in this issue:
hot button issues: CARDINAL MCCARRICK / DURBIN SURVEY
abortion: BREAST CANCER / FETAL PAIN / HARDON
activism: WISCONSIN
biotechnology, cloning, human genetic engineering: LESSONS / REFERENCES
catholic bishops: D’ARCY / OLMSTED / SHEEN
condoms: CARCINOGENIC
death: NON-HEART-BEATING DONORS
embryo: DECONSTRUCTING FACT
health care: ERRORS AND PATIENT SAFETY
in vitro fertilization: RISKS
lifelines: A THOUGHT
morning-after abortion pill: WHY LIE?
prenatal diagnosis: AMNIOCENTESIS
stem cell research: CALIFORNIA / STEM CELL BANKS
reflection for prayer: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-10
hot button issues
CARDINAL McCARRICK: “Which way will you choose” is the latest ad from American Life League’s Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church.
(Reading: “Ad implores cardinal to take road less traveled,” American Life League news release, 6/3/04)
DURBIN SURVEY: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) surveyed Senate Catholics on a plethora of issues, claiming that Sen. John Kerry most closely reflects the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ agenda.
(Reading: “Durbin’s senate survey misses the point,” American Life League news release, 6/3/04)
abortion
BREAST CANCER: For the latest news and headlines on this important subject see Abortion/Breast Cancer.
FETAL PAIN: Two bills in Congress will focus attention on the fact that any woman seeking an abortion whose preborn child is 20 weeks gestational age or older should be informed regarding the pain her baby will experience. Go to the Library of Congress and search for S. 2466/HR4420.
HARDON: Fr. John Hardon, S.J., wrote: “Abortion is not only injustice against an unborn human being; it is the desecration of something holy. Those in the pro-life movement who are Christians believe they are defending not only the equity of a human person. They are defending the sanctity of human life and the majesty of the living God.”
(Reading: “The Pro-Life Movement and the Catholic Church,” p. 2)
activism
WISCONSIN: Pro Life Wisconsin marked the anniversary of the birth of the “right to privacy” in the Griswold v. Connecticut U. S. Supreme Court Decision on June 7 with prayer vigils and celebrations of the family throughout the state. Mark your calendar today to do likewise on June 7, 2005.
(Reading: “PLW marks anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut,” Pro Life Wisconsin news release, 6/7/04)
biotechnology, cloning, human genetic engineering
LESSONS: Dianne Irving, MA, PhD, offers an overview of the problems facing the uninformed public when it comes to man “creating” other men.
(Reading: “Social and ethical issues in nanotechnology: lessons from biotechnology and other high technology,” LifeIssues.Net)
REFERENCES: Dianne Irving, MA, PhD, offers an overview of scientific references for a better understanding of how genetic engineering is literally fabricating new “facts” by deconstructing actual science.
(Reading: “Scientific references: Human Genetic Engineering,” LifeIssues.Net, 5/24/04)
catholic bishops
D’ARCY: Indiana Gov. Joseph Kernan was prohibited from speaking at a Catholic high school because of his support for abortion. This follows Bishop John M. D’Arcy’s objection to Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s scheduled appearing at a Catholic college.
(Action: Thank you e-mails may be sent to the attention of )
(Reading: “Fort Wayne bishop bans pro-abortion governor from high school commencement,” LifeSiteNews, 5/3/04)
OLMSTED: Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted writes, “I call upon all Catholics, especially those in public life, to examine their consciences, and to refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they are unambiguously pro-abortion. As a bishop, I shall continue to pray for an end to abortion and other sins against life; I shall stand up for the life and dignity of every human person and I urge all people of good will to do the same. Should some Catholic politicians who are presently pro-abortion obstinately persist in this contradiction to our faith, this becomes a source of scandal and measures beyond those of moral persuasion would be needed. As God tells us in the Book of Leviticus (19:16), ‘You shall not stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake.'”
(Reading: “Bishop Olmstead responds to Arizona Republic Article printed May 21, 2004,” Diocese of Phoenix news release, 5/24/04)
SHEEN: Some 32 years ago, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said, “Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops and your religious act like religious.”
(Reading: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, before the Knights of Columbus, June 1972)
condoms
CARCINOGENIC: German researchers tested 32 types of condoms and found 29 contain a cancer-causing chemical known as N-Nitrosamine.
(Reading: “Study reveals condoms are carcinogenic,” LifeSiteNews, 5/31/04)
death
NON-HEART-BEATING DONORS: British doctors have discovered an organ transplant technique that relies on the assessment that the patient doing the organ donating is dead because is heart stopped five minutes prior to excising the organ.
(Reading: “Organs taken after heart stops will save ‘hundreds of extra lives,'” Daily Telegraph [UK], 6/4/04,)
(Background: “Ethical implications of non-heart-beating organ donation,” Voices, 2002)
embryo
DECONSTRUCTING FACT: Sarah Sexton has written an expose on how the term “pre-embryo” has been effectively used to convey to the unknowing public that such entities were not really human.
(Reading: “What’s in a name,” The Corner House, 10/99, p. 8)
health care
ERRORS AND PATIENT SAFETY: The American Journal of Nursing is encouraging nurses to study a report that suggests there is no agreement on who is in charge of patient safety or what constitutes a patient error.
(Reading: “Disagreement on medical error reporting may place patients at risk,” American Journal of Nursing news release, 6/8/04)
in vitro fertilization
RISKS: Researchers have found that there is evidence that “genetic imprinting disorders” exist among children created in the laboratory using technologies such as IVF. Childhood cancer, chronic conditions and learning disabilities are among the possible problems such children will face.
(Reading: “Are children born after assisted reproductive technology at increased risk for adverse health outcomes,” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6/04)
lifelines
A THOUGHT: We don’t change God’s message — His message changes us.
morning-after abortion pill
WHY LIE? A recent medical journal published yet another set of comments stating that the use of morning after pills will “eliminate unwanted pregnancies”, curtail the abortion rate et cetera. Over and over the professional journals refuse to admit that a human being begins at conception.
(Reading: “Waiting for Plan B,” New England Journal of Medicine, 6/3/04, pp. 2327-2328; “The FDA, Politics and Plan B,” New England Journal of Medicine, 6/3/04, pp. 2413-2414)
prenatal diagnosis
AMNIOCENTESIS: Researchers studying amniocentesis performed at 13 weeks gestational age found a significantly increased risk of talipes equinovarus (club foot) compared with other types of tests.
(Reading: “Late first-trimester invasive prenatal diagnosis: results of an international randomized trial,” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6/1/04)
stem cell research
CALIFORNIA: Californians for Stem Cell Research and Cures will have a ballot initiative that will open the door for wholesale destruction of human embryos. A careful review of the web site indicates a commitment to false definitions, and the worst of what bioethics has to offer.
STEM CELL BANKS: If you have $5,000, you can now bank your own stem cells, according to a Wall Street Journal article about NeoStem a company pioneering adult stem cell therapies.
(Reading: “Planning Ahead: Stem-Cell Banks for the Healthy,” Wall Street Journal, 6/2/04, p. B1)
reflection for prayer
2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-10: We are in difficulties on all sides but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair; we have been persecuted, but never deserted; knocked down, but never killed; always, wherever we may be, we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body.