The Wave of the Future

Writing in the May 2009 issue of First Things (still behind a subscription firewall), Editor Joseph Bottom notes an indicator of where our utilitarian society is headed.

Back in February, Dr. Jeff Steinberg, director of Fertility Institutes in Los Angeles, announced that he would help couples choose the eye, hair, and skin color of their children using genetic embryo screening. "Genetic health is the wave of the future," he told the New York Daily News. "It's already happening and it's not going to go away. It's going to expand. So if they've got major problems with it, they need to sit down and really examine their own consciences, because there's nothing that's going to stop it."

As it happens, enough people did sit down, examine their consciences, and then stood right back up again: The public outcry eventually forced Steinberg's clinic to suspend the service. In its news release, the Fertility Institutes admitted that, "though well intended, we remain sensitive to public perception and feel that any benefit the diagnostic studies may offer are far outweighed by the apparent negative societal impacts involved." The clinic hasn't exactly stopped practicing eugenics. They still boast of a "100 percent sex-selection success rate"--meaning, of course, that embryos of the undesired sex are discarded. The clinic also screens embryos for "albinism or other ocular pigmentation disorders" as well as a range of genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome and hemophilia. Eugenics is fine, as long as you don't alter eye and hair color.

Happy Birthday

One of those things that has to be shared. It brought tears to my unfeeling German eyes.



H/T: Kevin Knight at New Advent and California Catholic Daily.

FOCA and It's Evil Twin

I was surprised to open a copy of The Catholic Telegraph and find a Catholic News Service brief assuring me that the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was nothing that I need to worry about. According to CNS, FOCA died with the 110th Congress, has not been reintroduced, would not result in the closing of any Catholic hospitals, and would not threaten the conscience rights of any who work in healthcare.

What a relief! I'm sure we can count on Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to keep the legislation from being introduced in the 111th Congress (I typed with tongue firmly in cheek). Somebody tell the USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities to get with the program! Lest anybody miss my sarcasm, I want to state clearly that I am dubious of the assurances in the CNS brief.

Meanwhile, the Catholic News Agency reports on the Prevention First Act (PFA). This act, which has be introduced in the present congress under the bill number S. 21, would dramatically increase funding for contraception and explicit sexual education. Emphasis on FOCA could draw attention away from PFA. Both pieces of legislation are gravely immoral.

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.

Elections Matter

On one hand, we have a President who has stated that he doesn't want women and girls who are unfortunate enough to get pregnant to be punished with a baby; therefore, abortion on demand must be available. The United States is now going to promote abortion and contraception in its foreign policy.

And we have the nominally Catholic Speaker of the House, who defends the inclusion of funding for contraceptives in an emergency economic stimulus package because it will save costs. Babies cost money. They are a drain on the economy. We must reduce the number of babies.

And then we have PBS, the government broadcaster, arguing that feeding tubes should not be given to Alzheimers patients. We're told not to think of it as starving the patient. "The patient will die, but they will die of dehydration, not starvation. When you think about it, that’s how God designed most of us to die. We get some kind of disease. We stop eating and drinking. It’s the lack of water will kill us within a couple of weeks, not the lack of calories."

53% of Catholics voted for these people.

Giving the Matrix the Finger(s)

The full story of Michael Grumbine's battle against the "abortion Matrix" was told by Tim Drake in July 2008. A short summary follows.

Mr. Grumbine's three teenage daughters were trying to help promote a pro-life event at their high school. He wanted to help, so he had some flyers printed up, then he donned a dark suit and sunglasses, ala Mr. Smith from the Matrix movies. He borrowed an ultra-light powered para-glider and circled above his daughters' school, dropping leaflets on the sidewalk and school grounds.

The leaflets said "Fight the Matrix!" on one side. On the other side it warned students that they should not look at or talk to the people in front of the school, that they were in the Matrix and must do as they were told. Naturally, the more the teachers of the school told the children not to pick up and read the flyers, the more they wanted to, and then to go and see what the pro-life event was all about.

However, Mr. Grumbine suddenly started losing altitude. Thinking that the air intake on his engine was blocked by a stray flyer, he reached back to clear it, and two of his fingers were taken off by his propeller, forcing him to make a hasty landing.

Mr. Grumbine's efforts caused many students who would not otherwise have accepted pro-life literature to investigate what the group had to say. We should all be more open and inventive in promoting the culture of life, although we should also be careful not to lose any fingers.

Additional reporting on this story (with photos) can be found here.

Norma (Jane Roe)

From Virtue Media:

“Norma McCorvey’s testimony is a incredible example of God’s redeeming grace. I commend Norma for her courage to speak out on the evils of abortion and pray that her redemptive story will touch hearts and change minds.”

Alan E. SearsPresident,
CEO and General Counsel
Alliance Defense Fund