ANOTHER LOOK AT STEM CELL RESEARCH

I thoughtfully watched President George W. Bush deliver his decision on the funding of stem cell research from his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Before the speech I had feared for the worst because of the intense political pressure the president was under to allow our tax dollars to be used for experimentation on human embryos to extract stem cells. The embryos, or human life, would be destroyed in the process.

Indeed the pressure on the president to do the wrong thing went beyond intense. It was extreme. Letters and calls to the White House in favor of destroying human life for experimentation ran at one point one hundred to one. That is one hundred letters for stem cell research for every one letter against. The calls and faxes were much the same. Those calling for the research held very high profiles. Michael J. Fox and Nancy Reagan lobbied the president for federal dollars for experimentation. Every medical victims’ group in America demanded that the president fund stem cell research. These groups represented victims of Alzheimer’s, multiple scrulosis, spinal cord injury, cancer, and the list goes on.

Every major medical organization, research group and the entire academic community including virtually every secular university asked the president to fund embryonic stem cell research. The flood of pressure came at the president from all directions--from Hollywood, from the scientific community, from the media and even from within his own political party. On top of that, church leaders in his own denomination wrote to him asking that he use federal funds for stem cell research.

Meanwhile the pro-life community was unable to mount a really good offense against stem cell research. Yes, all of the leaders including myself wrote the President asking him not to fund the destruction of human life, not to use our dollars for stem cell research on human embryos. But the grass roots, the members of our organizations did not flood the White House with letters or calls. In fact, the church body and most pastors were silent.

Despite the political pressure against him, President George W. Bush stood by his principles and his campaign promises and refused to use federal funds for the destruction of human embryos for research purposes. He did yield to the victims of disease by allowing federal funds to be used for experimentation on stem cells that had already been extracted from human embryos some years ago. His speech was elegant and in it he educated the American people. He informed them that stem cells can be obtained from adults and from umbilical cord blood, so that human lives do not have to be destroyed. He also told millions of Americans that frozen embryos could be and have been adopted by childless couples, and that thousands of these "snowflake" babies have been born. The president looked straight into the camera and said, "I also believe life is a sacred gift from our Creator." Later during an interview on his ranch he became the first President to state on television his belief that life begins at conception.

The next day the pro-life community bombarded President Bush with harsh criticism and hateful words. One pro-life Internet news organization said his name should be added to the "Nuremberg" list, referring to German war criminals who ordered the mass execution of Jews. I was so astonished by the attacks that I immediately read a printed copy of the president’s address to the nation. I reread every sentence twice thinking I had missed something. I had not. The president had kept his promise not to use tax dollars to destroy human embryos. At the same time he held out a hand of compassion for those that suffer from devastating incurable diseases. He had acted as president of all the people.

Did I completely agree with what the president did? No, I did not. I personally would rather die than to know that my life was being prolonged using the parts or cells from another human being without their permission. The sixty embryos that were previously destroyed did not sign a donor card on the back of a driver’s license. They and their genetic output were sold into perpetual slavery. But I did agree with him by about 90%, and so did almost every other major Christian leader in Washington including Dr. James Dobson, Charles Colson and Andrea Lafferty. Some supported the president but expressed grave concern, such as Ken O’Connor of Family Research Council. But many pro-life groups attacked the president as if he had ordered the construction of abortion clinics on every street corner in America. One of the harsher voice came from former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, who oddly enough had supported Senator John McCain in the last primary after he himself dropped out. Senator McCain certainly can’t be called pro life. The Christian community, particularly the evangelical community, was split on the issue.

One reason for the split is that most preachers were silent. I believe most preachers did not want to touch the subject with a ten foot pole. In their congregations there are those who have children with birth defects or who have parents with Alzheimer’s. Many of these, despite being born-again Christians, would allow the destruction of human embryos if it meant a cure for a loved one. Am I being harsh? The statistics prove me right.

According to polls a staggering 60% of adults completely agreed with President George W. Bush’s approach. Only 34% did not support the president. Of the 34% opposing the president’s position on stem cell research, 56% said he was not strict enough in banning it.

Lets extrapolate those figures: Only 19% of the public believe the President should have banned all research. Thus, far fewer than the 33% of Americans who are born-again Christians believe he should have banned all research. However, most of those asking for a full ban were Catholic. Net result, most evangelical born-again Christians either agreed with the president or thought that he should have gone even further to allow the research. To me that is the most astonishing aspect of the whole stem cell affair. And, 78% of the public said that stem cell research was important to them.

