I really despair of my ability to understand people:
Toledo Catholic Bishop Leonard Blair has banned parishes and parochial schools from raising funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, citing concerns that the global anti-cancer giant may someday fund embryonic stem-cell research.
Blocking fund raising for anti-cancer efforts for fear that it may someday lead to science?
Jeez, what a doofus. Might as well block raising funds for all research, because they might one day find a cure for stupidity. Or maybe to stop raising funds for the priests’ retirement fund on the off chance that ONE of these guys getting it might have been a pedophile.
I just moved to Toledo from Indy a couple of months ago. While this is appaling and ridiculous, I’m at least a little bit heartened that it’s not the prevailing sentiment in the area. Lots of churches have gone out of their way to donate to Komen and to praise their efforts. There’s a sign on the big Episcopalian church downtown that says something to the effect of “Breast cancer research is Godly work, and we support Komen'”. And neighboring parishes have distanced themselves from Bishop Blair.
I think that the local Komen organization is actually being helped by this. I know the company I work for doubled their usual donation to this year’s Race for the Cure, and I have no doubt that all the exposure will lead other companies to do the same.
I thought you were exaggerating and I’d do a dental colostomy on you. I’m pretty scruplous about not funding embryonic stem cell research, but this seems a bit over the top.
Does His Eminence suggest a purer alternative, even if infinitely smaller?
Yet another example of how the Catholic power structure is at odds with the people in the pews. What with the pedophilia scandal cover-ups and this attack on Breast Cancer research they really seem to be intent on alienating a large segments of their flock.
Can we back up to Tipsy’s comment a minute? I want to know if the Tea Party folks would prohibit payment for a “dental colostomy”. Actually before they pay will they tell me what one is? And most significantly in context, would the Bishop of Toledo permit any Lafayette attorney to have one in the first place? And don’t give me any nonsense about Lafayette not being in the Toledo diocese.
I know there are some who think that the Komen organization has become more about itself than breast cancer, but I’ve never heard of anything like this. I sure hope the good bishop’s mother and sisters never get breast cancer so that he doesn’t have to give up his foolish position.
I wouldn’t bet on it, Ben. I remember a 1963 Otto Preminger movie by the name of “The Cardinal” in which a young priest on his way to ultimately being named a bishop, then a cardinal curried favor by throwing his own sister’s life under the bus by insisting that her unborn child’s life had to take precedence over hers. Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do, I guess.
His letter seems perfectly acceptable to me, particularly this:
“For some time, moral questions have been raised from various quarters about the research funded by the Komen Foundation. The Bishops of Ohio have discussed this and have looked into the matter. As best we can determine, at present the Komen Foundation does not fund cancer research that employs embryonic stem cells. However, their policy does not exclude that possibility. They are open to embryonic stem cell research, and may very well fund such research in the future. They are also contributors to Planned Parenthood, which, though it may claim to provide needed medical services to poor women, is also the largest provider of abortions in our country”.
It is unacceptable for Catholics to be fundraising for an organization that then funds planned parenthood.
I also agree that organizations that they fundraise for should take a stand against embryonic stem cell research, otherwise, as the Bishop says, the money the raise could very well go towards that research.