News for the Month of August 2001

News for the Month of August 2001

ABORTED TISSUE RESEARCHER'S HOME PICKETED
EMBRYO EXPERIMENTATION COULD BECOME A NEW FORM OF SLAVERY SAYS VATICAN
U.S. BISHOPS LAUNCH PRO-LIFE AD CAMPAIGN
VATICAN DISAPPOINTED WITH BUSH'S STEM CELL STANCE
BISHOP CALLS COMMUNITY TO BATTLE PLANNED PARENTHOOD
CANADIANS EXPORTING SUICIDE "EXIT BAG"
FR PAVONE: REVERSE THE QUESTION
FATHER THOMAS EUTENEUER REMARKS REGARDING PRESIDENT BUSH’S DECISION ON FEDERAL FUNDING OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH
U.S. PRESIDENT APPROVES GOV'T FUNDING FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELL LINES
Cardinal Ratzinger Compares Human Cloning to Nazi Madness
HUMAN CLONERS CALL POPE AND VATICAN "CRIMINAL"
US HOUSE PASSES COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON HUMAN CLONING

ABORTED TISSUE RESEARCHER'S HOME PICKETED

SEATTLE, August 31, 2001 (LSN.ca) - The head of the University of Washington's Birth Defects Research Laboratory had his home picketed this month by prolife activists. Alan Fantel, who runs the nation's largest provider of fetal tissue for federally funded research, expressed dismay at the actions aimed against him. "We've been doing what we've been doing calmly and quietly for 30 years," he said.

What Fantel and his four colleagues do is make almost daily visits to Seattle-area clinics and hospitals that perform abortions to collect aborted baby parts. They then sift through the childâs remains to identify the needed body parts, which are packaged and sent off by Federal Express. The UW lab has a list of several hundred researchers who might want fetal tissue, and in 1999 they supplied almost 3000 samples÷a demand that has been steady for years.

Fantel defends his work saying that it is for crucial medical research and that the tissue would have been discarded anyway. But Elenor Schoen, a spokeswoman for Human Life of Washington, strongly disagrees. "Our concern -- besides the whole abortion mentality and devaluation of human life in general -- is that you cannot erase the wrong of abortion by doing something 'positive' with the fetal remains gotten from the procedure."

For more information see:
http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/35825_tissue20.shtml
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2001/aug/010831.html#1

EMBRYO EXPERIMENTATION COULD BECOME A NEW FORM OF SLAVERY SAYS VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, August 30, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Experimentation on human embryos could lead to a new type of slavery by creating a "sub-category" of human beings: unborn children manipulated to serve the purposes of others, the Vatican warned yesterday. The statement was part of a document released by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace for the 8-day U.N. conference on racism that starts Friday in South Africa.

The document said "the unborn child as the subject of experimentation and technological intervention" is part of "new and dramatic forms of discrimination," including artificial procreation, the use of "superfluous" embryos and "so-called therapeutic cloning." Caution about the "temptation of eugenics" was also expressed, "especially if powerful commercial interests exploit it," and governments and scientists were urged to be highly vigilant about trying to create a better human being through genetic manipulation.

The Holy See also encouraged nations to apologize or express regret for past behavior towards enslaved persons, at the same time suggesting that calculating compensation for descendants would be difficult.

For more information see:
http://Sun-Sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-829vatican.story
LifeSite Daily News - August 30, 2001

U.S. BISHOPS LAUNCH PRO-LIFE AD CAMPAIGN

WASHINGTON, August 28, 2001 (LSN.ca) - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will test-market a pro-life advertising campaign in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey starting September 4 with the theme "Abortion. Have we gone too far?" The campaign will include billboards at bus shelters, ads on commuter rail cars and continuous radio spots on five stations. If successful, both the ads and an Internet presence could be used nationwide.

"What's new about this is we are presenting a couple of facts in a nonemotional and intelligent way," said Cathleen Cleaver, secretariat for pro-life activities. "We're not trying to provoke an emotional response but an intellectual response."

