, NSFG, GSS and GSS Ever Married Catholics Data
At the time of the surveys, 98% of NFP, 49% of the NSFG, 54% of the GSS and 68% o the GSS Ever Married Catholic women, wee married. Those divorced constituted 0.2% of NFP, 7% of NSFG, 12% of GSS and 13% of GSS Ever Married Catholics, while separated women were 0% of NFP, 3% of NSFG, and 4% of both GSS and GSS Ever Married Catholics. NFP respondents had the lowest percentage of cohabitation (0.4%), in comparison to the NSFG (7%) and GSS (7%), and the ever-married Catholics in the GSS survey with a low rate of 2% had the second lowest percentage. Widows comprised 1% of NFP, 0.5% of NSFG, and 15% of both GSS and GSS Ever Married Catholic groups.
As we observe the marital status of the four groups surveyed, we can't help but wonder whether this curious phenomenon is in great part due to the advantages of observing and respecting the natural law within their marriage through the use of Natural Family Planning. The impressive low divorce rate seems to be closely linked to the practice of NFP, but a future matched sample study would enable us to make a more accurate comparative study. It cannot be denied that NFP fosters communication and intimate conversation between spouses, as they need to be aware of their combined fertility and infertility. In contrast, it appears that those who have not been given this enrichment have considerably higher divorce, separation and cohabitation rates. Is it possible that a critical element is missing in the marriages of the other groups surveyed? Could the missing element be practicing and sharing the responsibility of Natural Family Planning? Marriages in violation of the natural law seem to be in a state of instability due to the lack of chastity within their marriage, resulting in poor communication and cooperation and the denial of mutual responsibility in the area of responsible parenthood. Those couples seem to move from marriage to separation and divorce without ever experiencing permanence in their marital vocation.
Influences Of Intact Families
Unequivocal data have shown that an intact family of a father and a mother has tremendous influence on the behavior of children. Following are some of the findings that show teen pregnancies are influenced by family structure:
Consequences of Family Instability:
80% of unintended pregnancies result from contraceptive failure.13
Cohabitations are four times more likely to break up than marriages and less than 4% of cohabitations last 10 years or more.14
The incidence of divorce is 33% to 80% higher among couples who lived together before marriage.15
Benefits of Family Stability:
Young people aged 14-17 who live in a two parent family are less likely to have ever had sexual intercourse than young people living in any other family arrangement, even after adjusting for potentially confounding factors such as race, age, and socioeconomic deprivation.16
Abstinence and decreased sexual activity among adolescents are primarily responsible for the decline during the 1 990's in adolescent pregnancy, birth and abortion rates.17
A three-year program for parents and adolescents promoting family centered human sexuality education accentuating morals and values, lowered teen pregnancies to 1/20th of the national average (5 per 1,000).18
Legacy for Future Generations
Is the sexual revolution of the 1960s the reason for the increase in divorce, abortion and premarital sexual relations that has resulted in venereal diseases in epidemic proportions and the acceptance of unnatural sexual practices, such as sodomy? Further studies need to be conducted to ascertain that the faithful adherence to religious beliefs coupled with love and respect for the spouse through the practice of NFP is a proven means of bringing happiness and stability to marriages. The recommendations of virtuous behavior to future generations are reflected in the response from the NFP couples in Figures 12 through 20. After all, "the greatest influence on children comes primarily from the parents."
The following three questions and their answers, as shown in Figures 12 through 20, in the NFP and GSS surveys give a striking illustration of the present state of moral decadence and the prevailing confusion about right and wrong. Judging by the replies and recommendations that would be given to young men and women by respondents in the GSS and GSS ever married Catholic, moral relativism appears to be triumphant. However, the recommendations of virtuous behavior to future generations by the NFP respondents are irrefutably different and most encouraging.
Among the NFP respondents, 64% had only one partner in their lifetime, 32% of the NFP group had two or more partners since age 18, but 81% now feel that sex before marriage is always wrong and 92% would now advise a young man or woman to marry without living together. We believe that a serious change of heart had to have occurred.
The GSS respondents who had only one male sex partner since age 18 was 33% and 54% had two or more partners. When asked if sex before marriage is wrong, 32% replied that it is always wrong, while 33% said it was not wrong at all. When advising a young woman or man, only 10% would advise to marry without living together, 24% would advise to live with a steady partner without marrying and the majority (48%) would advise a young woman or man to live alone without a steady partner.
The GSS ever married Catholics had similar responses, 42% had only one male sex partner since age 18, and 48% had two or more partners. Regarding whether sex before marriage is wrong, 27% replied it is always wrong, while 34% feel it is not wrong at all. A small percentage would tell a young woman (7%) or man (9%) to marry without living together, 28% would advise a young woman and 26% a young man, to live with a steady partner without marrying. The majority would advise a young woman (50%) or a young man (51%) to live alone without a steady partner. This appears to be a tragic reflection of our society's present moral decay.
Figure 12: Number of Male partners since age 18
Figure 13: Sex before Marriage
