Moral Battle For Stem Cells

This Sunday evening, the LIFE Group in which I participate will begin a new study series. It is a six-session series on Bioethics. Roughly three fourths of the group either works in or is formally trained in some area of the medical profession. Couple that with the increasingly important role medical technology plays in our personal lives and public policy, it seemed like an incredibly relevant topic for study. This session concerns the moral battle for stem cells. I will not take the time or space to share the bulk of the study, but I do want to share a few thoughts (and hopefully generate some discussion).

Let's start with a couple of short passages from the Bible:

"You must not murder." Exodus 20:13 (from the Ten Commandments)

"You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell." Matthew 5:21-22 (from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount)

The following is from "Moral Battle for Stem Cells" from Christianity Today International, (c) 2007.

The biblical admonition against murder is clear. But is embryonic stem-cell research the same as murder? The embryos, under President Bush’s guidelines, have already been destroyed. Still, some say that the federal funding of the existing stem-cell lines from these embryos would support a culture of death. What do you think?

In Exodus, as God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, we see that one of the chief concerns of God is preservation of human life. In the New Testament, Jesus expands our understanding of this respect for life by broadening the concept of murder. Not only is it the taking of life from another human being, but we are also placed in danger of judgment when we treat others as valueless. In Matthew 5:21-22, the word raca means “empty-headed one.” In current terms, the term would translate as “an airhead,” “a dimwit,” or “an idiot.” To declare someone as raca means to say there is nothing of value in them and they have nothing to contribute to society.

[Q] Does the understanding of raca used in this passage inform the embryonic stem-cell debate?

The bible is clear. Murder is a violation of God's moral law. But is embryonic stem-cell research murder? In my understanding, if an embryo is properly implanted, it will grow until a child is born. That makes that embryo an early stage of a child. If the research on the embryo would prevent it from maturing into a child (obviously by destroying it), this is clearly murder. Under former President Bush's guidelines, the embryos used for research have already been destroyed. I do not think this necessarily supports a culture of death. If this embryo is simply a young human and it is already dead, is using it for research really any different than if my body were used for scientific research after I am dead? I don't think so.

Anytime Jesus taught on the law, He did not abolish or negate it. He enhanced it. He took it from the letter of the law and showed us the spirit of the law. These verses from Matthew are an example of this. We are people; every one of us is created in the image of God Himself. Each of us has value. From the youngest unborn to the oldest on his or her deathbed, these are not just people, but souls created with value to the Savior. If they matter to God they should matter to us.

What do you think? How do these and other passages of Scripture inform the embryonic stem-cell debate. Please comment below.

Psychology and Counseling for the Christian

In the Genesis account of the creation of man, there is no indication that God only created the physical. In a single act, God created the whole man. I believe this includes not only his physical body, but also his intellect and his emotion. When man sinned and experienced the fall, mankind was sentenced to death. This was primarily a spiritual death, but it clearly included physical death. Along with sin came sickness and disease. This extends beyond the physical body to the intellect and emotion. When my body is sick or injured, I seek the assistance of a medical professional to help restore my health. This does not mean that I do not have confidence in God's ability to heal me. I believe He can heal me either directly or through the work of a skilled physician. God is no less in charge of my healing.

I think the use of psychology within the framework of ministry works in a similar fashion. Broadly defined, psychology is the study of how people think and behave. Thanks to the first Adam and the fall, the way we think and behave has been damaged. Essentially, this is the problem of sin. Clearly, acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only answer to the problem of sin. There is no biblical reason the study of psychology cannot be one of the tools used show individuals freedom and healing in Christ.

One thing that cannot be denied is that sin leaves scars in people's lives. This is true physically. If an individual lives a life of drug abuse, then accepts Christ as his savior, his body still bears the damage that the drugs caused. Over time, God may heal him and use him. God may even choose to take away the damage done, but that is not an automatic benefit of salvation. This is not unlike the emotion. Damage that is done before a person's conversion is not automatically healed. A trained counselor can be very beneficial in helping this individual experience the freedom and healing found in Christ.

This in no way negates the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Romans 12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This implies that God can redeem the damage that has been done. Nowhere does it say He can not or will not use human agency to help accomplish that task.

In my opinion, the use of psychology is both appropriate and beneficial for the Christian worker. It will help him or her offer counsel and insight into some of the ways God can take that which was damaged and make it more useful for His kingdom.

What do you think? What role, if any, do you see for counseling and psychology in Christian ministry?

Environmental Evangelicals?

Earlier today, the Barna Group released an interesting report titled "Evangelicals Go 'Green' with Caution". It takes a look at the Christian (broadly defined as Catholic, mainline Protestant, and non-mainline Protestant) and a separate look at the Evangelical (as defined by Barna) response to and participation with the environmental movement. The report can be found here.

The report shows that "Most Christians are not satisfied to be mere observers of the green movement. Three-quarters of self-identified Christians (78%) agree they would like to see their fellow Christians take a more active role in caring for God’s creation in a way that is both informed and biblical. Among evangelicals, 90% would like Christians to take a more active role in caring for creation, with 67% agreeing strongly." Personally, I agree with this. Christians should take the lead on the issue of caring for the creation that God made us stewards of.

While most Christians agree with each other and with the general population that we should do more to care for the environment, there is disagreement and uncertainty about global warming. Among evangelicals, just 27% firmly believe global warming is even happening. As for me, I am highly doubtful. This is where looking at the issue Biblically comes into play. There are a number of different angle from which to approach this, but I will only address a couple.

I believe in a literal interpretation of the creation account in Genesis. God created everything in six days. I believe the account of the great flood is a true, literal account. That would mean the earth is only six thousand to seven thousand years old. No matter how sophisticated your computer models are, if you do not account for these truths, they will be inaccurate.

I also believe that God is completely sovereign. That means He is in complete control. It has often been said that not only does He own the cattle on a thousand hills, He owns the hills the cattle are on. The Bible talks about the end time. I think this would hold true, regardless of your view of the end times. I do not believe God will allow the earth to be destroyed in such a way that it would circumvent His ultimate plan.

We have started to do some recycling at our home. When the kids asked why, I chose not to give them information about a global warming crisis that I believe does not exist. I gave them an economic reason. This is what I told them. Our trash goes to a landfill here in Smith County. When the landfill is full, the county will have to secure another place to put trash. That will cost money. If we slow down the rate of filling the landfill, we can delay a major government expense. This allows my taxes to remain lower and me to keep more of my money to use as I see fit. Do something good for the environment and your wallet. Start with recycling.

Do you agree or disagree that Christians should do more to protect the environment? What do you do? Do you have practical suggestions for the rest of us? Please share in the comments.

Grace & Peace,

John