| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"words of truth" |
| Date: |
23 Dec 2005 09:45:21 AM |
| Object: |
A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/BanescuJealousGod.php
Book Review: A Jealous God by Pamela R. Winnick
Chris Banescu
The Galileo prototype of the scientist martyred by religion is now
purely a myth. Science long ago won its war against religion, not just
traditional religion, but any faith in a power outside the human mind.
Now it wants more.
In A Jealous God, award-winning journalist Pamela R. Winnick exposes
some of the more unsavory and dangerous characteristics of the
scientific establishment that have contributed to the erosion of human
dignity and led to the abuse of individuals for the sake of science.
She presents countless examples where unethical and borderline criminal
conduct by scientists and researchers has been rationalized and excused
away in their zealous pursuit of selfish promotion and personal
financial gain. Driven many times by blind ambition and sheer greed,
many of these individuals have willingly compromised the sacred status
of human life and embraced a perilous relativistic moral stance that
establishes a dangerous precedent in science's pursuit of progress.
Winnick tackles the controversial aspects of abortion head on. She
challenges the rationalizations and arguments used by pro-abortionists
that claim a fetus is just another appendage of the mother's body and
only has "potential" life, not worthy of the same protections afforded
to all human life: "The fetus had to be kept down in order to prop up a
woman's right to abortion. If the fetus is given status as a human,
then obviously its intentional destruction could not be permitted any
more than the destruction of a fully formed life."
Amazingly, the book reveals that in a friend-of-the-court brief in Roe
v. Wade, more than two hundred doctors from institutions like Harvard
Medical School and the Mayo Clinic concluded that "modern obstetrics
has discarded as unscientific the concept that the child in the womb is
but tissue of the mother. [ ...] From conception the child is a
complex, dynamic, rapidly growing organism."
Relying on Dr. Liley's observations, Winnick debunks the myth that an
embryo is just a clump of cells and not really a person before reaching
three months of life. "By 25 days [of life] the developing heart starts
beating [...] By 30 days the baby has a brain of unmistakable human
proportions, eyes, ears, mouth, kidneys, liver, [...] and a heart
pumping blood." Such obvious medical facts are important, because many
in the scientific community, in their obsessive pursuit of
experimentation on human embryos and fetuses, often rely on the
"potential life" argument to justify just about any kind of
experimentation on and destruction of embryos and fetuses. By
de-personalizing the subjects of their experiments, these scientists
are able to divert attention from the human lives they are abusing and
killing and shield themselves from the moral responsibilities and
ethical implications of their actions.
A Jealous God exposes many instances where similar excuses have been
used by scientists and academics in aggressively pursuing dangerous and
deadly experiments on human subjects, fetuses, and embryos, forcibly
mandating "fertility control" for "undesirables," and promoting
eugenics, infanticide, and even euthanasia. Winnick comments:
Most secular bioethicists, joined by liberal theologians, believed that
not everyone should live; not everyone should receive medical care; not
everyone was worthy of life. In pushing religion aside, they argued
that antiquated beliefs could not address the complexities of modern
medicine and needed to be displaced by more 'flexible' rules.
A glaring example of a scientist without a moral or ethical compass is
Garrett Hardin, "a biology professor, population zealot, and
eugenicist." Harding loved the idea of having procreation regulated and
controlled by the government and using infanticide as an "accepted
means of limiting family size." He proposed a rather sick and perverse
solution to overpopulation: "Teach little girls, fresh out of
kindergarten, that promiscuity is much more fun than motherhood."
Hardin also believed that overpopulation would eventually require
society to euthanatize children en masse. His solutions are indeed
ominous and chilling: "Either there must be a relatively painless
weeding out before birth or a more painful and wasteful elimination of
individuals after birth."
Winnick also addresses critical ethical issues that are often ignored
by secular scientists when dealing with embryonic stem cell
experimentation. Such research raises profound ethical concerns,
because a live embryo has to be destroyed each time stem cells are
extracted. Despite such serious moral implications, scientists are
fighting to remove most government regulations and ethical restrictions
on their work, many times attacking any restrictions as "religiously
inspired."
Religion serves as a favorite scapegoat for the scientific community
and is frequently blamed for "blocking medical progress, literally
'killing' millions of Americans," especially with regards to embryonic
experimentation, despite the lack of proof to support such unjustified
claims. Winnick observes, "No matter how unlikely it was that
fetal-tissue research could produce the 'cure,' the government and the
religious [are] characterized as evil forces directly responsible for
the death of millions, if not the disease itself."