Figure 14: Advice to a Young woman or man regarding way of life.
Success in Family Life
A majority of NFP respondents feel successful in family life, while the majority of the GSS and Ever Married Catholics do not.
Figure 15: NFP, GSS, and GSS ever married Catholics - Success in Family Life
A majority (75%) of NFP respondents feel completely or very successful, and if we also add the "somewhat successful" responses to this, the total becomes 97%. Conversely, only 9% of GSS women and 6% of ever-married Catholic women regard themselves as completely or very successful in family life. If we also add the "somewhat successful" these totals become 45% for GSS and 41% for GSS ever married Catholics. The percentage difference is considerable. These responses seem to reflect the vision that to feel successful in family life, it is vital to surrender to God's Will, be disposed to share your most intimate feelings with your spouse, be willing to give to your spouse selflessly without barriers, and to recognize the gift of life and the power to become generous co-creators of new life with Him.
Additional Benefits From Practicing NFP
The importance of prayer and the Sacraments has not been taught as powerfully as they deserve in our current culture. The following information shows an increase in church attendance among those respondents who practice NFP. Figure 22 shows the responses of the adjusted NFP Catholics and those of the adjusted NSFG Catholic respondents who practice NFP and those who do not. When comparing the responses of the random NSFG adjusted NFP and the random NSFG adjusted non-NFP, a similarity exists with those who practice NFP and the respondents in the NFP adjusted subsample. The NSFG adjusted NFP and the NFP adjusted have similar responses, which are markedly different from those of the NSFG adjusted non-NFP. 25% of the NFP adjusted and 27% of the NSFG adjusted NFP attend church more than once a week. More than half of both the NFP adjusted (64%) and NSFG adjusted NFP (51%) attend at least once a week. In contrast, among the NSFG adjusted non-NFP respondents, only 5% attend church more than once a week, and 34% attend weekly. 0.3% of the NFP adjusted respondents never attend church, as do 0% of the NSFG adjusted NFP, while 14% of the NSFG adjusted non-NFP never attend church.
Figure 16: NFP Adjusted, NSFG Adjusted NFP, NSFG Adjusted non-NFP
It is predictable that those who respect and follow God's law attain a closer relationship with God as they are totally dependent on His Will. Drawing closer to our Creator, in turn, inspires us all the more to observe His laws as they benefit us psychologically, physically, and spiritually.
We have endeavored to show a link between artificial birth control, promiscuity and divorce. The NFP survey respondents: have a dramatically low (0.2%) divorce rate; are happier and more satisfied in their everyday lives; share a deeper intimacy with their spouse; realize a deeper level of communication with their spouse; attend Church more often; and preserve the family unit more responsibly than the other groups. We are thus beginning to be able to demonstrate what the Church has long asserted philosophically and morally: artificial birth control carries with it a substantial impact on the personalistic dimensions of the sexual union of spouses. As the Holy Father reminds us, "...love is concerned with persons directly and immediately: affirmation of the value of the person as such is of its essence."19
In the service of building up the Civilization of Love, the social contingencies according to which the value of the person is either affirmed or denied must more and more be seen as a legitimate object of research. We hope we have contributed a small step in that vital direction.
Family of the Americas
PO Box 1170, Dunkirk, MD , 20754
E-mail: familyplanning@yahoo.com
1 Study presented at the Medical Committee Meeting of the Knights of Malta, New York, NY, 2000 [Back]
2 Dr. Zhang D.W. and J.X. Xu "The Effectiveness of the Ovulation Method", Reproduction and Contraception, 1993 vol.13, No. 3 pp.194-200; Ryder, R.E.J., British Medical Journal, Vol. 307, pp. 723-726, Sept. 18, 1993. [Back]
3 Mercedes Arz Wilson, Love and Fertility, 1998. [Back]
4 UN Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, "World Population Monitoring 2001, Population, Environment and Development", New York, October 2001 [Back]
5 Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II), Love and Responsibility, 1981, page 43 [Back]
6 U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, New York Times, February 17, 1993; Women's Characteristics and Surgical Sterilization Series 23, Number 20, 1995 [Back]
7 Stanley K. Henshaw and Kathryn Kost, "Abortion Patients in 1994-1995: Characteristics and Contraceptive Use", Family Planning Perspectives, Volume 28, No.4, July/August 1996 [Back]
8 Robert T Michael, "Why did the U.S. Divorce Rate Double within a Decade", Research in Population Economics, Vol. 6. pp. 367-399. 1988. [Back]
9 William J. Bennett, "Quantifying Americas Decline" The Wall Street Journal, March 15, 1993 [Back]
10 Ibid [Back]
11 Robert T Michael, "Why did the U.S. Divorce Rate Double within a Decade", Research in Population Economics, Vol. 6. pp. 367-399. 1988. [Back]
12 National Center for Health Statistics. 1996 [Back]
13 Trevor Stammers, "Teenage Pregnancies are Influenced by Family Structure", Letters British Medical Journal; 324:51, January 5, 2002 [Back]
14 Ibid, cites Morgan P. "Marriage Lite: The rise of Cohabitation and its Consequences". Institute for the Study of Civil Society (CIVITAS): London, 2000:13 [Back]
15 Mercedes Wilson, Love and Family; Raising a Traditional Family in a Secular World, pg. 122; 1996 [Back]
17 Jeffery Jones M.D. et. al., A Special Report Commissioned by the Consortium of State Physicians Resource Councils, January 7, 1999 [Back]
18 Peggy Kirby and Louis Paradise "Fertility Appreciation for Families: Evaluation report for the Family of the Americas Foundation; October 1, 1987. [Back]
19 Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II), Love and Responsibility, 1981, page 42. [Back]


