Catholic League president Bill Donohue explains why he wants a disclaimer in “Angels & Demons”; it debuts in Rome today and opens in the U.S. on May 15:
“India’s Censor Board has asked that a disclaimer be put in ‘Angels & Demons’ saying the movie is a work of fiction. It has also asked that certain scenes be deleted from the movie. The Board explained its position by saying ‘It has its guidelines and its duty, and if it thinks a film, any film, disparages a religious community or hurts religious feelings, it should take action under its code.The Catholic League would like to see the same disclaimer inserted everywhere the movie is shown.
The disclaimer is needed because director Ron Howard, drawing on the book by Dan Brown, is playing both sides of the street: he, and Brown, alternate between promoting their work as fact and fiction. Thus, to set the record straight they need to come clean and do for the rest of the world what they have already agreed to do in India—insert a disclaimer indicating its fictional nature. The Catholic League believes that cutting scenes is an infringement on the artistic rights of those associated with the film and therefore does not endorse this approach. But a disclaimer is different: it is nothing more than a variant of truth in advertising.India is only two percent Christian. If Sony, the film’s producer, and Howard have no problem putting in a disclaimer in India, they surely should be prepared to do the same wherever the movie is shown. When Sony released ‘The Merchant of Venice’ it opened with a disclaimer condemning anti-Semitism. Howard opened ‘A Beautiful Mind’ with a disclaimer noting how the film contains fictional aspects not found in the book by that name. Catholics, obviously, expect the same degree of respect.”
Why would Ron Howard object to this request if Hollywood does not have an agenda behind the debut of this film in the United States? Since the film is admittedly a work of fiction, the United States public should not be mislead into thinking that it is an accurate depiction of the Catholic Church. The same courtesy was given to the Jewish faith, so why shouldn’t Catholics be treated the same way. Its only fair! Then let the public decide if they want to see the film for what it is, FICTION, not some big secret that Hollywood recently uncovered in the Vatican archives.
see Catholic League web-site to follow this story: http://www.catholicleague.org/
Kathleen Sebelius the Right Choice?
“Kathleen Sebelius’ tenure as Kansas’ governor is mired in scandals tied to her relationship with abortionists, from her hand-picked attorney general resigning in a sex-soaked scandal to using her office to benefit a controversial late-term abortionist. Sebelius vetoed every common sense bill to regulate abortion – including safety regulations on clinics to ensure women are not harmed – and held a private party in the governor’s mansion for notorious abortionist George Tiller. Not surprisingly, the number of abortions increased in Kansas during Sebelius’ time as governor,” stated Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA).
Presently, George Tiller faces 19 charges of breaking a state late-term abortion law that requires an unaffiliated, second doctor to confirm that a woman needs a late-term abortion for serious health reasons. According to planned parenthood statistics 48 million abortions were committed since 1973. That figure includes partial birth abortions as well. When I consider that large number, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the unlimited potential of those 48 million lives snuffed out by Roe V Wade. In essence, a generation has been legally wiped out by our court system! Who knows what those babies could have accomplished when they grew up to be adults? The diseases they could have cured, the Olympic records they could have broken, the art that could have been created? During the 2009 Super Bowl, NBC & CNN banned a commercial ad entitled “Life – Imagine the Potential”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c
Maybe this ad was banned for the same reason abortion is tolerated in America. It forces our citizens to face a truth that is way to inconvenient for them to face. In the meantime, one child is murdered every 26 seconds in this country. All I can say is this, “Life – Imagine the Potential”.
Opinion: Embryo Stem Cell Research – Why divide the country when there is an alternative?
Although the Catholic Church recognizes that stem-cell research can lead to life-saving medical breakthroughs, the Church has been among the opponents of embryonic research because fertilized eggs are destroyed in the process. But research using amniotic stem cells “doesn’t require harming anyone or destroying life at any stage,” says Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of pro-life activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as reported in The Washington Post.
Phil Gingrey is a Georgia Republican and obstetrician who objects to embryonic stem-cell research. Regarding the news about amniotic stem cells, he says, “We don’t have to split the nation on this if we’ve got an alternative,”
The amniotic stem-cell study performed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine was hailed for scientific reasons, too. The study found that both embryonic and amniotic stem cells have the ability to grow into many types of tissues.
Anthony Atala, leader of the Wake Forest study, says if 100,000 women donated their amniotic cells to a “bank” for storage, there would be enough genetic diversity to provide immunologically compatible tissues for virtually everyone in the United States, The Washington Post reports. Since these cells can be found in amniotic fluid as well as in the placenta, Atala says it wouldn’t take long to collect 100,000 specimens.
In addition to amniotic cells being easy to retrieve during routine prenatal testing, they are easier to maintain in lab dishes than embryonic cells.
In December 2008, the United States Catholic Bishops conference addressed a central question on this matter. I will conclude with both the question posed and the answer given. Do the cautions or negative judgments on such developments indicate a suspicious attitude toward modern biotechnology in general? On the contrary, the document says that in making use of these new technological powers the human being “participates in the creative power of God” and acts as “the steward of the value and intrinsic beauty of creation.” It is because this power carries with it great responsibility that we must never misuse technology to demean human dignity, but always to serve the value and dignity of every person without exception. Misuse of genetic technology may make possible new forms of discrimination and oppression of the weak by the strong, in which some human beings exert ultimate control over others – creating and destroying them for supposed benefit to others, manipulating them to make the “better” human being, or denying them their most fundamental rights because they do not measure up to someone’s standard for human perfection. Because science and technology have a great potential for doing both good and evil, they must be guided by an ethic grounded in human dignity.
For more information on the Catholic Church’s position on ethical issues arising from biomedical research, see the below link:
Dignitas Personae (The Dignity of a Person)
With all the issues that seem to divide this country currently, why would President Obama side with embryonic stem cell research when there is an alternative which would ultimately have the same result? I seem to remember when Mr. Obama was giving his victory speech in Chicago, he said, “And for those of you who did not support me, I’m your president too” This seems to me to be the very issue that could apply to his claim. Its a win / win for both sides. Instead, the promises of “Hope” for the unborn go unheard once again and the culture of death grows and grows!
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Joe Reciniello is a Wall Street executive that spends his free time helping the poor in New York City and beyond. Learn more about his work and travels at immaculateheartmission.org.Joe Reciniello article archive.