There is more. The poll results show that only 36% of adults believe that human embryos are "Life to be treated with the same protection as other human lives". Considering the fact that most Catholics and evangelical Christians are pro-life, this figure should have been double what it was. Bottom line is that many pro-life people are willing to allow the experimentation on embryos if it could mean prolonging their lives or the lives of a loved one.

Some other troubling issues arose as well. It appears, still, that if one politician stands 95% of the time with evangelical Christians while another politician is 100% opposed to evangelical Christians, then evangelical Christians will spend their time bashing the man who stands with them 95% of the time while ignoring the man who stands against them 100%.

Senators Kennedy, Clinton and Daschle all said that they intended to pass legislation to force the use of federal money for destructive experimentation on human embryos regardless of the President’s decision. Not a word has been said in the Christian media or on Christian talk shows about these Senators’ statements, and no efforts to stop them are being brought forth by the Christian conservative groups. All the negative attention is on President Bush. Perhaps some Christian leaders would prefer to run off President Bush and replace him with Hillary Clinton. It amazes me.

HOLLYWOOD AND STEM CELL RESEARCH

Montel Williams

A few minutes after President George W. Bush’s national address, Hollywood hit the airwaves to help evangelical Christians bash Bush. Montel Williams, who has multiple sclerosis, appeared on numerous talk shows. He said that perhaps his disease could be cured by experimenting on the "trash" human embryos left at fertilization clinics. He said on one show, Let me have the trash to help cure me".

I could not believe the selfishness displayed by Montel Williams on national TV. What he in fact was saying was, "I want to live no matter what. I don’t care who else has to die or how many unborn babies need to be killed to fix me as long as I get well." His logic as well as the logic of Michael J. Fox was based on the pure relativism that is now taught as a religion in our public schools. With no Biblical foundation of truth or fact it doesn’t matter what you do to "get well" or stay alive because there are no moral bounds.

Christian legal action groups have won lawsuits against school districts in two states for discrimination against Christians. In both cases lawsuits were filed against school districts for refusing to allow the distribution of Christian literature and Bibles on school property.

In Michigan, two high school students won their challenge against the Houghton-Portage Township School District whose policy stated: "The distribution of any religious materials, bound or unbound, is prohibited on school grounds or in any attendance facility before, during or after the school day or a school activity". The policy defined religious materials as books of faith, pamphlets, tracts, pictures, symbols, crosses statues or icons.

As a result of the policy the students had been refused the right to pass out Campus Crusade "Survival Kits" which contained a Bible and Christian music CD and video.

In Wisconsin the Liberty Counsel filed suit on behalf of eight year old, second-grader Morgan Nyman whose violation of school policy was passing out Christian Valentine’s Day cards that read "Jesus Loves You". The district was forced to change its policy and allow the distribution by students of religious materials.

"There are more and more cases going on like this these days," said Erik Stanley of Liberty Counsel. "I think a lot of it revolves around the fact that there are a number of misconceptions regarding what students’ rights are in the public schools."

Erik Stanley, with whom I have worked before, has brought numerous lawsuits against school districts that have tried to stop Bible distribution by students in the schools. After the victory he told reporters, "A student as a private citizen has a right to religion and freedom of speech." A student's free speech rights do not end at the front door of the school and federal courts are agreeing with organizations like the Liberty Counsel, not the ACLU.

Before the policy change students could pass out Britney Spears CD’s or posters to friends, but not Christian music CDs. "... This policy singled out religious literature for disfavored treatment." Said Stanley.

School districts across America point to the "establishment" clause of the Constitution and ignore the "free exercise" clause when it comes to religion. This is because of the numerous frivolous lawsuits by the ACLU which is itself a criminal enterprise that has for years extorted funds out of school districts in the name of "separation of church and state." This has caused many school districts to move against student religious free speech.

Shortly after his inauguration President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13198 creating offices for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives in five cabinet level departments. The purpose was to "audit" the distribution of grants and other funds to determine if Faith-Based groups were discriminated against. The findings issued in August were astonishing!

The report of the office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives found widespread bias against faith and community based organizations in Federal programs. Findings included:

(1) Restricting some kinds of religious organizations from applying for funds; (2) Restricting religious activities that are not prohibited by the Constitution; (3) Not honoring rights that religious organizations have in Federal law; (4) Burdening small organizations with cumbersome regulations and requirements; (5) Imposing anti-competitive mandates on some programs, such as requiring applicants to demonstrate support from government agencies or others that might be competing for the same funds.

The report also stated that the Federal law known as Charitable Choice has been ignored by Federal administrators. As an example in the Department of Justice under former Attorney General Janet Reno, Faith-Based organizations received only one-third of one percent of grants. Of the $626.7 million in grants during Janet Reno’s queenship of the department, Faith-Based groups received only $1.9 million.