1. How does 240 W m-2 absorbed solar radiation get converted into 342 W m-2 IR back radiation without violating the Energy-Conservation Law?
2. Why there is such a POOR relationship between #CO2 and global T for past 70 My?
Gavin, this is not sensible answer to my 1st question, but a CIRCULAR argument! Can't you see it? The 342 W m-2 IR back radiation cannot be explained by surface LW emissions, because then the question becomes, where does the 398 W m-2 surface LW radiation come from?
Enjoy. When I first came across this paper there was a lot of chuckling, can't be serious, surely?
Well, I can understand someone wanting to quantify the effect, show the laws, make it a warning for any fools who need saving from themselves, ain't engineers. I'm afraid this paper goes too far off the deep end, hints at meant seriously. Your opinion might differ.
Actual merit? Works at night.
An anon has reminded me of a critical paper published in the May 1967 issue Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.
As such in the context of the mid 1960s with little knowledge or computing hardware there ought to be no problem. Unfortunately a number of critical fixed assumptions and of ideas in the paper were ignored for what they were and has formed the basis of the nonsense we have today. The continued correction which typifies science guessing seemed to cease.
Given the Talkshop has many new eyes and opinions since the last mention of this paper a look today is a good move, or at least I think so.
Extracted from paper, one of several choices.
Let's put this up for discussion as the dominant role of WV often gets buried in all the focus on man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
This posting just points to a very well done page that calculates the relative contributions to the greenhouse effect as used by the AGW thesis, by various gasses. In particular, it includes water vapor. The result is a conclusion that human caused CO2 is not relevant to global temperature. Something I have said before, but without the nice graphs and calculations.
It really is all about the water on our water world.


