Stem Cell Research

Maybe you noticed the news this past week or two, where President Obama reversed a George Bush mandate that sharply limited the use of human embryos in stem cell research. Then this past week he signed another bill that put at least some of the limits back in place. At a minimum, it is confusing. The average American probably doesn't understand what our government's position is on stem cell research.

Of course, if you look at the controversy, you'll hear a strong argument for stem cell research. Scientist (and others) believe that it may be possible to use stem cells from human embryos to address heart-wrenching health issues like paralysis, paraplegia, or even Parkinson's disease. Of course these are tragic aspects of the human experience. Those who suffer from such maladies and their loved ones will argue sharply that just about anything would be worth it if it could end the pain and suffering.

The problem is that stem cell research using human embryos is just about anything. I won't get into the abortion dilemma here. Frankly, the truth is so simple it's not worth arguing. If you ignorant enough to believe that abortion is okay, or so in the dark about the issue that yo don't know - I challenge you to go to http://www.images.google.com/ and search for pictures of "abortion" or "aborted babies" and then tell me if you still think abortion could be okay.

While today's stem cell research doesn't typically use human aborted fetuses, it does use human embryos that have been fertilized. We usually teach, in Christian theology, that life begins when sperm fertilizes the egg ... creating the human embryo. That human embryo begins to grow and develop. At some point it crosses the line and becomes officially a fetus. So the argument is that if we legalize stem cell research and open the flood gates for it - we could soon be using aborted embryos or fetuses for such research. In fact, there are arguments that someone might actually conceive a child for the purpose of aborting it for the stem cells it could provide.

Why am I blogging about this? Because I don't want you, brothers and sisters, to be ignorant about the issues here. As Christians, you need to know that mankind is treading in some very dangerous moral territory. Once that egg is fertilized with sperm and begins to develop, it is conceived. The Bible says that God planned our days since our conception. So at that point, God recognizes this fertilized egg, this embryo in development, as a person. Freezing it doesn't change God's view of what it is. Freezing it doesn't change what it is.

Christians should be far more alarmed about abortion than we are. And we should be even more concerned that the abortion territory is being encroached in the name of research. Not only have we already used abortion to say that a baby shouldn't have life in favor of the parents' convenience. Now we are close to saying that a baby also shouldn't have life in favor of even strangers who might be suffering. And keep in mind, that suffering was allowed in their lives by God Himself.

So, what do you think of stem cell research? Do you think what President Obama does or doesn't do about it really matters?

Perplexing Times

It is one of those weeks, when I drive through town, walk through airports, read my newspaper on airplanes, listen to news talk radio --- and remain in a chronic state of perplexion. What can I say? I am perplexed about what I see and hear.

Has the world gone crazy? Or is it just me - not getting it? The stories I see and the things I hear are troubling to say the least. I usually end up with questions that seem to have no answers. You see, there is much about today's world that I don't understand.

Yesterday, for example, I was reading about abortion. It's been a problem in America for many years now (since Roe vs. Wade made it legal). I know about the different views of the pro-life and pro-choice lobbyists, etc. What I did not know (until yesterday) is that nearly 50% of all African-American pregnancies in America are terminated through abortion! I did not know that African-American woman are five times as likely to abort their babies as white women. Talk about racial inequality! What's up with this statistic? Could someone in the black community, with its proud heritage, help me understand this?

Then there is the gay issue. I opened my newspaper last week (October 11th) and was greeted to a full color insert celebrating something called "National Coming Out Day." It's apparently a national holiday to recognize gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered individuals. What is it that we're supposed to recognize them for. As a born-again, Bible thumping Christian, I don't agree with them. I believe they are deceived and misguided. But I respect their right to be wrong. Hate crimes against them are surely wrong, and their civil rights should be the same as anyone else. But celebrate them? I don't get that? I was saddened to see Citibank had a full-page advertisement on the back of this insert too. Apparently they see themselves as a gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered employer. (I wonder if they ask about that on their employment applications!)

Later in the week, I was reading where the U.S. military branches are now spending about $360 million per year to replace about 12,000 men and women who violate their "don't ask, don't tell" policy and "come out." So let me grasp this. We're at war, two wars. I guess I hadn't thought much about it when it's been talked about in the past. A don't ask, don't tell policy seemed to hack off the GLBT crowd, but I assumed they were a minority and it was a mostly political issue. It turns out it's a financial issue. Fiscal impact is being felt by all Americans. It might even be a national security issue.

For some reason, our military believes that fighter pilots, doctors, soldiers, mechanics and other military jobs cannot be performed effectively by people who are not straight heterosexual. So they spend $360 million a year getting rid of them. (Of course, this says nothing of the money they spent to recruit and train them in the first place.) The real irony is that once thrown out of the military, these same individuals will practice their professions quite adequately. Go figure.

So my final perplexity this week (so far) is the presidential election. I listen to talk radio on the AM dial. One of the shows I was listening to today was taking calls from listeners. This guy named Preston calls in and starts to explain why Barack Obama needs to be our next president. In a nutshell, Preston thought it was only right, since we've had 43 white presidents. The talk show host ask him repeatedly what it is that he wants Barack Obama to accomplish as president. The only answer Preston ever offered was to just be president. Apparently, at least for some African-Americans, it does not matter how good or effective our next president is --- as long as he's black.

Preston went on to explain that any whites that don't vote for Obama are racist and just participate in the hundreds of years of oppression the blacks have suffered in America. I wanted to call in right then and ask him if he's ever been to Africa. He might get a better sense of what oppression looks like. I think I've blogged before about the blacks in America versus the blacks in Africa. Simply put, I know of know country where Africans are native where the standard of living or the freedoms come anywhere close to that enjoyed by most African-Americans in the U.S. (So enough of this black oppression crap!)

Like I said, it's been a perplexing week. And I haven't even talked about the nationalization of the western world's banking systems!