The film, House of Surrogates, tells the story of Dr. Nayna Patel, who is building a clinic to house hundreds of poverty-stricken Indian women making babies for childless Westerners.
The one-stop surrogacy shop — complete with a gift shop and hotel rooms — is under construction as part of India’s multi-billion-dollar commercial surrogacy industry.
Dr. Patel already runs the Akanksha clinic, which currently accommodates around 100 pregnant women in a single house.Story #2 (page A4): "Protesters Expose Quebec Charter"
Julie-Anne Beaulac, a 19-year-old college student, wrote the slogan “Crucifix décâlisse” (Crucifix, get the hell out) across her chest and bared her breasts as Question Period began in the Quebec City chamber Tuesday.
“We find it completely aberrant that bills such as the charter, which are supposed to be promoting secularism in Quebec, are voted on beneath a crucifix,” she said in a phone interview after being released by the constables.
Morgane Mary-Pouliot, another Femen Québec member, said that far from being a cultural artifact to cherish, the crucifix is a reminder of a time when women in Quebec were told by the Catholic Church that their chief role was to produce children.
Polycarp's greatest contribution to Christianity may be his martyred death. His martyrdom stands as one of the most well documented events of antiquity. The emperors of Rome had unleashed bitter attacks against the Christians during this period, and members of the early church recorded many of the persecutions and deaths. Polycarp was arrested on the charge of being a Christian -- a member of a politically dangerous cult whose rapid growth needed to be stopped. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, "Caesar is Lord". If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake.A pinch of incense. That's it. That's the price. But he couldn't do it, and was put to death for his stubborn refusal to abandon his Christian beliefs. And he's not the only one. Throughout the ages, there have been many, many Christians who would prefer the most excrutiating death over the most trivial denial of Christ. One would almost think we have a martyrdom fetish.