One print ad shows a young woman with a nine-month calendar lightly superimposed over her womb. The text says: "Nine months. The amount of time the Supreme Court says it's legal to have an abortion. Abortion. Have we gone too far?" A radio ad has piano music playing in the background, with a woman saying: "In America you can choose to have an abortion at any time, for any reason. Because of that, one out of every four pregnancies now ends in abortion."

The bishops are spending $250,000 in Philadelphia, hoping that regional Catholic dioceses will be inspired to use the materials in their communities.

For further information see:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/newsstory/abort28.html

VATICAN DISAPPOINTED WITH BUSH'S STEM CELL STANCE
Opens the Door to Dangerous Developments, Vatican Radio Says

VATICAN CITY, August 28, 2001 (LSN.ca) - The decision of U.S. President George W. Bush to offer limited public funding for experimentation on cell lines developed from human embryos has been criticized by Vatican Radio. Bush "has gone beyond the moral boundaries of research" and "his decision opens the door to very dangerous developments," it said in an Aug. 10 broadcast. Bush and Pope John Paul II have discussed embryonic stem cell research in a July 23 meeting, with the Pope strongly urging the president to respect all human life and stop the practice.

Vatican Radio also transmitted the statement of Bishop Joseph Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. bishops« conference, who described the decision as "morally unacceptable."

(with files from Zenit)

For further details see:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=18233

BISHOP CALLS COMMUNITY TO BATTLE PLANNED PARENTHOOD

HOUGHTON, Michigan, Aug 22, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Bishop James H. Garland of the Marquette diocese in Michigan wrote to a Houghton local paper earlier this month to express his disappointment at the opening of a Planned Parenthood office in Houghton. In the letter Bishop Garland called the opening "bad news" since "the anti-life values promoted by this organization will harm the youth and families."

The bishop explained that "The support for abortion, contraception and sexual expressions outside of marriage contributes to a society that is dangerous to children." He said "The freedom of choice Planned Parenthood promotes is a choice to kill an innocent baby. The freedom of human reproduction it espouses is largely responsible for the disintegration of respect for traditional marriage... Planned Parenthood proclaims a view of human life and sexuality that flies in the face of the law God has written in our hearts and in the face of Jesus' teaching in the Gospel."

The bishop concluded his letter saying, "For the future good of our children and families I hope that people in the Houghton community will defend themselves against Planned Parenthood's philosophy and values by every legal and ethical means at their disposal."

To see the letter of the bishop scroll down to it at:
http://www.upgroup.com/gazette/Archives/aletters.html (with files from Judie Brown of American Life League)
LifeSite Daily News - August 22, 2001

CANADIANS EXPORTING SUICIDE "EXIT BAG"

SYDNEY, Australia, Aug 21, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Australian media are reporting that the Canadian Right to Die Network is exporting a how-to guide to suicide along with a specially designed plastic bag for self-suffocation. Made in Ottawa, the bags are marketed for $30 (US) and offered along with a book on suicide drugs for $16 (US).

An advertisement for the suicide kit notes that the "exit bag", to be used for "self-deliverance", is made of "clear strong industrial plastic" with "an adjustable collar (with elastic sewn into the back and a six-inch Velcro strip in front) for a snug but comfortable fit." Anti-euthanasia activist Wesley Smith ordered one of the suicide kits and said it was delivered to him through the mail "in a plain white envelope and with no questions asked". Euthanasia activists in Australia back the sale of the suicide kits.

LifeSite reported last year that a 'how-to commit suicide with a plastic bag' video, produced by Hemlock Society co-founder Derek Humphry, was aired on cable television in Hawaii and Oregon. Following the programs deaths resulting from suffocation in the manner described were reported. The website of the Canadian Right to Die Network, (deathnet) boasts of the exit bag's history.

For more see Australia News Limited at:
http://news.com.au/common/printpage/0,6093,2634803,00.html

See the history of the "exit bag" directly from the Canadian Right to Die Network:
http://www.rights.org/deathnet/baginfo.html
LifeSite Daily News - August 21, 2001

14-Aug-2001 -- EWTN Pro-Family News

FR PAVONE: REVERSE THE QUESTION

Fr. Frank Pavone National Director/Priests for Life

Even when we understand the dimensions of the abortion tragedy, which kills our youngest brothers and sisters in numbers larger than any disease, disaster, or war, we are often afraid to act.

