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Stem Cell Study Replicated
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Scientists at Harvard have replicated two previous studies
by scientists in Japan and Wisconsin who turned skin cells into embryonic-like
stem cells, thereby avoiding the ethical problems normally associated with embryonic
stem cell research and the destruction of human life, reports LifeNews.com.
According to the results, published in the medical journal Nature,
the Harvard team says the new approach is not a fluke, but a legitimate method
that pro-life groups can say shows a reduced need for destroying human embryos
to advance science. Previously, the Japanese and Wisconsin teams released studies
in the medical journals Science and Cell that show how they
were able to make adult stem cells revert to their embryonic form.
Dr. George Daley of Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital
in Boston and his colleagues obtained human skin cells from a volunteer, whereas
the other two teams used commercially-available stem cells; they used fetal lung
and skin cells, as well. Although it may appear to be a small difference, Daley
says it's an important one because it shows how scientists can use the more ethical
method to create stem cells tailored for a patient for transplants. "Ours
is the only group to go from skin biopsy to cell line," Daley said.
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Gender Confusion
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Massachusetts' Northern Essex Community College is being
accused of discrimination by student Elizabeth Santiago, a biological female
who calls herself "Ethan" and presents herself as a male. Santiago
is upset for being denied permission to use the men's locker room, saying she
would feel uncomfortable using the women's locker room.
The college said that Santiago could be in danger of being
sexually assaulted in the men's locker room, but she has filed a complaint
against the school, according to the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover,
Mass.
"This tiny minority of students — less than a fraction
of one percent of the population — is asking the rest of society to not
only affirm them in their gender confusion and pain, but to radically reorder
the ways in which the culture makes reasonable and rational accommodation for
the two genders," said Caleb H. Price, social research analyst for Focus
on the Family.
Officials at Southern Utah University are facing a similar situation. Kourt
Osborn — who was born a female, but self-identifies as a male — is
accusing the school of sexual discrimination for not allowing her to live in
a male dormitory.
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SB 777 Recall Attempt
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In October, Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.)
signed into law SB 777, a sweeping pro-homosexual education bill. Arguably the
most devastating anti-family bill ever passed in the nation, SB 777
requires all curricula — even that of private schools — to treat
homosexuality and heterosexuality "equally."
"Under this mandate, teaching students about the benefits of
traditional families will be considered discrimination," notes Tony Perkins
of the Family Research Council. "Schools will no longer be asked to tolerate,
but to advocate a lifestyle with devastating consequences to public health and
conscience."
Among other things, history books will be required to include stories of "famous
gays," literature assignments will feature homosexual influences, and sex education
will include so-called "safe sex" for "alternative" lifestyles.
A large coalition of parents and activists is doing all it can to stop the law
from going into effect. But to do so, the group Save Our Kids must collect 434,000
signatures by January 10 to put a referendum on the ballot. Visit their Web site
at www.saveourkids.net for
more information and to see what you can do to prevent this kind of state-sponsored
indoctrination from smothering free speech in your classrooms.
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Your Two Cents
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We want to know what you think, so each week, we will open a new topic or discussion thread in our
Parsonage
message boards where you can express your opinions. This week's topic:
Give us your two cents right now by visiting our Parsonage
message boards.
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Featured Resource
of the Month |
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Sanctity of Human Life
Sanctity of Human Life Week, January 20-27, 2008, marks the
35th anniversary of the Roe
v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions that legalized abortion in
this nation.
Focus on the Family is offering a number of compli-mentary
resources to churches and pastors — online videos, downloadable Sanctity of Human
Life booklets, sermons, posters, etc. — as part of its commitment to empowering
others with the knowledge of why life is sacred.
Please plan to publicly recognize and celebrate the Sanctity
of Human Life Week with your congregation.
(P.S. How much do you know about Roe v. Wade? Take
a little quiz to find out.)
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Pastor's Weekly Briefing
Staff
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Julie Locke
Editor
Jan Bird, Roger Charman, Teresa Marshall
Staff Writers
Dan Davidson
Editorial Director
H.B. London
Vice President
Pastoral Ministries
James D. Daly
President
Focus on the Family
James C. Dobson
Chairman
Focus on the Family
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DO NOT NEGLECT THE "FIRST" STEPS TO SUCCESS
I have been guilty at times of setting lofty goals for myself,
and then leaping over steps "A" and "B" on my way to "C" because
the first steps seemed too easy or unnecessary. Not so!
