Wesley J. Smith

The Swiss assisted suicide group that calls itself Dignitas—which helps kill you for a fee—has agreed to assist the suicide of a man who became quadriplegic in a hate crime. The man is depressed and wants to die—which ironically, would finish the job that the neo Nazis started when . . . . Continue Reading »

Assisted suicide advocates like to use that sound bite of all sound bites: “Choice.” But there are three other “C-words” I like to focus on too: Context, consequences, and compassion—in the true root meaning of that wonderful word, which means to “suffer . . . . Continue Reading »

Two men needed kidneys. Their respective wives matched the other. Deal struck: Wife one gives a kidney to husband two, and wife two gives a kidney to husband one. We’ve discussed this kind of organ bartering before. I just hope that all four do . . . . Continue Reading »

Talk about human reductionism and diminishing the reality of a profound evil: The following quote is from poet Nikki Giovanni, at the memorial service for the murdered at Virginia Tech:We are Virginia Tech. We are sad today and we will be sad for quite awhile. WE are not moving on, we are embracing . . . . Continue Reading »

There are many proposals to overcome the organ shortage. One well-meaning but misguided suggestion is “presumed consent,” under which each of us would be presumed to want our organs donated unless we explicitly direct otherwise. In other words, rather than signing an organ donor consent . . . . Continue Reading »

Belgium legalized euthanasia a few years ago, and has already descended into infanticide. Now euthanasia proponents in the parliament want to legally force hospitals to carry out euthanasia in their facilities even if the patient’s own doctor refuses. From the story:The Flemish liberals do not . . . . Continue Reading »

Baby Emilio Gonzales will continue to receive life-sustaining treatment, at least until May 8, as the hearing to obtain a permanent injunction against the imposition of a futile care withdrawal of treatment has been . . . . Continue Reading »

Given the heat and extent of the public debate, it is tempting to view cloning and stem cell research as the be all and end all of biotechnology. But so much is happening that is not deeply ethically contentious. (Yes, Yes: Scientists could find a cure for cancer and a few would complain that . . . . Continue Reading »

Back at the first of the year, I peered into my obviously on-the-fritz crystal ball and predicted that Justice Kennedy would reverse his earlier position and vote to strike down the federal partial birth (intact dilation and extraction, or D & X) ban. Boy, was I wrong. Not only did he not change his . . . . Continue Reading »

This is really a bad idea: A Missouri legislator named Dr. Rob Schaaf wants the state to stop buying and distributing important vaccines that are crucial to maintaining the health of children because they were derived from the cells of aborted fetuses. But how is that any different from harvesting . . . . Continue Reading »