We can gain courage, however, from the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) On the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a man fell in with robbers. A priest and a levite came by, but did not stop to help. Despite their knowledge of the Law and Prophets, they walked right by. Why?

One of the reasons may be that they were afraid. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a steep and dangerous road. At the time of Jesus, it had come to be known as the "Bloody Pass." Because of its numerous curves, it lends itself to attacks by robbers who can easily hide not too far from their victims. Perhaps the priests and levites who passed by that man asked themselves, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me? Maybe the robbers who attacked him are still here. Maybe they're hiding just around the bend. This is a dangerous road. I better keep going."

Sometimes we ask the same question. If I speak up too loudly about the victims of abortion, what will happen to me? Will I face persecution, will I encounter opposition, will I lose popularity if I get involved in a cause like this?

Priests sometimes ask the same question. If I preach about abortion, what will happen to me? What will happen to my parish, my effectiveness, my image? What legal troubles might I provoke?

Politicians sometimes ask the same question. If I say I am pro-life, what will happen to my votes, to my standing in the polls, to my chances in the election?

And then the Good Samaritan came along, and he reversed the question. He didn't ask, "If I help this man, what will happen to me?" The Good Samaritan asked, "If I do not help this man, what will happen to him?" And that's the question for us. If I do not address this evil, what will happen to the unborn? If I do not get involved, what will happen to those who are vulnerable, to those who are marginalized our society, those who are oppressed, those who have no one to speak for them?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought out this same lesson from this same parable on the night before he was assassinated. He called the people to a "dangerous unselfishness" as he rallied them to stand with the oppressed sanitation workers in Memphis. And in regard to himself, he declared that it didn't matter what happened to him; he just wanted to do God's will.

These words of holocaust survivor Elie Weisel sum it up well: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

Contact Priests for Life at PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314; Tel: 888-PFL-3448, 718-980-4400; Fax: 718-980-6515; email: mail@priestsforlife.org;

EWTN News Story

FATHER THOMAS EUTENEUER REMARKS REGARDING PRESIDENT BUSH’S DECISION ON FEDERAL FUNDING OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

"Thursday night the President asked the question, “are these frozen embryos human life and therefore something precious to be protected?” Of course! The fact that we as a nation cannot answer that question is the most deeply disturbing aspect of this whole debate. Human life begins at fertilization, Mr. President! Human life is precious! And even though the Government is not funding the killing of these embryos, it is now funding their killers.

President Bush also asked a second question: “if they are going to be destroyed anyway, shouldn’t they be used for a greater good?” The fact that we even ask this question means that we have not accepted the sanctity of all human life. America’s recent history of abortion on demand, the wanton destruction of innocent children in the womb, is a testimony to our wholesale rejection of the dignity of the human person. Human life is an end in itself, there is no greater good than its protection; it is not a commodity to be used even for the most compassionate of reasons. When we lose sight of this fundamental truth we are sliding further down the road to barbarism. We have an obligation to protect all human life!

For this reason we cannot endorse any decision that funds research on human beings, albeit limited in scope. The President’s decision to fund embryonic research, even in this limited fashion, undermines the fundamental principle of the sanctity of human life and devalues the very life that we are hoping to assist through medical science.

Father Thomas Euteneuer is President of Human Life International, the world’s largest pro-life, pro-faith and pro-family organization, with chapters in the United States a network of international branches and affiliates around the world.

EWTN News Story

U.S. PRESIDENT APPROVES GOV'T FUNDING FOR EMBRYONIC STEM CELL LINES
- Maintains funding ban for research that would kill additional embryos -

WASHINGTON, Aug 10, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Last night U.S. President George W. Bush announced his long-awaited decision on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. To the chagrin of many scientists and researchers, he said that funding would not be available for most research, but to the chagrin of many pro-lifers, he said that he would allow funding for research involving stem cell lines that have already been set up.

