Human Cloning and Stem Cell Research

Today, President Obama over-turned President Bush's policy on the federal funding of stem cell research. You can read about it here. Now, I have no trouble mounting an ethical argument against the destruction of embryos to get stem cells. Once you believe that human life begins at conception, then the argument is easy to make. We have been irresponsible in our quest for reproduction, resulting in 'extra' embryos. Frankly, science has far outstripped our ethics in this category.

What strikes me as odd is how vehemently President Obama comes down against human cloning. In his speech he says, "And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction. It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society." I find this bizarre. I am personally unable to come up with why it is unethical to clone human beings if it is perfectly fine to destroy embryos to obtain stem cells.

Indeed, the only reason I find cloning repugnant is because it is creepy. It has nothing to do with ethics at all. The only reason I cannot condone cloning ethically is because the technology is so primitive, perhaps, that attempting this might lead to the horrible disfiguration of cloned infants or something of that nature. But cloning itself is a naturally occuring event. Identical twins share the same DNA.

This sort of logical inconsistentcy boggles my mind. I need help in understanding why the "majority" of Americans think it is morally permissible to destroy embryos, but it is ethically repugnant to clone humans. I believe it means that Americans are not being rational, but rather, we are simply guided by pragmatics and gut feelings.

The Joy of the Catechism

I grieve over the fact that many Baptists are unaware of the fact that Baptists have a catechism. When I mention to people that we have 'catechism' for children on Wednesday nights, I usually get a blank stare or a raised eyebrow. This is a tragedy! I tell the truth when I say that there are few things in this life that give me greater joy than hearing my son saying his catechism. He is four years old, and these are some of the truths he has learned so far:

1. Who made you?

God made me.

2. What else did God make?

God made all things.

3. Why did God make you and all things?

For His own glory.

4. How can you glorify God?

By loving Him and doing what He commands.

5. Why are you to glorify God?

Because he made me and takes care of me.

6. Is there more than one true God?

No. There is only one true God.

7. In how many Persons does this one God exist?

In three persons.

17. How did God create man?

God created man, male and female, after His own image.

So far, my son has committed 22 of these questions to memory. Every night before he goes to bed and before we pray, we go over these questions and answers. If I get in a hurry to tuck him in, he will hold up a finger and say, "Wait Papa. We have to say the catechism." I love it. What a magnificent discipleship tool for our children. How, oh how, did Baptists let it fall by the way-side?

All Things?

I haven't lived up to my promise to post more, mostly because I spent this weekend sick, sick, sick. I had, I believe, some sort of 24 hour virus sent by an emissary of Satan to be a thorn in my flesh. I did not preach Sunday morning for the first time ever due to illness.

As my cheek rested upon the cool, comforting porcelain that is my toilet in the wee hours of Saturday morning, the thought that honestly kept running through my mind was, "God has ordained this for my good. Wow. This is interesting." This thought made me feel spiritual, and it helped me get through the night. I thanked the Lord that in the mysteries of His providence, He decided that I should have the throw-up sickness for a little while accompanied with "other end" problems as well.

So, as I crawled back to bad, really glad that God had let me go through this for my sanctification, I began to wonder what ways this would work itself out for my good and His glory. I then realized that I would have to call Drew early Saturday morning, that is, the normal early Saturday morning not the "it's barely Saturday morning" time I was referring to earlier, and tell him he needed to get ready to preach because God might be pleased to finish killing me by Sunday. Then I thought, maybe this is it, maybe God wanted Drew to preach and that's why I'm so sick. Then I thought...hmmm...maybe I could just let Drew preach more and avoid the sick part.

I have no idea why it pleased God to let me get the virus of sickness. But I am thankful for it. We'll see in eternity why it was good for me to be laid low. I look forward to it.

By the way, I'm serious.

Brad Williams: Professor of Ethics

Because the local Junior College was probably desperate for a teacher, I find myself teaching an ethics class as an adjunct professor. It is mostly a situational ethics class, concentrating on how to be ethical in society. Since this classroom setting is not the local church, I am stuck in the awkward position of being unable to preach. Which, by the way, is harder than you might think.

For example, we have dealt with the issue of honesty. Would you tell on someone if you knew that they were having an affair? Would you use answers to the SAT/ACT test if you could acquire them beforehand? If you found out that a thirty year old married man was involved in a relationship with a fifteen year old girl, would you contact the police? The wife? The parents?

Even more basically, we have to ask why we "feel" that cheating is wrong. Who says it is wrong? Why is it wrong? Why is it that we cannot agree on the proper course of action? Why will some say, adamantly, that we should go to the authorities while other strongly urge folks to mind their own business? Should the majority be able to impose it's will on the minority? Sometimes? Always? How do we know when to impose our own will on others?

My purpose as a teacher in this setting is to teach the students how to think logically through difficult moral dilemmas. At the same time, I often purposefully upset the worldview of students so that they may try to discover what, if anything, is at the bottom of their personal ethical code. This unsettling process is like stirring muddy waters. What often appeared clear at the beginning seems terribly muddled by the end of the day.

Currently, I feel that my job at this instituition is to stir the waters, to upset the apple cart. My grief comes in that the fact that I believe, without the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no getting those apples back into the cart. The joy of kicking of the apple cart is significantly lessened if one is not allowed to give a great deal of help in clean-up. Sometimes, it simply feels mean to leave a student in the morass of ethical dilemma.

All this to say, I find my current positions potential for joy limited by my inability to pronounce: THUS SAITH THE LORD! I have to be tactful, and I have to believe that if the Lord would open the door for me to go about upsetting apple carts, then He means to use the mess I make for His glory and for the good of those who love Him. May the Lord clean up the mess I make, as always!

I Have a Blog?!

Okay, I almost forgot I had a blog. You probably almost forgot I had a blog since I haven't posted a thing in forever. I will do that soon. Like tomorrow. Something fantastic I'm sure.

Pagans are Serious About Prayer

I wish that Christians were half as excited about prayer as the wing nuts on the left. They seem frightened to death that Rick Warren would dare to pray "in Jesus' name." They cannot leave this alone...and people wonder why folks on the right are worried that left-leaning dominance will erode constitutional protection of the freedom of religion.

I could go on a tirade here, but I'm just going to direct you to a link and let you sift through for yourselves.

You can see the latest post here.

Leftward Insanity

If you are having trouble getting unsleepy in the morning, an article like this should wake you right up. Nothing like a cup of hot coffee and a case of frustration to get the blood going. Bottom line on this article is that the supporters of abortion and gay marriage are angry because President-elect Obama asked Rick Warren to pray. I especially like these gems from People for the American Way President Kathryn Kolbert told CNN she is "deeply disappointed" with the choice of Warren and said the powerful platform at the inauguration should instead have been given to someone who has consistent mainstream American values. Consistent mainstream American values? Hello? Hasn't the legalization of gay marriage failed on every single ballot including California? Who is mainstream again? And how about this one: There is no substantive difference between Rick Warren and James Dobson," Kolbert said. "The only difference is tone. His tone is moderate, but his ideas are radical. Rick Warren's social ideas are radical? He believes that marriage is between a man and woman and he is a radical? Wow.

Can anyone read this article and really believe that the left is interested in an equal voice for all? Would you, as a Christian, feel that your "values" would be respected by someone like Kathryn Kolbert?