Guadeloupe is 24% more expensive than Pakistan. Apr 2019 Cost of Living.
WARNING! This comparison is based on only a few data points. At this point it is only a guess. It is based on 3,864 prices entered by 546 different people.


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Don't get on that alien ship; "To Serve Man" is one of these kitchen helpers!
Alyssa Peter Kathleen
Show #5735 - Friday, July 10, 2009
Kathleen O'Day, a home decor product manager from Oakdale, Minnesota
Peter Wiscombe, a computer engineer from High Point, North Carolina
Alyssa McRae, a gift card production designer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3-day champion whose cash winnings total $50,402)
THE NIFTY 1930s
YOU NEED A DRINK
THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WHEN
DOUBLE DOUBLE "O"
This Shakespeare play inspired Jose Limon to create "The Moor's Pavane", & he danced the lead role himself
This future baseball giant first said "Hey!" to the world when he was born in Alabama in 1931
George Washington was a fan of this holiday drink but used whiskey & brandy as well as rum
To 58102, to send it to this biggest North Dakota city, you betcha
...the 9/11 attacks occurred
I'll have this Chinese dish of sliced chicken stir-fried with mushrooms & vegetables, to go
We're not toying with you: one of Andersen's fairy tales inspired the ballet "The Steadfast Tin" this
1934 was the first year for this Oscar category, & the winner was "The Continental"
To be patriotic during WWII, this soda invented in 1898 adopted red, white & blue colors, still on its logo today
To 99501, to send it to this largest Alaska city
...Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands
Hello... Hey you... Over there! This chocolate drink has been around since the '20s
In "Western Symphony", dance hall girls & cowboys cavort to classic tunes like this "River Valley"
This ski-nosed comic broke out of Vaudeville & made his Broadway acting debut in the 1933 musical "Roberta"
A person used to be smashed onto a new boat as a sacrifice; this effervescent drink is less painful
To 86538, to send it to this Arizona town that was "too tough to die"
...World War II ended in Europe
George H.W. Bush derided Ronald Reagan's fiscal policies as this type of "economics"
It's the "little" French surname of choreographer Roland of the Ballets de Paris
(Jon of the Clue Crew reports from Tavern on the Green.) Tavern on the Green opened as a restaurant in 1934; this New York City mayor opened the door with a brass key & sampled the cuisine
To make this 4-letter drink, the rice has to be milled because the starch, which ferments, is in the center of the rice
To 93308, to send it to this California city that gave its name to a country music "Sound"
...World War II broke out
The jazzy ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" was originally part of the Broadway musical "On Your" these
Agatha Christie set Hercule Poirot afloat on a boat called the Karnak in this exotic 1937 novel
White & red wines differ in that the stems & these 2 other parts of the grape are not used for white
To 97405, to send it to this Oregon college town, home of the Ducks
...Queen Victoria was anointed Empress of India
The plan has no risk, it can't fail, it can only be described as this
$1,000 $5,400 -$600
$2,400 $5,800 $200
NOVEL-TIES
SUNDAY NIGHT TV
FAMOUS TRIALS
LET'S GO FOR A "SPIN"
AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN
In 1905 this still-controversial Twain book was banned because a character said sweat instead of perspiration
In 1995 there was "Cybill", "Mad About You" & this series, "The New Adventures of Superman"
Exhibits in her 1893 trial in New Bedford, Mass., included her parents' skulls & the head of a hatchet
Streets in this Kansas town include Wyatt Earp Boulevard & Gunsmoke Street
"Melrose Place" was one for "Beverly Hills 90210"
This large Italian island was once ruled by the House of Savoy
The title of this 1813 Austen novel comes from the second chapter of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"
In 1976 CBS's Sunday night lineup was "60 Minutes", "Sonny & Cher", then "Who loves ya, baby?", this detective
Stabbed during his capture at Harpers Ferry, this abolitionist spent most of his 1859 trial lying on a cot
This word, the first half of a familiar pair, refers to goods found floating in the sea from a shipwreck
Here are the rules: if the soda container stops rotating & faces you, it's time to pucker up
After World War I, France was given a League of Nations mandate over this country
1904's "Betty Zane" was his first published novel--makes sense
Choices from 1955 included "You Asked for It", "G.E. Theater" & this movie director "Presents"
At her 1976 bank robbery trial, this heiress' lawyer used a brainwashing defense; the jury didn't buy it
A cousin of Paul Bunyan, this "Mountain State"'s woodsman Tony Beaver had 2 oxen named Hannibal & Goliath
It can be a yarn maker, or a woman who never married
In 1993, limited autonomy was granted to this coastal area that's home to 1.5 million people
Her crime novels include "Cause of Death" & "Cruel & Unusual"
In 2000, at 8:00 you could have watched "The Simpsons", "Steve Harvey" or this heavenly show with Roma Downey
DD: $1,000 9
After his 1633 sentencing, he said he must "abandon the false opinion that the sun is the center of the world"
This Christian martyr is said to have rescued the daughter of a king & slain the dragon victimizing a Libyan town
It's the rotating skid of a car losing control
Once part of the Roman Empire, this nation was part of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years
It's the numerical title of the Bret Easton Ellis novel made into a 1987 Robert Downey, Jr. film
From 1959 until 1963 the lead-in for "Ed Sullivan" was this Jay North sitcom about a mischievous boy
The first of 12 trials held in this city in the late 1940s led to the convictions of Hermann Goering & 18 other Nazis
This French glassmaker that shares its name with a card game is known among collectors for its paperweights
The bowman on a yacht is there to set this sail
It's made up of three main islands & has a combined land area smaller than Philadelphia
$10,800 $19,200 $2,000
This U.S. event was set after the harvest, on a day when rural folk could get there without having to travel on Sunday
$4,001 $16,799 $3,998
2nd place: $2,000 New champion: $16,799 3rd place: $1,000
(including 1 DD) 7 R,