Such underhanded tactics effectively demonize and silence most critics
and help sidestep any substantive discussions of the ethical issues
regarding the value of human life. Sadly, "lost in the stereotype were
the human rights implications of unhindered science: the use of human
subjects, the exploitation of women, and the commercialization of human
parts." As a Cambridge law professor observed, "[M]ost of modern
bioethics is clearly subversive of this tradition of common morality.
Rather than promote respect for universal human values and rights, it
systematically seeks to subvert them. In modern bioethics, nothing is,
in itself, either valuable or inviolable, except utility."
Many embryonic stem cell research advocates have sought support from
Hollywood celebrities afflicted by incurable diseases or medical
conditions. Together, they have lobbied politicians and promised
unsubstantiated "miracle cures" that were "just around the corner" to
many suffering, disabled, paralyzed, or terminally ill patients. This
only raised false hopes for them and their families:
With all the hype, all the promise, all the raised expectations, there
was an insurmountable problem with fetal-tissue implants: They didn't
work.
Such cruel and unethical tactics and promises do not help alleviate the
suffering of these individuals and will not bring about any meaningful
cures for years to come, if ever. However, the hype did work
magnificently to enrich many unethical scientists and researchers
looking to fool taxpayers into financing their risky and
unsubstantiated pet projects.
The effectiveness and success of such strategies was regrettably
evidenced by California's passage of Proposition 71, which authorized
billions of state taxpayer dollars for embryonic stem cell research and
established an unprecedented state constitutional "right" to conduct
such experimentation. Even worse, the wording of Prop. 71 allows for
little oversight of the process by state officials or taxpayers,
empowering only the scientists with setting the standards of their own
research.
A similar tragedy has also been unfolding on a national level.
Succumbing to intense lobbying efforts from the research community and
the outcries from patient advocacy groups, federal funding of medical
research has ballooned from a mere $700,000 in the 1940s to nearly $30
billion in 2005. This money is allocated in a rather arbitrary and
biased fashion. The lion's share of the funds often goes to the most
politically correct diseases, the strongest and most vocal lobbying
groups, and the best politically or celebrity-connected organizations,
not to those afflicted by the most common illnesses or who need the
most help. Ironically, if scientific and ethical principles were being
applied, "the allocation or research money should be fair, based on
objective, non-political criteria, including the number of deaths from
a particular disease, the severity of the disease, the numbers of
Americans afflicted with the disease." Unfortunately, such ethical and
reasonable approaches are not followed.
The results of such misguided policies are tragic. While the most
publicized and best-lobbied diseases received enormous amounts of
funding, "other fatal diseases affecting larger numbers of Americans
were neglected in favor of "celebrity" diseases, generally whatever
disease affected the most visible and wealthy Americans, particularly
Hollywood stars."
What makes this book so effective is Winnick's balanced and objective
writing, which is further strengthened by her journalistic style and
solid documentation. Interestingly enough, the book uses scientific
evidence and truth to debunk the lies and myths perpetuated by
unethical scientists. Winnick relies on facts, ethics, common sense,
and reason to present an honest, objective, and balanced perspective.
In doing so, she effectively brings a solid dose of reality and a great
deal of credibility and weight to an important debate.
Chris Banescu is an attorney, university professor, and public speaker.
He also manages the conservative site www.OrthodoxNet.com, writes
articles, and has given talks and conducted seminars on a variety of
business, cultural, and religious topics.
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| User: "Hagar" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
23 Dec 2005 03:03:40 PM |
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"words of truth" <wordsoftruth@hoshmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135352721.031918.196150@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/BanescuJealousGod.php
Book Review: A Jealous God by Pamela R. Winnick
Chris Banescu
snip anti abortion drivel <
A woman's right to decide supersedes all other factors.
She has to live with it, not you.
If you don't want an abortion, then don't get one. Stop trying to shove
your personal view down other people's throat.
You religious nuts have such a conniption over abortion, but see absolutely
nothing wrong with sending fully grown fetuses off to war to get killed.
Oh, I see ... that's in the name of National Defense. Well, an abortion
then is the choice to kill the fetus before the Government gets a hold of
it.
I also am sure that there are more pressing issues in the world awaiting
resolution than your personal peccadilloes. How about all the starving kids
in Africa. Put their parents on birth control ... oops, I see, you'd rather
see the kids die an agonizing death of starvation than not be conceived in
the first place, which would violate Gawd's law of blah blah blah.
