LifeZine No. 544: 26th Nov 07
Family & Life Calls for Continued Boycott of Three Cinemas this Christmas
Following the boycott of four cinemas in Dublin who refused to show the Family & Life pro-life ad, Dun Laoghaire IMC (Dublin) has been in touch with us. They have confirmed to us that they, following a review of the ad, have no objection to it being shown in their cinema. We renew our request to support the calls for a general and indefinite boycott of the three remaining cinemas.
Here’s what you can do: Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Stem Cell Advance Offers Irish Researchers an Opportunity
News that researchers in Japan and the US have successfully reprogrammed ordinary skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells promises to remove any need for harvesting stem cells from embryonic human beings, something that is ethically unacceptable. It also opens up huge opportunities for Irish scientists. “What this means for Ireland is now we have an opportunity to become a world contender in stem cell research", said Dr Stephen Sullivan of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Boston. "The need for human embryos for this research has been alleviated . . . and if Ireland wants to get involved in stem cell research, now is the time to do it." Yet extensive research is under way in Ireland on stem cells derived from adult tissues at centres such as NUI Galway, University College Dublin. Adult stem cells can be harvested without any harm to the donor. With this new approach the "substantial ethical question would go away" stated the scientific director of the Irish Council for Bioethics, Dr Siobhán O'Sullivan. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
UK Officials Investigate Doctor for Urging Women to Rethink Abortion
A pro-life doctor in England is coming under fire for having the temerity to suggest to women considering an abortion that they should rethink their decision in light of the medical and mental health problems abortion causes. Now, the General Medical Council which monitors doctors is investigating her practice. Dr Tammie Downes, a family physician, says at least eight women are grateful to her for telling them they should reconsider their abortion decision. They have given birth to children they adore. However, Dr Downes is under investigation by the General Medical Council for potentially violating the national guidelines on abortion. Dr Downes however said she never tries to strong-arm anyone into a decision against having an abortion. "I give them the facts and allow them space to think through the decision that they are making", she said. "It has to be the mother's choice. I have no right to make that choice for them. But I do think it is my duty as a doctor to help a woman make that choice. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Dolly Creator Professor Ian Wilmut Now Shuns Cloning
The scientist who created Dolly the sheep, a breakthrough that provoked headlines around the world a decade ago, is to abandon his efforts to clone humans. Professor Ian Wilmut's decision to turn his back on "therapeutic cloning", just days after US researchers announced a breakthrough in the cloning of primates, will send shockwaves through the scientific establishment. He has decided not to pursue a licence to clone human embryos, which he was awarded just two years ago. Professor Wilmut, who works at Edinburgh University, believes the rival method pioneered in Japan which uses a patient's own cells and tissues will be more successful in developing cures for strokes to heart attacks and Parkinson's, as well as being much less controversial than cloning. The intense search for alternative methods arose because of opposition from the pro-life lobby, President George W Bush and ever-present concerns about cloning babies. The Telegraph. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Italian Pro-Life Group Concerned About RU 486 Abortion Drug
A leading pro-life group in Italy is concerned about the possibility of the introduction of the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug there. The abortion pill has already killed more than a dozen women worldwide and injured more than 1,200 in the United States alone. The group Scienza & Vita warned that the “introduction of the abortion pill RU-486 into Italy represents the last stage of the process of the banalization of abortion, which has been occurring for some time in Italian culture.” The group added: “With this drug the choice of abortion has been banalized to the point of being reduced to a ‘pill’ without considering its ethical implications and the psychological relapses it produces. It is a pill that, as is known, carries with it serious risks for the health of women." LifeNews.com. END.
Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant Helps 'Create Unruly Children'
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is associated with behavioural problems in children, according to a research study from Indiana University, USA. The study, published in the “Archives of General Psychiatry”, analysed how frequently women drank rather than how much. Daily Mail. CLICK TO READ MORE.....