
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-03/17/2009

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Ban on embryo destruction funds renewed for time-being
by Staff
Date: March 17, 2009 - Tuesday

<i>Editor's note: For a Q&A about stem cell research click  here .</i>

WASHINGTON (BP)--President Obama renewed a ban on federal funding of research that harms human embryos only two days after issuing an executive order that lifted a prohibition on government grants for destructive embryonic stem cell research.

Meanwhile, Concerned Women for America (CWA) confirmed March 17 that leaders of some pro-life organizations are scheduled to meet soon with a representative of the Obama administration to discuss reducing the number of abortions in the United States.

The March 11 maintenance of the embryo research funding ban, first reported by CNSNews.com, occurred as a result of the president signing into law a $410 billion omnibus spending bill that funds the operation of several federal agencies through September. Included in the appropriations measure was funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The ban, known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, has been a part of HHS spending legislation since 1996. Named after its sponsors, former Republican Reps. Jay Dickey of Arkansas and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the measure prohibits federal funds from being used for the creation of human embryos for research as well as for experimentation in which the health or life of embryos is threatened or destroyed.

Though the Dickey-Wicker Amendment is viable through the end of this fiscal year, its existence and effectiveness were brought into question after Obama signed his order on embryonic stem cell research March 9. The new order lifted a ban on funds for stem cell research that results in the destruction of embryos. It rescinded a policy instituted by President Bush in August 2001. Bush permitted, however, grants for experiments on stem cell lines, or colonies, already in existence. 

The challenge to Dickey-Wicker may come from two directions: the Obama administration's National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Congress. 

NIH, which was tasked by Obama with issuing guidelines within 120 days on funding embryonic stem cell research, may try to circumvent Dickey-Wicker, embryonic stem cell research foes fear. Cloning for research purposes even could be in the mix, some say.

"As long as they did the creation of the clone with private funds and killed them with private funds, NIH could probably fund the embryonic stem cells from the clone or from the hybrid, because that's the basic interpretation now of what this new presidential executive order says," bioethicist David Prentice told Baptist Press. Prentice is senior fellow for life sciences at the Family Research Council (FRC). "There are no sorts of restrictions on when the embryo was made, where it was made, how it was made."

Before Bush took office, the Clinton administration drew up guidelines in 2000 that would have permitted embryonic stem cell research funding as long as the stem cells were derived -- and the embryo destroyed -- using private money. Opponents of the Clinton guidelines said such a policy would violate at least the spirit of Dickey-Wicker and would encourage embryo destruction in order to receive federal grants. The Bush administration blocked the Clinton guidelines, however, leading to Bush's new policy.

Congress not only is expected to pass legislation in support of Obama's stem cell order, with the president's encouragement, but there may be a move to pass a bill striking down Dickey-Wicker.

Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado is the lead Democratic sponsor of legislation to turn the Obama order into law, and she is promoting congressional action to rescind Dickey-Wicker.

"Dickey-Wicker is 13 years old now, and I think we need to review these policies," DeGette told The New York Times. "I've already talked to several pro-life Democrats about Dickey-Wicker, and they seemed open to the concept of reversing the policy if we could show that it was necessary to foster this research."

Overturning the Dickey-Wicker Amendment "would be difficult, but not impossible," said an unidentified aide to House Democratic leadership, according to The Times. "It's not something that we would do right away, but it's something that we would look at."

Stem cells provide hope for producing cures for a variety of diseases, because of their ability to develop into other cells and tissues. However, embryonic stem cell research has been a failure to date while adult stem cell research as well as similar non-destructive procedures have resulted in a host of treatments.

Many scientists have promoted embryonic stem cell research, because stem cells from embryos are pluripotent, meaning they can transform into any cell or tissue in the body. Extracting stem cells from an embryo, however, destroys it. Embryonic stem cell research has yet to provide any treatments for human beings.