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Courier man cartoon character made in 100 poses and moods. We've made a friendly messenger that will transport goods and documents with a smile.
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text:
STUPID: Nebraska Man Charged For Making Baby Announcement
Posted at 9:22 am on January 24, 2017 by Bob Owens
A father-to-be in Nebraska has been charged for using a binary explosive target mixture and colored chalk to announce that he and his wife are expecting a baby boy.
Ashley and Jon Sterkel just wanted to announce with a bang the news that their first child will be a boy.
But the exploding target they set off with a rifle shot on Saturday, complete with blue smoke to signal a male, provided a bigger blast than they expected.
And on Monday it also resulted in a ticket from the local sheriff.
Jon Sterkel, 26, the owner of a tree-care service, said he has shot off exploding targets on his acreage west of Scottsbluff in the past without problems.
On Saturday, Sterkel used an exploding target and a bunch of blue chalk powder to signal that the expectant couple are having a boy. A video of the explosion was posted on Facebook for friends and family, with Jon shouting out, "It's a boy!"
Three miles away in Scottsbluff though, some residents thought a house had exploded or a car had blown an engine. The Scotts Bluff County Sheriff's Office got several calls.
Hearing reports on the local radio station, KNEB, and seeing the reaction on Facebook, Sterkel called the Sheriff's Office to explain. He also posted an apology on Facebook.
"I would like to apologize for all of the confusion," he wrote. "This was just our way of announcing what gender our baby was."
By Monday, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Mark Overman had completed an investigation of the blast and had issued a ticket to Jon Sterkel for setting off an explosive without a required state permit. The violation is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
Using binary explosive targets and colored chalk to announce whether you're expecting a boy or a girl is not uncommon in the shooting sports community. A friend of mine just announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy, in a very similar manner. Videos are typically taken of these reveals, and the videos are then posted to Facebook and Twitter and other social media for family members and friends.
Here's pair of example of reveals of this type we grabbed off YouTube.
It's a very cute practice, but in Nebraska it's a violation of a silly state law to use binary targets without a state-issued explosives permit.
The Nebraska Explosive Control Act is written in such a way that the binary components themselves are readily available for purchase at any gun store, online, or from retail sporting good stores, but the moment the two components are mixed you're in violation of state law. Because these binary target mixtures are commonly, openly, and lawfully sold, citizens assume that using them as they are designed to be used is lawful, when it is not without a permit.
If a person wants to use a binary target mixture in Nebraska for any purpose, they must first be fingerprinted, photographed, and have a background check run. All to use a simple, safe, and common target mixture commonly used across the nation.
It's a poorly-conceived law that now has a new father facing the possibility of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine when he should be saving up for diapers and baby clothes.
Boo, Nebraska.
Tags: binary targetsNebraska


Latent Toxoplasma Infection and Higher Toxoplasma gondii Immunoglobulin G Levels Are Associated With Worse Neurocognitive Functioning in HIV-Infected Adults.
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders persist despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Because latent Toxoplasma infection (LTI) may adversely impact brain function, we investigated its impact on neurocognitive impairment (NCI) in people living with HIV disease.
METHODS: Two hundred sixty-three HIV-infected adults underwent comprehensive neurocognitive assessments and had anti-Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G (anti-Toxo IgG) measured by qualitative and quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
RESULTS: Participants were mostly middle-aged white men who were taking ART (70%). LTI was detected in 30 (11.4%) participants and was associated with a significantly greater prevalence of global NCI (LTI positive [LTI(+)] = 57% and LTI negative [LTI(-)] = 34%) (odds ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval,1.17-2.40; P = .017). Deficits were more prevalent in the LTI(+) vs the LTI(-) group in 6 of 7 cognitive domains with statistical significance reached for delayed recall (P<.01). The probability of NCI increased with higher CD4(+) T-cell counts among LTI(+) individuals but with lower CD4(+) T-cell counts in LTI(-) persons. A strong correlation (r = .93) between anti-Toxo IgG levels and global deficit score was found in a subgroup of 9 patients. Biomarkers indicative of central nervous system inflammation did not differ between LTI(+) and LTI(-) participants.
CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional analysis, LTI was associated with NCI, especially in those with higher CD4(+) T-cell counts. Longitudinal studies to investigate the role of neuroinflammation and neuronal injury in LTI patients with NCI and trials of anti-Toxoplasma therapy should be pursued.


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MACIF — французская взаимная страховая компания, специализирующаяся на автостраховании. Взаимная компания насчитывает 5,255 млн членов.

MACIF (сокращение от Mutuelle assurance des commerçants et industriels de France, Взаимное страхование коммерсантов и промышленников Франции) была основана в 1960 году Жаком Вандьером (Jacques Vandier, 1927—2020). В феврале 2020 года Macif и Aésio достигли соглашения о слиянии, образовав с начала 2021 года Aéma Group.

