Bonovox

I feel compelled to write a bit about this.  While I am not a big fan of Pres. Bush, I do applaud the use of his veto power on this one.  I have seen several pro-choice writers attempt to say that he is being hypocritical, because if the embryo is a human life, then murder charges should be laid.

This misses the point.  I would agree that the destruction of human life should be seen as murder, but as that is not possible in this political climate, you have to do what you can do.  So Bush was justified and right in his actions.

For the Christian there is a very basic principle involved.  The sanctity of human life.  That is a non-negotiable in the Christian Faith.  The question then becomes, when does human life start?  Both the fact that the Scriptures refer "life in the womb" and the Church celebrates the conception of Christ, the Theotokos, John the Baptist and others, and that critics cannot point to any other point in the development of a human person as to when 'life starts," obliges the Christian to protect human life from conception to centenarians.

But there is a problem.  There are "excess embryos" created in the process of in-vitro fertilization.  Evidently they"create" more then are needed, because the rate of success of implantation is so low.  So Christians must address this situation.  First, through catechism and discouraging (prohibiting?) any fertility process that leads to "excess embryos."  Compassion must be used.  Barrenness is a sad situation for a couple.  I know of at least two couples that have had kids through this method.  But I think it is clearly an inappropriate procedure and leads to this situation, and the de-valuing of human life.

Secondly, by trying to figure out what to do with them.  Can Christian couples adopt them and attempt implantation?  Should we attempt to get custody "to let them die with dignity," with some kind of memorial service?  This needs to be addressed by our leaders and theologians.

Also, a distinction must be made between "stem cell research," and "embryonic stem cell research."  Stem cells can be taken from other sources, and it certainly cannot be wrong to use them to help find cures for a variety of ailments.    But it CANNOT be seen as right to destroy human life, no matter how many diseases can be cured in the process.  Perhaps Dr. Mengele and the other Nazi doctors discovered important things about the human body in their "experiments."  BUT it in now wise justifies their inhumane practices.  Neither can anything justify destroying Embryonic human life.

I solicit your response.