Human trials using stem cells from non-embryonic sources have produced therapies for at least 73 ailments in human beings, despite the fact such cells are not considered pluripotent, according to Do No Harm, a coalition promoting ethics in research. Extracting these so-called adult stem cells is harmless. In addition, scientists have discovered in the last 16 months ways of converting adult cells into cells that have nearly the identical properties of embryonic ones. Such cells are labeled induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

CWA President Wendy Wright and representatives of three other pro-life organizations will participate in a White House meeting March 24 with Joshua DuBois, the executive director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Wright sought a meeting with DuBois after the White House announced the faith-based office's priorities would include abortion reduction. 

"We want to be sure as policies are being formulated that they take into consideration the kinds of principles and programs that have a track record of being effective" in reducing abortions, Wright told Baptist Press.

Wright invited representatives of the Family Research Council, Christian Medical Association, and CareNet, which supports more than 1,100 pregnancy centers, to attend the meeting with her. Wright said she expects they also will discuss fatherhood issues, another priority of the faith-based office.
--30--
Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press, with reporting by Michael Foust, an assistant editor of Baptist Press. 


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Ga. may see U.S.' 1st embryo adoption law
by Michael Foust
Date: March 17, 2009 - Tuesday

ATLANTA (BP)--Georgia could become the first state in the nation with laws governing embryo adoptions under a bill that passed the state House and is now before the Senate. 

Embryo adoption is a unique form of adoption in which couples -- often infertile ones -- adopt surplus frozen embryos from in vitro fertilization. One benefit over traditional forms of adoption is that it allows the woman to experience pregnancy.

Although embryo adoption has been championed for years by pro-lifers and some adoption agencies nationwide and is legal in Georgia, there are no laws governing it. The couples who provide the embryos and those who adopt them must first sign private legal contracts before the embryos are transferred from one party to the other. The contracts treat the embryos as property.

The Georgia bill, known as the Option of Adoption Act (H.B. 388), would govern the embryos under adoption laws and provide safeguards for both parties. It would give the adopting couple an added level of comfort to know that once the legal requirements are met and the transfer is complete, they are the legal custodians. 

The bill has the support of Ron Stoddart, executive director of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which runs the nation's oldest embryo adoption program -- the Snowflakes program. 

"Science has outpaced our legislation in clarifying the rights of the parties in potential disputes involving embryo transfer between families," Stoddart told Baptist Press. "There needs to be certainty, particularly before an embryo is thawed and implanted in the womb of an adopting mother. The opponents of the legislation, I'm sure, will focus on giving the embryos more rights of personhood, but the reality is that this is important for the sake of the children to be born and the donor and adopting parents."

Stoddart claims the bill will provide another valuable bonus for embryo adopting couples in Georgia: clarifying that they are eligible for the federal adoption tax credit, which this year is $11,650. The adoption tax credit is a significant tax benefit to couples who go the traditional adoption route.

The bill passed the Georgia House of Representatives, 96-66, March 12.

"It is needed in order to clarify the relationships between the donor of the embryos -- the genetic parents -- and those seeking to adopt the embryo," Daniel Becker, President of Georgia Right to Life, told BP. "Because you don't want a woman to go through nine months of pregnancy only to find out that the original parents want their child back. This would clarify that in the code."

The Georgia bill states in part, "A child born to a recipient intended parent as the result of embryo relinquishment ... shall be presumed to be the legal child of the recipient intended parent; provided that each legal embryo custodian and each recipient intended parent has entered into a written contract."

Although embryo donation programs differ, embryo adoptions typically have some similarities to traditional adoption. For instance, the biological parents can, if they wish, choose the adopting couple for their embryos. Adopting couples also can choose to adopt anonymously, whereby they would adopt embryos but know little or nothing about the biological parents.  
--30--
Michael Foust is an assistant editor of Baptist Press. For more information about embryo adoption, visit the following websites: www.Snowflakes.org, www.EmbryoAdoption.org, www.EmbryoDonation.org. Many local adoption agencies also help facilitate embryo adoptions.


