Wednesday March 19, 2003
See today’s LifeSiteNews stories- CANADIAN GOV’T ATTEMPTING TO QUASH CLONING CONCERNS
- GOV’T ADMITS STEM CELL LEGISLATION ALLOWS CREATION OF EMBRYOS FOR EXPERIMENTATION
- PRO-LIFE MP SPEAKS ON MOTION TO BAN DESTRUCTIVE RESEARCH ON EMBRYOS
- DEADLINE FOR HOMOSEXUAL HATE-CRIME LEGISLATION BILL C-250 IS MAY 15
- 149 HOMOSEXUAL UNIONS IN QUEBEC SINCE JULY 2002
- USE OF ABORTIFACIENT MORNING AFTER PILL SKYROCKETS IN FINLAND
- NEW YORK CLINICS TO ISSUE “EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION”
- BONE MARROW MAY BECOME SOURCE OF NEW EMBRYONIC STEM CELL LINES
- LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
CANADIAN GOV’T ATTEMPTING TO QUASH CLONING CONCERNS
Vigorous Opposition to Motion 13 Confirms Government Duplicity
OTTAWA, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Expert testimony by former NIH bench biochemist Dr. Dianne Irving, who holds PhDs in bioethics and philosophy, has the Canadian government scrambling to try to convince Members of Parliament that its legislation on Assisted Human Reproduction bans human cloning. While Bill C-13 has always purported to ban cloning for both reproductive and therapeutic purposes, Dr. Irving has pointed out that the bill has clearly left certain types of human cloning untouched.
Following up on a brief to Liberal MPs from the Health Minister which attempted to assuage MPs concerns about cloning, several Liberal MPs addressed the House claiming that the Bill does ban all cloning. Liberal MP Judy Sgro, the co-chair of the Health committee which examined the legislation, attempted to convince politicians on this point. However, her sincerity was questioned as she objected to amendments to the bill which would do nothing more than to ensure that what she says was the case.
At least five of Sgro’s constituents may be shocked at her misleading of the House yesterday. Sgro, a Catholic, met with five members of her parish – St. Jude’s in Toronto – two weeks ago to ensure them of her moral stand on the legislation.
Another Liberal MP, Hedy Fry, well known for her inimical stance to pro-life issues, claimed that those pointing out that the bill did not ban all cloning were intentionally misleading politicians. Fry, a medical doctor, said that those who believed cloning was not banned were basing their beliefs on “bad science”. Fry quotes geneticist Dr. Patricia Baird as saying, “Based on an incorrect understanding of the science, some have suggested that the bill doesn’t ban cloning, but in fact on careful reading it clearly does.”
However, despite these assertions Dr. Irving and other medical experts note certain types of cloning are still permitted by the bill. Interestingly one simple amendment, Motion 13, proposed by Liberal MP Paul Szabo, would explicitly ban all human cloning “by any technique,” and yet is being fought vigorously by the Health Minister’s office.
GOV’T ADMITS STEM CELL LEGISLATION ALLOWS CREATION OF EMBRYOS FOR EXPERIMENTATION
OTTAWA, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In an eleventh hour brief to members of her Liberal caucus, Health Minister Ann McLellan tried to quell what is believed to be a groundswell of confusion and doubt surrounding Bill C-13, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act.
In the brief, the Minister attempts to counter claims that the bill does not ban cloning or hybrids, and that embryonic stem cell research could not be pursued. Besides the fact that she does not provide any scientific backing for her claims, she makes some startling admissions.
Significantly, the government is not attempting to refute the fact that the bill explicitly allows the creation of human beings via in vitro fertilization for experimental purposes. The Minister attempts to explain away the horror of creation of human for research which will kill them by saying that such research is necessary “in order to ensure that the procedures of fertility clinics are safe.”
Campaign Life Coalition responded to the Minister’s brief with its own letter to Members of Parliament refuting the Minister’s politically motivated claims.
See the CLC letter
https://www.lifesitenews.com/features/stemcellembryo/response_to_…
https://www.lifesitenews.com/features/stemcellembryo/clc_response…
PRO-LIFE MP SPEAKS ON MOTION TO BAN DESTRUCTIVE RESEARCH ON EMBRYOS
Vote on Amendments Did Not Take Place Today
OTTAWA, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The votes on the pro-life amendments (group 2) to the Assisted Human Reproduction Act Bill C-13 did not take place today as expected. Yesterday, during debate on the group 2 amendments, Canadian Alliance MP Jason Kenney rose to argue for his Motion 17 which he said “would have the effect of prohibiting destructive research on human embryos.”
Kenney pointed out that “If the bill were to pass unamended, the signal would go out to companies and laboratories that it is now open season on embryos and for the first time taxpayers’ dollars would go toward funding this destructive research.” He explained, “What embryonic stem cell research means, even on spare embryos, is that we take an embryo that has been created as part of an attempt by a couple to conceive a child and decide that this embryo, this tiny male or female human being with a unique genetic identity of its own, is not worthy of life or even of a decent, dignified death, but that it is merely raw material for genetic research, for commodification.”
He continued: “We take other embryos, the brothers or sisters of the one we are researching on, and implant them into the womb of a mother with the hope that they will become children. However, the embryo that is left over we do not treat as human, but as a mere object worthy of nothing but disposal.” Kenney reminded his colleagues, “Every single one of the 301 members of the House was once an embryo, no bigger than the head of a pin.”
