Free Republic

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorOctober 8, 2007Stockholm, Sweden (LifeNews.com) -- Three researchers who work with controversial embryonic stem cells shared the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for their role in looking at mouse genes and using their studies to determine the human genes that cause diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Pro-life advocates oppose embryonic stem cell research on human beings because days-old unborn children must be killed to obtain their cells. They support the use of animal and adult stem cells.Americans Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies and British scientist Sir Martin Evans split the prestigious award and its prize of...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorOctober 2, 2007Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Rudy Giuliani has tried every trick in the book in order to persuade pro-life voters to consider him for the Republican nomination for president. Now a congressman with a long record of opposing abortion has labeled the former mayor pro-life and said he would have voted mostly pro-life if he had been a congressman as well.Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, says that if Giuliani were a member of Congress today, he'd be considered pro-life."In a hypothetical comparison of congressional votes, Mayor Giuliani's voting record would mirror the voting record of...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorOctober 4, 2007Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Thursday that one of her first actions if she wins the 2008 election will be reversing President Bush's protections on embryonic stem cell research. Bush has twice vetoed bills that would force taxpayers to fund the research, which requires the destruction of human life.Bush also put in place a policy in August 2001 that prevents federal funding of any new embryonic stem cell research and, instead, concentrates most federal money in the area of adult stem cells.Those are the cells that have shown the most...

Even a "Raving Atheist" Can Be Pro-Life - Interview Special to LifeSiteNews.com by Laura Freeburn Editor's Note: The following, until now unpublished, interview was conducted with the popular blog personality "the raving atheist".  The blogger, a lawyer who will not divulge his real name, has nonetheless acquired pseudonymous fame.  He is featured, as "the raving atheist" in the anti-Christian documentary film 'The God who wasn't there". His pro-life convictions are based solely on scientific evidence for the life of the unborn.  He is firmly opposed to belief in God.  The interview is published here as it provides interesting insights.Is it...

U.S. Catholic Health Association Giving Flawed Advice on Morning After Pill to Catholic Hospitals Commentary republished with permission by Matt Bowman of Alliance Defense FundExcerpted from http://www.constitutionallycorrect.com/archive/2007/10/03/553.aspx WASHINGTON, DC, October 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Connecticut Catholic hospitals' spokesman Barry Feldman, in statements discussing the new policy allowing emergency contraception for rape victims even though embryos might not implant as a result, listed the Catholic Health Association as support for the new policy. The position of the Catholic Health Association on "emergency contraception" is well known and seriously flawed.  It basically presents "emergency contraception" as permissible even after a positive ovulation...

Michigan Bishops Launch Massive Statewide Stem Cell Education Program - Video Online 12 minute DVD and other material being sent to over 500,000 Catholic homes and nearly 800 parishes LANSING, October 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an effort to communicate the Catholic Church's teaching on human life as it relates to adult and embryonic stem cell research, the Michigan Catholic Conference on Monday announced the state's seven diocesan bishops have launched a monumental internal education program that includes over 500,000 Catholic homes and nearly 800 parishes. As part of the internal education program, which has the theme "The Science of...

Point Man for Connecticut Bishops on Plan B 'Emergency Contraception' Totally Confused on Issue By John-Henry Westen HARTFORD, October 2, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Barry Feldman is general counsel for St. Francis Hospital the lead spokesman for the Connecticut Catholic Bishops conference regarding their newly announced permission to administer the morning after pill Plan B to rape victims in Catholic hospitals in the state. In seeking comment on the decision LifeSiteNews.com spoke with the pro-life office of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) but was directed to the executive director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference (CCC). Deacon David Reynold, acting...

Connecticut Bishops Allow Plan B in Catholic Hospitals for Rape - Catholic Medical Association Opposed Vatican stated in 2000 "the absolute unlawfulness of abortifacient procedures also applies to distributing, prescribing and taking the morning-after pill" By John-Henry Westen HARTFORD, September 28, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A statement issued by the Connecticut Catholic Bishops yesterday, which is posted on the Catholic Conference's web page, notes that the Bishops have approved the administration of the morning after pill Plan B for rape victims at the four Catholic hospitals in the state.  While the Bishops claim to be in accord with Church teaching on...

Top Election Concerns for Toronto Catholic Charities: Gov't Funding, Affordable Housing, Poverty Conspicuously absent from list are abortion and euthanasia By John-Henry Westen TORONTO, September 27, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An "election guide" by Toronto Catholic Charities published on the website of the Archdiocese of Toronto directs Catholic voters in the upcoming October 10 election to see as their "primary concerns" government funding of programs, affordable housing, and poverty.  Conspicuously absent from the list are abortion and euthanasia, deemed by the Vatican to be priorities over other issues when voting. The document, "Counting on your vote" does mention life issues, not...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorSeptember 5, 2007London, England (LifeNews.com) -- The British government has opened a Pandora's box that worries pro-life advocates because scientists will be allowed to create clones consisting of human and animal parts. The decision is the first step in the approval process and now a licensing committee will review two applications to engage in the research.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority considered the proposals from scientists at King's College London and Newcastle University. It said there was "no fundamental reason" to prevent the research."However, public opinion is very finely divided, with people generally opposed to this research...

