Michael J. Fox, who really rocked as Marty McFly of the Back to the Future films (as creepy as some elements of them were–particularly the first) has recently issued an advertisement supporting chopping up embryonic humans to harvest their stem-cells so that a cure might possibly be found for debilitating diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, from which Mr. Fox suffers (as the stalwart defender-of-life John Paul II did).
Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."
View all posts by Jimmy Akin
26 thoughts on “Back To Life”
Excellent video – thanks for posting Jimmy.
People always say that they have a right to do with their body as they please. However, they keep forgetting that there is another body involved. That includes embryonic stem cell research.
What is it with you this morning and “rocked” and “It rocks.”? What’s next? “It roXorz!”? 🙂
Beautiful video.
I do hope it changes some minds, but I wonder. I can hear the pro-choice argument now: “Embryos that are used for stem cells don’t look like that, and even if they did, so what? It’s not a person, it’s a parasite and a woman should be able to terminate a parasite in her own body if she wants to.”
Ugh. I just can’t see how someone could look at a photo like this (my daughter at 9 weeks of gestation) and NOT see a human being worthy of life.
“It’s not a person, it’s a parasite and a woman should be able to terminate a parasite in her own body if she wants to.”
Not many pro-choicers really have the guts to make that argument.
Most will notice MJF totally neglects to mention the distinction between stem-cell research, and embryonic stem-cell research.
“Not many pro-choicers really have the guts to make that argument.”
Sadly, most of the ones I encounter do.
I have heard some pro-choicers advance the ‘parasite’ argument. I’ve also heard the in-utero baby likened to a tumor, and described as “a blob of tissue”. (That last one was particularly unsettling, as it came from a woman who thought her newborn grandson was not as interesting as her older granddaughter, because his personality wasn’t evident yet and he was, as she said, “a blob”.)
There’s a wide range of pro-choicers though, and I’ve been encountering a lot lately who take the “personally opposed but don’t want to legislate” line. That gives me some hope – if they are personally opposed, that suggests to me that they’re beginning to see the baby for what it is rather than a parasite, a blob, or a tumor. That’s half the battle.
Anyone know if this add is going to get on TV by any chance?
Not many pro-choicers really have the guts to make that argument.
The fact that they choose a euphemistic theme to describe their agenda, that is, “Pro-Choice”, just all the more would demonstrate that. Had they any real guts, they would say flat out what their group really espouses: “Pro-Murder”!
I know you mentioned Fox and the current debate. I think you should also check our results out. Their interesting…
It’s pretty clear that the public’s attention to stem cell research has increased substantially (http://publicagenda.org/issues/red_flags_detail.cfm?issue_type=medical_research&list=3&area=2) since 2001, when the debated first broke into the news. While majorities say they support stem cell research, question wording can influence results, which suggests there is still some uncertainty on this question. For more public opinion on stem cell research, visit Public Agenda’s Issue Guide on Medical Research (http://publicagenda.org/issues/frontdoor.cfm?issue_type=medical_research).
Public Agenda is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group devoted to public opinion and public policy. Please visit http://www.publicagenda.org for more information.
Too bad they didn’t use a 3D ultra-sound image.
thank you for the articles and the video. I too noticed that those who wish to advance this ammendment to the constitution of Missouri do not make any distinction between the incredible work done in adult stem cell research from the failures in embryonic stem cell research. Nor do they speak to the financial disaster that resulted from a similar measure passed last year in California.
We must be willing to talk about this to people and to pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to be present with every voter.
if they are personally opposed, that suggests to me that they’re beginning to see the baby for what it is rather than a parasite, a blob, or a tumor.
That’s a good insight, but I’m a little more pessimistic. When I hear “I’m personally pro-life but always vote pro-choice,” I wonder (1) how they decide what makes a crime too personal for the state to regulate (2) if they’re really pro-choice and are trying to twist “Well, I would choose not to abort” into a simple attempt to gain votes.
But like I said, I’m pessimistic.
Another issue is that not many people know that there are also adult stem cell research projects out there. I believe a Catholic Answers Live episode was actually dedicated to this last year sometime. Stem cell research in adult stem cells, which don’t require the loss of a life to harvest, have actually been used in numerous projects that have actually show results. From everything that I have read on the subject, there hasn’t been a single positive result from the use of embryonic stem cells.
Amendment 2 would legalize Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer(SCNT), which is how Dolly the sheep came into being. If the voters are gullible enough to believe that it doesn’t legalize Human cloning, then God help us all.
