I oppose euthanasia, the Right to Die Movement, and Assisted Suicide.  I believe God is the owner of our body, it is a gift from him, and it is our duty to live inside it as long as we are given breath.  I do not have the right to do with my body whatever I want, I am responsible to a higher authority than myself.  My life is part of a larger societal body, and the degradation of my life reduces the quality of society.  Thus, I do not have the right to engage in the "victimless crimes" such as prostitution, adultery, sodomy, drug use, self mutiliation, or assisted suicide.  Life in its highest expression is lived as a service to God.  Our lack of authority in this area is well illustrated by the fact that we cannot create our own life, therefore we have no right to take our own lives or the lives of another.  I believe those who engage in abortion or euthanasia, have accumulated a very fearsome spiritual debt.  I shudder to think of the repercussions associated with participating in an industry of death. 

 

I am opposed to Fetal Stem Cell research.  I believe a secondary social/spiritual agenda lies inside the push to authorize Fetal Stem Cell research.  If a human embryo can be sacrificed and shown to have a positive social impact, then the horror of abortion will be mixed with the knowledge that the sacrifice enabled a greater social good.  Such strategy is in the family of "the exception justifying the rule."  To engage in embryo destruction for purposes of science & medical therapy is a proposition with unknown spiritual implications and significance.  The point at which life begins is unclear.  It may begin at fertilization.  The Bible says that the life is in the blood, and the heart starts pumping blood between 17 and 21 days after fertilization.  It appears that adult stem cell cloning works as well as fetal stem cell cloning, and in some cases better.  Adult Stem Cells may be harvested from fat cells which are easily gathered for cloning from the person needing a tissue transplant.  Fetal Stem Cells have turned cancerous in some brain transplant cases; this is a problem not yet seen in Adult Stem Cells.  In other words Fetal Stem Cell research is not necessary to obtain the proposed medical benefits.  Thus, we have avoided the concern about  potentially terminating a life which may have already been initiated.  Our main concern is to respect a life which may already be inhabited by the soul and have a Spirit from God.

 

I am opposed to Human Cloning.  I am uncertain as to its spiritual implications, but I believe there is a possibility of significant negative social abuses.  There is no natural analogy to human cloning in the normal reproductive processes.  I do not believe it is God's will to engage in it, even though we can.  I believe a soul and spirit would be given to a person formed by cloning.  But, since this process is very much outside of the normal methods by which God has ordained and established for procreation, I believe it is best to simply avoid using this technology.  Human cloning appears to be somewhat of a tower of Babel quest.  By removing the normal male/female gene-mixing process from conception, we move one step closer to acting on the level of God's creative power.  This may not be the ultimate Pandora's Box, but at some point our desire to usurp the creative power of God may create a terror that is beyond our control.  I believe the potential societal abuse of human cloning is great, especially given the darkness of men's hearts.

 

I hope this answers your questions.   

Sincerely yours,

Thomas

 

Thomas Lee Abshier, ND

Candidate, US Senate (R)