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Benedict XVI invited the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to give particular attention to "the difficult and complex problems of bioethics". In this context, he indicated that the "Church's Magisterium certainly cannot and should not intervene on every scientific innovation. Rather, it has the task of reiterating the great values at stake, and providing the faithful, and all men and women of good will, with ethical-moral principals and guidelines for these new and important questions.
"The two fundamental criteria for moral discernment in this field", he added, "are: unconditional respect for the human being as a person, from conception to natural death; and respect for the origin of the transmission of human life through the acts of the spouses".
The Pope highlighted "new problems" associated with such questions as "the freezing of human embryos, embryonal reduction, pre-implantation diagnosis, stem cell research and attempts at human cloning". All these, he said, "clearly show how, with artificial insemination outside the body, the barrier protecting human dignity has been broken. When human beings in the weakest and most defenceless stage of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or used as pure 'biological matter', how can it be denied that they are no longer being treated as 'someone' but as 'something', thus placing the very concept of human dignity in doubt".
The Holy Father highlighted how "the Church appreciates and encourages progress in the biomedical sciences, which opens up previously unimagined therapeutic possibilities". At the same time, he pointed out that "she feels the need to enlighten everyone's consciences so that scientific progress may be truly respectful of all human beings, who must be recognised as having individual dignity because they have been created in the image of God". In this context, he concluded by ensuring participants in the plenary assembly that study of such themes "will certainly contribute to promoting the formation of consciences of many of our brothers and sisters".
Originally posted by twhiteheadGod does not kill (... murder), only humans do.
Natural death is when God kills you as opposed to when you, or a fellow human being kills you. So we have: Suicide, Murder and Natural Death.
God is life, all life belongs to Him. If he takes back a life he doesn't kill or murder. If we humans kill a human being, then we take something which isn't ours.
Therefore God does not kill ( ... murder), only humans do.
Originally posted by ivanhoeBenedictus: "All these, he said, "clearly show how, with artificial insemination outside the body, the barrier protecting human dignity has been broken. When human beings in the weakest and most defenceless stage of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or used as pure 'biological matter', how can it be denied that they are no longer being treated as 'someone' but as 'something', thus placing the very concept of human dignity in doubt"."
The Holy Father highlighted how "the Church appreciates and encourages progress in the biomedical sciences, which opens up previously unimagined therapeutic possibilities". At the same time, he pointed out that "she feels the need to enlighten everyone's consciences so that scientific progress may be truly respectful of all human beings, who must be recogn ontribute to promoting the formation of consciences of many of our brothers and sisters".[/b]
Originally posted by ivanhoeGod is supposedly all knowing, all powerful and all good. He puts into being the mortality of ourselves and the machinations of the natural world, he is responsible for at least all 'naturally caused' deaths, and depending on your view of free will, those unnatural ones too. He could have avoided them all, yet he chooses not to. He often causes those deaths in horrible and painful ways. In the OT he pretty much frolicked in the blood of the swathes of humanity he carved through. God is a murderer.
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Originally posted by StarrmanRichard Dawkins ?
God is supposedly all knowing, all powerful and all good. He puts into being the mortality of ourselves and the machinations of the natural world, he is responsible for at least all 'naturally caused' deaths, and depending on your view of free will, those unnatural ones too. He could have avoided them all, yet he chooses not to. He often causes those dea ...[text shortened]... y much frolicked in the blood of the swathes of humanity he carved through. God is a murderer.
Originally posted by StarrmanBut do remember that in Christianity, at least, God is the giver of life. So unlike the typical human murderer, God takes what is his. Technically not murder then, but termination of a loan.
God is supposedly all knowing, all powerful and all good. He puts into being the mortality of ourselves and the machinations of the natural world, he is responsible for at least all 'naturally caused' deaths, and depending on your view of free will, those unnatural ones too. He could have avoided them all, yet he chooses not to. He often causes those dea ...[text shortened]... y much frolicked in the blood of the swathes of humanity he carved through. God is a murderer.
Originally posted by ivanhoeSince a human embryo can potentially divide into two or more fetuses post-conception, how many persons are being respected as the Pope recommends when a pre-division embryo is the object of such respect?
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Benedict XVI invited the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to give particular attention to "the difficult and complex problems of bioethics". In this context, he indicated that the "Church's Magisterium certainly cannot and should not intervene on every scientific innovation. Rather, it has the task of reit the formation of consciences of many of our brothers and sisters".