LifeZine No. 555: 8th Jan 08
Science Should Always Have Ethical Basis for Research
“Irish Medical Times” (IMT) editor, Terence Cosgrave, “misrepresents and grossly oversimplifies the debate on stem cell research in a manner which has become commonplace in the mass media, but one which is disappointing to see in a professional journal (IMT 30/11/07)”, according to Family & Life’s Patrick Carr in a letter to the editor. He was responding to Mr Cosgrave’s article, “Let science do its job”. Mr Carr pointed out that “the idea that scientific exploration should be free from such irritating hindrances as ethical considerations (clearly implicit in Mr Cosgrave’s article) is an extremely dangerous one”. “The briefest glance back over the history of the 20th century should convince anyone that the pursuit of science must be conducted within certain boundaries if we are to remain a civilised society.” His views were echoed by another contributor to the IMT, a Dr MG Salter, who wrote: “Terence Cosgrave seems to imply that there should be no ethical or other restraints on research.” He added, “We must have some ethical standards that limit research, just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Irish Scientist: ‘A Strong Case, Consistent with Science, can be made for the Full Humanity of the Embryo’
According to Professor William Reville of the Biochemistry Department in University College Cork (UCC), “the story of human life begins at conception”, and he added, “I believe that full human life begins at conception.” The full expression of the humanity of the tiny embryo is its amazing flexibility to develop into the fully differentiated complexity of an adult human being. In fact, he noted, “the reason scientists want to use embryonic stem cells for research and for medical treatments is because these cells are so fully and exquisitely human”. “It is logical”, he continued, “to choose conception as the instant at which full human life begins because this event marks a clear and momentous qualitative change. To pick a point on the subsequent continuum as marking the beginning of full human life, must always be, in my opinion, an illogical and arbitrary decision.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Designer Baby Fear over Heart Gene Test
The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is to allow embryos to be screened for a genetic disease that increases the risk of heart disease. The more serious form of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) often kills sufferers before they reach adulthood, while the milder form is usually controllable through drugs and diet. A couple, one of whose two children has inherited the serious form of FH, has received permission to have their embryos screened so that those affected by FH can be discarded. The Times. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
RCOG Critical of UK Government’s Pill Scheme
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has criticised a scheme announced by the UK Department of Health to distribute birth control pills without prescription. Dr Christine Robinson, vice-president of the RCOG's Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, warned that the move could restrict choice as pharmacists will not be able to offer methods such as the coil, and that there could be safety concerns since an assessment of the possible risks of using the pill requires medical equipment and knowledge of the patient's medical history. Midwifery Digest. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Abortion in Croatia is Down 90% since 1989
Croatia has experienced a dramatic drop in the abortion rate from 1989 when the nation's 51,289 abortions were close to the number of live births. The latest statistics from 2005 indicate there were 4,563 abortions—a drop of nearly 90% since 1989. Significantly the law on abortion has not changed. The main reason for the change of hearts and minds on abortion in the country has been the strength of the leadership of the Catholic hierarchy, according to pro-life activists and others familiar with Croatia. Dr Antun Lisec, a pro-life spokesman in Croatia attests that his many successes in saving the lives of unborn children in the country comes thanks to the superb support and cooperation of Catholic bishops and priests in the nation which is over 80% Catholic. LifeSite. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Any Dilution of Marriage an Obstacle to Peace, says Pope
Everything that serves to weaken the family "based on the marriage of a man and a woman" is "an objective obstacle on the road to peace", Pope Benedict has said. "Everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children, constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace", he advised. In his message for the World Day of Peace on January 1st, the Pope continued: "When society and public policy are not committed to assisting the family, they deprive themselves of an essential resource in the service of peace. The social communications media, in particular, because of their educational potential, have a special responsibility for promoting respect for the family, making clear its expectations and rights, and presenting all its beauty", he said. The natural family "as an intimate communion of life and love, based on marriage between a man and a woman, constitutes the primary place of humanisation for the person and society", he said. "The family is therefore rightly defined as the first natural society, a divine institution that stands at the foundation of life of the human person as the prototype of every social order." Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Anti-Cancer Gene 'to Aid Pregnancy'
Scientists have found that a gene that is known to suppress cancer also enables the embryo to implant in the womb. The findings, published in the journal “Nature”, suggest that the P53 gene which helps reduce damage to DNA also regulates a factor, which, if not controlled, inhibits implantation of the embryo in the womb lining. PA on Channel 4. CLICK TO READ MORE.....