Страховые премии за 2020 год составили 3,45 млрд евро, из них 2 млрд пришлось на автострахование, 1 млрд — на страхование недвижимости; страховые выплаты — 2,45 млрд евро.

Основным рынком является Франция, на неё приходится 12 млрд евро страховых премий, 6,5 млн клиентов и 25 тысяч сотрудников. На зарубежные операции приходится 2,2 млрд евро страховых премий, 5 млн клиентов и 6 тысяч сотрудников; группа работает в Болгарии, Венгрии, Румынии, Словакии, Хорватии, Греции, Италии, Тунисе, Турции, КНР. Также представлена во франкоязычных странах и территориях Латинской Америки и Карибских островов (Гайана, Мартиника, Гваделупа и другие).

Примечания

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Private funds and the parties
BRUCE WALLACE,ROSS LAVER September 12 1988
Private funds and the parties BRUCE WALLACE,ROSS LAVER September 12 1988
They are a closely guarded source of power and influence. And whether they are intended for the benefit of individual politicians or to finance the activities of a political party, private trust funds have long been a feature of Canadian political life. Said Adam Zimmerman, vice-chairman of Noranda Inc. and chairman of MacMillan Bloedel Ltd.: "Historically, there have been people funded so that their families would have a degree of security that they were giving up by going into politics. It is just understood and it is part of what people like me are willing
to support on a no-names, no-identification basis."
But the very assurance of anonymity means that trust funds—while not illegal-will always remain controversial. During the 1976 Tory leadership race, Brian Mulroney's camp leaked details of a secret $300,000 trust fund established for rival candidate Claude Wagner. In the ensuing political furor, Wagner lost to Joe Clark at that convention. And supporters of Pierre Trudeau raised some $275,000 from private donors to pay for a swimming pool at the prime minister's official residence in Ottawa. The names of the donors have never been disclosed.
Although the exposure of a secret trust fund can prove embarrassing for its beneficiaries, such funds remain a favorite tool of backroom political or-
ganizers. Said Gordon Dryden, treasurer of the federal Liberals from 1968 to 1986: "Those who control the trusts are a law unto themselves and answer only to God. The money gives them enormous political heft and clout."
In the 1960s and 1970s, Maclean's has learned, one of the Liberal party's most lucrative and influential funds was an election war chest for MPs from the Ottawa area. Former Ottawa MP George Mcllraith, who controlled the fund, used the money to help candidates in as many as 13 eastern Ontario ridings. When Mcllraith was named to the Senate in 1972, John Turner, then finance minister, took over responsibility for the fund. It is now administered by Ottawa accountant James Ross. According to Ross, some of the money is used for elections. But, he
said, "a certain amount is credited to each of the riding associations, and they can spend it at their discretion." Many of the existing trusts trace their origins to the period before the 1974 Election Expenses Act, when there were fewer limitations on election spending and no individual tax credits for political donations. Said Dryden: "Funds were built up in trust in each region. If C. D. Howe [Liberal cabinet minister from 1936 to 1957] called a senator and said we needed $40,000, the cheque would be there in the morning." In the wake of the 1984 election, senior Liberals tried unsuccessfully to tap into some of those trusts in order to reduce the party's debt, which currently stands at $6.2 million. At one point, Senator Leo Kolber, the former chief Liberal party fund raiser, visited Nova
Scotia senators Irvine Barrow and Henry Hicks, who together controlled three trusts that are worth, according to Hicks, at least $3 million. But Hicks told Maclean's that the money in the funds was solely for the use of the provincial Liberal party. He added, "Senator Kolber came down and asked us to give the federal party $1 million or $2 million, but I said no."
Later, Kolber considered launching a lawsuit to get at the money. "We wanted to smash the trusts open, but five tons of TNT would not shake the money loose," said Herb Metcalfe, Kolber's assistant. At any rate, he added, political outsiders only tamper with such trust funds at their peril.
-BRUCE WALLACE and ROSS LAVER in Ottawa
September 1988 By TANYA CHRISTIE
THE GAMES OF GLASNOST
September 1988 By NEIL WILSON
Turner's private trusts
September 1988 By ROSS LAVER, BRUCE WALLACE
Marking the end of a journalistic era
September 1988 By PEETER KOPVILLEM
The golden autumn of a literary giant
September 1998 By Brian Bethune
The price of equity
September 1998 By JOHN GEDDES
Canada NOTES
TROUBLE ON THE QUEBEC FRONT
June 1989 By BRUCE WALLACE
HEADING FOR THE POLLS
And Now For The Real Fight
March 2000 By Bruce Wallace