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Patrick of Ireland: an evangelical hero
by Gary D. Myers
Date: March 17, 2009 - Tuesday

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--It has been said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, perhaps reflecting some mysterious urge to wear green on March 17.

St. Patrick's Day celebrations, laden with mythology and merriment, often have little to do with the historical Patrick, a missionary and early church leader. And while "Irish" revelers overlook the man behind the myth, many Christians also fail to see the importance of Patrick's ministry.

What are evangelicals to think of Patrick? And what can be learned from his life and ministry?

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professors Rex Butler and Jack Allen believe Patrick is worthy of evangelical attention. Approaching him from different disciplines, Butler and Allen see in Patrick methods and heart attitudes beneficial to today's church.

The title of "Saint" and St. Patrick's Day activities, unfortunately, have left Patrick with an image problem among evangelicals.

"As Baptists, we need to avoid calling any historical figure by the title of 'Saint,'" said Butler, associate professor of church history and patristics at NOBTS. "It is clear from the Bible, especially Paul's letters, that all believers are saints in the sense that we are sanctified and set apart for God."

The title "Saint," when used by Catholic and Orthodox churches, is very technical in nature, Butler said. It refers to men and women "who exhibited extraordinary holiness and performed miracles during their lives." These churches believe that "Saints" can intercede on behalf of people living today.

"Therefore, I refer to the hero of 'St. Patrick's Day' as 'Patrick of Ireland,'" Butler said.

Patrick was born into a Christian home in Britain, the son and grandson of clergymen. Patrick, though, exhibited only nominal Christian faith in his early years. Scholars are not certain when he was born, but many place his birth around 387 A.D.

The pagan Celtic tribes of Ireland lived in primitive conditions, worshipping nature, living off the land and frequently raiding Britain to steal supplies. In short, the tribes consisted of uncivilized barbarians. During one of their raids on the British Island, Patrick was taken captive and forced into slavery at the age of 16.

After living as a slave for six years, Patrick escaped and returned to Britain. It was during his time in Ireland that Patrick's faith in Christ began to grow, Butler said. Shortly after returning to Britain, Patrick entered church ministry.

"Patrick's life is a great example of how God uses adversity to draw us to Himself," Butler said.

"Over time, he begins to have this deep conviction that God wants him to go back and take the Gospel to these horrible people," said Allen, assistant professor of church planting at NOBTS. "Patrick voluntarily goes back to Ireland and he sets about trying to convert these pagans."

For Allen, Patrick demonstrated a number of methods that could be beneficial in reaching 21st-century Western culture, particularly the post-Christian areas of North America.

At the basic level, Patrick's methods are similar to the current idea of "missional" living in a cross-cultural setting, Allen said. Patrick went on his mission with a "long-haul" mentality and would stay as long as it took to reach a tribe. He and his group lived among the people, learned their habits, sought to fit in without comprise and lived out their faith and ethics among the people. Gradually Patrick was able to share the Gospel.

Patrick did not immediately confront the pagans about sin and overwhelm them with scriptural instruction, Allen said, and he preferred to slowly introduce the Scriptures to develop a "picture of Jesus" and then tell them about repentance. 

"Over time ... people were converted," Allen said. "This takes a very long time. It's slow at first, but these conversions tend to stick."

Allen believes a similar approach is needed to reach the United States and Canada. He points to the growing number of lost people in cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and even Austin. People in these areas, Allen said, often are highly resistant to the Gospel and traditional evangelistic methods.

"What is getting fantastic results in Toronto and Montreal have been methods that look an awful lot like what Patrick did," Allen said. "Our missionary goes in, lives among the people and begins to make friends. Over time &#91;the missionary&#93; tries to gather people and teach them who Jesus is."

Lost North Americans share many common traits with the people Patrick encountered on the Emerald Isle so long ago, Allen said, describing post-Christian North Americans as "neo-pagans" due to their resistance to the Gospel and their commitment to nature.

