[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: Irving responds to WI bishops on "stem cell" letter problematics
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Mon May 5 04:54:01 MDT 2008
*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 5 May 2008 AD
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http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_125wisconsinbishops.html
Irving Comments: "Wisconsin Bishops' Pastoral Letter On Stem Cell
Research"
Dianne N. Irving
Copyright May 2, 2008
Reproduced with Permission
Having read the article in LifeSiteNews about the Wisconsin Bishops'
Pastoral Letter on stem cell research [Michael Baggot, "Wisconsin
Bishops' Pastor Letter Promotes Ethical Stem Cell Research; Release
Question and Answer booklet and 14-minute DVD related to letter",
Thursday May 1, 2008, at:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08050105.html], I thought I
would look it up online. Although all-in-all it seems to be a good
effort for a very much needed open and "public dialogue" on this issue,
there are several problems with the Pastoral Letter that might be
considered, a few of which are noted (marked in "red") as copied below
these comments.
Among the concerns is their reference to "the baby in the womb" /only/,
which would not include the human embryo sexually reproduced /in vivo
/from fertilization in the woman's fallopian tube until implantation in
her womb. The Pastoral Letter thus ignores the use of abortifacients and
the abortion of these earliest human beings sexually reproduced.
By selectively using the phrases "fertilization" and "the baby in the
womb" only, the Pastoral Letter also completely ignores all human
embryos reproduced asexually, including naturally occurring human
monozygotic twins /in vivo/, as well as those artificially reproduced
asexually /in vitro/. The Pastoral Letter thus ignores the abortion of
one of every two monozygotic twins /in vivo /through 9 months, the use
of these human embryos artificially reproduced /in vitro /in destructive
human embryonic stem cell research, and the abortion of those
experimental human embryos implanted as "infertility treatments" through
nine months /in vivo/. All of those living human embryos just identified
- both sexually and asexually reproduced, both /in vivo /and /in vitro
/-- also have "stem cells" for the taking as well. Would the killing of
those human embryos for their "stem cells" thus constitute "ethical stem
cell research"?
Further, sexually reproduced human embryos do not begin to exist at the
end of fertilization (with the formation of the zygote), but rather,
according to the Carnegie Stages of Early Human Embryonic Development,
at the beginnning of fertilization (when the sperm penetrates the
oocyte). Indeed, the penetrated oocyte and the ootid, along with the
zygote, constitute Stage One of human /embryonic /development. (See
Irving, "The Carnegie Stages of Early Human Embryonic Development: Chart
of all 23 Stages, and Detailed Descriptions of /Carnegie Stages /1 - 6"
(April 22, 2006), at:
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_123carnegiestages2.html). Thus
a great deal of human cloning and human genetic engineering to produce
new living human embryos before the zygote is formed for their future
stem cells is also ignored by the Pastoral Letter.
The Pastoral Letter also endorses the use of IPS "stem cells"
(regardless of the legitimate scientific objections voiced on both sides
of the issue), and uses the phrase "a small group of cells" to refer to
the early human being (which, although hopefully not intended, is a
flash-back to the Weissman/West mis-definition of the human embryo after
cloning as "only a bunch of cells" or "a ball of cells").
In the Q and A webpage that further explains the Pastoral Letter, other
errors include: defining "human embryonic stem cells" erroneously as
"undifferentiated" (they are in fact amazingly differentiated already),
and essentially as "pluripotent" rather than as "totipotent" (and thus
capable of being reverted to new living human embryos); and defining
"natural law" AS human reason (which is just a little bit bizarre). The
Pastoral Letter also ignores the real source of the crisis of "frozen
embryos" as being IVF /per se/, and seems to sanction all the proffered
"solutions" to the problem (including embryo adoption?) without
exception. I continue to be /amazed /that, after 40 years, the Church
has still not got this Biology 101 right -- until I looked at the list
of those acknowledged for their "help".