Mr. Bush said that more than 60 genetically diverse stem cell colonies, or lines, have already been produced around the world and that continued research on these cells would be permitted. "The life and death decision has already been made" for these stem cells, he said, drawing a line between such research and work that would result in further destruction of human embryonic life. "This allows us to explore the promise and potential of stem cell research without crossing a fundamental moral line by providing taxpayer funding that would sanction or encourage further destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life," he said.

Pro-life views were mixed, although most organizations are condemning the decision to open the door to even an apparently tolerable form of embryonic stem cell research.

Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the president's decision "morally unacceptable," explaining that "the federal government, for the first time in history, will support research that relies on the destruction of some defenceless human beings for the possible benefit to others. However such a decision is hedged about with qualifications, it allows our nation's research enterprise to cultivate a disrespect for human life."

But Focus on the Family bioethics analyst Carrie Gordon Earll said, "We had hoped for him of course to say, no funding, no involvement, but we're not disappointed by this. It could have been worse. What he is talking about is using cell lines with embryos that have already been killed. We grieve the loss of those embryos, but the truth is they are gone, and we can't change that. He is not talking about destroying any more with the involvement of federal dollars." Focus head Dr. James Dobson said: "President Bush faced tremendous political pressure to betray his pro-life commitment. He has courageously upheld his promise protect unborn children," said Dobson. "He deserves praise from citizens who understand that it is never justified to destroy one life in order to possibly save another." The National Right to Life Organization was even more praising of Bush's decision, giving no indication that it had hoped for more from him.

Family Research Council President Ken Connor said: "We commend President Bush for drawing a clear line against future federal funding of stem cell research that involves the killing of human embryos. The President re-affirmed the fundamental moral principle that life is the sacred gift of the Creator and deserves protection at its very beginning. ... Even so, the President's decision to allow taxpayer funded research to proceed on 60 existing stem cell lines is troubling. ... Courts have long held that to allow government to benefit from a wrongful act provides an unhealthy incentive to persist in such acts." Judie Brown president of the American Life League said: "Countless millions of real human persons will lose their lives as a direct consequence of President Bush's decision to authorize federal funding for stem cell research. ... Basically, his decision says, 'if babies are already dead, the U.S. has no problem funding research on their body parts.'"

The Christian Medical Association, America's largest association of Christian physicians, said "President Bush's decision to allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research crosses a crucial moral line and warned of the consequences of breaching the long-standing medical principle of 'do no harm.'" The National Right to Life Committee said: "We're delighted that President Bush's decision prevents the federal government from becoming party to any further killing of human embryos for further experimentation." Lutherans for Life commended Mr. Bush for the federal funding ban he maintained, but are also "disappointed that he will still allow Federal funds to be used on existing cell lines."

During his presidential campaign, Mr. Bush promised to maintain the ban already in place on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. His decision yesterday reneges on that promise, but probably not seriously enough to do him too much political damage. Having opened the door to some federal funding, however, he is likely to face ongoing pressure from researchers who would like the approval to be even broader.

FRC president Ken Connor said: "By casting such research in a positive light, he will encourage members of Congress to advocate additional research which kills additional embryos so that even more stem cell lines can be created and even more people can be helped by such killing. ... The issue will no longer be whether such research ought to be permitted, but rather how many cell lines are enough." From Canada, Campaign Life Coalition president Jim Hughes echoed the same sentiment: "We are concerned that his support for limited experimentation with the 60 lines already created will open the flood gates to full scale embryonic experimentation." Condemnation is already coming in from political foes, scientists and advocates for the disabled who hope to benefit from embryonic stem cell research.

In view of the president's pro-life views and his campaign promise, most people probably didn't realistically expect him to approve wide-open embryonic stem cell funding. At the very least, though, there was hope that he would support research with embryos already created for in vitro procedures. Mr. Bush acknowledged that this was one of the issues at the forefront of his thinking as he wrestled with the issue. In the end, he decided against it.

The U.S. president's decision does not ban stem cell research, it simply limits taxpayer funding for such work. His announcement does not affect private research in America. Mr. Bush said he would be creating a new President's Council on Bioethics, headed by Dr. Leon Kass, a biomedical ethics expert at the University of Chicago, to monitor stem cell research. Congress has the power to override the president's decision, and is expected to start examining it, holding hearings at both the House and Senate levels.