Reaching the neo-pagans of North America, Allen said, will require costly commitments. Christians must find a way to plant themselves among the lost for long periods of time, and these believers must live out a consistent, vibrant faith. Many of the successful missionaries in these resistant areas are bivocational –- working alongside the people they're trying to reach.

"We will not see large-scale systemic conversions unless we are willing to give this; in all honesty, we probably have to give it a decade," Allen said. "We not only have to help people find Christ, we have to give them the tools to walk with Christ." 

For Butlers from a church historian's perspective, Patrick's ministry and mission methods reflect two distinct heart attitudes vital to the Christian life -- forgiveness and perseverance.

"Despite the suffering he had endured in Ireland, Patrick was willing to forgive those who had held him captive," Butler said. "He returned to evangelize Ireland."

Forgiveness and the call of God landed Patrick in Ireland. But it was a rugged perseverance that kept him there for the long term, Butler said.

Patrick was not the first missionary to Ireland, Butler noted. Thirty years before Patrick launched his mission, a man named Palladius was commissioned as a missionary to the Emerald Isle, but Palladius soon became discouraged and moved on to Scotland.

"Patrick, however, persevered in his mission, preached the Gospel throughout Ireland ... and established churches and monasteries," Butler said. "Furthermore, the Irish Christians, following Patrick's example, left their homeland to spread the Gospel in Scotland, Britain and Europe."
--30--
Gary Myers is director of public relations at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information on Patrick's methods, NOBTS faculty member Jack Allen recommends "The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West ... Again" by George G. Hunter III.


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RESOURCE: Mother of special needs child offers hope to other families in her position
by Lonnie Wilkey
Date: March 17, 2009 - Tuesday

BARTLETT, Tenn. (BP)--When Lisa and David Barron's daughter Madison was born in 1994, Lisa assumed her precious little baby would "one day grow into a little girl, then to sweet 16, on to a young lady and then to a woman."

But that never happened.

Madison experienced breathing problems when she was born, but it was not until a few weeks later that it became apparent she had serious health issues. During her short time on earth she endured numerous hospital visits, seizures and other medical problems. Yet, before she died in 1999, Madison also experienced a tremendous amount of love from her parents, siblings, family members and friends.

It took Lisa Barron two years to determine how she might tell Madison's story to give special comfort and practical insights to families with special needs children. About six years of writing and editing followed, culminating with the release of "Precious In His Sight: A Mother's Journey of Faith With Her Special Needs Child."

Barron noted how difficult it is for families to accept the fact they actually have a special needs child.

"No one came to me at any time after my child's birth and said, 'You have a special needs child,'" Barron writes in the book. "There was no real Aha! moment when I figured out what was going on with our precious daughter Madison. It was a gradual process with a sinking feeling that we should be 'further along' than we were."

As a neonatal nurse, Barron had an advantage that many mothers of special needs children do not have, yet she admits she was angry and disappointed when she finally accepted the fact that Madison would not become a healthy little girl and experience a full life.

"Hard as it was, I knew I had to work through my grief and make my way toward acceptance," she writes in the book. "My daughter needed me to be strong and love her exactly the way she was. I wanted our family to be happy and live as normally as possible."

The first step was to admit to God "I was brokenhearted, disappointed, angry and sad. In my humanness, it was difficult to see these were emotions He experienced too," she writes, citing the story of Jesus weeping over the death of Lazarus.

After coming to that realization, Barron was "gradually able to accept what God had given me. Madison was a very special child -- like no other. I realized God had a plan for her life and that plan was totally different than mine."

Barron also learned the hard way that she could not be in control. "Of course, I had not ever been able to control anything, but this was news to me. I was so exhausted and beaten down. Looking back, it was because I was in a constant battle with God over control of things. Once I stopped fighting Him and welcomed His direction, I felt refreshed and energized," she recounts in the book.