British Parliamentarians to Push for End to Current Limited Abortion Restrictions Want to allow nurses and midwives to kill unborn children By Hilary White LONDON, September 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of pro-abortion British MP's from all parties in government will be launching a campaign to sweep away the last formal restrictions on abortion and make it available on demand. They want to allow nurses and midwives to kill unborn children and recommend increasing the number of facilities allowed to abort babies in the first trimester of pregnancy. The Independent reports that the move is planned by a cross-party...

Britain Set to Approve Human/Animal Hybrid Clones By Hilary White LONDON, September 4, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the government cloning and stem cell research regulator, published its public consultation on the creation of human/animal hybrid clones, in which it claimed the majority of people were "at ease" with the idea. It is expected to rule tomorrow on the proposal to create cytoplasmic hybrid cloned embryos from animal ova and human DNA. The HFEA had its consultation period open for a year, during which time it was subject to intense lobbying by research organisations...

Embryonic Stem-Cell Breakthrough Overhyped A recent announcement by biotechnology company Geron that it has repaired heart-attack damage in rats with human embryonic stem cells may have given its stock a big boost, but some people aren’t buying it. Aside from the obvious ethical issue of destroying human life to improve the health of rodents, some are calling the announcement intentionally misleading. More than two dozen studies in professional publications, some as long as four years ago, have demonstrated the promise of adult stem cells – which do not involve the destruction of a human life – in treating heart disease....

Leon R. Kass | Friday, 31 August 2007 How brave a new world? There is nothing "brave" or beautiful about the biotechnised world we are entering, says one of America's best-known bioethicists. This is a commencement speech made by Dr Leon Kass at St John's College, in Annapolis, Maryland, earlier this year. Dr Kass, a physician and philosopher, was the chairman of the President's Council for Bioethics from 2002 to 2005. He teaches at the University of Chicago. Surveying the world you graduates are about to enter, I am reminded of the ancient Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorAugust 31, 2007Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Rudy Giuliani may be the only pro-abortion candidate on the Republican side of the presidential contest, but that doesn't mean he has the support of the nation's most prominent abortion business. A Planned Parenthood official says she doesn't necessary support the former New York City mayor.Giuliani's pro-abortion position is a stark contrast to the rest of the Republican field, which may be split on embryonic stem cell research but pretty solidly opposes abortion.Sarah Stoesz, President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told the pro-abortion Reality Check web site that she is...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorAugust 30, 2007Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Actor and attorney Fred Thompson announced Thursday that he will make the formal declaration next week that he is officially a candidate for the Republican nomination for president. The former Tennessee senator has said repeatedly in recent months that he opposes abortion and embryonic stem cell research.In a statement he released today, Thompson said, "I believe that there are millions of Americans who know that our security and prosperity are at risk if we don't address the challenges of our time."The official announcement will come in a video broadcast on his...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorAugust 29, 2007Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday signed a bill that would force taxpayers there to spend money on embryonic stem cell research. His signing the measure is the latest action going against the views of pro-life advocates on whether unborn children should be sacrificed to advance scientific research.The measure would set up an institute under the Illinois Department of Public Health to award grants for the research, which has never helped any patients.It also makes embryonic stem cell research legal and establishes procedures for couples to donate their "unwanted" human embryos for...

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Blasted for Support of Embryonic Stem Cell Research WASHINGTON, D.C., August 29, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "It is ludicrous." That was the reaction of Douglas R. Scott, Jr., president of Life Decisions International (LDI), to a statement by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (L&LS) in defense of its support for embryonic stem cell experimentation. LDI, which publishes a list of corporations that fund the abortion-committing group Planned Parenthood, recently updated the "Dishonorable Mention" section of The Boycott List. The section identifies nonprofit organizations that "are linked to Planned Parenthood and/or its agenda." Like Planned Parenthood, L&LS actively...

by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorAugust 28, 2007Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is getting heat from a pro-life organization because it backs embryonic stem cell research that requires the destruction of human life. The crux of the debate between the groups revolves around a letter LLS signed in favor of a bill to require taxpayer funding of the research.After learning that the Planned Parenthood watchdog group Life Decisions International had LLS to a group of charities pro-life advocates should boycott, a pro-life advocate wrote the organization.LLS spokesman Doug Lubbers wrote to the pro-life person, saying "This is a...

Canadian Diabetes Association Supports Embryonic Stem Cell Research By John-Henry Westen TORONTO, August 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An official response from the Canadian Diabetes Association indicates the funding organization is in complete support of using human embryos in destructive research. The Canadian Diabetes Association is the country's foremost organization disseminating information to Canadians on the disease. Its mission is to "promote the health of Canadians through diabetes research, education, service and advocacy." The Association distributes government funding to researchers A reply to a query by LifeSiteNews.com elicited an emailed response from "Susan" at the Canadian Diabetes Association Contact Centre who...