March 11th

By now it is common knowledge that President Obama is the most radically anti-human-life man ever to hold the office of President of the United States. The latest instance of painful disregard for innocent lives and the will of the people is an executive order reversing the ban on research using embryonic stem cells.

Previous research has indicated that embryonic stem cells have been of no scientific value, while adult stem cells and cells when can be “re-programmed” to perform the same as embryonic cells have proven valuable in research. At the same time, the valuable research is also morally licit, since it does not require the creation/freezing/destruction of human persons in the embryonic stage. Given the evidence and the moral consequences, supporting and funding with tax dollars this kind of research is a preposterous notion. There can be no reason for it at all, except that politics, public image and money have become more important to our leaders than the dignity of the human persons they are called to lead and serve. Our president wants to appear to be helping those who theoretically would benefit from this research and so improve his popularity in the eyes of some; and to advance himself politically according to the false premises conjured up by the media, which do not reflect the reality of the issues nor of the American public.

Embryonic stem cell research remains morally unacceptable as it involves the manipulation and killing of innocent human life. It is presented primarily as a means to finding cures for serious diseases, from which many people truly suffer. Among the most notable is Michael J. Fox’s battle with Parkinson’s disease and his public encouragement of embryonic stem cell research. We have recently seen another public figure suffer horribly and yet humbly with the same disease: Pope John Paul the Great. The late Holy Father never asked that other human persons die in order that he might be cured. Instead, he suffered in silence, as a living witness to the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, the perfect image to which he was charged to conform his life in the prayers his priestly ordination. He did not clamor for research and medical advancements to prolong his life in earth. He died. He died with dignity and sanctity, in peace and hope, having just celebrated Holy Mass with his brother bishops. John Paul the Great, pray for us, that we may recognize the truth of the Gospel of Life and the path to holiness in Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Please follow this link to the Canton Repository story including my comments...

http://www.cantonrep.com/archive/x1683617472/Mixed-response-to-stem-cell-reversal