The media is really at fault for the people of America being duped by the whole ESCR debate. They (1) do not give equal time to ESCR opponents (who they brand as idiots), (2) perpetuate the ESCR lobby’s lies such as the “ban” on ESCR, which does not exist, and (3) confuse adult and ESCR research. The media also adopts the definition of cloning that the ESCR lobby has adopted. I find this irritating and surpsing considering the “sceptical” label that journalists love to give themselves.
A Pro-Life Organization rushed out a commercial in Missouri featuring Cathlolic baseball players Jeff Suppan of St. Louis and Mike Sweeney of Kansas City. Jim Caviezel (do I have to tell you what he did?) Former Super Bowl MVP and Rams QB Kurt Warner was featured. And finally Patricia Heaton from “Everybody Loves Raymond” was also in the commercial.
The commercial was an answer to MJFs commercial in support of Claire McCaskill for the Missouri Senate Race. The commercial was specifically for a vote against Amendment 2 to the Constition of Missouri, which would allow embryonic stem cell research in Missouri to be paid for with tax-payer dollars.
Please pray for us in Missouri!
I believe the score in the Adult Stem Cell Research treatments vs Embryonic Stem Cell Research treatments battle is 72-0. I heard the number 72 on a Catholic radio program – I can’t remember which program though. Anyone have numbers?
Jimmy,
If ya’ll at Catholic Answers haven’t done a special on this truly damnable amendment, it sure would be helpful to do one soon.
Funny how the ESCR camp fails to mention little tidbits like, oh, Embryonic Stem Cell Treatments May Cause Brain Tumors.
I agree that adult stem cell research, such as taking stem cells from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow, shows much greater promise. I had planned to donate my daughter’s umbilical cord blood as a way to encourage and assist adult stem cell research, but we ended up forgetting the collection kit in the car overnight when we went to the hospital, and the organization we were donating through said it’d probably be best not to use it. (This was January in North Dakota… I believe the HIGH for the day my daughter was born hovered around 40 below zero.)
Another issue is that not many people know that there are also adult stem cell research projects out there.
No. Because those who support ESCR argue ESCR has so much “promise”.
You aren’t going to hear that ADULT stem cells helped paralyzed people regain feeling, including and up to the point some could stand with the help of braces (I heard this on a local talk show this morning).
I also read that even if viable treatment from ESCR comes about, it won’t be for 10-15 more years. Meanwhile, adult stem cells are treating 70 illnesses presently. Funny how the ESCR camp fails to mention little tidbits like, oh, Embryonic Stem Cell Treatments May Cause Brain Tumors.
In an article I read, this is because ESC can transform into ANY tissue – cancerous or otherwise – and so far, they’ve only turned up cancerous…including in the brains of Parkinson’s people. So you cure Parkinson’s to go on to battle brain cancer? Which is worse?
Meanwhile, adult stem cells can be harvested from specific organs and tissues, and since you are the donor of said stem cells, you don’t need to worry about rejection or cross-matching blood types, etc.
I heartily believe that ESCR gets the attention it does because it advances the Culture of Death. They lie to the ill and give them the false hope of cures that might never come, or will come far too late to save people living today.
>I can hear the pro-choice argument now: “Embryos that are used for stem cells don’t look like that…”
Which would be a fair point for them to make. I think that honest appeals are more persuasive in the long run.
I saw the Fox clip yesterday on O’Reilly. I’m still fuming.
Brace yourselves crip-rant coming;
Like most disabled people I spend a lot of time concentrating on what I can do-rather than what I can’t. I try to avoid being pitied. It’s a wheelchair users hazard though and poeple quite happily come up and pat me on the head and say ‘Oh how do you cope?’ and such like.
So here I am trying to show that being in a wheelchair is just one of those things-nothing to make abig deal over.
Then Fox goes in front of camaras with a fullon PITY ME party undoing the work of so many disabled people
I would love adult and umblicial stem cells to give me a cure. If ever that happens I had planned to throw my wheelchair and crutches into the sea-but now might throw them at Michael Fox.
I hope that most people realise that many disabled people like me don’t think we are so important that babies should be killed for our benifit.
rant over.
I have to say I’m not particularly enthused over this ad. That is not a picture of an embryo at the stage of embryonic stem cells experimentation. Sure, embryos “grow up” to that stage, and that appeals to the pro-life audience, but to others, it will look like deceit and emotional manipulation, and having that mocked and pointed out wouldn’t be so good for public opinion.