During his address, Mr. Bush highlighted the existence and importance of adult stem cell funding. These comments gave Americans a bigger picture of the issue since much of the mainstream media seems to suppress or minimize reports about this valid ethical alternative to embryonic stem cell research.

For the transcript of George Bush's speech:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/08/09/bush.transcript/index.html

For more info, see:
http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010810/641154.html http://www.nationalpost.com/news/updates/story.html?f=
/news/updates/stories/20010809/world-552024.html
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/8/9/230903.shtml
http://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/08/09/stem.cell.bush/index.html
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\
200108\POL20010810d.html
http://cbc.ca/cp/world/010810/w081028.html

See LifeSite's Stem Cell Resource Page:
http://www.lifesite.net/features/stemcellembryo/index.html
LifeSite Daily News - August 10, 2001

Cardinal Ratzinger Compares Human Cloning to Nazi Madness

ROME, AUG. 8, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger compared the attempt to clone human beings, proposed by Italian doctor Severino Antinori, to Nazi madness.

"In a certain sense, Hitler somewhat anticipated modern developments like cloning and medical experimentation with human embryos," the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said in statements published by the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

The German cardinal added: "It is terrifying that some of the powers, which over half a century ago defeated Nazism, today opt, in the scientific realm, for debatable and anti-human practices like cloning."

http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=8957

HUMAN CLONERS CALL POPE AND VATICAN "CRIMINAL"

National Academy of Sciences Meeting Dubbed a "Circus"

WASHINGTON, Aug 8, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Dr. Severino Antinori, one of the pro-cloning participants in yesterday's cloning debate before a panel of the National Academy of Sciences, has called Pope John Paul "criminal" for his opposition to human cloning. One of the witnesses at the cloning debate called the meeting a "circus" after the media followed Antinori's every move. The Telegraph relates that the media raced after him as he left the meeting at one point but "It turned out he was going to the lavatory, from which he emerged after a few minutes to give an impromptu press conference."

The circus-like atmosphere was enhanced by the presence of cloning advocate Brigitte Boisselier, a former chemistry professor who is attempting to clone humans for a Canadian-based cult called the Raelians. The cult claims humans were genetically manufactured by aliens and is popular due to its permissive and organized sexual encounters. Boisselier claimed her group had carried out the first stage of human cloning - transferring human genetic material into an empty ovum and allowing it to develop into an early embryo.

During his post-lavatory press conference Antinori said if a "law against cloning is approved, it would be a return to the Dark Ages." In a tirade against his chosen enemies he said: "The Pope is screaming at me. He wants to avoid the condom and IVF. Nobody announced the criminal when President Bush met in Rome the Pope. Vatican is behind the Bush, Vatican is criminal."

Antinori's partner, Prof Panos Zavos, who runs a Kentucky fertility clinic, described infertility as a "disease".

US HOUSE PASSES COMPREHENSIVE BAN ON HUMAN CLONING

WASHINGTON, Aug 1, 2001 (LSN.ca) - Late yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives approved, 265-162, a bill to prohibit the creation of human embryos by cloning. The bill makes human cloning a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and, for those caught cloning for commercial purposes, a fine of at least $1 million. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support: 63 Democrats joined 200 Republicans and 2 independents to back the bill. A similar bill is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Human Cloning Prohibition Act (H.R. 2505) was sponsored by Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fl.) and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mi.). Prior to passing the bill, the House first rejected, 178-249, a competing measure ("substitute amendment") proposed by Rep. Jim Greenwood (R-Pa.), which would have allowed embryo production for the purpose of research. This measure was backed by the bio-tech industry lobby. The Greenwood bill would have made it a crime to implant a research clone in a woman's womb and, thus, was tagged the "clone and kill" bill by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).

President Bush issued a statement of support following the vote. "The moral issues posed by human cloning are profound and have implications for today and for future generations. Today's overwhelming and bipartisan House action to prohibit human cloning is a strong ethical statement, which I commend. We must advance the promise and cause of science, but must do so in a way that honors and respects life," said Bush.

See the Washington Times coverage:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20010801-135510.htm

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2001/aug/010801.html#1

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