theology 7 theology 44

At many pivotal moments in American history, leaders have turned to the Bible to justify their actions. The Founding Fathers, at the advent of the Revolution, inscribed the Liberty Bell with a line from Leviticus proclaiming freedom throughout the land. Martin Luther King Jr. thundered that he had gone to the mountaintop and, like Moses, was ready to show his people the promised land. Church and state are separated by law, but our country's visionaries assume a mantle of morality by invoking the priests and prophets of Scripture. President Bush seems determined to thwart any loosening of the restrictions he has imposed on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, despite rising sentiment in Congress and the nation at large for greater federal support of this fast-emerging field. His actions are based on strong religious beliefs on the part of some conservative Christians, and presumably the president himself. Such convictions deserve respect, but it is wrong to impose them on this pluralistic nation. Last week, in opposing a bill that would allow discarded early embryos to be used as sources of stem cells, House Republican leader Tom DeLay cast himself with the originators of the three major monotheistic faiths. "An embryo," he said, "is a person, a distinct internally directed, self-integrating human organism. We were all at one time embryos ourselves. So was Abraham. So was Muhammad. So was Jesus of Nazareth." Mr.Bush threatened this week to veto a modest research-expansion bill that was approved by the House and is likely to be passed by the Senate. The reason, he said, is that the measure would "take us across a critical ethical line" by encouraging the destruction of embryos from which the stem cells are extracted. Never mind that this particular ethical line looms large only for a narrow segment of the population. It is not deemed all that critical by most Americans or by most religious perspectives.

At many pivotal moments in American history, leaders have turned to the Bible to justify their actions theology 21 The Founding Fathers, at the advent of the Revolution, inscribed the Liberty Bell with a line from Leviticus proclaiming freedom throughout the land theology 21 Martin Luther King Jr theology 21 thundered that he had gone to the mountaintop and, like Moses, was ready to show his people the promised land theology 21 Church and state are separated by law, but our country's visionaries assume a mantle of morality by invoking the priests and prophets of Scripture theology 21 President Bush seems determined to thwart any loosening of the restrictions he has imposed on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, despite rising sentiment in Congress and the nation at large for greater federal support of this fast-emerging field theology 21 His actions are based on strong religious beliefs on the part of some conservative Christians, and presumably the president himself theology 21 Such convictions deserve respect, but it is wrong to impose them on this pluralistic nation theology 21 Last week, in opposing a bill that would allow discarded early embryos to be used as sources of stem cells, House Republican leader Tom DeLay cast himself with the originators of the three major monotheistic faiths theology 21 "An embryo," he said, "is a person, a distinct internally directed, self-integrating human organism theology 21 We were all at one time embryos ourselves theology 21 So was Abraham theology 21 So was Muhammad theology 21 So was Jesus of Nazareth theology 21" Mr theology 21Bush threatened this week to veto a modest research-expansion bill that was approved by the House and is likely to be passed by the Senate theology 21 The reason, he said, is that the measure would "take us across a critical ethical line" by encouraging the destruction of embryos from which the stem cells are extracted theology 21 Never mind that this particular ethical line looms large only for a narrow segment of the population theology 21 It is not deemed all that critical by most Americans or by most religious perspectives theology 21

Stem Cells Theology