Here’s a website that lists the status of progress made with both adult and embryonic stem cell treatments. The “score” is currently 72 to 0. This isn’t a fully referenced list, but it definitely shows where the real hope for a cure lies in stem cell research. http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm
It’s from this site: http://www.stemcellresearch.org/
Excellent video – thanks for posting Jimmy.
People always say that they have a right to do with their body as they please. However, they keep forgetting that there is another body involved. That includes embryonic stem cell research.
What is it with you this morning and “rocked” and “It rocks.”? What’s next? “It roXorz!”? 🙂
Beautiful video.
I do hope it changes some minds, but I wonder. I can hear the pro-choice argument now: “Embryos that are used for stem cells don’t look like that, and even if they did, so what? It’s not a person, it’s a parasite and a woman should be able to terminate a parasite in her own body if she wants to.”
Ugh. I just can’t see how someone could look at a photo like this (my daughter at 9 weeks of gestation) and NOT see a human being worthy of life.
Not many pro-choicers really have the guts to make that argument.
Most will notice MJF totally neglects to mention the distinction between stem-cell research, and embryonic stem-cell research.
“Not many pro-choicers really have the guts to make that argument.”
Sadly, most of the ones I encounter do.
I have heard some pro-choicers advance the ‘parasite’ argument. I’ve also heard the in-utero baby likened to a tumor, and described as “a blob of tissue”. (That last one was particularly unsettling, as it came from a woman who thought her newborn grandson was not as interesting as her older granddaughter, because his personality wasn’t evident yet and he was, as she said, “a blob”.)
There’s a wide range of pro-choicers though, and I’ve been encountering a lot lately who take the “personally opposed but don’t want to legislate” line. That gives me some hope – if they are personally opposed, that suggests to me that they’re beginning to see the baby for what it is rather than a parasite, a blob, or a tumor. That’s half the battle.
Anyone know if this add is going to get on TV by any chance?
Not many pro-choicers really have the guts to make that argument.
The fact that they choose a euphemistic theme to describe their agenda, that is, “Pro-Choice”, just all the more would demonstrate that. Had they any real guts, they would say flat out what their group really espouses: “Pro-Murder”!
I know you mentioned Fox and the current debate. I think you should also check our results out. Their interesting…
It’s pretty clear that the public’s attention to stem cell research has increased substantially (http://publicagenda.org/issues/red_flags_detail.cfm?issue_type=medical_research&list=3&area=2) since 2001, when the debated first broke into the news. While majorities say they support stem cell research, question wording can influence results, which suggests there is still some uncertainty on this question. For more public opinion on stem cell research, visit Public Agenda’s Issue Guide on Medical Research (http://publicagenda.org/issues/frontdoor.cfm?issue_type=medical_research).
Public Agenda is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group devoted to public opinion and public policy. Please visit http://www.publicagenda.org for more information.
Too bad they didn’t use a 3D ultra-sound image.
thank you for the articles and the video. I too noticed that those who wish to advance this ammendment to the constitution of Missouri do not make any distinction between the incredible work done in adult stem cell research from the failures in embryonic stem cell research. Nor do they speak to the financial disaster that resulted from a similar measure passed last year in California.
We must be willing to talk about this to people and to pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to be present with every voter.
if they are personally opposed, that suggests to me that they’re beginning to see the baby for what it is rather than a parasite, a blob, or a tumor.
That’s a good insight, but I’m a little more pessimistic. When I hear “I’m personally pro-life but always vote pro-choice,” I wonder (1) how they decide what makes a crime too personal for the state to regulate (2) if they’re really pro-choice and are trying to twist “Well, I would choose not to abort” into a simple attempt to gain votes.
But like I said, I’m pessimistic.
Another issue is that not many people know that there are also adult stem cell research projects out there. I believe a Catholic Answers Live episode was actually dedicated to this last year sometime. Stem cell research in adult stem cells, which don’t require the loss of a life to harvest, have actually been used in numerous projects that have actually show results. From everything that I have read on the subject, there hasn’t been a single positive result from the use of embryonic stem cells.
Amendment 2 would legalize Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer(SCNT), which is how Dolly the sheep came into being. If the voters are gullible enough to believe that it doesn’t legalize Human cloning, then God help us all.
The media is really at fault for the people of America being duped by the whole ESCR debate. They (1) do not give equal time to ESCR opponents (who they brand as idiots), (2) perpetuate the ESCR lobby’s lies such as the “ban” on ESCR, which does not exist, and (3) confuse adult and ESCR research. The media also adopts the definition of cloning that the ESCR lobby has adopted. I find this irritating and surpsing considering the “sceptical” label that journalists love to give themselves.
