Judge Lamberth’s decision should not be surprising, for it is based on clear and unambiguous law. The Dicky-Wicker Amendment, passed in 1996 as part of a federal appropriations bill, has been passed again every year since. This amendment specifically prohibits the use of federal funds for:

(1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) research in which a human
embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death . . .

In March of last year, President Obama attempted to reverse long-standing policy from the Bush administration banning federal funding for embryo-destructive research through the National Institutes of Health.  That decision has paved the way for billions of dollars in proposed embryonic stem cell projects, in spite of the Dicky-Wicker Amendment cited above.

Two researchers, in collaboration with pro-life groups, brought suit in federal district court. Their research on so-called adult stem cells is promising and not ethically controversial. They fear that the Obama guidelines may de-fund their work. In his ruling Judge Lamberth acknowledged that the researchers had standing to bring their suit forward, and granted the injunction.

The Obama administration is appealing the ruling. Stay tuned.

New York Times Article

Obama Executive Order of 2009

Special Announcement: Health Care Ethics Conference, “Protecting the Vulnerable in the 21st Century,” Sept. 15-17, 2010 (Conference Details)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Now you may recall that a drug called “Plan B” (levonorgestrel) is already on the market, and is in fact available without a prescription. Many in the pro-life community have expressed concerns that it may interfere with implantation, making it an abortion-causing agent (an abortifacient). This claim is controversial, and not proven either way scientifically.

Here’s the problem: the new drug, ella,  is not related to Plan B at all. It is actually chemically related to the abortion drug RU-486 (mifepristone), so it has a high likelihood of being an abortifacient itself. The FDA is likely to approve the drug for the U.S. market, despite an absence of studies on its possible abortifacient effect.

The Center for Bioethics, along with 19 other American organizations, has signed a letter to the FDA, opposing approval of ella. We have joined such groups as Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, the National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life, and Life Issues Institute. You can read the letter here.

Achilles tending the wounds of Patroclus in the Trojan War

Followers of the Center for Bioethics and this blog know that I have endorsed and signed the Manhattan Declaration, a Christian statement of solidarity in defense of the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. In previous posts (1/10/2010 and 7/06/2010),  I have pointed out that speaking out for life, families, and conscience may come at a price, as these principles are under assault in our contemporary society. It appears that these religiously-informed ideas, foundational as they are, are becoming a minority viewpoint, certainly in the United States. And, increasingly, we are a persecuted minority.

So what does this mean for those of us who believe in and teach these foundational benchmarks? We must surely continue our advocacy, but what if we are not successful? At what point is it incumbent upon us to practice civil disobedience, as the apostles did (Acts 5:27-41)? For an insightful discussion of this idea, listen to Dr. Timothy George, one of the originators of the Manhattan Declaration, at this link.

This last idea has been under increasing attack in our public discourse. Last December, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton gave a speech at Georgetown University. In a subtle phrase that Chuck Colson refers to as an example of  Orwellian “newspeak,”she repeatedly referred to “freedom of worship” as a key democratic principle. But the Bill of Rights guarantees our “freedom of religion,” not the more narrowly defined right Mrs. Clinton spoke of. If we accept her terminology, we will lose the ability to define who may work in Christian organizations and churches. This would be an erosion of religious liberty similar to what is happening in Canada, with devastating results for faith-based organizations and charities.

To better understand this, check out Chuck Colson’s recent commentary (below, or go to his website):

Sources:

Robert Kane: A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will (2005, Oxford University Press)
Derk Pereboom: Living Without Free Will (2001, Cambridge University Press)

Free Will Debate (Video)

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Hmm, not so fast. Some claim that only physical and naturalistic forces are at work in the universe. What we perceive as free will is merely an illusion, since every effect has a purely natural cause. The mind, even our consciousness, is nothing more than chemicals, neurons, and electrical signals that obey physical rules. Nothing else matters, so it makes sense to deny the existence of free will.

The debate between free will and determinism is an ancient one, dating back to an era before Socrates and Plato, and has continued up to the present day. My engagement in this discussion will take place at a Debate Summit at Grace Community Church on March 13, 2010 (7:00 p.m.). I will have a lively conversation with Dr. William Provine of Cornell University. Although I have not previously met Dr. Provine, I am familiar with his work and his views.

The title of our debate is: “Free Will: Does it Exist? Does it Matter?” Dr. Provine is an atheist and hard determinist, who claims that free will is illusory and unintelligible.  For my part, I am a Christian theist, who holds that created beings are endowed with the ability to exercise an independent will. Not only is this possible, but it is essential for society’s good and for ultimate meaning in life.

