Stem cells & natural law.Commonweal has done Catholics a great service by publishing William A. Galston's excellent article on stem cells ("Catholics, Jews & Stem Cells," May 20). We have become used to Catholic authorities dialoguing with no one but house theologians and ignoring evolving scientific perspectives. Galston's respectful reflection on the limitations of natural-law reasoning demonstrates just how constricted con·strict v. con·strict·ed, con·strict·ing, con·stricts v.tr. 1. To make smaller or narrower by binding or squeezing. 2. To squeeze or compress. 3. the hierarchy's moral perspective has become. Galston's example of how even a moderate Catholic leader like Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore could be surprised to find that his own prohibitionist pro·hi·bi·tion·ist n. 1. One in favor of outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. 2. often Prohibitionist A member or supporter of the Prohibition Party. stance against therapeutic cloning was not supported by Orthodox Jewish thinkers demonstrates how much Catholic positions gestate in a clerical vacuum. The statement of Rabbi Moshe David Tendler Rabbi Dr. Moshe David (Dovid) Tendler is the rabbi of The Community Synagogue of Monsey. He is a senior Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University's RIETS and the Rabbi Isaac and Bella Tendler Professor of Jewish Medical Ethics and Professor of Biology at Yeshiva College. He has a Ph.D. that "the proposition that humanhood begins at zygote zygote: see reproduction. formation, even in vitro, is without basis in [Jewish] biblical moral theology" should make hypercertain Catholics a little humbler about their pronouncements about ensoulment In Christian theology, ensoulment refers to the creation of a soul within, or the placing of a soul into, a human being—a concept most often discussed in reference to abortion. . PAUL E. DINTER Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. |
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