Lord of the Rings Profits Used to Support Embryonic Stem Cell Research

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, July 17, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Profits from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy are being used to fund destructive human embryonic research at the University of California, reported the Mainichi Daily News.

Filmmakers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, who brought the J.R.R. Tolkien epic to the screen, together donated US $310,000 last Saturday to fund research using the stem cells of human embryos.

“Stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses which up until now have been labelled ‘incurable,’” the pair said in a statement released by the University of California.

“Continuing advances in stem cell medicine will change all of our lives for the better.”

Despite such assumptions, research using human embryonic stem cells has so far been unsuccessful. All of the breakthroughs using stem cells for medical therapy have so far been found through the use of adult stem cells—cells obtained directly from the individual in need of therapy and used successfully to treat a growing list of serious illnesses.

Embryonic stem cell research has received international criticism, including disapproval by the US government, because the research involves the killing of human embryos in the very earliest stages of development. The Catholic Church, in particular, has condemned any research that involves the use or destruction of the human embryo as intrinsically immoral.

Ironically, despite the undercurrent of traditional morality that forms the foundation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy—Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic—the film has been used as a springboard to promote policies in direct opposition to Catholic teaching.

British actor Ian McKellen, who portrayed the wizard Gandalf in the film, has used the international recognition generated by the film to further his promotion of homosexuality, campaigning for homosexual “marriage” in Britain.

See previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Lord of the Rings Star Using Fame from Film to Promote Homosexual "Marriage"
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/may/06050409.html ;

Despite such assumptions, research using human embryonic stem cells has so far been unsuccessful. All of the breakthroughs using stem cells for medical therapy have so far been found through the use of adult stem cells—cells obtained directly from the individual in need of therapy and used successfully to treat a growing list of serious illnesses.

And yet this news is basically ignored.

1 posted on 07/17/2006 4:49:02 PM PDT by wagglebee

2 posted on 07/17/2006 4:49:18 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)

To: Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; Antoninus; Aquinasfan; BIRDS; BlackElk; BlessedBeGod; ...

MORAL ABSOLUTES PING

DISCUSSION ABOUT:

Lord of the Rings Profits Used to Support Embryonic Stem Cell Research

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3 posted on 07/17/2006 4:50:40 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)

I don`t know if this is such a good idea. The hobbits they are creating are horrid.

4 posted on 07/17/2006 4:52:04 PM PDT by Screamname (Pray for me, Hillary is my Senator.)

Fools. The great and ONLY medical breakthru-s are in ADULT stem cell research!! Foolish fools, these people probably also buy into global warming hysterics....FOOLS!!

5 posted on 07/17/2006 4:56:24 PM PDT by Suzy Quzy ("When Cabals Go Kaboom"....upcoming book on Mary McCarthy's Coup-Plotters.)

LOTR was not fiction.

We live in a world with real monsters.

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are two of them.

"Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground."

How much more cries the blood of 40,000,000 innocents?

6 posted on 07/17/2006 4:56:43 PM PDT by PetroniusMaximus

7 posted on 07/17/2006 4:57:13 PM PDT by rhombus

To: PetroniusMaximus

8 posted on 07/17/2006 4:58:07 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)

Blasphemy! I love Peter Jackson's and Fran Walsh's work, having seen every minute of the DVD documentaries on my LOTR extended versions, but they should be ashamed of this.

9 posted on 07/17/2006 4:58:20 PM PDT by Unam Sanctam

That's no Hobbit, that's the queen of the orcs!

No surprise about liberal New Zealander Jackson, I'm just glad he made three great films and they'll have more influence in this world than any donation he makes to any of his causes.

Sweet, isn't it? :)

10 posted on 07/17/2006 4:58:37 PM PDT by Maigret

(Sort of) Catholic Ping.

11 posted on 07/17/2006 4:59:38 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)

12 posted on 07/17/2006 5:01:34 PM PDT by Lil'freeper (You do not have the plug-in required to view this tagline.)

It's their money so more power to them for doing so. More people should do that here instead of funding it with tax payer money. Are we now like commie libs who want to control what people do with their own money?

13 posted on 07/17/2006 5:01:47 PM PDT by MAD-AS-HELL (Put a mirror to the face of the republican party and all you'll see is a Donkey.)

At least they are not forcing taxpayers to fund this.

14 posted on 07/17/2006 5:02:20 PM PDT by chipengineer

Well, now I'm sorry I saw part 1.

15 posted on 07/17/2006 5:03:04 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)

That's no 'obbit! Her's an ORC.

16 posted on 07/17/2006 5:08:35 PM PDT by Shimmer128 (Tolerance becomes crime when applied to evil. Thomas Mann)

Ha, i didn't see your post before I posted, but I guess GMTA :D

17 posted on 07/17/2006 5:10:03 PM PDT by Shimmer128 (Tolerance becomes crime when applied to evil. Thomas Mann)

I haven't seen anyone suggest controlling them. Have you seen anyone trying to control them? No. We're allowed to be sorry for their choice. I hope you aren't denying us that, are you? You wouldn't be trying to control us, would you?

18 posted on 07/17/2006 5:11:27 PM PDT by Shimmer128 (Tolerance becomes crime when applied to evil. Thomas Mann)

“Stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses which up until now have been labelled ‘incurable,’”

They saw him coming.

I only wish I could have gotten to Jackson earlier with my deed to the Brooklyn Bridge.

19 posted on 07/17/2006 5:13:49 PM PDT by denydenydeny ("Osama... made the mistake of confusing media conventional wisdom with reality" (Mark Steyn))

To: denydenydeny

I only wish I could have gotten to Jackson earlier with my deed to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Chris Reeve would be alive today if we hadn't interfered with Stem Cell research!

20 posted on 07/17/2006 5:16:54 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (A Conservative will die for individual freedom. A Liberal will kill you for the good of society.)

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