So our debate will contrast two views. Dr. Provine’s hard determinism claims that everything in the universe is either random or caused by pre-existing conditions, leaving no room for any higher purpose, and no room for free will. Therefore, our views of law and ethics should change to accommodate the idea that our choices are constrained, and no one should be held morally accountable for his actions. He states, “Every biological organism is determined by heredity, environment, and their complex interaction. No organism has any trace of freedom . . . Moral responsibility is crucial for human social interaction, but this we must teach to humans.”

My view is that of free will libertarianism (not to be confused with any political theory). There is order, meaning, and purpose in the universe, that ultimately comes from a Creator-God. While determinism is true to the extent that many events follow law-like principles, this does not mean that human nature is necessarily constrained by physical or chemical forces. Our free will is a reflection of God’s volitional nature, who has given us the capacity and the responsibility to act for our own good and for that of those around us. Therefore, moral censure and moral praise make sense, and help to define our ethical lives.

Dr. Provine has countered,  “The myth of human free will, promulgated by all religions in the world, has caused more harm in this world than any gods . . . [This myth] is the true fangs of religion.”

This is going to be a lively exchange of views! For more information, go to the Debate Summit website.

In fact, it is the disconnect between public will and political pragmatism that causes many to be frustrated, for it appears that common citizens are being lost in the shuffle. In short, our government seems to no longer be listening. But listen it must, for our values are under attack as never before.

As Christians, it is time to make our voices heard. Professor Robert George (Princeton University), Professor Timothy George (Samford University), and Chuck Colson (founder, Prison Fellowship) have jointly authored a document entitled the Manhattan Declaration. I invite you to read the document in its entirety, but I will quote a few excerpts here.

The authors begin with a reminder of the historical role of the Christian church in promoting and defending social justice:

Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God’s word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering.

Given our long standing commitment to these principles, it seems especially appropriate for the church to take a stand today, at a time when an increasingly secular government has become so insensitive to these human values:

While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.

And so, quite simply, it is these three principles are are under assault: 1) the sanctity of human life; 2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife; and 3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty. These are not subtle matters of worship preferences or fine points of doctrine; these are common traditions that are shared by Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox believers. We should join together in common cause on these matters.

But the situation is serious, and calls for a strong commitment to oppose the forces that would tear apart the moral foundations of our nation, even to the practice of civil disobedience:

Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.

These are powerful words, and worthy of your consideration. Please go to the website listed below, and read the entire declaration. If you agree with it, there is a place for you to sign it.

I have done so.

The Manhattan Declaration

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Researchers in London performed womb transplants in five rabbits, a procedure that was successful in two of them. Similar work has also been done recently in other mammals. The surgical technique involved careful connections of blood vessels to ensure that clots cannot develop.

In another lab, four sheep have become pregnant after an autologous transplant, (where the same uterus was removed, then reconnected).  However, in the rabbit study, the transplanted uteri were from a different animal in each case.

This has actually been attempted once in a human being. In the year 2000, surgeons in Saudi Arabia attempted a live donor transplant of a womb into an infertile woman. The transplanted organ failed after just three months. However, these most recent animal results have led U.K. physicians to predict a successful human womb transplant within the next two years.

BBC World News Article

When she first applied for her position at Mount Sinai, her supervisor asked if she would be willing to participate in abortions. Ms. Cenzon-DeCarlo, a devout Catholic, said no, that such involvment would violate her deeply-held beliefs. Her conscientious refusal was put in writing, and is supposedly protected by federal conscience standards.

All that changed on May 24, 2009, 30 minutes after Ms. Cenzon-DeCarlo came to work. She saw, to her utter dismay, that she was scheduled to assist in the abortion of a 22-week pregnancy. She immediately informed her supervisor that this was unacceptable. The supervisor claimed that the patient had preeclamsia (a hypertensive condition that can lead to serious complications if not treated), and that the procedure was an emergency. Nonetheless, the hospital had a six-hour window of opportunity to replace Ms. Cenzon-DeCarlo, which they failed to do. The supervisor simply told the nurse that the patient would die if she refused to help. With great reluctance, and feeling that her job was threatened, the nurse assisted in the abortion.

After the procedure, Ms. Cenzon-DeCarlo noted that the operation was not classified as an emergency, and in fact, early treatment (with intravenous magnesium sulfate) had not been administered. She filed a grievance the following day with her union. Several days later, she was told by two supervisors that she would have to sign a statement agreeing to do abortions, which she refused to do. She was punished by being denied overtime shifts.

Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo is still working at Mount Sinai, but she is suing the hospital. In her own words, the Phillipino nurse said, “I emigrated to this country in the belief that here religious freedom is sacred. Doctors and nurses shouldn’t be forced to abandon their beliefs and participate in abortion in order to keep their jobs.” She wants the hospital to restore her status and respect her religious beliefs.

The is an especially egregious example of the strong movement in this country to make health care professionals abandon their conscience rights. Abortion is not a part of normal reproductive health care. At the very least, doctors and nurses should not be forced to participate.

NY Post article

Source: After Harm, by Nancy Berlinger (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005)

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Appointed in November, 2001 by the Bush Administration, the Council has provided valuable input on some of the most difficult ethical issues in our modern culture. New technologies, both at the beginning and end of life, have challenged our understandings of what it means to be human, and what are the limits of medical science.

The Council was first chaired by Leon Kass of the University of Chicago, followed by Edmund Pelligrino of Georgetown University in 2005. Daniel McConchie (VP for Govt. Affairs with AUL) recently said: “This was the most balanced bioethics council in history, with two leaders . . . who went out of their way to ensure the council was reflective of all the major perspectives on the issues.”

The Obama Administration claims that the President’s Council was “a philosophically leaning advisory group” that tended to focus on extended discussion rather than consensus. Others were even more critical, calling it “more like a public debating society” than an advisory agency.

I have found the President’s Council Web site to be an excellent source of balanced articles on a wide range of subjects (the site is being archived, for which I am thankful). The Council’s outgoing Chair has said this:

To advance human good and avoid harm, biotechnology must be used within ethical constraints. It is the task of bioethics to help society develop those constraints and bioethics, therefore, must be of concern to all of us. (Dr. Edmond Pelligrino)

Granted, each presidential administration has the right to set its own priorities. President Obama has said that he will soon name a new commission that will focus more on “practical policy options.” I suppose that means that this body will be less focused on theory and more on tangible steps. Hmmm.

It has sometimes been said, not without justification, that university and hospital ethics committees are in place to rubber-stamp (and defend to the public) decisions that have already been made, rather than give true, independent ethical guidance. Could this also be said of the new Council under the Obama White House?

Perhaps the former “public debating society” will be replaced by a society where there is no debate at all. Stay tuned.

NY Times Article

That is why I am troubled by her June 5th piece, “The Myth of the Lone Gunman.” Her commentary on the recent shooting of late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller is mean-spirited, vitriolic, and unfair. Virtually all the pro-life groups in this country have disavowed and repudiated the use of violence to accomplish their aims. Most pro-choice advocates understand this, and have not attempted to use this terrible incident to discredit anti-abortion activism.

Not so with Ms. Goodman. In a subtle way, she casts about widely to find a wider circle of blame. Here are a few excerpts:

It is believed that the shooter acted alone. Surely, that’s true. No one else was standing beside suspect Scott Roeder when it is believed he murdered Dr. George Tiller in the sanctuary of his church.

But Michael Griffin also acted alone when he killed David Gunn in 1993. Paul Hill acted alone when he killed John Britton in 1994. John Salvi acted alone and so did Eric Rudolph and James Kopp. This suspect is hardly lonely in this murderous cast of lone actors . . .

The pro-life community reacted with shock. No doubt. But where was the shock at the fringe groups they forgot to disavow? . . . Were they also shocked by the everyday mainstream rhetoric that casually refers to abortion as murder? Did they worry about the movement strategy designed deliberately to target providers, the weak link of abortion rights, driving clinics out of 87 percent of our counties?

Pro-life leaders denounced the murder . . . [And] as a First Amendment absolutist, I don’t believe that words kill. But this week, I can’t help wondering whether rhetoric can justify a crime in the mind of a fanatic. Can’t words provide the sort of perverse moral platform that jihadists stand on and the alternate universe in which a “lone nut” can find a home?. . .

I don’t blame everyone who checks a pro-life box on the pollster’s chart. I know that ambivalence is the emotion often cast onto the sidelines of this debate. But it is well past time for the antiabortion movement to denounce those who are in the profession of inflaming passions: Those who call Obama the “most pro-abortion president ever.” Those who ratchet up the rhetoric on a Supreme Court nominee. Those who cull doctors from their honored profession by labeling them “abortionists” . . .

You see, this suspect was not such a lone gunman. And no, I am afraid, this was not an isolated incident.

