House of Lords Will Vote Today on '3-Parent-Babies' - Please Pray!

Torch of The Faith News on Tuesday 24 February 2015 - 10:32:50 | by admin

The House of Lords will vote today on amendments to the HFEA ACT in relation to the acceptance of so-called 3-parent-babies. Please pray that the Lords reject the legalization of this procedure.

Earlier this month we discussed the fact that, if allowed to proceed, such genetical interference would be a blasphemous affront to God, a radical alteration of human nature, a threat to countless embryos that would be destroyed, an opening of the floodgates to further embryo experimentation and a harbinger of social consequences - such as the acceptance of 'designer babies' and lesbian motherhood. There may even be new and unforeseen health complications that could 'get loose' in the human gene-pool.

A friend has e-mailed us to alert us to the use of semantics in covering the deeper realities at work. For example, proponents of the procedure speak in terms of mitochondrial transfer and the more populist 3-parent babies. These technical and innocuous terms can be used to cover the deeper realities of destructive embryo research and modification. For this reason, informed pro-life opponents have long described the issue as an example of germline genetic modification (GGM).

Calling to mind the fact that the procedure has been sold to the public as a way of helping families suffering from mitochondrial diseases, our friend draws attention to the fact that the deeper issue at work is an attempt to breach the hitherto international prohibition on GGM; with an eye on extending the breach to encompass the modification of nuclear DNA. 

And it seems that Michael Le Page has acknowledged, in the New Scientist, that mitochondrial replacement was only ever a politically expedient term to facilitate genetic engineering. Even quoted by our friend as saying: ''In fact it is genetic engineering. And why not? And now let's start engineering the nucleus too. Gosh, just think how many more defective babies can be culled and their bits used to make superior models - diseases could be eliminated.''

When we wrote about the recent House of Commons vote in favour of 3-parent-babies, we pointed out that this issue will not only impact on the UK as it would interfere with human DNA. It seems that this fact has also distressed 50 MEPs and a number of Italian MPs. 

MPs from Italy have written to the House of Lords, via an open letter, to state: 'This legislation could have uncontrollable and unforeseeable consequences affecting future generations and modifying genetic heritage in an irreversible way, inevitably affecting the human species as a whole.' In light of these concerns, the Italian MPs who signed the letter, have asked the European Commission to look into the case.

Also the Slovakian MEP, Miroslav Mikolask, has joined 49 other MEPs in writing a strongly worded missive to David Cameron. They have written: 'Your proposals violate the fundamental standards of human dignity and integrity of the person. Modification of the genome is unethical and cannot be permitted. These proposals put the UK out in front of a race to the bottom so far as standards of human dignity are concerned.'

In light of all these concerns, it is intriguing to see that the former 'Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury,' Lord Carey, is again contradicting the official position of the Anglican 'Church of England' - as he did last year over euthanasia. Still, whilst the public response of most of the Catholic bishops here in the UK has been lacklustre, it is heartening to learn, from Carey's lamentations, that the Roman Catholic peer, Lord Deben, is preparing a delaying motion and that there is opposition coming from, ''well organized campaigns from Catholics from Latin America and Eastern Europe.''

The House of Lords will gather to vote on this issue later on today. Please pray that they will reject this radical affront to God and to human nature. 

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