A Pro-Life Organization rushed out a commercial in Missouri featuring Cathlolic baseball players Jeff Suppan of St. Louis and Mike Sweeney of Kansas City. Jim Caviezel (do I have to tell you what he did?) Former Super Bowl MVP and Rams QB Kurt Warner was featured. And finally Patricia Heaton from “Everybody Loves Raymond” was also in the commercial.
The commercial was an answer to MJFs commercial in support of Claire McCaskill for the Missouri Senate Race. The commercial was specifically for a vote against Amendment 2 to the Constition of Missouri, which would allow embryonic stem cell research in Missouri to be paid for with tax-payer dollars.
Please pray for us in Missouri!
I believe the score in the Adult Stem Cell Research treatments vs Embryonic Stem Cell Research treatments battle is 72-0. I heard the number 72 on a Catholic radio program – I can’t remember which program though. Anyone have numbers?
Jimmy,
If ya’ll at Catholic Answers haven’t done a special on this truly damnable amendment, it sure would be helpful to do one soon.
Funny how the ESCR camp fails to mention little tidbits like, oh, Embryonic Stem Cell Treatments May Cause Brain Tumors.
I agree that adult stem cell research, such as taking stem cells from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow, shows much greater promise. I had planned to donate my daughter’s umbilical cord blood as a way to encourage and assist adult stem cell research, but we ended up forgetting the collection kit in the car overnight when we went to the hospital, and the organization we were donating through said it’d probably be best not to use it. (This was January in North Dakota… I believe the HIGH for the day my daughter was born hovered around 40 below zero.)
Another issue is that not many people know that there are also adult stem cell research projects out there.
No. Because those who support ESCR argue ESCR has so much “promise”.
You aren’t going to hear that ADULT stem cells helped paralyzed people regain feeling, including and up to the point some could stand with the help of braces (I heard this on a local talk show this morning).
I also read that even if viable treatment from ESCR comes about, it won’t be for 10-15 more years. Meanwhile, adult stem cells are treating 70 illnesses presently.
Funny how the ESCR camp fails to mention little tidbits like, oh, Embryonic Stem Cell Treatments May Cause Brain Tumors.
In an article I read, this is because ESC can transform into ANY tissue – cancerous or otherwise – and so far, they’ve only turned up cancerous…including in the brains of Parkinson’s people. So you cure Parkinson’s to go on to battle brain cancer? Which is worse?
Meanwhile, adult stem cells can be harvested from specific organs and tissues, and since you are the donor of said stem cells, you don’t need to worry about rejection or cross-matching blood types, etc.
I heartily believe that ESCR gets the attention it does because it advances the Culture of Death. They lie to the ill and give them the false hope of cures that might never come, or will come far too late to save people living today.
>I can hear the pro-choice argument now: “Embryos that are used for stem cells don’t look like that…”
Which would be a fair point for them to make. I think that honest appeals are more persuasive in the long run.
A rebuttal for the ‘it’s just a parasite’ argument can be found at http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0405fea2.asp
The article is entitled ‘X Marks the Spot’ and was written by James Kidd
I saw the Fox clip yesterday on O’Reilly. I’m still fuming.
Brace yourselves crip-rant coming;
Like most disabled people I spend a lot of time concentrating on what I can do-rather than what I can’t. I try to avoid being pitied. It’s a wheelchair users hazard though and poeple quite happily come up and pat me on the head and say ‘Oh how do you cope?’ and such like.
So here I am trying to show that being in a wheelchair is just one of those things-nothing to make abig deal over.
Then Fox goes in front of camaras with a fullon PITY ME party undoing the work of so many disabled people
I would love adult and umblicial stem cells to give me a cure. If ever that happens I had planned to throw my wheelchair and crutches into the sea-but now might throw them at Michael Fox.
I hope that most people realise that many disabled people like me don’t think we are so important that babies should be killed for our benifit.
rant over.
I have to say I’m not particularly enthused over this ad. That is not a picture of an embryo at the stage of embryonic stem cells experimentation. Sure, embryos “grow up” to that stage, and that appeals to the pro-life audience, but to others, it will look like deceit and emotional manipulation, and having that mocked and pointed out wouldn’t be so good for public opinion.
Here’s a website that lists the status of progress made with both adult and embryonic stem cell treatments. The “score” is currently 72 to 0. This isn’t a fully referenced list, but it definitely shows where the real hope for a cure lies in stem cell research.
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm
It’s from this site:
http://www.stemcellresearch.org/