Now, let’s be clear on a few things. The sudden loss of human life is always a terrible tragedy, whether that of a physician shot down by an unbalanced gunman, or that of an unborn child who dies as a result of abortion. Ms. Goodman is obviously more concerned about the former than the latter; that is her right.

I agree that our passions sometimes get carried away, and our rhetoric is sometimes “over-the-top.” That is surely true on both sides of the debate. Ms. Goodman specifically repudiates the use of inflammatory language, e.g., labeling those who perform abortion as “murderers.” She’s got a point.

But what would you have the pro-life movement do, Ms. Goodman? Should they tone down their rhetoric so much that they can no longer call abortion evil? Surely it is not extreme to say that abortion is “morally equivalent to murder,” if one believes that human personhood begins at conception.

The moral indignation of the pro-life movement is based on a passionate defense of the most vulnerable among us, those who cannot defend themselves. Trying to get pro-lifers to tone down their rhetoric will be difficult. Their emotions are understandable in the face of a society that wants to treat human life as a disposable commodity.

I sincerely regret that a few extremists have chosen to take matters into their own hands, rather than respecting the rule of law. Their actions diminish all of us. But Ms. Goodman, you should not blame us for our moral outrage against the evil of abortion.

Source: American Medical News Link

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Then came the news that the Commencement speaker would be President Barack Obama, and that he would receive an honorary law degree. Her reaction appeared in a letter to Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the President of Notre Dame University. Some excerpts:

I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions” . . .

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice. . .

It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.

Professor Glendon’s letter is a bold rebuke to to Notre Dame University for setting aside its historic pro-life principles. She should be commended for her strong stand on behalf of human life.

Newsweek Article

Full Text of Professor Glendon’s Letter

It’s ironic that the United Kingdom, one of the countries on the forefront of new biomedical research, (including embryo-destructive stem cell research), has no organized system for utilizing one of the best sources of stems cells: umbilical cord blood.

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, the wife of Britain’s Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, found this out in February when trying to donate their son’s umbilical cord blood to a national tissue bank. Only a few public hospitals in Britain are capable of collecting cord blood, and a vast array of bureaucratic and monetary hurdles prevent potential donors from being able to give.

Cord blood stem cells, taken from the discarded placenta and umbilical cord after birth, have already demonstrated enormous potential in helping patients with diseases, including cancer, leukemia, and cerebral palsy. Best of all, these stem cells are readily available, and the are no moral or ethical dilemmas associated with their use. In spite of these attractive qualities, relatively few parents in the U.S. or the U.K. know about the life-saving potential found in their baby’s discarded umbilical cord, or of the options they may have to donate the cord blood for medical research and treatment.

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez was told by officials that donation of her son’s umbilical cord blood was “impossible.” She is now trying to raise awareness of cord blood donation in Britain, urging the British government to expand the capacity of the national blood bank to collect cord blood for treatment and research.

Americans should follow Durantez’s example, and educate the U.S. public about the amazing potential of cord blood stem cells to treat human disease. As demand for umbilical cord blood grows, so will the agencies that can accept and utilize cord blood donations. Human flourishing may be improved on both sides of the Atlantic, in an ethically responsible manner.

Article in The Independent

Here is the interesting wrinkle: In a move that was probably unexpected by Oprah herself, Dr. Oz rightly pointed out that embryonic stem cells are probably not going to help much in this kind of research, because it is difficult to make them become specialized brain cells, and because such cells often form tumors when injected into experimental animals. On the other hand, an exciting development from November, 2007 uses ordinary human skin cells to create the needed stem cells. Although Dr. Oz did not use the term, they are called induced pluripotent stem cells, and they are far superior to embryonic stem cells. Look at the short video segment from Oprah – you’ll be amazed at how soon Dr. Oz expects these cells to be in clinical use:

Video Link

Today, with the Executive Order I am about to sign, we will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers; doctors and innovators; patients and loved ones have hoped for, and fought for, these past eight years: we will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem cell research.

This speech was all about vague promises of medical cures that will come about with the help of stem cells. So what are stem cells? The president doesn’t tell us. Where do these cells come from? The president doesn’t tell us. How are stem cells obtained? The president doesn’t tell us.

There’s an elephant in the room, and the the president is ignoring it. He never talks about the entity that must be destroyed to produce stem cells. These are embryonic stem cells, which means they must come from the destruction of embryos. What are embryos? The earliest stage of human life.

Honest people may differ on the moral issues involved in embryo-destructive research, but to have a meaningful conversation they must understand the issues at stake. Unfortunately, on March 9th, President Barack Obama didn’t tell the American people what he was really talking about.