The Chase

Does it bother you when you are watching an awesome action movie and toward the end a dramatic chase ensues where the protagonist of the story is trying to save someone (usually a love interest) so they use any means necessary to save that life? They might blow up a school, crash into a building, knock over a lady holding a small child, or my personal favorite--they run over people who are strolling innocently along on the sidewalk. The movie doesn't show it, but you have to assume someone is dying as a result of the recklessness of the hero who is trying to save the day. No, this probably doesn't bother you when you watch an action movie or even enter your mind. I know I am weird, but I always am so concerned with that destruction that I can't enjoy the chase.

This whole illustration pretty much sums up how I feel about embryonic stem cell research. Now keep in mind: I'm not a scientist (just an art teacher, as I always say) and I'm certainly not a Bible scholar so you may take issue with much of what I have to say on the topic. If you do, please feel free to share or correct me. Yes, it will probably hurt my feelings (I've been told I wear my heart on my sleeve) but I'll get over it.

I think this is a difficult moral area--for some a "grey area" if you will. I am thinking specifically of how I feel about aborted embryos being used for this type of research. Yes, they will die anyway, but I feel that if I said I thought that was okay, it would be like me saying to someone who gets an abortion that what they did had some good to it and I don't want that to ever be a message that is sent. Also, I must consider that many embryos are created solely for the purpose of research. How does a Christian justify that? I can't think of a way. What baffles me is that the same type of research can be done using adult stem cells (bone marrow) so it really is not necessary to create embryos for any reason other than the fact that it maybe more convenient for the researchers and I would speculate more cost effective.

I don't claim to have all the answers about it and usually I am not real passionate on these types of issues, but for some reason, this one is really bothering me. I think it is because just a year ago--Glory WAS an embryo! And now she is a breathing, smiling, laughing, thriving LIFE. I could never justify taking her life to save another--or taking another life to save hers. That would be like saying one life is more valuable than another and it is not. God creates all life and he takes it away as well. He is sovereign. I'm not necessarily saying that He wants people to die of these horrible diseases or even that He doesn't want a cure to be discovered, but I don't think he approves of some of these methods... which leads me to wonder if that has something to do with the reason we DON'T have a cure for cancer, Parkinson's, etc. God can do anything He wants, and yet people are still dying. Why? The truth is, I don't know the answer to that question and neither does anyone else. And when we don't know, we lean on Him and trust Him and obey Him.

On a slightly different note, I am also a bit put-out that because of the bill our president signed earlier this week, my tax dollars will now go to pay for this type of stem cell research, no matter what my religious beliefs are. Even if because of my religion I believe that all life is sacred--even an embryo. Sounds like a violation of a constitutional right to me. I am going to find out which one. :-)

N-E Ways...That's pretty much all I have to say about that.

Oh, and if you have trouble with those "grey areas," I find this helpful, from John MacArthur .

Have a glorious day!