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How John Wolford's long football journey prepared him for NFL opportunity
Rams quarterback John Wolford, front, throws next to Jared Goff during training camp in August. Wolford will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals as the Rams look to clinch a playoff berth.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
By Gary Klein
His football journey includes a record-breaking high school career in Florida and at Wake Forest. He played in one NFL preseason game for the New York Jets and, before it went bust, eight games in the Alliance of American Football.
Now Rams quarterback John Wolford is preparing for the biggest moment of his career.
On Sunday at SoFi Stadium, with a playoff berth on the line, Wolford will start in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's something you kind of dreamed about your entire life," Wolford said.
Though probably not under these circumstances. When Jared Goff broke his right thumb during last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, he played through the injury and finished the game.
But the $134-million quarterback had surgery on Monday, sidelining him for Sunday's game and putting the Rams' playoff chances in Wolford's inexperienced hands. Wolford, 25, has spent two seasons primarily running the scout team against the Rams' first-team defense.
Plaschke: John Wolford hopes to defy the odds and etch his name in backup QB lore
John Wolford heads into his first NFL game on Sunday looking to push the Rams into the postseason and prove that sports dreams can come true.
"What better moment for someone to come in and prove who they are as a player," receiver Robert Woods said.
Wolford said he would be prepared.
Coach Sean McVay does not appear worried.
"This isn't too big for him," McVay said. "There's no doubt about it."
Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford passes during a game against Syracuse on Nov. 11, 2017.
(Brett Carlsen / Associated Press)
Wolford did not have to wait long for an opportunity to play quarterback at Bishop Kenny High in Jacksonville, Fla.
As a 14-year old freshman, he won the starting job on the varsity.
"He was a very mature kid and had a lot of ability and lot of skills," said Mark Thorson, his high school coach, "but just to walk in as a freshman and handle the huddle and all the things that are expected of you, I knew at that point he was pretty special."
Early in the season, Wolford led a 90-yard, game-winning scoring drive in the final minutes against Clay High.
"The moment wasn't too big," former Clay coach Josh Hoekstra said. "He had so much composure … even as a ninth-grader."
Three years later, with Wolford on his way to breaking several of Tim Tebow's state passing and touchdown records, Bishop Kenny played Clay in a second-round game of Class 5A, the fourth-largest of Florida's eight high school football divisions.
Wolford passed for eight touchdowns and ran for two while amassing 773 yards of total offense in a history-making 74-73 loss.
"Next thing I know, John looks like the freaking No. 1 quarterback in the country. He was automatic. Didn't miss a throw."
— Cam Serigne, former Wake Forest tight end
"They couldn't stop us running the ball," Hoekstra said, "and we couldn't stop John."
Seven years later, Thorson and Hoekstra will be watching on Sunday when Wolford starts for the Rams.
Hoekstra expects that Wolford will play well. Thorson agrees.
"Just knowing him," he said of Wolford, "he's relishing this."
Wolford had committed to play at East Carolina when then-newly hired Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson and offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero visited his home after his senior season in 2013.
Clawson and Ruggiero had experienced success at Bowling Green with mobile, multi-skilled quarterbacks. That's what they saw in Wolford.
"We really didn't need or want a guy that was 6-5," Ruggiero said. "We wanted guys that were around that 6-foot area that were great passers, had great mobility, and really were just ballers, gamers.
"So, he was really perfect for what we were looking for."
At the time, Wake Forest did not have a lot of talent —though the roster included two players who would gain fame outside of football. Quarterback Tyler Cameron had a prominent role in the television show "The Bachelorette," and receiver Matt James is about to make his debut on "The Bachelor."
Tight end Cam Serigne was a redshirt freshman when he hosted the 6-foot-1 Wolford on a recruiting visit. The players were aware that Wolford had broken some of Tebow's records.
Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford passes against Georgia Tech during a game on Oct. 21, 2017.
(Scott Cunningham / Getty Images)
"Everybody was like, 'Golden Arm's here,'" Serigne said. "Everyone was really excited about John."
Wolford started as a freshman, when Wake Forest finished 3-9. The Demon Deacons posted the same record the next season before improving to 7-6.
Going into his senior season, Wolford was in a competition with Kendall Hinton for the starting job. Serigne said that Wolford "started to just absolutely grind" through the spring and summer preparing for his final season.
"Next thing I know, John looks like the freaking No. 1 quarterback in the country," Serigne said. "He was automatic. Didn't miss a throw."
Midway through the season, Wolford caught fire.
In a 42-32 victory over Louisville and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, he passed for 461 yards and five touchdowns, also running for a score.
The next week, he passed for 331 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in a loss to Notre Dame. He followed that by passing for three touchdowns and running for three in a victory over Syracuse.
He finished his career by passing for 400 yards and four touchdowns in a Belk Bowl victory over Texas A&M.
