From Dr. John B. Shea re bishops and in vitro fertilization.Michael Kinsley Michael Kinsley (born March 9, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American political journalist, commentator television host and liberal pundit. Primarily active in print media as both a writer and editor, he also became known to television audiences as a co-host on Crossfire , editor of Slate Magazine, and a columnist for the Washington Post, wrote an article published in Time magazine on May 31, 2004. In it he made the morally false argument that the human embryo, because it has "no consciousness, no self awareness, no ability to feel love or pain," is far less human than the "smallest insect ... in every respect except potential." He did make one telling point, however, that more of the human embryos produced in in vitro fertilization in vitro fertilization (vē`trō, vĭ`trō), technique for conception of a human embryo outside the mother's body. Several ova, or eggs, are removed from the mother's body and placed in special laboratory culture dishes (Petri dishes); clinics are destroyed than ever would be by human embryo research. Of course, this argument does not justify the use of human embryos for research, which kills them. However, Kinsley asks, "Are you picketing around fertility clinics Fertility clinics are staffed medical clinics that assist couples, and sometimes individuals, who want to become parents but for medical reasons have been unable to achieve this goal via the natural course. , which kill many more unborn children--if that is what you believe a five-day-old embryo to be--than abortion clinics An abortion clinic is a medical facility that performs or specializes in abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers or private medical practices. Planned Parenthood, whose clinics offer abortions as well as other reproductive care and counseling, is the largest do?" Campaign Life Coalition asked the Canadian Bishops' Conference to oppose Bill C-6 (the Assisted Human Reproduction Act) because it allowed in vitro fertilization. The bishops, however, did not oppose the Bill on that score. Rather, their spokesman, Archbishop Terrence Prendergast Terrence Thomas Prendergast (born 19 February 1944) is a Canadian Archbishop and Chancellor of Saint Mary's University, Halifax. A native of Montreal, he entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1972. of Halifax, suddenly declared the Conference to be neutral on the Bill and on that note left the Senate hearings. This Bill was an unmitigated un·mit·i·gat·ed adj. 1. Not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; unrelieved: unmitigated suffering. 2. disaster because it permitted, apart from in vitro fertilization, many types of cloning and the creation of human embryos for the purpose of improving assisted human reproductive procedures. The whole affair of Bill C-6 is reminiscent of the controversy over contraception. Failure to oppose contraception resulted in abortion. Failure to oppose in vitro fertilization has resulted in the use of embryos for research. The lesson from all of this is that, in the battle against abortion and research on the human embryo, the pro-life movement and the Catholic Church must openly and courageously oppose both contraception and in vitro fertilization. Toronto, ON |
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