The following is a post i wrote for an online symposium at Blogs for Life.
Defining our Future: Making Life, Taking Life, Faking Life
The pro-life cause can be divided into three broad areas of concern: Making Life (genetic engineering, embryonic stem cell research, cloning); Taking Life (abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia); and Faking Life (transhumanism, eugenics). What areas are we making the most progress? What areas will be of most concern over the next decade? How can bloggers have an impact in defending human dignity in these areas?
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In recent years the pro-life cause, as a whole, has gained much ground by raising public awareness about each particular area of concern. It is becoming common to hear about pro-life issues and positions in the public square. As awareness of injustice grows so does progress in combating it. I think the Civil Rights Movement proved this to be true.
The pro-life cause seems to be making the most progress in the area concerned with taking life. We hear of abortion clinics being shut down, of women who regret their abortions speaking out, of doctors and nurses explaining the brutal procedures they participated in. We see more young people showing up in droves at defending life rallies and marches—new ones like the West Coast Walk for Life. Abortion and euthanasia are raising questions in the minds of many. Politicians’ positions on these two issues are becoming important voter information. Laws are being lobbied for and even passed…the partial birth abortion ban immediately comes to mind.
I believe that the Internet is largely responsible for providing the awareness that results in such progress. From websites with encouraging pro-life testimonies to pictures of what an abortion looks like, the Internet helps to educate and inform the masses.
Taking life leads to making life and faking life. Making life and faking life leads back to taking life.
The area that is of most concern over the next decade appears to be in making life. I would like to look at embryonic stem cell research in particular…the growing When many people hear stem cell they automatically think embryonic stem cell. Well, there are also adult stem cells (from many sources, even skin) and umbilical cord stem cells, which do not require the killing of an embryo. There is so much media hype about embryonic stem cells as if the other types do not exist. Embryonic stem cells are purported as the hope in curing diseases. The truth is, all the cures that have occurred because of stem cells have been because of adult or umbilical cord stem cells. Not a single cure has come from embryonic stem cell research.
I have muscular dystrophy. I’m a wheelchair and on a ventilator. It drives me crazy when the embryonic stem cell research eclipses the other types. Money going toward false hopes. Even if a cure for muscular dystrophy did come about at the expense of purposely taking a life—I could not accept it. I want to push adult stem cell research because it’ll save lives without destroying any.
The Internet can do so much to eliminate the ignorance behind this area of concern. There in cyberspace one can learn things such as: somatic cell nuclear transfer is a fancy way of saying cloning and embryonic stem cells are known to grow tumors.
Awareness causes progress. A blogger on the internet can present the pro-life message in a personal way, bringing a variety of eye-opening information to one place. The pro-life message is one of hope precisely because it is a message for life. Bloggers for life then are messengers of hope.