One does wonder how the term "pastoral" is being defined? And pastoral
/to whom/? From the point of view of all the living human embryos,
living innocent human beings, identified above, I doubt if this Pastoral
Letter is as pastoral as it might be. Is it just a case of the blind
leading the blind? Surely it is problematic enough when such "Pastoral
Letters" so mislead the faithful about these issues and lead instead to
the false formation of their consciences. Worse, if all of these
mis-definitions and ignored items ever make it into law, such a law
would thus be riddled with legal loopholes that would legally sanction
by default the use of abortifacients, abortion through nine months, /In
Vitro /Fertilization and other artificial reproductive technologies, and
the use of human embryos in destructive human embryonic stem cell
research - for many sexually and all asexually reproduced human embryos,
/in vivo /or /in vitro /--, not to mention the deconstruction of natural
law. Can someone prove to me where I am wrong? I'm listening.
*WISCONSIN BISHOPS Pastoral Letter ON STEM CELL RESEARCH*
Pastoral Letter: click here for PDF download.
<http://www.wisconsin.nasccd.org/bins/wisconsin/content/pages/Statements/Serving%20All%20and%20Sacrificing%20None%20Pastoral%20Letter%20on%20Stem%20Cell%20Research%2004-29-08.pdf?_resolutionfile=ftppath%7Cpages/Statements/Serving%20All%20and%20Sacrificing%20None%20Pastoral%20Letter%20on%20Stem%20Cell%20Research%2004-29-08.pdf>
*
Serving All and Sacrificing None
Ethical Stem Cell Research
A Pastoral Letter from the Roman Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin *
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
When we deliberate about the pressing issues of our day, such as
embryonic stem cell research, our Catholic tradition employs both reason
and faith to help us arrive at moral truth and understanding.
Human reason, as perfected in natural law, leads us, as it did America's
founders, to the self-evident truth that all people are endowed by their
Creator with an inalienable right to life. Our Catholic faith enhances
this truth. We believe in a God Who so loves us that He created us in
His own image to share His life now and forever. His love was such that
He became one of us in Jesus and gave His earthly life so we may have
eternal life.
In His ultimate "giving of self" for the good of others, the Son of God
reveals to us who we truly are and how we can live most fully. He calls
each of us to show a similar concern for every other human being,
respecting the intrinsic worth of others and never using them as a means
for our own benefit.
Today, when the marvels of science and technology present choices and
questions never previously faced, His example and message are as
relevant as they were in the time of the Apostles. Emulating His
humanism so that we may become our best selves, we are called to harness
new developments at the cutting edge of science in ways that respect the
dignity of all human life, especially in its most vulnerable stages.
This is not a matter of faith versus science, because one can be both
faith-filled and scientific. Many scientists are people of deep faith
and moral conviction. They recognize that faith and science, far from
being mutually exclusive, in fact complement one another. Instead of
asking, "Will we be religious, or will we be scientific?" they ask, "How
can our scientific research best serve humanity? How can we best respect
our human subjects in our research?"
We know many struggle with official Catholic teaching that a small group
of cells invisible to the naked eye deserves the same protection as the
life of a baby in the womb, a child in the crib, or a person sitting
next to us in church. Yet, consider how often physical appearances
deceive us and how shortsighted our initial impressions can be.
This Catholic teaching is not an example of faith absent science, but
rather faith supported by science. It is scientists who have
demonstrated that the single cell, or zygote that results from
fertilization, contains the complete genetic information necessary for
the development of a unique human being. It is scientists who have shown
us that human development is a continuous, uninterrupted process, from
zygote, embryo, fetus, infant, child, to adult.
Faith builds on these scientific facts by acknowledging that our Creator
endows our human nature with an innate dignity that does not depend on
our size, beauty, intelligence, wealth, or any other attribute. We are
persons because we are made in the image of God. We are persons whether
our reasoning skills are developing or deteriorating, whether we are in
the beginning stages of life or nearing life's end. Human life is
ultimately a gift of God, of which each of us is a steward. And it is a
gift that began and developed for all of us in exactly the same way.
