Sharing Life — Abortion, Stem Cells, Euthanasia, Intelligent Design, Reproduction Technology

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that a local school district cannot assert that Darwinism is theory only with gaps unsupported by evidence. Further, the District cannot state that there is scientific evidence that there is an intelligent design to the Universe. The judge’s reasoning is essentially that because there can be no scientific verification for the existence of God, the existence of God is not a matter of science, but religion. The judge found that the School Board members lied when stating that they had no religious purpose in including Intelligent Design (I.D.) in their biology texts. The purpose, according to the judge, was patently religious. Therefore, he ruled, the practice violated the constitutional mandate separating state and religion. The L.A. Times coverage (12-21-2005) of the decision is found at L.A. Times Coverage.

This decision is wrongly decided on the law because the judge failed to grasp the actual nature of science as it is practiced and taught. Theoretical science routinely constructs theories having little or no actual evidentiary support. The theory is the starting point for testing the predictive value of the theory as it is applied to the observed universe. Much of cutting edge science does not have the benefit of observable or quantifiable data, but rather relies on what “may be occurring” beyond observation to understand “what is occurring” within observation. For example, Einstein’s theory of relativity was well ahead of any observations because the means of observation were not then in place. As observations became available, they were explained by the theory (for example, the time/space/gravity/speed/energy relationships in showing the relativity of the time-space field). Thus, the theory had explanatory power, and acquired greater credibility. Yet this “time/space/energy” field is not seen or measurable. Only its effects are known. So it is with God. Yet, this federal judge presumed to place God outside the scope of scientific inquiry because he saw “God” as a religious pursuit exclusively. He was, in a word, a person captured by his categories.

This decision, while hailed by Darwinists (for their own metaphysical purposes), will ultimately be discredited as deeper thinking advances the cause of Truth.

Any woman who is pregnant and in need can turn for help to the pro-life movement. She never has to feel that abortion is the only option. Publicize these helpful phone numbers, through which people anywhere in the country can find assistance. Pastors may want to place one of these numbers in their Church bulletin, and church offices should be ready to give out these numbers to persons making inquiry. Parents need to talk openly with their children before a pregnancy crisis, providing these numbers to their children early on. The reality is that children will otherwise more likely find a number in the phone book, internet, or a “friend” that connects them to someone ready to kill their child.

Carenet/Heartbeat 1-800-395-HELP
Crisis Pregnancy Helpline 1-888-4-OPTIONS
Birthright 1-800-550-4900
National Life Center 1-800-848-LOVE
Bethany Christians Services 1-800-238-4269

The following article describes another ready option, “No Questions Asked” under the Calfornia Safely Surrendered Baby Law (Other States have similar provisions):

TRUCKEE - Five months after being given up by his mother at Tahoe Forest Hospital’s maternity ward, Nevada Baby John Doe is on his way to a permanent home.

Baby Doe, as he is called by the state, is one of two infants in Nevada County whose mothers relinquished custody under the California Safely Surrendered Baby Law. Designed to protect unwanted babies from injury or death after being abandoned in trash bins and public parks, the law allows parents of a newborn who wish to anonymously give up custody to do so at any hospital emergency room or other designated site.

In Nevada County, since the law was enacted in 2001, two babies have been turned in to safe surrender sites under the program - both of them at Truckee’s Tahoe Forest Hospital.

According to Ann Holmes Delforge, the hospital’s director of inpatient services, both women who surrendered custody of their babies had been concealing their pregnancies, a situation that happens more often than people think, she said.

The first mother to use the safe surrender program, Delforge said, knew of the law and gave birth in the hospital with the intent of leaving her child in their custody.

The more recent case in October involved a women who had also concealed her pregnancy, but did not have a plan for what she was going to do with her child after giving birth at Tahoe Forest Hospital. Hospital staff made the mother aware of all her options, including the safe surrender program, Delforge said. The mother ultimately chose to leave her baby at the hospital.

“The intent behind the law was to address, in California, the number of babies that were found in dumpsters and different places, and the mothers who are now being prosecuted,” Delforge said. “So they thought they could create a safe situation so if somebody does deliver an infant and really does not feel competent caring for that infant, that they could drop it off, keep their anonymity, and the baby would be OK and they would be free from prosecution.”

Delforge said in both cases in which babies have been surrendered in Truckee, having the option of safely surrendering the child was a positive thing for the mothers.

“It has been a good option. I think for both of those scenarios it really did meet the intent of the law,” Delforge said.

To meet eligibility requirements, babies surrendered must be 72 hours old or younger and the person surrendering the child must be a parent, legal guardian, or someone acting on behalf of the child’s parent or legal guardian.

As long as the child does not show signs of abuse or neglect, the person surrendering the child will not be arrested or prosecuted for doing so.

Local safe sites

“It’s still pretty rare in California to see these cases,” said Scott McLeran, a social worker with Nevada County Child Protective Services.

Within Nevada County, the Board of Supervisors is responsible for designating the safe surrender sites, and the law directs any fire station or emergency room countywide to accept surrendered babies. However, in Truckee and eastern Placer County, many fire stations have not put a plan in place for accepting infants because so many stations go unstaffed for long periods of time.

Once a child is surrendered to a designated safe surrender site, the staff at the location must contact the Nevada County Department of Child Protective Services within 48 hours of receiving the child, and at that point CPS will take custody of the baby and place him or her into foster care.

A 14-day cooling off period follows, during which the parents of the child have the right to request that their custody of the child be restored. It is a safeguard built in to the system to allow for post-partum depression, emergency situations and other potential factors that might convince a parent to surrender their child, McLeran said.

After that period, CPS will work to find the best long-term solution for the child, whether that be adoption, guardianship or long-term foster care.

