alan holmes wrote:
"Old Codger" wrote in message
...
Cardinal Keith O'Brien Blasts Gordon Brown Over Embryos
Mar 21 2008 By Kevin Schofield
http://tinyurl.com/yulwqy

THE leader of Scotland's Catholics is to attack Gordon Brown for
backing "monstrous, Frankenstein plans" for embryo research.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien will use his Easter Sunday sermon to launch a
blistering assault on the Prime Minister's plan to allow scientists to
create part-human, part-animal embryos for use in stem cell
experiments.

He will claim: "One might say that in our country we are about to have
a public Government endorsement of experiments of Frankenstein
proportion - without many people really being aware of what is going
on."

Supporters of the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill say it
will allow scientists to do research that could lead to cures for
diseases including Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and
motor neurone disease.

But O'Brien will insist: "It is difficult to imagine a single piece of
legislation which more comprehensively attacks the sanctity and
dignity of human life."

He will describe the law as "hideous", "deathly" and "grotesque".

And he will condemn Brown for not allowing Labour MPs a free vote on
the Bill when it is debated in the Commons in the coming weeks.

The leaders of all the other parties are allowing their MPs to vote as
they wish but Brown has imposed a three-line whip on Labour members.

O'Brien will deliver his broadside to Easter worshippers at St Mary's
Cathedral in Edinburgh.

He will say: "If I were preaching this homily in France, Germany,
Italy, Canada or Australia, I would be commending the government for
rightly banning such grotesque procedures.

"However, here in Great Britain I am forced to condemn our Government
for not only permitting but encouraging such hideous practices.

"This Bill represents a monstrous attack on human rights, human
dignity and human life.

"In some other European countries, one could be jailed for doing what
we intend to make legal."

O'Brien will call on church-goers to lobby their MPs and ask them to
vote against the Bill.

He will say: "As we celebrate, in the Resurrection, the triumph of
life over death, I urge you to ensure that life continues to triumph
over these deathly proposals."

O'Brien will add: "It seems that Labour MPs are not to be allowed a
free vote on this Bill and, consequently, are denied the right to vote
according to their conscience - a right which all other political
parties have allowed."

And he will criticise Brown for not replying to a letter from Bishop
Philip Tartaglia of Paisley urging him to allow MPs to vote with their
consciences.

Tory leader David Cameron tackled Brown over the free vote issue at
Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister stopped short of freeing his MPs from the whip -
but hinted that his stance on the issue may still soften.

Brown said the Bill would play an important part in providing "vital"
new facilities for scientists.

But he added: "Everybody in this House should have the right to
exercise their conscience and we will come back to the House with our
proposals to take it through in later times."

The Record revealed this week that at least half of Scotland's Labour
MPs are demanding a free vote.

But other members of the Parliamentary party are lined up squarely
behind Brown.

Livingston LabourMP Jim Devine, a Catholic and a psychiatric nurse,
strongly condemned O'Brien's sermon.

He said: "I find the type of language used by the cardinal totally
unacceptable.

"This Bill could enable research into diseases such as multiple
sclerosis and motor neurone disease, which killed Jimmy Johnstone.

"There is the distinct possibility that people could be helped by this
research and I believe it's important we go forward with it.

"It is therefore not helpful for the cardinal to use language like
this."

If the Bill is passed, scientists will inject DNA from human embryos
into animal embryos to create hybrids which can be used in stem cell
research.

They say the technique is necessary because of a chronic shortage of
human embryos for experiments. And they stress that the embryos will
only be used to create stem cells for research, not to produce hybrid
animals.

But no assurances will convince O'Brien and other pro-life activists
that such work on human embryos should ever be allowed.

It is far from the first time that Scotland's senior Catholics have
used strong language in their clashes with political leaders.

O'Brien was criticised last year for comparing the abortion rate in
Scotland to "two Dunblane massacres a day".

He also warned Catholic MPs who supported the Abortion Act that they
should not take Communion.

O'Brien's predecessor, Cardinal Thomas Winning, was an outspoken
opponent of abortion and the increasing availability of the morning
after Pill.

Winning fought against the scrapping of Section 28 - the law banning
the promotion of homosexuality in schools. He once compared
homosexuality to a physical handicap.

Bishop Joseph Devine of Motherwell angered gays in 2005 when he
claimed that homosexual teachers should not work in Catholic schools.

And just last week, he was widely condemned for claiming that the "gay
lobby" had aligned themselves with Holocaust survivors to make
themselves look like victims of persecution.



What the **** has this to do with birdwatching?

Nothing at all Alan but Pete, for it was he not I, doesn't give a sh**.
He cross posts, under all sorts of names, because he needs the
attention. The nymshifting is presumably partly to avoid the kill
filters and partly to annoy.


--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make
people believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]