See Kenney’s speech from the Hansard:
https://www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/072…
DEADLINE FOR HOMOSEXUAL HATE-CRIME LEGISLATION BILL C-250 IS MAY 15
OTTAWA, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Homosexual activist MP Svend Robinson’s private members Bill C-250, which would see “sexual orientation” added to Canadian hate crimes legislation, is due to be out of the committee stage no later than May 15. LifeSite confirmed today that the bill remains in committee and the Justice committee could, anytime before May 15, report back to the House of Commons with recommendations.
The committee could return the bill to the House for Third Reading with or without amendments or it could recommend that the House not proceed with the legislation. If no action is taken by May 15, the bill will receive Third Reading automatically according to procedural rules.
LifeSite has learned that all four Canadian Alliance committee members are opposed to the bill. The Alliance, which is the Official Opposition, has learned from legal experts that if enacted into law, the bill will substantially interfere with the right of religious and educational leaders to communicate essential matters of faith.
Pro-family leaders are strongly urging concerned Canadians to contact the Liberal and PC committee members.
Committee members to contact include:
Mr. Irwin Cotler
[email protected]
Mr. John Maloney
[email protected]
Mr. John McKay
[email protected]
Mr. Derek Lee
[email protected]
Mr. Paul Harold Macklin
[email protected]
Ms. Marlene Jennings
[email protected]
Mr. Pat O’Brien
[email protected]
Mr. Joe Peschisolido
[email protected]
Mr. Peter MacKay
[email protected]
The Honourable Andy Scott
[email protected]
149 HOMOSEXUAL UNIONS IN QUEBEC SINCE JULY 2002
MONTREAL, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The French Quebec publication La Presse reported March 16 that there have been 149 homosexual civil union ceremonies in Quebec since July 2002 when the law allowing the practice came into effect.
The paper reported that one third of the ceremonies were religious though the denominations conducting the services were not listed. Of the 149 unions, 82 couples were male, 67 were female. The participants were said to be between 35 and 55 years old.
USE OF ABORTIFACIENT MORNING AFTER PILL SKYROCKETS IN FINLAND
HELSINKI, March 18, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The use of the abortifacient morning-after pill quadrupled in Finland last year after the pills became available without prescription. The Helsingin Sanomat reported yesterday that about 100,000 euros worth of the Norlevo pills were sold in 2001, when they still required a prescription. Last year a total of 36,000 packages were sold, at a total cost of 400,000 euros.
The paper notes that the overall abortion rate – some 10,000 per year – remained virtually the same. However, the number of girls under 15 committing abortions has risen from 73 in 2001 to 90 last year.
See the coverage:
https://www.helsinki-hs.net/news.asp?id=20030317IE4
NEW YORK CLINICS TO ISSUE “EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION”
NEW YORK, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg yesterday issued legislation to make abortifacient “emergency contraception” (EC) available in the city’s STD clinics and health facilities.
The argument for EC is based on the belief that “unintended pregnancy is a reproductive and public health problem with tremendous impact,” including “maternal death, low birth rate, birth defects, infant death, and social and economic hardship.” The city’s records show that 41% of New York City pregnancies in 2000 “ended in induced abortion” — but that is not described as a “problem.”
“Although EC prevents pregnancy, it will not interrupt an already established pregnancy,” the Mayor’s press release claims. In fact, research has found that EC taken within 24 hours prevents pregnancy 43% of the time by destroying a ‘fertilized egg’ (aka embryo), i.e. a human life. Between 24 and 48 hours will do so 57% of the time, and between 48 and 72 hours will do so 71% of the time.
To read the mayor’s press release:
https://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2003a/pr073-03.html
For related coverage:
“EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION” ABORTS BABIES 57% OF THE TIME
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/1999/nov/99110903.html
BONE MARROW MAY BECOME SOURCE OF NEW EMBRYONIC STEM CELL LINES
BALTIMORE, March 19, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered that primitive human embryonic stem (ES) cells can be nurtured with the help of bone marrow cells. Prior to this animal fetal cells were used which brought fears of cross-species contamination. Scientists in Singapore last year used human cells from fetuses and women’s reproductive tract as feeder cells embryonic stem cells.
To access the journal Stem Cells:
https://stemcells.alphamedpress.org
Background information about stem cells from the National Institutes of
Health
https://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/primer.htm
For the Johns Hopkins press release:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-03/jhmi-sfn03180…
LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
Hear the audio from EWTN’s recent fascinating TV interview of Mel Gibson about the movie he is currently making on the passion of Christ.
https://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/SeriesSearchprog.asp?Ser…
POPE’S, PRESIDENTS AND POWERS
The National Catholic Register responds to Rod Dreher’s column questioning why the Pope has been using all authority and influence available to him against the U.S. action in Iraq and yet appears to have used far less of his powers to correct the deadly church scandals.
https://www.ncregister.com/Register_News/031703ppp.htm
SAYING NO TO THE MONOLOGUES
Five Catholic Colleges rejected the vulgar play, shouldn’t others?
https://www.ncregister.com/Register-News/031703mono.htm