Vatican Issues Document on Bioethics- NYT

[uberllama42]

VATICAN CITY, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday said life was sacred at every stage of its existence and condemned artificial fertilisation, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning and drugs which block pregnancy from taking hold.

A long-awaited document on bioethics by the Vatican's doctrinal body also said the so-called "morning after pill" and the drug RU-486, which blocks the action of hormones needed to keep a fertilised egg implanted in the uterus, fall "within the sin of abortion" and are gravely immoral.

"Dignitas Personae" (dignity of a person), an Instruction of Certain Bioethical Questions," is an attempt to bring the Church up to date with recent advances in science and medicine.

<snip>

In the document, the Vatican also defended its right to intervene on such matters.

"There are those who say that the moral teaching of the Church contains too many prohibitions. In reality, however, her teaching is based on the recognition and promotion of all the gifts which the Creator has bestowed on man: such as life, knowledge, freedom and love," it said.


http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2008/12/12/world/international-vatican-bioethics.html?_r=1&hp


I understand the Church's thinking on the sanctity of life, even though I don't agree with its premises. What I don't understand is how the Church can talk about God's endowments to man and then call on LGBT people not to act on the instincts they were born with. Sexuality is so obviously natural, I just don't understand why it is considered sinful.

Am I right in saying that the Church believes that the dignity of a human person is so great that any sexual act which doesn't create a human being is a mockery of procreation? Any thoughts?

[GodlessBiker]

1. I hear Orthodox Jews who work in the DMV have stopped issuing drivers licenses ...

to people who drive on the Sabbath.

[Meshuga]

3. That's bullshit

An Orthodox Jew can care less if non-Jews don't follow the sabbath. The shabbat is a mitzvah for Jewish people to follow. Besides, even if an orthodox jew did what you "heard about", there is no "Jewish Vatican" telling Jews what to do so I don't see the connection.

[GodlessBiker]

4. I was being sarcastic...

It's an absurd thought, not unlike the thoughts of other religious people who might seek to impose religious tenants on others.

Yet, there are incidents in Israel, in ultra-orthodox neighborhoods, where people do seek to impose religious tenants on others, including the prohibition on driving on the Sabbath.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87870417

[Meshuga]

5. Yes, in Israel it is pretty bad

They give non-orthodox Jews and secular Jews a lot of shit. The nutty haredim vandalize businesses if Jewish owners open their businesses on the sabbath. And they attack Reform and Conservative synagogues over there too with swastikas and all.

[get the red out]

2. How can the Vatican

really issue any verbiage on "ethics" and not get laughed off the planet?

Of course, if you "block" any pregnancy from taking place there is a 50% chance that will be one less little boy to play with. "Natural" sexuality, between consenting adults, they find repulsive.

[moggie]

6. Intervene... how?

In the document, the Vatican also defended its right to intervene on such matters.

Cardinals blockading pharmacies? The Swiss Guard trashing fertility clinics? Oh, they mean just issuing proclamations. Sorry, Vatican, but judging from the fact that Catholics in most developed countries now have similar family sizes as non-Catholics, most of your own followers aren't listening. I suppose there'll be a few more nutty pharmacists and doctors refusing to do their jobs, for a while, but face it: you've lost this one. This obsession is just making you look increasingly irrelevant.

[uberllama42]

9. "The Swiss Guard trashing fertility clinics"

I wonder if they'd wear their pantaloons?

[John Gauger]

7. After all these years, they're still trying to stifle science.

They're still holding Western society back. They seriously need to be abolished. If ever any organization did more harm then good....

[ZombieHorde]

8. Vatican, Joe the Plum, what's the difference?

[uberllama42]

10. I guess they have as much right to voice their opinion as anybody else

Which probably leads to their becoming a laughing-stock along the lines of Joe the Plumber. I just don't understand how they can use their ancient ideas to try to influence policy today. I understand how they get to where they are based on where they start, but I just wish they would start in the 21st century.

[JerseygirlCT]

11. Years ago

I had cause to have an RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist). The guy had a big picture of the then pope, JPII, on the wall in his office, prominently displayed.

Always cracked me up. If only JP knew what you did for a living, Doc! All those awful artificial things to help people have children! The shame of it all!

The vatican is just silly on this entire topic. And they're rightfully ignored for the most part by many American Catholics. Someday they'll update their thinking on human sexuality and reproduction beyond "every sperm is sacred".

But I doubt it will be any day soon.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. A bunch of celibate old men trying to tell the rest of us what to do with our reproductive tracts.

I've always wondered why an ostensibly completely celibate organization is so obsessed with things that other people do with their sex organs.

Very glad that I'm not a Catholic, and don't have to give a flying fuck about their pronouncements.