Typically with newborns, Child Protective Services has no problem finding families willing to adopt the children in their custody, and according to McLeran, adoption is usually preferable because it is the most long-term solution. And in most cases, the foster family that has been taking care of the child will get the first shot at adopting the baby because that family has already bonded with the child.

As for the now-5-month-old Nevada Baby John Doe, adoption looks to be in his future, which will likely be decided at his April 14 juvenile court hearing in Nevada City.

Since January 2001, when the California Safely Surrendered Baby Law went into effect, 71 babies have been dropped off at designated safe surrender sites statewide as of December 2004, according to Andrew Roth, spokesman for the California Department of Social Services. An additional 111 babies have been abandoned elsewhere and found alive during that time period, he said.

Associated Press - President Bush Nominates White House Counsel Harriet Miers to Supreme Court

October 3, 2005
By Deb Riechmann

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court, reaching into his loyal inner circle for a pick that could reshape the nation’s judiciary for years to come.

“She has devoted her life to the rule of law and the cause of justice,” Bush said, announcing his choice from the Oval Office with Miers at his side. “She will be an outstanding addition to the Supreme Court of the United States.”

If confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate, Miers, 60, would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the nation’s highest court and the third to serve there. Miers, who has never been a judge, was the first woman to serve as president of the Texas State Bar and the Dallas Bar Association.

Miers, who Bush called a trailblazer for women in the legal profession, said she was humbled by the nod.

“If confirmed, I recognize I will have a tremendous responsibility to keep our judicial system strong and to help insure the court meets their obligations to strictly apply the laws and Constitution,” she said.

Democratic and Republican special interests groups were braced for a political brawl over the pick, Bush’s second. But the lack of a judicial record may make it difficult for Democrats to find ground upon which to fight her nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had urged the administration to consider Miers, two congressional officials said. There was a long list of staunchly conservative judges that Democrats were poised to fight, Miers not among them.

Bush, his approval rating falling in recent months, had been under intense pressure to nominate a woman or a minority.

Miers’ pick came shortly before Chief Justice John Roberts was set to take his seat on the court for the first time Monday after breezing to nomination. Miers helped push his nomination through the Senate.

“She will strictly interpret our Constitution and laws. She will not legislate from the bench,” Bush said. Conservatives apparently agreed.

“There’s every indication that she’s very similar to Judge Roberts _ judicial restraint, limited role of the court, basically a judicial conservative,” said Republican consultant Greg Mueller, who works for several conservative advocacy leaders.

The president offered the job to Miers Sunday night over dinner in the residence. He met with Miers on four occasions during the past couple weeks, officials said.

The Christian life is adventuresome. One of the themes of Christianity at its roots is radical departure from the ways of the “world”. This word “world” is archaic and is used like a term of art by practicing Christians. The word simply means a way of living that is independent, even disdainful of God. The material world itself is good, and Christians enjoy it and even marvel at it like all other people.

What is this “radical departure”? One way to think of this idea is that this world is an airport. We have landed here, we enjoy the visit, and we are learning things here while we wait for the next flight out. We don’t act like persons who live at the airport, and because we are focused on the eventual departure taking us home, we are “radically” different than the culture of the airport.

Here is a way of thinking of the Christian adventure. Life is meant to be lived as an opportunity. We awaken each day with an awareness that awakening is itself a gift, and our foremost healthy attitude is to be simply grateful. We also are aware that having been blessed by life, we are to use life in some way. That is, the gift is so precious that we feel a sense of urgency to live wisely and well. Conversely, we avoid wasting our lives.

But here is the catch: We cannot enter into the opportunities of life without accepting the risks of life. The reasons that Christianity has not burned like a passionate fire in a cold and dark world is that the lure of opportunity without risk has made Christianity anemic and well, “worldly”.

This morning, as I reflected on how I would bring more “adventure” into my relationship with my girlfriend, Judy, I reflected on how often she stated she enjoyed the “adventure” of some activity or trip we shared. I realized, looking back on those times, that her feminine soul was desiring that I lead us in more “adventures”. I realized that she looked to me to be proactive and enthusiastic about planning those adventures with her.

As a result of those thoughts, I expanded my thinking to cover adventure generally, and the result of that thinking is this posting, and the following areas of life where I will seek more Godly adventure:

Service
Prayer
Intellect
Romance
Income
Travel

Each of these is an area of life in which a movement from the safe to the unknown and even dangerous is invited. Taking a chance on life is part of the Christian practice. Playing it “safe” means living as expected, without risk of criticism or standing apart from a commonly accepted practice based on principle.

For Christians, our model is Christ himself. He was filled with the S-P-I-R-I-T of adventure. He loved and lived passionately, with a sense of his ultimate mission, the nobility and purpose of his work, and a total commitment to Perfection. In this sense, He was a true Romantic. He took his message to all areas and cultures, all levels of status and education and work, around him. He traveled and mingled outside his comfort zone of little Nazereth. His ideas were startling to the authorities of the time, and his intellect sharp and penetrating in its challenge to the usual assumptions of his day. He lived life from a confident place of abundance, and his “income” was the kind and amount which was right for him, and the adventure he pursued. Perhaps the greatest aspect of Christ’s adventuresome S-P-I-R-I-T was his attitude and practice of service. He was the very Son of God, God Incarnate, yet he taught that he came into the world not to be served, but to serve. He explicitly taught that if he, the “Master” was acting as a “servant”, then those who were his disciples were to follow his example of service. What does this mean in practical terms? Find a new and creative way to serve your spouse, your children, you employer or employees, your friends, and even those who are strangers in need. All are to be served. In this service you show true leadership.