Barron's book recaps various steps of her five-year journey and what she learned along the way, particularly so that parents, families and friends can understand "the blessing of their special child. May they learn to love and enjoy their child in a new and fresh way, just the way God made them." Other goals for the book were to help families with special needs children see they are not alone -- and to help friends of those with special needs children see how they might offer help.

When Madison was almost 2, the Barrons joined Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn., because their former church was unequipped to help meet their needs.

Faith Baptist had pediatric nurses among its members who voluntarily gave their time to sit with Madison so the couple could attend services.

"That lasted for three years," Barron recalled in an interview with Tennessee's Baptist & Reflector newsjournal. "They saw the need and reached out to us." Looking back, Barron said they had to have child-care workers who knew CPR and medical procedures. "That was so amazing that we had so many nurses who knew what to do and weren't afraid &#91;to care for Madison&#93;." Barron noted that many families with special needs children can't attend church without help. "Churches need to open their eyes and see the need. It will not happen if members don't visit and talk to people." Faith Baptist, she told the Baptist & Reflector, became aware of their needs and responded after a visit by deacons.

Barron said she also hopes to offer special comfort to families who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. She concluded her book with this thought: "If just one person invites Jesus Christ into her heart and life while reading about our experiences, Madison's life will not have been in vain. If just one parent learns to find joy in his special needs child's life, my efforts have not been fruitless."
--30--
Lonnie Wilkey is editor of the Baptist & Reflector, newsjournal of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. "Precious In His Sight: A Mother's Journey of Faith With Her Special Needs Child" by Lisa Barron is available through www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com or by contacting Barron at lisabarron@bellsouth.net.


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Poll examines faith's role in parenting
by Mark Kelly
Date: March 17, 2009 - Tuesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The vast majority of parents hope their children grow up to live good lives but, for many, parental success does not include faith in God -- even among parents who are evangelical Christians, according to a new study from LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources.

The national survey of 1,200 adults with children under 18 at home found the most common definitions of successful parenting include children having good values (25 percent), being happy adults (25 percent), finding success in life (22 percent), being a good person (19 percent), graduating from college (17 percent) and living independently (15 percent). Being godly or having faith in God is mentioned by 9 percent of respondents.

Parents who attend religious services weekly are particularly likely to emphasize faith in God, but only 24 percent of them identify that as a mark of parenting success, the research found. 

"We are seeing an ever-widening gulf in American believers between private faith and a faith that is passed on," said Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research. "Instead, we too often see an emphasis on guiding children to a social morality and toward an as-yet undefined 'happy' life." 

INFLUENCES AND GOALS

While the vast majority (83 percent) believes parents should be most responsible for a child's spiritual development, only 35 percent say their religious faith is one of the most important influences on their parenting, according to the study. This leaves nearly half (48 percent) who acknowledge their role in their child's spiritual development, but fail to consider their own religious faith among the most important influences on their parenting.

Pushing out to either end of the religious spectrum, the study found that almost a third of all parents either have no religious faith or say religious faith has little or no influence on their parenting. Conversely, among born-again Christians, 29 percent say faith is not among the most important influences on their parenting. 

"When self-identifying Christians are not able to say that faith is a priority for parenting, we should not be surprised at the prevalence of church drop outs in the younger generation," said Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research.

Asked if they have a written plan or goal for what they want to accomplish as parents, a full 33 percent say they have no plan or goal at all. Among those who attend religious services weekly and evangelicals, 76 percent say they have a plan, either written or unwritten. 

FEARS AND REGRETS

In contrast to visions of success, many parents are fearful for their children's futures and some harbor regrets about their parenting, according to the research. A full 82 percent agree they feel fearful when they think about what kind of world their children will face as adults. Asked if they feel a lot of regret about what they've done as parents, 28 percent of parents agree, although only 5 percent feel strongly about it.