I remember a time, when I was a lot younger, when I found a
copy of the Air Force Training Manual. As I looked at the system prescribed,
it appeared the first exercises were much too simple. So I skipped a bunch of
pages and just about killed myself trying to keep up with the regimen. The
end result: I burned myself out and discontinued the program. Why? I
had underestimated the importance of the first steps.
Many of us have been thinking and planning for the New Year.
Some of our dreams are lofty and seem almost unreachable. The tendency for "A" types
is to just forge ahead and perhaps forget the importance of laying a proper foundation.
Usually, that is a big mistake. We can easily become discouraged and even burn
out those who work with us.
In professional sports, only a few players go to the "bigs" without
first playing in the minor leagues. Most of us in ministry never begin at the "mega" level.
It takes time to learn your strengths and weaknesses — some of us take
time to do that, others do not.
The New Testament tells the story of one who began to build
a tower in the field and never finished. The unfinished portion was a reminder
to everyone of his failed attempt (Luke 14:28-30).
My prayer for you, as you enter 2008, is that you realize your
dreams and reach your goals. But I promise you — there is always a cost
to success, and being sensible as you begin will give you the very best chance
of succeeding. So, you don't need to read several chapters in the Bible each
day — begin
with one. You may not need to read a book a week — read one a month. You
want to pray more — pace yourself or you will give up much too soon. If
you need to lose weight, you don't have to lose it all in one month — just
cut back ... excercise ... and don't eat another french fry.
The Lord promises us that, if we will be faithful with the
small things, He will in time trust us with greater things (Matt. 25:23).
He knows human nature.
So, where do you begin? Hopefully, with small, determined,
committed steps. Before long, you will be sprinting toward the finish line, and
I will be there cheering you on.
Happy New Year! Be blessed and be a blessing.
—HBL
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"Choose Life" Plate Funds
Florida's "Choose Life" license plate program,
which began seven years ago to encourage women to choose life over abortion for
their unplanned children, has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars, but
the majority of the money is sitting unused. The problem is that the program
is designated to only help women who plan to give up their babies for adoption
and need financial help during their pregnancies. Women who plan to keep and
parent their babies themselves are not eligible.
While each county in Florida is eligible to receive funds,
many have a surplus and are only able to use a small portion of the revenue because
of the restrictions written into the program. For example, at the end of fiscal
year 2006, Palm Beach County had $278,463 in their "Choose Life" fund,
but had only been able to use $6,886 during the previous year. Lee County, which
has about $90,000 in unspent funds, has only been able to help 22 women since
2003. Throughout the state of Florida, $546,614 has gone to qualified agencies
for adoption education and for food and shelter for pregnant women who plan to
allow their babies to be adopted, while $1.6 million remains unspent.
While some Crisis Pregnancy Centers welcome the financial assistance,
others feel that the restrictions are much too limiting and that the complicated
paperwork does not make it worth their time. "If we really take a look at
this license plate, and it says, 'Choose Life,' why aren't we supporting the
kids who are parenting, who have also chosen life?" said Kathy Miller, president
of Lifeline Family Center of Cape Coral. Miller also said that most of the girls
at Lifeline don't decide about adoption until the last month of pregnancy, and
only about one in 10 ever develops an adoption plan.
Last year, with 41,051 sales, the plates were the most popular
among Florida's 104 specialty license plates. |
Creationist Science Degree
The Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research wants creationism
to be taught alongside evolution in Texas public schools, something that is currently
prohibited by the courts. ICR is seeking state approval and accreditation to
grant an online master's degree in science education. The degree would prepare
teachers to "understand the universe within the integrating framework of
biblical creationism," according to the school's mission statement, reports
the Houston Chronicle.
The request has sparked an outcry among science advocates who
publicly debate creationists. James Bower, one of these advocates, says, "They
have no interest in teaching science. They are hostile to science and fundamentally
have a religious objective."
