LifeZine No. 587: 1st May 08
Criticism of Irish Council for Bioethics (ICB) 'Pretend Morality'
The "Gold standard" when it comes to stem cell research should be work that does not destroy human life, according to the Pro-Life Campaign. Commenting on the publication of the recent report of the Irish Council for Bioethics (ICB), which recommends embryo-destructive research to be carried out in Ireland, the Pro-Life Campaign claimed the council had engaged in "pretend morality" by stating that the human embryo has "significant moral value" but not "full moral status." "The human embryo is not potential human life. It is human life with potential and has a unique and inherent value," Dr Audrey Dillon of the Pro-Life Campaign said. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Adult Stem Cell Research DOES Hold Promise—Not So for Embryonic Research
Patrick Carr of Family & Life, writing in “The Irish Times”, pointed out that Dick Ahlstrom's “reasonably balanced account of the debate on stem cell research (“The Irish Times”, April 23) was spoiled by a seriously misleading assertion at the end”. According to Mr Carr, he (Dick Ahlstrom) informs readers "while all of these techniques of stem cell research hold promise, there are no guarantees that any of them will ultimately treat disease." Mr Carr however challenged this assertion: “The fact is that, while this is perfectly true of embryonic stem cell research, it is not true of adult stem cell research.” To date there are 73 medical conditions for which treatments have been developed using adult stem cells. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
British Pro-Life Group Sues Google for Rejecting Ad on Abortion, Christianity
A British pro-life group is taking legal action against internet search giant Google for rejecting an advertisement on abortion. The Christian Institute says Google rejected the "AdWords" ad because it combined abortion and religion. Google said that combining religion and abortion is inappropriate. "At this time, Google policy does not permit the advertisement of web sites that contain 'abortion and religion-related content'", Google informed the Christian Institute explaining its refusal to run the pro-life ad. According to the “Daily Mail”, the pro-life group has filed suit saying that Google is violating the British Equality Act 2006 by discriminating against a group based on its religious faith. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Economists: Abortion Didn't Decrease Crime, UK Stats Show Increase
A trio of economists has released the results of a new study disproving the supposed link between the legalisation of abortion and a reduction in crime. Three economists -- Cal State University economics professor Leo Kahane, Nottingham University Business School professor David Paton and Rob Simmons of Lancaster University evaluated both violent and nonviolent (property) crimes in the U.S. and England and found violent crimes in the UK increasing steadily over the years following legalised abortion. None of the four crime measurements showed any decrease in crimes following legalisation of abortion. "Given all this, it seems highly unlikely that the legalisation of abortion can explain the dramatic drop in crime observed in the US in the 1990s." LifeNews.Com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Spain—Abortion Museum Planned for Madrid
The Fundación Vida pro-life group in Spain plans to open a museum on abortion, claiming there is widespread ignorance of what the procedure entails. Spokesman, Mr Manuel Cruz said, "Showing the reality of abortion is not enough to end this inhumane practice". He added that abortion was "just as evil as or worse than the Nazi holocaust”. He pointed out, “The thing is that very few pictures of the thousands of dead foetuses are shown, and abortion itself leaves women who have experienced it completely unable to speak about it." CNA on Spero. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Adult Stem Cell Research Achieves Parkinson's Success
When two research teams last year created embryonic-like stem cells that could offer ethical alternatives to embryonic stem cell research, pro-life advocates were hopeful about their potential. Now, scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have used the reprogrammed cells successfully to treat Parkinson's in rats. The Whitehead scientists released a new study showing the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells were effective in alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson's in rats. Weeks after transplants of the IPSCs, Parkinson’s symptoms were significantly reduced and the cells were able to replace lost or damaged neurons. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....