You are all FUCKING HYPOCRITES
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| User: "Denis Loubet" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
23 Dec 2005 01:30:21 PM |
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"words of truth" <wordsoftruth@hoshmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135352721.031918.196150@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/BanescuJealousGod.php
Book Review: A Jealous God by Pamela R. Winnick
Sorry, "A Jealous God" is Christianity's slogan. Science makes no such
claim.
--
Denis Loubet
dloubet@io.com
http://www.io.com/~dloubet
http://www.ashenempires.com
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| User: "MarkA" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
23 Dec 2005 04:43:06 PM |
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On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 07:45:21 -0800, words of truth wrote:
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/BanescuJealousGod.php
Book Review: A Jealous God by Pamela R. Winnick
Chris Banescu
The Galileo prototype of the scientist martyred by religion is now
purely a myth. Science long ago won its war against religion, not just
traditional religion, but any faith in a power outside the human mind.
Now it wants more.
In A Jealous God, award-winning journalist Pamela R. Winnick exposes
some of the more unsavory and dangerous characteristics of the
scientific establishment that have contributed to the erosion of human
dignity and led to the abuse of individuals for the sake of science.
She presents countless examples where unethical and borderline criminal
conduct by scientists and researchers has been rationalized and excused
away in their zealous pursuit of selfish promotion and personal
financial gain. Driven many times by blind ambition and sheer greed,
many of these individuals have willingly compromised the sacred status
of human life and embraced a perilous relativistic moral stance that
establishes a dangerous precedent in science's pursuit of progress.
You mean that scientists have the same weaknesses as other people??? The
same blind ambition and personal greed that has plagued the religious
establishment for thousands of years?? OH, MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!
Winnick tackles the controversial aspects of abortion head on. She
challenges the rationalizations and arguments used by pro-abortionists
that claim a fetus is just another appendage of the mother's body and
only has "potential" life, not worthy of the same protections afforded
to all human life: "The fetus had to be kept down in order to prop up a
woman's right to abortion. If the fetus is given status as a human, then
obviously its intentional destruction could not be permitted any more
than the destruction of a fully formed life."
<snip>
Many embryonic stem cell research advocates have sought support from
Hollywood celebrities afflicted by incurable diseases or medical
conditions. Together, they have lobbied politicians and promised
unsubstantiated "miracle cures" that were "just around the corner" to
many suffering, disabled, paralyzed, or terminally ill patients. This
only raised false hopes for them and their families:
True. It is inconceivable that improved understanding of the basic
mechanisms by which pluripotent stem-cells specialize into different
tissue types will ever be helpful. Stem cell research is a big con game.
Did you ever consider that stem cell research might help you grow some
neural tissue inside your skull?
--
MarkA
(this space accidentally filled in)
.
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| User: "Malcolm" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
25 Dec 2005 03:25:15 AM |
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"MarkA" <toor@nowhere.com> wrote
True. It is inconceivable that improved understanding of the basic
mechanisms by which pluripotent stem-cells specialize into different
tissue types will ever be helpful. Stem cell research is a big con game.
Did you ever consider that stem cell research might help you grow some
neural tissue inside your skull?
At this stage we should be looking at the basic science, which can be done
in mice.
There's no moral problem with that, though it requires more regulatory
approval to do invasive procedures on a foetal mouse than on a foetal human.
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| User: "Denis Loubet" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
23 Dec 2005 05:17:10 PM |
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"MarkA" <toor@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.12.23.22.43.00.686101@nowhere.com...
On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 07:45:21 -0800, words of truth wrote:
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/BanescuJealousGod.php
Book Review: A Jealous God by Pamela R. Winnick
Chris Banescu
The Galileo prototype of the scientist martyred by religion is now
purely a myth. Science long ago won its war against religion, not just
traditional religion, but any faith in a power outside the human mind.
Now it wants more.
In A Jealous God, award-winning journalist Pamela R. Winnick exposes
some of the more unsavory and dangerous characteristics of the
scientific establishment that have contributed to the erosion of human
dignity and led to the abuse of individuals for the sake of science.
She presents countless examples where unethical and borderline criminal
conduct by scientists and researchers has been rationalized and excused
away in their zealous pursuit of selfish promotion and personal
financial gain. Driven many times by blind ambition and sheer greed,
many of these individuals have willingly compromised the sacred status
of human life and embraced a perilous relativistic moral stance that
establishes a dangerous precedent in science's pursuit of progress.
