Stem cell battles
This is a misleading headline: “Bishops oppose stem cell stance.” Since the media and the politicians with an abortion mentality will not use clear language and tell the truth, it’s up to us to get it straight, folks. Fortunately, this article does let the bishops do that.
New Mexico’s three Catholic bishops met with Gov. Bill Richardson on Thursday to urge him to reconsider proposed state funding for embryonic stem cell research.
The governor’s budget in brief, submitted on the opening day of the session, includes $3.8 million in capital outlay funding and $2.2 million in recurring funds to build a new facility for stem cell research.
Here’s my problem with this kind of reporting, which happens all the time. Which type of stemm cell research are they talking about? That’s a vital distinction, and makes all the difference.
Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Santa Fe diocese said Richardson listened to their appeal, but did not make any commitment.
“The governor will consider their concerns,” Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said.
That’s about as dismissive as you can get. But Richardson is a presidential candidate now. He won’t be able to dodge this for long.
Embryonic stem cell research has become a controversial issue between medical researchers and church officials. Supporters say the research has the potential to find cures for some of the most debilitating diseases, and that the embryos would be discarded anyway.
They say that, even though there has not been one success with embryonic stem cell research. They haven’t produced one cure yet, but they have produced tumors in subjects used for testing.
Sheehan said there was a distinction between research that “kills innocent human life” and other medical research, such as that using adult stem cells and stem cells taken from amniotic fluids.
He said that a consistent ethic of life was a bedrock of Catholic teachings.
“We recognize that we live in very, very exciting times,” said Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of Las Cruces. “Great strides are being made in technology, and the church fully supports and encourages any scientific research and progress that will bring about a better world, including advances in modern medicine. We don’t want to put a stop to any of that.”
This is important for the press to note, so detractors can stop accusing the Church of standing in the way of science.
Ramirez added that research does not have to include the use of embryonic stem cells.
“To use the stem cells of the embryo, from something that is already human life, then we would be totally against that,” he said.
As Archbishop Sheehan said, the Church has a consistent ethic of life. The abortion/embryonic stem cell/euthanasia movement does not. Thanks to CWNews for yet another opportunity to point that out.
