Current Events - 4/8/2005

(information below is from Pastor's Weekly Briefing, (April 8, 2005)

• A bill that would allow stem cell research, including stem cells obtained from cloned human embryos, was overwhelmingly approved last week by the Massachusetts state Senate and House of Representatives. Gov. Mitt Romney, who plans to veto the bill, realizes that his veto will be overridden. "I'll vote my conscience, but this is one that the story is complete," said Romney.

• According to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released last week, opposition to same-sex "marriage" is at an all-time high. When asked if homosexual "marriages" should be recognizes as valid, 68 percent said no. Last year, a similar poll found 55 percent were opposed.

• A new study appearing in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that many pregnant women are only given negative information by medical professionals when a prenatal diagnosis reveals the possibility of giving birth to a baby with Down Syndrome. The report also revealed that some of the prenatal testing for Down Syndrome is wrong 20 to 40 percent of the time, leading to the possibility of healthy babies being aborted.