In the Department of Education for the year 2000, Faith-Based organizations received only 25 of the 1091 discretionary grants, or less than two percent.

In the department of Housing and Health Services only twenty percent of the grant money set aside by Congress for abstinence training went to Faith-Based groups. Most of the organizations receiving abstinence funding were those associated with abortion mills such as Planned Parenthood.

This unfair situation continued for years after the Republican Congress passed Charitable Choice requiring all agencies to give equal status in grant applications to Faith-Based organizations. This proves beyond a doubt that the President's Faith-Based Initiative requires high profile passage to allow for an even playing field for Faith-Based groups.

President Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative passed the House with many flaws added as I outlined in the August issue of the William J. Murray Report. The bill now heads to an uncertain future in the Senate where Senators Clinton, Lieberman and Kennedy have promised to add "gay protection" to force Faith-Based charities to hire homosexuals and others who disagree with their basic principles. What is needed is genuine reform to allow Faith-Based groups to do what they do best, help people.

In the 1960’s, the age of relativism began in our public schools when prayer and the Word of God were removed. Relativism, simply put, is the belief that there is no absolute truth, just a lot of equally valid opinions. Thus, smoking dope may be wrong for some and right for others. Although this teaching of relativism began in the big major school systems such as Baltimore, Los Angeles and New York, it is now the norm taught in virtually all public school systems.

The teaching of relativism has many names such as "values clarification" but the core belief is the same. At the same time this trend of teaching relativism began, the school systems also began "self-esteem" training. The goal was to raise the self esteem of students regardless of any real talent they may have. To do this of course requires that those students that do excel in studies or sports not be rewarded.

Kathy Boudin

The result, two full generations later, can be viewed in our prison statistics. By the end of the year 2000 there were 1,933,503 people in jail. In addition there were 3,839,532 on probation and 725,527 on parole. This does not count the 2,500,000 who were released from parole or probation during the year 2000. The figures could be much higher because this does not include individuals under civil restraining orders, nor does it include juvenile cases. There are hundreds of thousands of juveniles incarcerated in the United States.

In all, one out of every thirty-two adults in the United States is either in jail, on probation or on parole. Georgia had the highest percentage with nearly seven percent of the adult population in the corrections system. Texas was a close second.

Who is at fault? The parents? The families? The Church? Most of those incarcerated were in the public school system for about twelve years. During that time they were taught that no absolutes exist and that they could make up their own rules. They made up their own set of rules but in so doing broke the rules of the secular government. Now they are in jail.

The schools teach our children that there are no absolutes and that morals cannot be legislated. Yet, virtually every single law on the books does indeed legislate morals and those same laws represent absolutes. If someone violates those secular moral absolutes he or she goes to jail.

In my personal testimony of salvation I sometimes mention the name of an acquaintance of mine, Kathy Boudin. She was raised in an atheist and Marxist home just as I was during the 1960s. The two of us went in different directions. I came to know Christ, while she became a part of the radical Weather Underground, a group that called for the violent overthrow of our nation’s democratic government. She is now 58 years old and serving a 20-years-to-life sentence in New York for her participation in an armed robbery in which a security guard and two police officers were killed.

Kathy Boudin was captured shortly after I accepted Christ in 1980. This year, as I celebrated more than twenty years in fellowship with Christ, she came before a parole board in New York which denied her parole. Kathy’s father was "civil rights attorney" Leonard Boudin. In 1970 a townhouse he owned in New York was blown up and three members of the Weather Underground were killed while making a bomb. Kathy Boudin was seen in front of the townhouse nude before vanishing into the murky world of counter culture revolutionaries.

The Religious Freedom Coalition began mailing IRS Truth Posters in August of this year. The posters were mailed bulk rate to begin arriving at churches in September. A second mailing of IRS Truth Posters of 20,000 is planned in September.

The posters alert pastors to the truth of what political activities they are allowed. One good example is that a pastor may invite a pro-life candidate to speak in his church but is not required to then invite any pro-abortion opponents. The posters also tell pastors what lobbying activity they are allowed, such as to stop the opening of sexually explicit businesses in their neighborhoods.

Many pastors have already sent words of thanks for the posters. Even Christian attorneys have called congratulating the Religious Freedom Coalition for getting the truth out to churches while at the same time countering the lies of organizations like the ACLU. A Catholic leader in the pro-life movement asked us to distribute the posters to Catholic churches as well. We are now seeking mailing lists of Catholic churches involved in the pro-life movement.