You mean that scientists have the same weaknesses as other people??? The
same blind ambition and personal greed that has plagued the religious
establishment for thousands of years?? OH, MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!
Winnick tackles the controversial aspects of abortion head on. She
challenges the rationalizations and arguments used by pro-abortionists
that claim a fetus is just another appendage of the mother's body and
only has "potential" life, not worthy of the same protections afforded
to all human life: "The fetus had to be kept down in order to prop up a
woman's right to abortion. If the fetus is given status as a human, then
obviously its intentional destruction could not be permitted any more
than the destruction of a fully formed life."
<snip>
Many embryonic stem cell research advocates have sought support from
Hollywood celebrities afflicted by incurable diseases or medical
conditions. Together, they have lobbied politicians and promised
unsubstantiated "miracle cures" that were "just around the corner" to
many suffering, disabled, paralyzed, or terminally ill patients. This
only raised false hopes for them and their families:
True. It is inconceivable that improved understanding of the basic
mechanisms by which pluripotent stem-cells specialize into different
tissue types will ever be helpful. Stem cell research is a big con game.
Did you ever consider that stem cell research might help you grow some
neural tissue inside your skull?
I think he rather likes the echoes.
--
Denis Loubet
dloubet@io.com
http://www.io.com/~dloubet
http://www.ashenempires.com
.
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| User: "bob young" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
24 Dec 2005 10:24:01 PM |
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MarkA wrote:
On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 07:45:21 -0800, words of truth wrote:
http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/BanescuJealousGod.php
Book Review: A Jealous God by Pamela R. Winnick
Chris Banescu
The Galileo prototype of the scientist martyred by religion is now
purely a myth. Science long ago won its war against religion, not just
traditional religion, but any faith in a power outside the human mind.
Now it wants more.
In A Jealous God, award-winning journalist Pamela R. Winnick exposes
some of the more unsavory and dangerous characteristics of the
scientific establishment that have contributed to the erosion of human
dignity and led to the abuse of individuals for the sake of science.
She presents countless examples where unethical and borderline criminal
conduct by scientists and researchers has been rationalized and excused
away in their zealous pursuit of selfish promotion and personal
financial gain. Driven many times by blind ambition and sheer greed,
many of these individuals have willingly compromised the sacred status
of human life and embraced a perilous relativistic moral stance that
establishes a dangerous precedent in science's pursuit of progress.
You mean that scientists have the same weaknesses as other people??? The
same blind ambition and personal greed that has plagued the religious
establishment for thousands of years?? OH, MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!
Winnick tackles the controversial aspects of abortion head on. She
challenges the rationalizations and arguments used by pro-abortionists
that claim a fetus is just another appendage of the mother's body and
only has "potential" life, not worthy of the same protections afforded
to all human life: "The fetus had to be kept down in order to prop up a
woman's right to abortion. If the fetus is given status as a human, then
obviously its intentional destruction could not be permitted any more
than the destruction of a fully formed life."
<snip>
Many embryonic stem cell research advocates have sought support from
Hollywood celebrities afflicted by incurable diseases or medical
conditions. Together, they have lobbied politicians and promised
unsubstantiated "miracle cures" that were "just around the corner" to
many suffering, disabled, paralyzed, or terminally ill patients. This
only raised false hopes for them and their families:
True. It is inconceivable that improved understanding of the basic
mechanisms by which pluripotent stem-cells specialize into different
tissue types will ever be helpful. Stem cell research is a big con game.
Did you ever consider that stem cell research might help you grow some
neural tissue inside your skull?
Don't believe that, it ain't in the bible.
--
MarkA
(this space accidentally filled in)
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| User: "Thurisaz, Germanic barbarian" |
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| Title: Re: A Jealous God: The Science's War Against Religion |
24 Dec 2005 02:01:38 AM |
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words of truth wrote:
The Galileo prototype of the scientist martyred by religion is now
purely a myth. Science long ago won its war against religion, not just
traditional religion, but any faith in a power outside the human mind.
Now it wants more.
Tinfoil hats anyone?
--
"To his friend a man a friend shall prove,
And gifts with gifts requite;
But men shall mocking with mockery answer,
And fraud with falsehood meet."
(The Poetic Edda)
Must have been written with fundies in mind...
Why I am not a christian:
http://www.carcosa.de/nojebus/nojebus
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