Kathryn Jean Lopez has been doing a bang up job exposing the problems with Amendment 2 and cloning for National Review Online, specifically when it comes to harvesting women’s eggs. Here is her latest article: Missouri, Don’t Get Egg in Your Face about a plea to Missouri voters from some black leaders.
James Kelly on Amendment 2
You may remember James Kelly from an earlier post I did about him. James is a paraplegic and an advocate for ethical and proven stem cell research. He has a piece in National Review Online about Amendment 2. Here’s an excerpt:
“The supposed purpose of Amendment 2 is to promote and protect “life saving” treatments and cures. Rather than supporting this contention, overwhelming scientific evidence clearly reveals the reverse — that diverting colossal resources for decades to unravel complex problems linked to embryonic stem cells and human cloning will considerably delay research into real causes for medical hope.
Virtually everything the people of Missouri have been told about embryonic stem-cells and human cloning in support of Amendment 2 has been distortions or lies. A real ban on human cloning would read like this: “It is illegal in the state of Missouri to transfer human genetic material from any cell other than sperm into an egg for the purpose of creating an embryo.
Instead, Amendment 2 confuses the public by proclaiming to ban what it actually sanctions — what it hopes to turn into a constitutional right. This by itself should warn the public that something is badly amiss.
Amendment 2, if passed, will create a safe harbor for human cloning in America’s Heartland. More than that, it will insure that the public pays for both the creation and destruction of human embryos produced by cloning for the sake of research careers, biotech patents, industry growth, and pharmaceutical profits — all at the expense of practical research that could lead to affordable cures.”
Amendment 2 “Bad in Many Ways”
Bishop Finn, from Kansas City-St. Joseph, has a great editorial in the Kansas City Star. Of course the KC Star has been promoting Amendment 2 from the very beginning, so it’s nice to see a little change.
You can also check out his latest article in the Catholic Key. Bishop Finn is doing a fine job in the KCSJ diocese, he even has a fan club. I met him last year at our State Capitol during a rally supporting a ban on human cloning. He is a very wonderful man and passionate about protecting the sanctity of human life.
Marriage is a Vocation
So, I’m going to shift gears a little bit on this post to talk about something else I am very concerned about. The “other” vocations crisis in the Church. The reading at Mass today was from Ephesians 5:21-33. This reading contains what I consider one of the most beautiful Bible verses, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” This is the purpose of marriage! Husbands and wives are called together in order to sancify each other and to give themselves up for one another. This is so beautiful and holy and good, and yet we are facing a major crisis of the marriage vocation. The breakdown of the family is precisely why we are facing a crisis of religious vocations. Marriage, particularly in the spouses’ “one flesh” union, is the “original revelation in the created world of the eternal mystery of God” and a forshadowing of the “Eucharistic communion of Christ and the Church.” It is the foundation of the entire sacramental order:
“Marriage is a vocation. Parenthood is a vocation. It’s no accident that most priests and religious emerge from believing, practicing, loving Catholic families. In fact, in many ways, the love between a husband and wife is the foundation stone upon which every other Christian vocation is built. Strong marriages and familites make a vital, joy-filled Church. The opposite is also true: Families who are lukewarm in their love for God and indifferent in their worship weaken every other dimension of Catholic life. That’s why the Church so urgently needs men and women who can provide the example and guidance our families need.” (Archbishop Chaput, Denver)
References from: Good News About Sex and Marriage by Christopher West
St. Joseph, Pillar of family life, pray for us.
Amen Brother!
Dr. Ralph J. Duda Jr., an endocrinologist from Springfield MO, wrote a powerful op-ed about the disasterous Amendment 2 which voices the anger and frustrations of all of us fighting to see that this thing does not pass. I don’t want to spoil the whole thing for you, so here’s a little taste:
“An unbiased examination of Amendment 2, the so-called Stem Cell Initiative and Cures Amendment, should make you angry. Never before have I been so moved to action about a social issue than with the realization that this referendum just might become a constitutional rule of law on Nov. 7.
“…As a current-day physician and scientist, it pains me to think that we have advanced to the point of extracting that which has been, up to this time, cultivated by love, originated by the creator of all, and have then unknitted its fabric, dissected it into its unique and fragile threads, only to attempt to embark upon the business of brokering commodities for our own spare parts at the expense of sacred life itself.”
For full text visit the Springfield News-Leader. Post a comment and give him your support!
My Letter
The op-ed that I sent to the newspapers in Missouri didn’t get picked up, as I expected. So, I went with just a letter to the editor. I am actually very sorry to admit that this is the first letter to the editor I have written about the amendment – or ever for that matter – and the election is next week! It is a sad fact that I just do not read the newspaper. I don’t know why. Especially since, as mom always reminds me, it only takes about 5 minutes to read our local paper – front to back. But last week mom pointed out one of the letters to the editor in favor of the amendment and I decided that it was probably time to respond, finally. Feel free to customize it and use it in your own newspaper:
I am a 24 year old Missourian who is also a paraplegic. I received a spinal cord injury in a car accident almost seven years ago that left me paralyzed from the chest down. I have thoroughly read the 2,000 words of Amendment 2, that you will not see on the ballot on Election Day. There are three areas of the amendment that cause me great concern.
Read More
Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Novenas!
The election will be in nine days, starting tomorrow – a perfect opportunity to start saying a Novena for the election. There are many good novenas out there. I will be praying to St. Philomena. A friend of mine sent me her prayer card specifically for this election and said: “Let this little girl take on Goliath and he’ll be running before she even puts her hand to the sling.” A novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe would be appropriate. Priests for Life also has some great prayers for the election in their website, including one specifically for Missouri. Prayer will be key in this election. So lets get the spiritual fire started!
Bogo for a Better Life!
This is phenomenal! Thanks to a heads up from Wesley Smith’s blog I found out about Bogo Wines. These wonderful people are supporting adult stem cell research through the sale of their wines. Fantastic! They provide information about ASCR on thier website and donate a portion of their sales to two different ASC research facilities – among other things. The other wonderful thing I found is that the logo, two hearts, is in honor of the Sacred Heard of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary – you gotta love that! They are dedicated to building a culture of life and deserve our support!
Not All Doctors Favor Amendment 2
A group of Missouri Physicians are speaking out against Amendment 2. This, of course is not a first. It is a myth that all doctors and scientists are in favor of cloning and embryonic stem cell research. In 2004 57 scientists and physicians sent a letter to John Kerry voicing their concerns about his statements on cloning and ESCR. The presentations put on by Missourians Against Human Cloning almost always feature a doctor or physician. Wednesday night I was at a presentation in Holts Summit Missouri and my own spinal cord doctor was the main speaker (that’s him in the picture)! So don’t let the doctors and the “experts” fool you, they’re not all behind this research. Here’s a small list.