LifeZine No. 548: 7th Dec 07
Celtic Cubs Gives Rise to Celtic Tiger—Positive Economic Outlook Linked to Pro-Life Ethos in Ireland
“What do you get when you cross 150,000 baby buggies with 150,000 impending immigrants? A leap in property values starting around 2009 said Kevin O'Connor writing in “The Irish Times”. Amidst all the dire coverage, from errant solicitors to plummeting prices, there is one "concrete" fact, unassailable in the face of every kind of gloom, he noted. “Property, longer term, is a better bet than any other form of investment, short of discovering oil in your back garden. That basic assurance consoles as I trip over yet another buggy in a supermarket. I am, I have decided, living in Buggy Land.” He added, “Everywhere I go, in towns and cities, I'm falling tip-over-ass, as yet another contraption of the population boom gets in my way. For one thing, they are the future of the country and for another—well, ask any landlord, the buggies are his future, too. Yes, there's the future, the baba in the buggy, coming down the line faster than anyone has properly counted. All needing shelter of various kinds and locations, the largest baby boom since the 1840s.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Euthanasia and the Culture of Death Highlighted—‘Great Moral Barrier Breached’
Fr Seamus Murphy SJ, Professor of Moral Theology at the Milltown Institute, Dublin recently noted that the Pope speaks of a “culture of death” flourishing in our world. “ Such a culture is observable among groups pushing for euthanasia for people who are old, sick, or desirous of dying” Professor Murphy pointed out. “Nobody has any right to kill an innocent person, even if the person asks for it. The end does not justify the means. The moment medical personnel start killing, a great moral barrier has been breached. It morally corrupts those whose vocation is to save and to heal human beings. Legislators who allow doctors to kill have much to answer for.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor Wades into Embryo Research Debate
In the UK, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, is planning a meeting with Catholic MPs to discuss the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill currently before the UK Parliament. All 64 voting Catholic MPs have been invited to the meeting, which will raise issues likely to come before the House in the new session of Parliament. A free vote on the government-sponsored bill is not expected for Labour MPs, but Mr David Amess, chairman of the all-party group, welcomed the Cardinal's action: "I think it is a very good thing. Having been in Parliament when we have had these debates before, on occasions some colleagues have felt very disappointed that, for instance, Church leaders and that includes the Catholic Church—have not been more vociferous." The Times. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Smoking is Linked to Needless Tests for Down's Syndrome
A study published in the “British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology” has found that smoking during pregnancy can cause initial tests for Down's Syndrome to show a false positive result. Women shown by these tests to be possibly carrying a baby with Down's Syndrome may then undergo amniocentesis screening, which carries a risk of miscarriage. Daily Mail. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
International Medical Conference Exposes Serious Consequences of Abortion
An international medical conference in Lisbon, Portugal, has examined the serious psychological and medical consequences experienced by millions of women who have had abortions. The Conference on Human Life Studies, which was promoted by the Women in Action Association, noted that, according to a US study, 19% of women experience some sort of emotional problem stemming from their abortions, and another study cited gave a range of 20-30 per cent. LifeSite.net. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Stem Cell Breakthrough Hailed by Catholic Think Tank
“One cannot exaggerate the moral and scientific importance of a breakthrough that allows for research on stem-cell related cures to go forward without destroying human embryos”, said the director of a Catholic think tank. Father Thomas Berg, executive director of the Westchester Institute , and member of the ethics committee of New York's Empire State Stem Cell Board, said this about two recently-released scientific papers that reported how scientists generated pluripotent stem cells from human skin cells. The method thus avoids the ethical concerns raised by embryo-destructive research. Father Berg explained: "This tremendous advance puts respect for embryonic human life and potentially life-saving biomedical research on the same plane. Ever since the debate of embryo-destructive stem cell research began in earnest, we've known that the best answer to the ethical impasse would be one that allows the search for stem-cell related cures to go foreword without harming or destroying embryonic human life in the process. We now have that solution." Zenit.org. CLICK TO READ MORE.....