A Vatican official has listed drugs, pollution and genetic manipulations as well as social and economic injustices as new areas of sinful behavior.
When asked to list the new areas of sinful behavior, Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti denounced “certain violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments, genetic manipulations.”
A high-up Vatican official denounced pollution, which is causing environmental blight, and also the study of bioethics and genetic manipulation, such as stem cell research. Though some have interpreted his actions as commercial, I feel that many will take these new sins seriously over time.
This is a great example of how communicating science effectively works two-fold when celebrities or world leaders, such as the Pope, speak their voice on environmental and biological issues. More people listen.
3 comments:
I wonder what kind of genetic manipulation constitutes sin. Do experiments on Drosophila count? That would really stink for every Catholic in BIOGD 281 (including myself). Or is that more with regards to human cell stem research. And does that include embryonic only or all types? I wonder if it is possible to be a "real" Catholic and also practice useful science.
its good to see more churches are getting involved in environmental protection. i think this is part of a growing trend in some denominations and reminds me of this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/opinion/03kristof.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. Anyway, this is a good example of how several different institutions can play into the role of dynamic science communication. Given their social influence, churches might become an important actor in environmental concern.
The washington post had a front page article today about how the Pope is coming to the U.S. and is holding a meeting with the heads of 200 Catholic Universities. According to the article, there is a lot of anger over how some schools are not following the Catholic doctorine. I am curious to see how the new sin of "genetic manipulation" effects these universities. I also find it interesting that genetic manipulation has been added as a sin, because the John Paul II had supported the theory of evolution. Pope Benedict said that the debate between creationism and evolution is absurd; he sides with the evolutionists.
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