The brainchild of a group of Kansas City doctors, the movie “Hope”, is supposed to premier, if it hasn’t already, at the Cannes Film Festival that has been going on all week (ht: FRC Blog). It is a fictional story promoting research using human embryos.
In this movie the son of a conservative Senator who is an outspoken opponent of ESC research is paralyzed in a car accident. The family discovers that some experimental treatments using ESCs are available in India – a country far more “advanced” than the U.S. in this area of research, largely due to the father’s restrictive policies – and the Senator must decide whether he is right to continue opposing research that could cure his paralyzed son. The trailer:
The idea here is that one can really only be opposed to ESC research in theory, but certainly not if one has ever personally experienced the effects of some disease or disability, either their own or a loved one’s. This is the battle cry of the pro-ESC research movement:
“If you or someone you loved had some devastating disease or disability you would be knocking on the doors of these researchers in search of cures!!”
Speaking as a person who lives with one of these “devastating” disabilities, I can say with confidence that, though I would love to be able to walk again and to see the sufferings of others diminished, I could never accept the harvesting of another human life for some small, or even great, human comfort. There are worse things in this world than suffering and living with a disability. The use and destruction of one human life for the comfort of another is certainly one of those things – It’s Just Unethical, Period. Lucky for us it’s also relatively unnecessary.
4 Comments on “Pro ESC Research Movie to Premier at Cannes”
The movie pretty much follows the blue print of any other culture of death propaganda. Bypass scientific facts and moral dilemmas and play on the emotions of a well meaning general public. Create a situation where one could alleviate the suffering of another with a quick, easy fix, if not for the controlling and heartless hypocrites (pro-lifers) who couldn’t actually believe in what they stand for. To the uninformed, it’s pretty easy to develop animosity towards those who you believe would impose their “religious” and “political” will unto others only attain self serving ambitions while maintaining a medieval repressive patriarch.
..also, thanks for “walking the walk”, as a witness to the world that it is possible to be authentically pro-life – non judgmental and without compromise. We’ll probably never know how many lives we affect by carrying our cross with courage, and just being ourselves in the public eye.
God Bless.
Don’t forget to write them, CZ. You have a perspective that differs from theirs, I’m sure…
🙂 Thank God He’s given you the ability to maintain this blog, Chelsea! This sort of moral clarity is sadly lacking in most media venues, today…
God bless you and your efforts!
In Christ,
Brian