LifeZine No. 592: 20th May 08
Embryonic Stem Cell Research is Morally Untenable
Those clamouring for embryonic research, including the Irish Council for Bioethics, say that research on human embryos is needed because adult stem cells are not pluripotent. For this reason, it is claimed, they don't have anything like the research potential that embryonic stem cells have. There is, however, a vital moral objection to this view: human embryos, however generated, are human beings. This is not merely a philosophical contention, argues Ruth Cullen, writing in “The Irish Times”. “It is, as Dr William Reville recently pointed out in this newspaper, a scientific fact.” In other words, rather than simply being a random collection of cells, the human embryo is one of us. The Irish Bioethics Council decided that, although a member of the human family, “The human embryo was an expendable member.” “This is a dangerous path for scientists to tread”, she noted. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Call for Resignation of ‘Human Rights’ Commissioner Hammarberg
Following the recent decision of the Council of Europe to call on all 47 member states to remove all legal restrictions on abortion, the Commissioner for Human Rights Mr Thomas Hammarberg released a report on his recent visit to Ireland in which he criticises Ireland for failing to legislate for abortion. According to a European Life News report, “his efforts to uphold children's rights would be more believable if they addressed the most important right, the right to life. It is deplorable that a Commissioner for human rights supports politically correct ideologies. The Commissioner for human rights is called upon to be a watchdog of human rights particularly those of the most vulnerable. Condemning governments for failure to terminate the most vulnerable is not part of his brief. Clearly Hammarberg lacks the necessary discernment to fulfil the important role of Commissioner and should resign now.” ELN. Council of Europe. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Repeat Abortions in UK Rise to Record Levels (See also CLICK TO READ MORE.....)
The number of repeat abortions in the UK is higher than ever, according to the British government. In 2006, nearly 60,000 women had their second or subsequent termination, five percent up on 2004. The Telegraph. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
IVF Doctor Makes £8million in One Year!
A London, England, fertility practice has made an annual £8m pre-tax profit. Dr Mohammed Taranissi's Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre reportedly charges £2,500 for basic IVF and has £20m in the bank. Daily Mail. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pope Benedict XVI Condemns Italian Abortion Law, Says It Hurts Women
Pope Benedict XVI, in a recent address, condemned Italy's laws allowing abortions. He said the 30 years of abortions have destroyed countless lives -- not only of unborn children but of women as well. His comments came after a heated election campaign during which abortion was a key topic. "Allowing the termination of pregnancies not only did not resolve the problems afflicting many women and more than a few families, but has also opened more wounds in our societies", the pope told members of an Italian pro-life group. "Looking at the past three decades and considering the current situation, one cannot deny that defending human life has today become practically more difficult because of a mentality that has progressively degraded its value", he added. "As a result, there is less respect for human life.” LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Indian Prime Minister Decries Female Sex-Selective Abortion as ‘Inhuman, Uncivilized and Reprehensible’
India's prime minister has called gender-based abortion a national shame. Mr Manmohan Singh, who has three daughters, has vowed to stop the practice, which reportedly kills half a million girls a year. Female births are 80% those of boys. Mr Singh's objection seems to be based on concerns about discrimination and demography, rather than on opposition to abortion per se. Daily Mail. CLICK TO READ MORE.....