Obama's Bioethics Commission - We Still Need Philosophical Debate

The oversimplification that scientific research is either obviously detrimental or obviously beneficial to humanity is completely inappropriate in the context of today’s biomedical landscape – a landscape rife with ethical nuances and controversial topics like embryonic stem cells, the ownership of genes, and genetic screenings. While there may be consensus that current goals in biomedical research are noble, there is dissent regarding how to achieve those goals. What is ethical to one person may very well be unethical to another. Thus, we as a society must be more cognizant of bioethical considerations. We must live and breathe in the middle ground, that pesky “grey area” between right and wrong. So, how to begin the discussion? GenEng & BiotechNews

Two new adult stem cell stories

Researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute and colleagues have for the first time demonstrated that human blood stem cells can be engineered into cells that can target and kill HIV-infected cells — a process that potentially could be used against a range of chronic viral diseases. PhysOrg

Stem Cells Heal Lungs of Newborn Animals: May Lead to New Treatments for Lungs of Premature Babies Science Daily

Being a pro-life church

Is your church pro-life? I mean really pro-life? As a body, are you encouraging each other to not only think in a pro-life way but also act in a pro-life way? Undeniably, Christians have been the backbone of the pro-life movement since its inception. If more churches would harness their membership and organizational power on behalf of pro-life causes, however, perhaps the tide could be turned in America and we would once again live in a society that values every human life. Faith & Family

Open Mic: Does Human Life Begin at Conception?

Last fall, the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform traveled to the Upper Midwest as part of our campus outreach and training program. On each campus we visited we conducted an open microphone session which permits students to ask questions of one of our staff. Watch a video clip of one such interchange.

Building a baby, with few ground rules

Surrogacy arrangements that go badly can have profound implications, particularly for the children. Surrogacy is largely without regulation, with no authority deciding who may obtain babies through surrogacy or who may serve as a surrogate. Instead, surrogacy is controlled mainly by fertility doctors, who determine which arrangements are carried out and also earn money by performing the procedures. And while some agencies that coordinate surrogacies and some clinics that carry them out strictly adhere to guidelines, others do not. The lax atmosphere means that it is now essentially possible to order up a baby, creating an emerging commercial market for surrogate babies that raises vexing ethical questions. NYTimes

Building a baby, with few ground rules

Surrogacy arrangements that go badly can have profound implications, particularly for the children. Surrogacy is largely without regulation, with no authority deciding who may obtain babies through surrogacy or who may serve as a surrogate. Instead, surrogacy is controlled mainly by fertility doctors, who determine which arrangements are carried out and also earn money by performing the procedures. And while some agencies that coordinate surrogacies and some clinics that carry them out strictly adhere to guidelines, others do not. The lax atmosphere means that it is now essentially possible to order up a baby, creating an emerging commercial market for surrogate babies that raises vexing ethical questions. NYTimes

Case Shined First Light on Abuse of Children

It was Mary Ellen McCormackwho finally put a human face on child abuse — and prompted a reformers’ crusade to prevent it and to protect its victims, an effort that continues to this day. Tellingly, the case was brought by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In 1874, there were no laws protecting children from physical abuse from their parents. . . . The hard-boiled investigator assigned to Mary Ellen’s case, Etta Angell Wheeler, was shocked and became inspired to do something. Frustrated by the lack of child-protection laws, Wheeler approached the A.S.P.C.A. It proved to be a shrewd move. . . . [The little girl's] heart-wrenching testimony was featured in The New York Times under the subheading “Inhuman Treatment of a Little Waif.”. . . Mary Ellen’s case led [to the foundation of] the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in December 1874. It was believed to be the first child protective agency in the world. . . . Gone are the days when beasts of burden enjoyed more legal protection than children. NYTimes

Embryo donation is not like adoption

Psychologically, the biological link affects how parents feel about the process. Through my interviews with embryo donation parents, I found that they viewed the donation as on a par with blood or tissue donation, rather than adoption. They were grateful to the donors for their help in conceiving but did not see them as being a continuing part of the child's life. Less clear are the attitudes of the embryo donors. BioNews

Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths

The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit conventional categories. A new poll finds that large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions. Many say they attend worship services of more than one faith or denomination. Many also blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects. And sizeable minorities of all major U.S. religious groups say they have experienced supernatural phenomena, such as being in touch with the dead or with ghosts. Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life

Offset Your Jet-Set Lifestyle by Eliminating African Babies

Neo-colonialism is still alive in the attitudes of some environmental activists who don't see any problem in urging developing nations to curb their population so that the carbon emissions of richer countries can be offset. Population control groups have been using the hype surrounding the Copenhagen climate change conference to promote their solution to hypothetical impending environmental catastrophes. LifeSiteNews

Pro-lifer's lawsuit raises alarming questions

Bryan Brown is a conservative, activist and unapologetic Christian. Of that there is no doubt. But does that mean he is also mentally ill? Too ill even to be a lawyer? The bureaucracy that controls access to Indiana's legal profession believes that very thing, according to a lawsuit in which Brown alleges that he was subjected to a series of hostile religious and political questions during a review of his fitness to practice law - a review that subsequently rejected him on mental-health grounds. News-Sentinal

Resource for Black History Month

Maafa21 meticulously chronicles the links from slavery to colonization to Darwin to eugenics to sterilization to birth control and finally to abortion. The documentary shows, without exception, how African-Americans are the targets of the social elite. You’ll learn that civil rights leaders in the 1960s gave a clear warning that abortion and population control was a tool of Black genocide. You will see the links between racism, eugenics, and Planned Parenthood's effort to market abortion to the African American Community.

Maafa 21 emotionally chronicles the story of an African American woman who was eugenically sterilized at the age of 14, a riveting testimony guaranteed to render the audience speechless. Photos, newspaper clippings, documentation, and direct quotes make Maafa 21 highly credible. Watch the trailer for Maafa21 and purchase copies: http://www.maafa21.com/. Maafa21 would be a great tool for churches to show for Black History Month !

Adult Stem Cells May Cure Sickle Cell in Adults

Researchers say that a new method of bone marrow transplantation cured nine out of 10 adult patients with sickle cell disease, an inherited condition that causes bouts of severe pain, organ damage and sharply limits life expectancy. Adults have typically not been candidates because they were thought to be too sick to handle the high doses of chemotherapy and radiation necessary to prep the body for the procedure. Until now, transplantation was generally reserved for more resilient children, whose bodies had not yet suffered as much damage from sickle cell disease. Drugs.com

Related: Tooth to Bone with Adult Stem Cells

Holocaust in Israel: Lives not worthy of life?

An article on YNET (one of the leading Hebrew-language dailies) reported on an Israeli couple that had numerous prenatal tests and doctors suspected their baby was carrying the chromosomes for Down’s Syndrome. The couple was urged to have an abortion, only to discover later that the baby was misdiagnosed. They are now suing three different hospitals.

Israel leads the world in sheer number of prenatal tests it offers to pregnant mothers. There have been numerous cases where the test results were incorrect. Yet, abortion is promoted as the quick and simple solution to any possible problem, without any consideration of the repercussions of that abortion on the woman or her family.

Sandy Shoshani, director of Be’ad Chaim Association for the Protection of the Woman and Unborn Child in Israel, writes: "My concern . . . is that children in the womb are not considered human beings unless they are wanted by their parents and by society.

"At Be’ad Chaim, we have been praying about lobbying in the government and press in order to further increase public awareness of the dangers of abortion to women and the value of unborn children. As a result of much prayer, we see early signs of this already taking place to a certain degree, yet we believe that further action needs to be taken. As a first step, we have decided to increase our advertising in major newspapers and to publish the testimonies of women who have been hurt by abortion alongside articles on those who’ve continued pregnancies despite difficult circumstances. Please pray for wisdom and resources as we pursue a major change in public opinion on abortion." Bead Chaim Life News