Almost six in 10 parents (59 percent) indicate they want their children to experience pain and disappointment so they can learn from it, but about three in four parents (74 percent) say they try to keep their own pain hidden from their children. More than one in three parents (34 percent) say they worry when they think about their children 'leaving the nest.' A full 15 percent say the prospect of their children growing up and leaving home is simply too painful to think about.

Only 14 percent of all parents say they feel they are very familiar with what the Bible has to say about parenting, even though 77 percent identify themselves as Christians. Among those who attend religious services weekly, that number rises to 36 percent.

"One of parents' ultimate responsibilities is to prepare their children for adulthood," McConnell said. "This study may hint at why many young adults are spiritually underdeveloped -- their parents have given little focus to matters of faith."

The survey was conducted by LifeWay Research for a new book, The Parent Adventure: Preparing your children for a lifetime with God," by Rodney and Selma Wilson and Scott McConnell.
--30--
Mark Kelly writes for LifeWay Research.


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Why worldview matters
by Gene C. Fant Jr.
Date: March 17, 2009 - Tuesday

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Recently my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary with a trip to Mexico. Among the highlights was a day trip to the Mayan ruins at Uxmal. I had studied this culture as an undergraduate, and I was giddy with excitement.

The complex's magnificence left us speechless. The thousand-year-old pyramids are indescribable. We drank in the sights greedily, knowing that we probably would never return.

The Great Pyramid dominates the ruins' southern end, and I braved my dislike of heights so I could scale my way to its small temple. The view was one I'll never forget.

I paused a moment before slowly returning to solid ground, but a thought halted me for a moment. One of the distinctive elements of Mayan culture was their use of human sacrifice. From what we can tell, the practice was tied to a fertility cult. A young athlete from one of the blood-sport games would be killed at the top of their cultic pyramids as a way to ensure the fecundity of the fields and the persistence of the rains. I couldn't help but wonder how many young men's chests had been pierced by an obsidian blade on the very spot where I now stood.

What was even more jarring, however, was the speech that our tour guide gave us as we passed through the ball court. 

"Human sacrifice is misunderstood!" he declared. "It was a pleasure! The young man died happily, with a smile! It was a privilege to die for his people, to ensure the rains and the crops. It was no big deal. It was just their way of understanding the world."

I was shocked by his defense of human sacrifice. I knew from my studies that the single sacrifice of the ball court led to the eventual slaughters of thousands in rituals undertaken by the later Aztecs, peaking in an incredible bloodbath of over 80,000 persons in a single festival that rededicated the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487.

Noted philosopher Alister McGrath once said that reality is what you are faced with when you are wrong. Reality must be faced by those who say that worldviews do not matter, that they all are of equal value and that we just need to learn how to get along. Tell that to the thousands of innocent victims of human sacrifice over the millennia. 

A worldview that justifies human death, even a suicide for the cause of the belief system, never stops with that one death; it always spreads to the deaths of thousands of unwilling persons. Similarly, a worldview that claims the inherent superiority of some races will always draw the circle of purity smaller and smaller with each jack-booted step of power. A worldview that says that everyone really believes the same thing, just in different forms, is one that is singularly incapable of facing reality. 

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, once observed that our violent world is "red in tooth and claw." Christians, however, understand this violent reality in terms of the fall; the antidote to that reality, however, is found in the antidote to the fall: the redemptive grace offered by the Gospel itself.

Death is, indeed, a reality, but as a part of the created world, it also is not permanent. One day death itself will be conquered, which is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, "Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" (15:55-57). Christ's once-for-all victory negates the so-called value of human sacrifice, whether it is literal (such as with our culture's Aztec -like slaughter of unborn children) or metaphorical (such as in the cynical abuse of the poor and the helpless).

Worldview matters because the redemptive mission of Christ matters. He is, after all, very God of very God, the only begotten Son whose death and resurrection did not heal the lands for the sake of crops but instead healed our souls so that we might commune with God himself for all of eternity.
--30--
Gene C. Fant Jr. is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.