Thirteen quarterbacks were selected in the 2018 NFL draft, but Wolford was not.
Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford celebrates after being named the MVP of the Belk Bowl following a 55-52 win over Texas A&M on Dec. 29, 2017.
(Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)
Ruggiero said he told Ted Monago, the Rams' assistant director of college scouting, that the Rams should sign Wolford as a free agent.
"I was like, 'Why didn't you guys take him? You're crazy,'" Ruggiero said.
This week, Ruggiero received a text from Monago.
"I said, 'Congratulations, it's funny how things work out,'" Monago said. "'He's starting. You always believed in him.'"
Wolford got a brief taste of the NFL in the spring of 2018 when he participated in a Jets rookie minicamp. Later that summer, the team summoned him near the end of the preseason, and he played in one game before he was released.
Wolford later was the 11th quarterback chosen in the upstart AAF's four-round quarterback draft. The Arizona Hotshots took Trevor Knight with the sixth pick before selecting Wolford in the second round.
To receiver Rashad Ross, however, it was clear from the first workouts that Wolford should start.
Every time the offense went to a no-huddle situation and had to drive down the field, Wolford came through, Ross said.
"By the third practice I was already Team John," he said.
Rick Neuheisel, who coached John Wolford, swears backup QB will be hero for Rams
Rick Neuheisel coached John Wolford in the Alliance of American Football and swears the backup quarterback will come through for the Rams in season finale against Arizona.
In eight games under coach Rick Neuheisel, Wolford passed for 14 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. In what turned out to be the unexpected finale, Wolford and Ross connected on a 58-yard touchdown pass in a victory over San Antonio.
"Usually quarterbacks have a read, but I just said … 'Just throw it far enough where I'm the only person that can get it,'" Ross said, "and that's what happened."
Before playing for the Hotshots, Ross played two NFL seasons for Washington, where McVay was the offensive coordinator.
Like McVay, Ross said, Wolford wins players' confidence by offering encouragement, not criticism, after mistakes. He is not surprised that the coach and quarterback are in sync.
Wolford's knowledge, quick release, accuracy and mobility should serve him well Sunday, Ross said.
"If he goes in and he's confident and starts making plays early that will make him more confident and he'll have a great game," Ross said. "He has all the talent."
To play in any league?
"He's an NFL quarterback," he said.
Arizona Hotshots quarterback John Wolford runs onto the field before the Alliance of American Football game against the San Diego Fleet on March 24, 2019.
(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
The Rams signed Wolford after a workout at their Thousand Oaks facility in April 2019, paying him a $150,000 signing bonus.
Veteran Blake Bortles was Goff's backup last season while Wolford ran the scout team against the first-team defense. Bortles left as a free agent after last season and Wolford was elevated to No. 2 on the depth chart.
As the Rams prepared for their regular-season finale, the strongest endorsement of Wolford came from coaches and starters on a Rams defense that ranks among the best in the NFL. They, more than anyone, have seen Wolford in action.
"That's a rare thing when you can have full respect of your teammates without actually having performed in an NFL game," defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. "That should tell you about his character and about what he's capable of.
"I think we're all excited for him and his opportunity."
Wolford will "do what he needs to do to help this team win," defensive tackle Aaron Donald said.
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"I'm confident," Donald said. "The way he prepares, the way he gets himself ready."
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey also said that the team has confidence in Wolford.
"We have seen how he works," Ramsey said. "He had a good week of practice. I hope it continues and carries over to Sunday."
Wolford is not overwhelmed.
The dream that began when he first started playing football as a child is about to become reality.
"It's been a fun journey for me," he said, "getting to this point."
Gary Klein covers the Los Angeles Rams for the Los Angeles Times. Before that, he covered USC's football program and athletic department. He began working for The Times in the San Fernando Valley edition and has reported on high school, college and pro sports. He grew up in Southern California and graduated from Cal State Northridge.


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Events
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Game On!

Event Details:

Game On! has four different pc games.

1. Age of Empires - 2 players per team

2. DOTA - 5 players per team

3. Counter Strike - 5 players per team

4. Need for speed-Most Wanted - single player

Fee: 100/- per team for DOTA,CS,AOE

        30/- per player for NFS

Rules:

1. Each player can participate only once.

2. Each team should register only once and should give the complete details of the team during registration.

3. Game rules like Map, Population, Game time, etc., will be on spot decision by the organizer.

4. Game play is based on number of teams registered. Either a league or knockout tournament.

5. Teams are requested to get their own laptops to play, with good LAN connectivity.

6. Any team not following the rules will be considered as eliminated.

7. Organizer decision will be final during any clash or tie.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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