Amendment Would Protect Conscience Rights of Pro-Life Medical Staff

Although they were not successful in getting the Senate to ban abortion funding in healthcare reform, pro-life lawmakers aren't giving up on trying to lessen the number of pro-abortion problems with the Senate version of the government-run health care bill. Sen. Tom Coburn, a pro-life Oklahoma Republican who is a physician by trade, proposed an amendment to the bill on Monday that would provide protections for pro-life medical workers. LifeNews

Report Shows ‘Handwriting On The Wall’ For Failing Abortion Industry

Operation Rescue has released the results of an extensive research project into the abortion industry showing that the number of abortion clinics continues to dwindle as Americans become more pro-life. OR has listed all abortion clinics along with a map showing their locations. The information shows a general relationship between access to abortion clinics and the abortion rate in each state. With few exceptions, the states with greater access to abortion clinics have higher abortion rates.

“We now have an accurate listing of every open abortion clinic in the country,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “In 1991, it was estimated that there were nearly 2,200 abortion clinics in the country, today there are just 713. The pro-life movement has made significant strides exposing and closing abortion clinics and shifting public opinion toward the pro-life position. This has resulted in lower abortion rates.” Operation Rescue

Editor: In Michigan, according to health department statistics, most abortions are performed in doctors offices, not free-standing clinics. Overview of trends, 1985-2008. Operation Rescue explains that many abortionists categorize their clinics as "offices," so that would explain the disparity.

35 SENATORS WARN AGAINST SMUGGLING PRO-ABORTION POLICY CHANGES INTO OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL

In a letter delivered today to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV), 35 Republican senators, led by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), warned that if any of the provisions making pro-abortion policy changes are included, the omnibus legislation will face stiff resistance. To view or download a copy of the letter, click here. Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, commented: "At the same time that congressional Democratic leaders are trying to win enactment of government-funded abortion in their health care legislation, they are also considering using end-of-year omnibus appropriations legislation to try to smuggle in removals of longstanding bans on government-funded abortion in the nation's Capitol, and in their own insurance plans." LifeNews

Editor: These changes are NOT related to the healthcare debate, but are flying under the radar.

New look for BFL web site

Check out Baptists for Life's redesigned web site, sporting a new look and an updated logo. Coming soon -- the ability to make online purchases of bulletin inserts and other items from our catalog, and the ability to register online for events such as the upcoming banquet or Golf Classic! Our thanks to K-Data Systems!

The Anti-God Squad

The New Atheists' main short-term goal wasn't to turn believers into atheists, it was to turn atheists into New Atheists -- fellow fire-breathing preachers of the anti-gospel. The point was to make it not just uncool to believe, but cool to ridicule believers. And this year doubts about that mission have taken root among the New Atheists' key demographic: intellectuals who aren't religious and aren't conservative. Even on the secular left, the alarming implications of the "crusade against religion" are becoming apparent: Though the New Atheists claim to be a progressive force, they often abet fundamentalists and reactionaries, from the heartland of America to the Middle East. Foreign Policy

Abortion is a "God-Given Right"

During a rally yesterday sponsored by Planned Parenthood and other leading pro-abortion groups, Rev. Carlton Veazy, the head of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, said, “Don't let anybody tell you that religious people don't support choice. You not only have a constitutional right for abortion, but you have a God-given right.” LifeNews

NIH reverses Bush stem cell policy, OKs 13 new lines

The National Institutes of Health cleared 13 human embryonic stem cell lines for use in experiments by federally funded scientists, opening the door to a new era of research into promising but controversial treatments. SF Business Times, Reuters

Meanwhile, concerning stem cell research that is truly ethical and really works:
Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Prevent Chronic Lung Disease
Adult stem cells show promise in hearts
New stem cell technology leads to better treatment for complicated bone fractures
Breathing Easier with Adult Stem Cells
Learn more at Stem Cell Research Facts

THE EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY ON INDIVIDUALS, MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

Family Research Council released a new study today that comprehensively details the effects of pornography on marriages, children, communities and individuals. Pat Fagan, FRC's Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Research on Marriage and Religion, said, "As this academic review reveals, pornography is creating a debt of the spirit and a cost in the lives of family members that rivals any deficit the federal government is producing." PDF download