Faith also teaches us that the life span of any human being is not ours
to determine. Whether one's life ends with a miscarriage or after many
decades into adulthood is a decision left to God's providence. Like you,
we fear crippling injuries and chronic disease, and we have experienced
the anguish of seeing a loved one suffer. We long for the day when
scientists can find treatments and cures for these conditions. But we
cannot agree with those who suggest that respecting the inviolability of
a human embryo devalues the lives of the ill and infirm because it may
deny them a treatment or a cure. On the contrary, when we value
vulnerable life in one context, we strengthen the case for valuing it in
others.
Some argue that people of faith overstep their proper place when they
raise moral or ethical concerns about biotechnology. They maintain that
the Church can believe whatever it wants as long as it does not impose
its beliefs on others. We are not seeking to "impose" narrow doctrinal
beliefs, but rather to "propose" reasonable standards for the protection
of human life and dignity.
Furthermore, raising moral concerns is essential for genuine scientific
progress. Consider the infamous biomedical case of the Tuskegee Syphilis
Study. Even after penicillin was discovered in 1947, medical researchers
working for the U.S. Public Health Service in Tuskegee, Alabama,
deliberately withheld the drug from infected African-American
menÑimpoverished and mostly illiterateÑwithout their consent, so that
they could study the full progression of the disease. Today, no one
would dispute that ethical standards were sorely lacking in the Tuskegee
Study and that true scientific progress can be made only when those
standards are securely in place.
We ask for the same consideration in the case of stem cell research. The
Church supports stem cell research whenever it does not involve
destroying human embryos. Adult stem cells found, for example, in the
amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, and skin cells can be
extracted without harming the donor, and they have already helped
thousands of individuals suffering from serious ailments. The Church
applauds the recent breakthrough in reprogramming adult skin cells to
act like embryonic stem cells. All of these advancements demonstrate
that the highest ethical standards can and must guide scientific progress.
As Catholics, we are called to respect and love all human life. But we
have a special duty towards the most vulnerable persons in our midstÑthe
embryo and the unborn child, the chronically ill and the poor, the
prisoner and the refugee. In doing so, we reveal the essence of our
humanity and of our Christian faith.
Therefore, we encourage all of you to study the educational materials
that accompany this letter, seek out additional scientific information,
and engage our fellow citizens in truth and love during this vital civic
conversation over stem cell research. May we together strive to use our
scientific knowledge in ways that serve all and sacrifice none.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of Milwaukee
Administrator of Green Bay Diocese
The Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Bishop of La Crosse
The Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino
Bishop of Madison
The Most Reverend Peter F. Christensen
Bishop of Superior
April 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wisconsin Catholic Conference: Questions and Answers PDF download
<http://www.wisconsin.nasccd.org/bins/wisconsin/content/pages/Statements/Serving%20All%20and%20Sacrificing%20None%20Questions%20and%20Answers%20on%20Stem%20Cell%20Research%2004-29-08.pdf?_resolutionfile=ftppath%7Cpages/Statements/Serving%20All%20and%20Sacrificing%20None%20Questions%20and%20Answers%20on%20Stem%20Cell%20Research%2004-29-08.pdf>
What are stem cells and how can they be used?
In general, stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the ability to
replicate indefinitely and to develop into more specialized cells.
Isn't the Church trying to impose its religious beliefs on society?
Natural law, or human reason, tells us ... Within hours of
fertilization, the zygote has a unique DNA profile, ...
But isn't the frozen embryo that will be discarded different from
the embryo in the womb?
Whether frozen or in the womb, both embryos have the same make-up and
share the same dignity.
What does the Church suggest should be done with the countless
number of frozen embryos?
As the Pope indicated, all these solutions, although perhaps not immoral
by nature, [[What about addressing IVF, the source of these frozen
embryos???]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Resources
* United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/stemcell
* National Catholic Bioethics Center
http://www.ncbcenter.org/stemcell.asp
* Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics
http://www.stemcellresearch.org <http://www.stemcellresearch.org/>
* THE WISCONSIN CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
First Edition, April 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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