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Friday, March 21, 2008

"Don't stray from the path, lads!"

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of the Catholic church up here in Scotland, has today launched a 'scathing' attack on the government's proposals to allow human/animal hybrid embryos to be created, embryos that would be destroyed after 14 days, and may well lead to cures for Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's, on the grounds that this would lead to experiments of "Frankenstein proportions".
I can't help noticing that he is basing his belief system on one novel, and now referring to another. I can only assume that he thinks we'll be knee deep in Centaurs, Mermaids, and perhaps the odd Minotaur or two.

I have someone in my family currently dying a slow and undignified death due to a rare genetic neurological disorder called Huntington's Disease. Something which could perhaps be a thing of the past if stem cell research pays off like it might. Therefore I'm pretty much in favour of anything at all.

Island of Dr Moreau? Go for it!

I've stated my position on religion plenty of times in the past. Feel free to believe in whatever deity floats your boat, but don't try to hold me and my scientifically minded brethren back as we proudly stride off into the future, and besides, everyone loves Werewolves.

9 comments:

Zen Wizard said...

There is the narrow minded view that, "As mans' knowledge increases, his God decreases," that I would argue is false, because if you have more knowledge, it makes God more necessary, and the unknown greater--but regardless, some people try to repress knowledge based on this dictum.

It's just bad when more enlightenment could result in less human suffering and some attempt to repress it.

Inchy said...

I'm way too sober to get deep and meaningful, Zen Wizard. Nevertheless, you're absolutely right. Apart from the God bit, but that's just me.

Steve said...

Nothing we make is good or evil until we use it (wish I could quote a high minded sourse but actually that comes from an episode of Robin Of Sherwood)... Cardinal Keith O'Brien is making a hugely unfair and unjustified assumption. His argument I'm sure is based along the lines of man shouldn't interfere with the natural order of the universe... a bit lame when (a) we've been doing it for years and (b) the miracles of Jesus surely amount to the same? The application and the intent is the most important thing not the means...

Steve said...

sourse? sourse? Ahem. It's an old Anglo-saxon spelling...

Jaggy said...

In the dark ages, people who practised "Science" were burnt at a stake for witchcraft. I like to think that civilisation has moved on a tad from there although clearly the church hasn't.

These idiots from the church don't understand science, they are scared of it. They are scared it will unearth the scam that they have perpetuated for thousands of years.

Hence all the more reason to advance science as quickly as possible, ignore criticism from those who do not understand, and leave the Neanderthals who worship whatever it is they worship in the dark ages along with their diseases and miracles.

Jaggy said...

I can only assume that for your new profile picture you have planted your face on a flatbed scanner?

Inchy said...

There's just no fooling you, jaggy.

FOUR DINNERS said...

'sides they've been doin' it for years on the quiet and not destroying 'em either.

Thatcher, both Blairs, Bush, Khomeini, Paris Hilton...

need I say more?

actually being adopted I wonder about me......

Inchy said...

I've been wondering about you too, 4-D, but in a good way . . . honest!