I posted earlier the links to the long awaited Vatican Document that was released today Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of a Person).
John Allen the very good Vatican reporter has a good overview and reaction of people at his piece Vatican issues new document on biotechnology.
I was very struck what a Non Catholic said at the Corner at NRO today.
Dignitas Personae [Yuval Levin]
One of the great ironies of the stem cell debates of the last few years has been that some of the most serious attention to scientific detail and reality has come from Catholic circles, while some of the most wide-eyed messianic faith-healing talk has come from liberal political (and sometimes even scientific) circles. There is another example of the former today, with a new Vatican document about reproductive technologies and bioethics. I’m not a Catholic and am in no position to speak to the theological components of the document, and I don’t agree with all of its conclusions (on IVF, for instance) but its treatment of the latest scientific developments and of the related ethical questions is exceptionally good, and its attitude—very pro-science and very clear about ethical boundaries and the reasons for them, with arguments that reach well beyond Catholic theology—is very impressive.
The view of many of us who have argued against the destruction of embryos for research is that we ought not understand ourselves to be faced with a choice between science and ethics, but with the challenge of championing both, which is a challenge both to scientific ingenuity and to ethical reflection and argument (a case I take up, among other issues, in my recent book on science and democracy). The Bush administration’s approach to the stem cell debate has been one example of how to think in these terms. This document, wherever you stand on its Catholic-specific elements, is another very worthy one.
12/12 11:56 AM
This is so true. We have seen serious people of faith in politics and their supporters ridicules as anti science. For instance think Huckabee , Brownback, and Palin and their views on evolution and how God created the earth. Now I am not sure why that was of profound importance but the media asked about it nonstop in a very sensational way.
No one seemed to care about their views of Science and Ethics. If fact the media and others seemed not to care to much about raising these concerns with anyone running for President of public office this year.
As to stem cell research it is getting to be a depressing states of affairs that while Catholics and Evangelicals are talking about the ethics of the situation and the real science no one is listening. The people that mock others for being "anti science" are the worst offenders. I think Levin is getting this across in the above piece.
His comments called to mind a great interview done with President Bush a few days ago.
Among other things he touched on was stem cell research and related matters.
In a discussion of stem-cell research, Bush said, “One of the principles by which I have conducted my presidency is, all life is precious, and a society, a whole society, is one that treats the most vulnerable with respect and care. And I believe the most vulnerable — one of the most vulnerable is the unborn person, unborn child.”He also felt the need to say, “I fully understand the importance of science.”
On a “culture of life,” he said, “I’ve always said laws change once hearts change. I think there’s [now] a better appreciation of the importance of protecting life; that the debate has somewhat shifted from one of civil rights to one group of people to civil rights to the unborn.“And I think time has helped the process. I hope that my rhetoric has helped, which is, Good people disagree on this issue. We have made some legislative progress — for example, the broad overturn of partial-birth abortion, and then defended that law in the courts. But ultimately the life issue does require a cultural change, and when it comes to this issue, cultures change when hearts change.”
Bush understanding the value of science? Well yes he does and we have seen that with his Commission on Bioethics that has been of critical importance. A Commission that has been under attacked by many for being too "Catholic Thinking".
I have no doubt the media will shred this important document to pieces in their 30 second soundbites of it and their usual simplistic reporting of it. But the document raises important issues that need to be discussed. I hope they are. It is not just a document for Catholics but is related to Catholic Social Justice teaching which to is given to all Men of Goodwill.
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