ICR says it teaches its graduate students the "more typical
secular perspectives" alongside creationism. However, the students and faculty
must profess faith in a literal translation of biblical creation — that
God created the world in six days, made humans and animals in their current life
forms, that Earth is only thousands of years old and that the fossil record is
the result of a global flood described in the Bible. Institute officials said
their goal is to turn out "scientifically literate graduates" and they
use current scientific literature. Its professors have doctoral degrees from
well-regarded universities. The majority of the school's 54 students are teachers
at private Christian schools or home-schoolers, but some are public school teachers
looking to advance their careers. In 1988, California's education department
tried to revoke ICR's ability to grant degrees. ICR sued and won.
An advisory team of three independent experts visited the Dallas
campus and issued a report saying the degree program was "generally comparable
to an initial master's degree in science education from one of the smaller, regional
universities in the state." They stated in their report, "It is fair
to say that the proposed master's degree in science education, while carrying
an embedded component of creationist perspective/views, is nevertheless a plausible
program." |
Legal or Illegal?
A new study from Ellison Research of Phoenix, Ariz., shows that Americans rarely
agree about what is legal or not legal when it comes to religion and morality
in the public arena. The study presented a number of scenarios to people and
asked whether each is currently legal, not legal or in a gray area still being
decided in the courts.
Out of nine different scenarios, only three showed a majority
of Americans agreed about the legality:
- A public school teacher wearing a religious symbol, such as a cross or a
Star of David, during class time — 58% believe this is legal, 22% feel
this is not legal, 20% call it a gray area.
- Religious groups renting public property, such as a public school gym or a library room, for meetings if non-religious groups are allowed to do so — 72% legal, 9% not legal, 19% gray.
- A landlord refusing to rent an apartment to a homosexual couple — 9% legal, 77% not legal, 19% gray.
The other six scenarios show widespread disagreement:
- The display of a nativity scene on city property, such as a city hall, during Christmas — 38% believe this is legal, 32% feel this is not legal, 30% call it a gray area.
- The display of a scene honoring Islam on city property, such as a city hall, during Ramadan — 26% legal, 39% not legal, 35% gray.
- A public school teacher permitting a "moment of silence" for prayer or contemplation for all students during class time — 49% legal, 29% not legal, 22% gray.
- Voluntary student-led prayers at public school events, such as football games or graduation ceremonies — 49% legal, 27% not legal, 24% gray.
- The display of a copy of the Ten Commandments inside a court building — 26% legal, 45% not legal, 30% gray.
- A religious club in a high school or university determining for itself who can be in its membership, even if certain types of people are excluded — 26% legal, 48% not legal, 26% gray.
Factors such as income, race, region of the country, religious beliefs or political perspectives did not seem to make any difference in the confusion or disagreement over these issues. |
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by Tony Perkins
In New Hampshire, same-sex couples had a unique way of ringing
in the New Year. Nearly 40 held civil union ceremonies at the State House, making
a sobering statement about the arrival of New Hampshire's civil union law, which
went into effect January 1.
Despite the great lengths liberals took to pass the law, only
100 couples have reportedly taken advantage of the special status. The Associated
Press reports a prediction that 3,500 to 4,000 civil unions will be performed
this year — which is laughable, given that the 2000 census reported only
2,703 same-sex partner couples in the state.
Same-sex couples in neighboring Vermont and Massachusetts have
been mostly uninterested in seeking the legal recognition for which they fought
politically and legally, with only about forty percent formalizing their relationships.
Ironically, the newest front in the war to win same-sex "marriage" is
a battle to obtain same-sex divorce. In Wednesday's Washington Post,
one of the feature stories decried the recent court ruling which refused to grant
a divorce to two Rhode Island lesbians who were married in Massachusetts. The
article went on at great length about the various legal problems faced by
same-sex couples who can't get a divorce — without ever mentioning that
they are exactly the same problems faced by cohabiting heterosexual couples who
break up. Yet, many of the strongest advocates of same-sex "marriage" refuse
to say a word against opposite-sex cohabitation. The story ended with a law professor's
plea that even states that oppose same-sex marriage should allow same-sex divorce.
But recognition of such relationships to dissolve them is merely a Trojan horse
for recognition to create them.
(Tony Perkins is the president of the Family
Research Council in Washington, D.C.)
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