Examining bioethics, morality, and culture from a distinctively orthodox Lutheran perspective. Site dedicated to the Holy Family.
Posted in sex on Mar 20th, 2009
There it is, my friends: I’ve let the cat out of the bag. The problem with current discourse in Lutheran circles regarding sexuality is, well, the word sexuality. You can’t find sexuality in the Bible (oh, sure, there are male and female, marriage, sex, more sex, approved sex, prohibited sex, and so on), but not [...]
Posted in sex on Mar 17th, 2009
Here’s an older piece, ca. 1994, by Dr. Mary M. Knutson, while associate professor of systematic theology at the ELCA’s Luther Seminary in St. Paul. The general themes of this document and the ELCA’s 2009 proposed sexuality statment, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, are remarkably similar. In both, notice the: invocation of Scripture and Luther (or other Reformers); promotion of [...]
Posted in Global Warming on Mar 16th, 2009
You can read about it from WISN-Milwaukee here. (Sorry; WISN does not permit redistribution of its content.)
Friends, it is absolutely crucial to understand what Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer is, and what it isn’t. It is cloning; even supporters of SCNT say so, even if only they call it therapeutic (vs. reproductive) cloning. Carefully read this from “California Stem Cell” (CSC), a company that apparently sells stem cells and host of complementary products [...]
Bill, a poster at GetReligion.org has responded to my second post regarding embryonic stem cell research. Fearing that our playful repartee might be cut off by the GR powers that be, Bill was kind enough to post here at Bioethike (see Bill’s comment under previous post). Privately, I’ve promised Bill a response. Here goes: Bill: Robert, I [...]
I’ve been having fun with “Bill” over at GetReligion.org. Here’s my recent reply: What Bill is proposing is that DNA be extracted from a person needing a transplant, say, for a liver. That DNA would be placed in an enucleated oocyte. Embryonic stem cells harvested from this clone (Bill objects to this terminology; let’s call [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Mar 12th, 2009
Here’s an interesting March 9 piece from Nicholas Wade at The New York Times. Notes Wade, The president’s support of embryonic stem cell research comes at a time when many advances have been made with other sorts of stem cells. The Japanese biologist Shinya Yamanaka found in 2007 that adult cells could be reprogrammed to [...]
The Orlando Sentinel’s tangy Kathleen Parker has a few things about embryonic stem cell research, including a quote from Dr. Bernadine Healy, former director of the National Institutes of Health. Healy calls embryonic stem cells ”obsolete.” After these appetizers you can click on the main course below. though federal dollars still won’t directly fund embryo destruction, federally [...]
Posted in ESCR on Mar 11th, 2009
Posted in ESCR on Mar 10th, 2009
For a limited time, Concordia Publishing House is offering a free, downloadable, 1-2 session Bible study on embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). The study was written by the Rev. Dr. Robert W. Weise, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and myself a few years ago. From the study: While ESCR offers many promises to those suffering [...]
The Reverend Robert C. Baker, B.B.A, M.Div., M.S., is an ordained pastor in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, and serves as an adjunct professor of philosophy at Lindenwood University's Belleville, IL campus. He is general editor of Natural Law: A Lutheran Reappraisal (CPH, 2011), author of "Natural Law, Human Sexuality, and Forde's 'Acid Test'" appearing in that volume, is the author of What Happened To Merry Christmas?, and has authored or edited numerous Bible studies and books.
