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Experts give activists ammunition for the pro-life fight
Westminster, 18 September, 2000--Leading experts on bioethical issues briefed pro-life activists from all parts of the United Kingdom at the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children's national conference last weekend (15 to 17 September). Topics ranged from abortion to embryo research, euthanasia and human cloning.Dr Anthony Fisher, OP, president of SPUC, argued that the human
embryo should be recognised as a member of the human family, and that
using embryos in experiments or destroying the unborn by abortion
undermine the mutual care and solidarity that hold society together.
Human cloning represents one of the fastest growing threats to the
dignity of human life.
Dr Anthony Cole, a consultant paediatrician and chairman of the
Medical Ethics Alliance, pointed to the huge advances in treatment for
Down's syndrome children in the past 50 years. By contrast, babies in
the womb are being killed by abortion if they are disabled. Dr Cole
works to continue to improve the lot of Down's children, and he
described the proposals of the Medical Ethics Alliance to help mothers
who do not want abortion to avoid tests leading to it.
Mr Peter Garrett of LIFE alerted delegates to the imminent
threat of new regulations which would permit the creation of cloned
embryos. This would pave the way for the production of cloned babies,
initially for medical reasons but eventually for economic motives. He
cited respected philosophers who envisage clone farms on one hand and,
on the other, the killing of cloned babies soon after birth to take
their organs for transplantation.
Australian bioethicist Dr John Fleming warned that, at the root
of the voluntary euthanasia movement, there is a philosophy which
threaten the security of all those who are disabled, sick or elderly.
By saying that some lives are not worth living, we give doctors
unwarranted power over life and death. The patient's request would not
always be needed. After the person was dead, who would confirm that the
request had been made, he asked?
Delegates learned about the expanding work of British Victims
of Abortion in post-abortion counselling from Mrs Margaret Cuthill, the
group's organiser. Mrs Cuthill has herself had two abortions. She spoke
of the traumatic effects of abortion, including those by RU486, the
supposedly easy chemical method, on mothers and other family members.
Conference delegates learned how SPUC works to bring together
pro-life supporters from around the world at United Nations meetings.
This is vital to counteract efforts by radical feminists, supported by
the EU, the US and other western countries, to force poorer countries
to adopt pro-abortion policies.
The threat of the morning-after pill, which can cause an early abortion, and which the government wants to make more widely available, including to underage girls in schools, was one of the key campaign issues of the conference. Delegates were urged to follow up SPUC's campaign among pharmacists by writing to MPs pointing out the dangers and drawbacks of this medication. Parliament is likely to vote on whether the drug should be more easily available in the coming months.
