Bishop angry over 'cheapened life'
LANCASTER'S Catholic Bishop has spoken of his sadness that society has "cheapened and violated" human life.
In response to the recent House of Commons debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, the Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue said he felt ethical and religious thought had been dismissed "as subjective and discredited."
"Again and again the justification given to experimenting on embryonic human beings or killing the unborn was an appeal to 'science' or 'scientific research' as if it were the only source of objective, rational knowledge," he said.
"Every embryonic human person is a wonder of creation, who possesses the inherent right to realise his or her potential for creativity, love, self-sacrifice, and joy.
"However, our society has so cheapened and violated human life that it does not hear or understand the language of wonder about the unborn.
"As I understand it, there is not a shred of scientific evidence to support those who promote the benefits of creating human-animal hybrids.
"What we witnessed in the vote allowing the creation of human-animal hybrids was a partisan act of faith that experimentation on embryos will at some distant time result in cures for Alzheimer's, MS and other diseases.
"We all hope and pray that medical science will find cures for these diseases that cause such dreadful suffering, but not at the cost of de-personalising the unborn and treating them as things to be manipulated and dissected."
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Weather for Lancaster
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