Mainline Protestant Churches Promote Abortion in Health Care

The lobbying offices of the mainline churches have joined with abortion advocacy groups in opposing the Stupak-Pitts restriction against taxpayer funding of abortion. Reverend Carlton Veazey of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which includes such denominations as the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Church of Christ, recently sent a letter to members of the Senate. LifeNews

President Obama Establishes New Bioethics Council

President Barack Obama has established a new presidential bioethics council that may feature advisors who could push his decision to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research even further. They could also advise him to push human cloning. The Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues will be led by Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, with James W. Wagner, president of Emory University, as vice-chair. LifeNews

Organ donation a “life” issue

While organ donation is typically a topic that arises once a loved one dies or, in many states, when you are renewing your driver’s license, it is an issue that all of us should ponder in advance of our demise. In a recent interview, Richard Land discussed this “life” issue that many families must confront during a particularly emotional time. ERLC

Responses to The Manhattan Declaration

"[F]or the sake of issuing a manifesto decrying certain moral and political issues, the Declaration obscures both the importance of the gospel and the very substance of the gospel message. This is neither a novel approach nor a strategic stand for evangelicals to take. It ought to be clear to all that the agenda behind the recent flurry of proclamations and moral pronouncements we’ve seen promoting ecumenical co-belligerence is the viewpoint Charles Colson has been championing for more than two decades." John MacArthur

"Great damage has been done to the cause of Christ by those who have sought to promote the Kingdom by compromising the gospel, the only power given to the church that can change hearts, and hence change societies. By relegating the gospel to a matter of opinion and difference, but not something that defines the Christian faith, these ecumenists have left their followers with a cause without power, a quest without a solution." James White

"Few today would criticize civil rights activists . . . for participating in or condoning the violation of laws that perpetuated white supremacy -- with the understanding that they would face punishment for their actions. But such civil disobedience is rightly regarded as the exception that proves that the proper redress for unjust laws lies in legislation or in court rulings based on the Constitution. That cautious approach has been thrown to the wind by Christian religious leaders who, even as they insist on their right to shape the nation's laws, are reserving the right to violate them in situations far removed from King's witness." LA Times

Canadians More Concerned About Killing Animals Than Unborn Children

A new poll finds a tremendous incongruency in the thinking of Canadians on key social and political issues. Canadians are more outraged with the killing of animals or their medical testing than the destruction of unborn children and using them for scientific study. The survey, conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion and published in Maclean’s magazine, finds practices pro-life advocates find objectionable are morally acceptable. LifeNews

Warren takes Obama to task over abortion

Evangelical pastor Rick Warren said on NBC's Meet the Press program that Obama is taking an odd stance by saying he wants abortions to be rare but not believing human life begins at conception. For Warren, the admission that abortions should be rare acknowledges there is something wrong with abortion. And if there is something wrong with abortion, why won't he also say they should be prohibited. "We've had 46 million Americans who aren't here. Those who could be here since Roe v. Wade, who are not voting. I think that innocence is a holocaust. I really do," Warren said. LifeNews, MSNBC (page 3)

In South Korea, abortion foes gain ground

Unlike in America, where doctors have been threatened and even killed for performing abortions, Shim Sang-duk says he's received death threats for deciding to stop performing them. The controversy illustrates the stark differences between South Korea's attitude toward abortion and that of many Western nations.

While often couched elsewhere as a battle between religious activists and those defending a woman's right to choose, the issue here carries no such emotional freight." Western societies see abortion as one of benchmark battles between conservatives and liberals -- while here there has not been even any academic discussion," said Lee Na-young, a sociology professor at Seoul's Chung-Ang University.

In South Korea, religious groups and women's rights advocates have remained largely silent on the issue, analysts say." During church sermons, we barely talk about abortion, which is considered an individual matter," said Hwang Pil-gyu, a minister on the life and ethics committee of the National Council of Churches in Korea. "Many churches have put this issue on the back burner." LA Times