Here’s one more striking example of how in vitro fertilization turns a human being into a commodity: If you’re angry about the AIG scandal or Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, check out what’s happening to the infertile couples and surrogate mothers involved in a California womb . . . . Continue Reading »
Among the downsides of IVF has been the overproduction of embryos, that were then put into the deep freeze. Because most of these nascent humans will never be gestated to birth, they are now looked upon as mere things to be used in research.The reason we have about 400,000 embryos in cold storage is . . . . Continue Reading »
Today the devotional magazine Magnificat had this lovely hymn for the Annunciation by Genevieve Glenn, O.S.B.: The apple tree spread wide its shade To shield the garden from the sun; In dappled light the Virgin prayed That, cloud or clear, God’s will be done. The apple blossoms frothed and . . . . Continue Reading »
Russia’s resurgent druzhiniki (volunteer civilian patrols) provide an interesting example of old-fashioned democratic action that has nothing to do with ballot boxes or liberal rights: Druzhiniki all but disappeared after the Russian government withdrew its support with the collapse of the . . . . Continue Reading »
I was just watching President Obama’s press conference and noticed that he once again dissembled on his answer regarding embryonic stem cell research. From the transcript:QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. In your remarks on stem-cell research earlier this month, you talked about a majority . . . . Continue Reading »
Deep Ecology is a neo earth religion, the ideology of which holds that nature should be given equal consideration with people—a concept sometimes called ecological egalitarianism. The explicit rejection of human exceptionalism led adherents into a profound nihilism and anti-humanism in which . . . . Continue Reading »
A science reporter named Steve Connor in the UK, has written a diatribe against opponents of ESCR in the Independent. Part of his critique is an unoriginal cheap shot at the Catholic Church and the issue of ensoulment—which is way beyond our jurisdiction here, and moreover, as far as I know, . . . . Continue Reading »
In a forceful essay titled “Culture & Barbarism: Metaphysics in a Time of Terrorism,” literary theorist Terry Eagleton explores the role of metaphysics in the postmodern world: If politics has failed to unite the wretched of the earth to transform their condition, we can be sure . . . . Continue Reading »
George Weigel, writing in the Denver Catholic Register , give a good summary of Barack Obama’s decisions on stem cells, particularly the four fibs and waffle he offered to the American public. Here are the first two fibs: Fib One: According to the President, his executive order will . . . . Continue Reading »
If organs can be purchased, it seems obvious to me that the rich will buy and the poor will sell. Singapore’s plan to open the door to this form of biological colonialism has raised this very concern. From the story:Plans by Singapore to allow payments to living organ donors have run into . . . . Continue Reading »
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