Stem Cell Showdown in Senate

The medical and moral implications of stem cell issues make them hot buttons in this year's elections.

The Senate is headed for a volatile showdown with the White House over the issue of stem cell research in a debate that could also put Missouri's tight U.S. Senate race in the spotlight.

Under pressure from Democrats, Senate GOP leaders agreed to hold a vote this week on long-stalled legislation that would undo President George W. Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

The Republicrats have caved and have abandoned their moral compasses...

Among local lawmakers, Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, both D-Ill., have signed on as co-sponsors to the House-passed bill. And as the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Durbin helped engineer this week's legislative debate.

As a professed Catholic and a key player in legislation to destroy human life, Durbin is a disgrace, both as a professed Catholic and as a human being. Do not his public actions which advocate violating the natural moral law and the Church's explicit teachings regarding the sanctity of human life demand that he be publicly excommunicated from the Church? Should not any other professed Catholic legislator who advocates and promotes laws allowing the killing of innocent human life receive the penalty of excommunication?

Has not the time for dialogue gone on long enough? In the past 30-40 years, have we seen any pro-death, pro-abort "Catholics" change because of dialogue with Church leaders? Are these people not obstinate in their rejection of the fundamental right to life of the innocent unborn? Are they not obstinate in their rejection of the natural moral law? Have they not had ample opportunity to properly form their consciences? Perhaps some medicinal and disciplinary 'assistance' is now needed to correct or treat their blindeness or obstinacy...May God grant the necessary courage to Church leaders to do what they must do.