Posted on 07/29/2005 8:27:04 PM PDT by JohnBDay
Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Focus on the Family Action founder and chairman Dr. James C. Dobson issued the following statement today after learning that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., had come out strongly in favor of increased federal funding for destructive embryonic stem-cell research:
“It is an understatement to say that the pro-life community is disappointed by Sen. Frist's decision to join efforts to void President Bush's policy limiting the funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Most distressing is that, in making his announcement, Sen. Frist calls himself a defender of the sanctity of human life -- even though the research he now advocates results, without exception, in the destruction of human life.
"Sen. Frist argues that under the Bush policy, there are insufficient stem-cell lines to maximize what he calls the 'promise' of embryonic stem-cell research. That statement continues the common misconception that embryonic stem cells hold the greatest potential for human healing and therapy. In reality, recently published studies demonstrate that some adult stem cells can form most, if not all, body tissues, just like embryonic cells may be able to do. Furthermore, there will never be a sufficient number of new stem-cell lines to satisfy the sometimes unquenchable thirst for federal money to fund pet projects of researchers. A morally sound line must be drawn at the beginning of this journey into stem-cell research: that no human life is sacrificed for possible or proven scientific gain – period.
"The media have already begun speculating that Sen. Frist's announcement today is designed to improve his chances of winning the White House in 2008 should he choose to run. If that is the case, he has gravely miscalculated. To push for the expansion of this suspect and unethical science will be rightly seen by America's values voters as the worst kind of betrayal – choosing politics over principle.
"We urge Sen. Frist to reconsider his position in light of the values he has espoused during his career in public service."
My tagline fits Frist like a glove.
Why is it a sell out? Can convictions be held on the other side? I'd be prone to believe an accomplished physician, rather than Dobson.
Make a decision that Dobson doesn't agree with, and everyone calls Frist a sellout. I don't agree with Frist either, and I'm not about to call him a sellout.
There is no need for embryonic stem cell research.
Dobson is an accomplished physician.
Dr. Dobson holds a Ph.D. in Child Development from the University of Southern California. He served for fourteen years as the Associate Clinical Professor of pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine, and for seventeen years on the attending staff of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in the division of child development and medical genetics. Dr. Dobson and his wife reside in Colorado and have two grown children.
Ill call frist a sellout right here and now....a sellout to socialism. Regardless of whether I like ESCR or not....the government should NOT fund this research. Let the PRIVATE sector do it
A doctorate holding psychologist is different from an M.D. I would imagine.
Where does the medical degree come into play here? When Frist opposed this originally, it was because be believed it was unethical to kill human embryos for the potential benefit of other humans. Sounds like we're in the area of ethics rather than medicine to me.
He's a sell-out because he says that "the human embryo has moral significance and moral worth" and "deserves to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect" but then supports federal funding of embryo distruction. His confusing speech today was worthy of John Kerry.
LOL, foot meet mouth....mouth, foot.
In any case, I doubt if Frist's medical training and career involved laboratory research into the feasibility of embryonic stem cell therapy, so I don't think he has any advantages over Dobson in the debate.
This is a moral issue. Would you really trust a doctor over a preacher?
Dobson would not be my choice to go to for tech information concerning stem cells but I do agree with his moral positions. The point of it is that Frist's political career is over, stick a fork in him!
Would you be prone to believe other accomplished physicians who disagree with Frist?
On C-Span now House members who are against funding embryonic stem cell research [includes doctors] (short FR thread from earlier this evening)
I wonder if he was planning on retiring. He's given himself a good head start.
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