Comments on: Please Don’t Clone People, Koreans: Holy Pontiff

By: bumfromkorea

bumfromkorea — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:04:53 +0000

For the experts on the Catholic stance on stem-cell research, what is the Church’s stance on stem-cell research done via human parthenogenesis? (which ironically was “created” by Hwang)

Btw, the whole Hwang-human parthenogenesis thing is one of the favorite running gag in my History of Science/Medicine class. The irony is just… wow.

By: virtual wonderer

virtual wonderer — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:57:22 +0000

yesterday i was in a korean bookstore and saw a comic book titled, “Dr. Hwang Jang Yop presents, “Defend the Stem Cell.” There was a bunch of kids in the cover doing a cool pose in a very yu-gi-ohish fashion and the back cover had evil villains in a very power rangerish fashion. it was all very amusing.

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:31:06 +0000

Not quite: Catholics tend to take whatever the Vatican says with a grain of salt.

Having been raised in Catholic family, I can tell you that statement is wrong. Even Catholics who disagree with the Church’s stance on abortion, birth control, and divorce do not “take whatever the Vatican says with a grain of salt.” Catholics, like believers of other faiths, grapple with the teachings of their religion.

By: Ut videam

Ut videam — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:54:08 +0000

Catholics tend to take whatever the Vatican says with a grain of salt.

Um, no… at least not the sincere ones.

By: Paul H.

Paul H. — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:14:15 +0000

1) “Benedict also praised South Korea’s efforts to halt North Korea’s nuclear ambitions in comments to Seoul’s new ambassador to the Vatican…”

2) #20 Someguy: “…Catholics tend to take whatever the Vatican says with a grain of salt.”

Should Catholics take Benedict’s praise for ROK’s “efforts” to stop DPRK nuclear weapons “with a grain of salt” as well? What say ye, someguy?

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 16:25:48 +0000

“Catholics have the Vatican as the sole interpreter ”

Not quite: Catholics tend to take whatever the Vatican says with a grain of salt.

By: Ut videam

Ut videam — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:34:34 +0000

#2:

I’d stake my life on these two assertions: Catholics don’t know what science really is; the Pope doesn’t know what morality really is.

Gotta love these True Believers.

And you’d stake your life? Courageous stand there, made as it was in a country where freedom of speech and religious pluralism is enshrined in law—not to mention behind a veil of online anonymity.

I might have a little more respect for such “I’d stake my life” rhetoric if it were, say, “I’d stake my life on these two assertions: Muslims don’t know what science really is; Ayatollah Khamenei doesn’t know what morality really is.” In person. In downtown Teheran.

#12:

Excellent point, Sonagi. But for those who believe, no proof is necessary.

By: boshintang

boshintang — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:46:02 +0000

Appealing to South Korean scientists to reject cloning is like asking Hwang Woo Sok to stop using photoshop.

By: McGenghis

McGenghis — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 04:54:19 +0000

Being a Catholic, a Canadian or even a canoe enthusiast is an indulgence that doesn’t hurt the environment. It only means you’ll be half-awake when you go to that weird place the Tibetans wrote so much about.

By: snow

snow — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 04:54:14 +0000

“Their dogma does not reflect the beliefs of the vast majority of Catholics.”

This sounds like the old argument that the church’s beliefs should change with the times or circumstances. Unlike the Protestant church and Islam where anybody can interpret scripture as they see fit (I’m a Protestant, but I admire the Catholic church for its extensive contributions to the development of Western civilization), Catholics have the Vatican as the sole interpreter (though in practice, there is alot of variation in the practice of Catholocism). Having a single authority interpreting has its advantages and disadvantages, of course. The church risks not being relevant to a wide range of people with its centralized approach (though it has certainly worked with over a billion Catholics the world over), but then it can’t be hijacked by others for their own ends (the dogma can be controlled by the Vatican for its own ends).