070501Alerts Pro-Lifers To Looming Decisions On NBAC,Stem Cell Research

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Fr. Joseph Howard, executive director of the American Bioethics Advisory Commission (ABAC), and Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a fetologist and former abortionist, addressed a June 21 panel here on bioethical issues: in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, cloning, and more.

The panel was part of the American Life League's "A Celebration of Human Life World Family Conference," held at the Radisson Hotel South.

Fr. Howard said he expects the Bush administration will soon reconstitute the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC), established by ex-President Bill Clinton. Judie Brown, president of ALL, founded ABAC as a pro-life response to the NBAC.

In later comments to The Wanderer, Fr. Howard related that Dr. Harold Shapiro, NBAC chairman told him in January he expects the current group will no longer serve as of October. Dr. Shapiro didn't know whether Bush would reconstitute the NBAC. "It is our understanding from very top sources," however, said Fr. Howard, that Bush will pick new members for that commission.

The composition of this commission will determine the country's direction on cloning, in vitro fertilization, and stem cell research. Earlier, NBAC recommended legislation on cloning that Would allow the procedure, but not for implantation. ABAC attacked this position on several grounds: It is no ban on cloning at all and a ban on implantation amounts to forced abortion, ABAC labeled the NBAC proposal "clone and kill.".

ABAC is "adamant," Father said, that at least one human embryologist serve on the NBAC. He wrote to President George W. Bush to urge the appointment of Dr. C. Ward Kischer, chairman of ABAC and a professor emeritus of human embryology at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Soon, ABAC will submit more names.

ABAC has asked Cong. Chris Smith (R., N.J.) to help get the names of good NBAC nominees to the President. Smith will do so, according to Fr. Howard.

Pro-lifers are also anticipating the administration's decision on stem cell research.

Fr. Howard told the ALL conference that Bush, as governor of Texas, stated he was not in favor of stem cell research involving embryos.

Father, who lived in Houston while Bush was governor, told The Wanderer, "I would hope he will honor that commitment." He pointed to the enormous pressure on Bush and Tommy Thompson, secretary of Health and Human Services, because many see stem cells as miraculous. He also stressed Dr. Nathanson's point that there are no long-term studies showing how people fare after they receive cells.

Questions that they both think need to be asked about stem cell procedures are: Does it work? Is it safe? Are there long-term consequences?

In his presentation, Dr. Nathanson criticized in vitro fertilization on the same bases. No animal experiments were used, he said. No one has done a scientific follow-up of children conceived in vitro.

"There are so many unanswered questions in this technology," said Dr. Nathanson. He called the five or six page in vitro consent form "meaningless." It does not explain the high rate of multiple pregnancies and the attendant risks, for example.

Women, he said, "end up uninformed and subjecting themselves to what is still an experimental technique, "

"Is medicine in the business of doctoring desires?" he asked, regarding both abortion and in vitro fertilization. With abortion, medicine is "doctoring" a woman's desire not to have a child; with in vitro fertilization, it is "doctoring" her desire to have one.

He stressed that an in vitro conception does not cure a woman's infertility. "When she has a child she is as infertile as she was when she started."

All these evils require a legislative response. Fr. Howard discussed Cong. Smith's bill on stem cell research and Florida Republican Cong. Dave Weldon's bill on cloning. Sen. Sam Brownback (R.,Kans.) has introduced Weldon's bill in the U.S. Senate.

Fr. Howard told The Wanderer: "We fear that while these bills are prolife [measures], there are loopholes allowing manipulation that could involve human embryos."

Smith's proposal would set up banks of stem cells from morally acceptable sources, such as adults, placentas, and umbilical cords. It does not, however, prohibit taking stem cells from embryos.

Weldon's bill would ban cloning by using somatic cell nuclear transplantation, but it "does not address ... all the means of cloning " said Fr. Howard.

X May 30 letter to Sen. Brownback from Fr. Howard, Dr. Kischer, and Dr. Dianne Irving, a philosopher and biochemist, says:

"We find S. 790 to be unacceptable in its present form due to Significant loopholes. The current legislation does not ban all methods of cloning, e.g., embryo/blastomere splitting, parthenogenesis, etc., or the cloning of human germ cells from living or dead human cadavers. It concerns us greatly that the issue of chimeras is also not addressed. These are all scientific methodologies which allow for human cloning and directly attack innocent human embryonic persons. We feel very strongly that any deliberations with the National Bioethics Advisory Commission are unacceptable.

"All processes, including human cloning, in which a living human embryo is formed, or even used, are forms of human embryonic research - which is already banned by Congress."

The signers concluded with a pledge of support in drafting acceptable legislation.

At the end of his ALL panel presentation, Father presented some ways to reverse the culture of death. He called for emphasizing the natural law and its application to civil law, promoting the formation of sound consciences, and reminding the medical profession to observe the Hippocratic Oath.