News, 14 June 2012

Top stories:

Approval for new and controversial embryo techniques is dangerous

SPUC has responded to a report published by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics which claims that: "Novel techniques to prevent mitochondrial DNA disorders would be an ethical treatment option". Anthony Ozimic, SPUC's communications manager, commented: “As with IVF and cloning, these mitochondrial techniques may well lead to developmental abnormalities. Creating embryonic children in the laboratory abuses them, by subjecting them to unnatural processes. These techniques are both destructive and dangerous and therefore unethical. The vast majority of embryonic children created in the laboratory are killed because they do not meet the 'quality control' requirements dictated by scientists involved in such increasingly macabre experiments. Scientists should abandon the spurious field of destructive embryo experimentation and instead promote the ethical alternative of adult stem cell research, which is already providing cures and treatments for an increasing number of conditions.” [SPUC, 12 June]

First half-a-million signatures for real marriage presented to Downing St

Half-a-million signatures were delivered to the prime minister's residence at No. 10 Downing Street on Tuesday when the Coalition For Marriage (C4M) presented its petition in defence of real marriage. The petition remains open as it is still growing - the last count was 557,627. SPUC supports the Coalition For Marriage and SPUC supporters have been leafleting and signature-gathering in support of the petition. [John Smeaton, 13 June]

Other stories:

Abortion

Euthanasia

Population

  • Chinese woman 'forced to have abortion at seven months' [HuffPo UK, 14 June]
  • China’s one-child policy causes more violence against women than any official policy in history, says expert [NRLC, 12 June]

Sexual ethics

  • Government's marriage document makes no reference to children, husbands or wives [Telegraph, 13 June]
  • UK government cannot protect faith communities against same-sex marriage laws, says UK justice minister [Mail, 13 June]
  • UK advertising watchdog clears ad against same-sex marriage [Cranmer, 13 June]
  • New EU human rights ambassador ‘should promote LGBT rights globally’, says European Parliament [Pink News, 13 June]
  • New study shows relationship with both father and mother is crucial [Mail, 13 June]
  • ‘Gold standard’ study’s striking findings: children of heterosexual parents happier, healthier [LifeSiteNews.com, 11 June]
  • Read the joint letter on same-sex marriage published in The Sunday Telegraph [John Smeaton, 11 June]

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