Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: October 29, 2006
CELEBRITIES AND THE MISSOURI STEM-
CELL RESEARCH INITIATIVE
Ben Justice
Missouri has been in the news — not just locally, but nationwide — on
television and radio. Missouri is front and center of an on-going debate over
embryonic stem-cell research. Those in favor of Amendment 2 are using every
means possible to get this passed come November 7. Claire McCaskill, who is a
big abortion advocate and running for Senate, is pushing this initiative through
her campaign efforts. Many of you have probably seen the Michael J. Fox
television commercial. Fox, being a celebrity, is hoping that his influence will
persuade Missouri voters to vote for this initiative, even having campaigned for
McCaskill in St. Louis recently. Fox has also appeared in ads in Maryland,
Wisconsin and Illinois. The ad being run in Missouri is filled with
misinformation and out-right lies. Fox, as many of you know, has Parkinson’s
disease. In the Missouri commercial, you can very clearly see Fox shaking.
When a person takes their medicine, they are able to keep this under control.
However, it certainly seems that Fox deliberately did not take his medicine for
this commercial. It is quite disgusting for one to deliberately do this to try and
push an agenda. People know full well the effects of Parkinson’s disease and
what it does to a person without having to see it. While polls a few months ago
showed Missourians in support of Amendment 2, the polls now show that this is
changing. It seems that the news is getting out about this ungodly initiative. Of
course, we all hope and pray that a cure can be found for Fox and people like him
who have Parkinson’s disease. But, this is not the issue. The issue is about
life.
Fox is just one celebrity to weigh in on this issue. Well known Cardinal pitcher,
Jeff Suppan, has also weighed in on the issue. In a television commercial,
Suppan urges Missouri residents not to be deceived. In the ad, Suppan says,
“Amendment 2 claims it bans human cloning. But in the 2,000 words you won’t
read, it makes cloning a constitutional right.”
Kurt Warner, Rams football player, has also come out declaring his opposition to
the Missouri Initiative.
The Missouri Stem-Cell Initiative puts women at grave danger, promising them
hundreds and even thousands of dollars for their eggs so that research can be
carried out. Low-income and disadvantaged women will be seduced by big
checks. However, the way the eggs are harvested is extremely dangerous.
Women have died from having their eggs harvested. Several thousands have
complained of complications as a result.
The issue is very plain and clear: THE PROCESS USED TO EXTRACT
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS ALWAYS DESTROYS HUMAN LIFE. Many people don’t
realize that this type of research has yielded no cures or treatments — zero.
However, adult-stem research has produced more than 70 treatments for various
diseases. Harvesting adult-stem cells does not require the destruction of life.
Thus, we applaud this type of research. Many Missourians are also not aware of
the fact that Missouri has been doing stem-cell research for a good while — not
embryonic, but adult. This has been going on in state universities. The
campaign to push Amendment 2 would have us to believe just the opposite —
that Missouri will be utterly deprived of research. Again, research is already
going on. We don’t need this amendment period. We hope and pray that
between now and November 7 all of Missouri will be brought up to speed
concerning this horrible Amendment.
HERE ARE SOME WEBSITES TO VISIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ISSUE:
www.nocloning.org
www.missourilife.org
www.christiancourier.com/articles/print/logic_and_stem_cell_research
www.townhall.com/Common/Print.aspx
TO READ AMENDMENT 2 IN ITS ENTIRETY VISIT THE FOLLOWING
WEBSITE:
www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2006petitions/ppStemCell.asp
VILIFYING VALUES
Ben Justice
Those who push for values make those who have no or very little values
uncomfortable. And, not just uncomfortable, but angry. Add to this the fact that
since they have no values, their conscience does not at all bother them when
they use immoral tactics to attack those who have values. A lack of values
equals immoral activity, which includes committing violent acts, using profane
language, character assassination, and many other ungodly things. Get the
picture? Even when those who hold on to moral values exhibit a kind and
gracious disposition, it doesn’t matter with those who have no moral values.
Many are intoxicated and unbending on silencing those of moral clarity. They
want to do everything in their power to reduce them to rubble and ash. For those
who hold dear to Biblical morals, they are likewise unbending. Brethren, it is
this struggle that has been going on ever since the beginning of time. Think
about Cain and Abel. Listen to the words of the Apostle John in I John 3:12-13
— “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore
slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. (13)
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” Those of the world simply can’t
allow truth and moral clarity to get in the way of the ungodly agenda. This is the
way the devil has always worked. Everyday on the news, you hear of these
things. For example, a man was fired in Virginia for having a bumper sticker in
support of an amendment to protect traditional marriage in his state. This is
mild compared to many things that go on, and it only seems to be getting worse,
even coming from big names and those in high ranking positions. Those who
believe in and stand for Biblical morality must never give in — not one single,
microscopic bit. We must expose the unfruitful works of darkness for what it is
and show to the world how ugly, disgusting, and horrible sin and immorality
really is (Eph. 5:11)!