
blogs


Embryonic stem cells from cloned human embryos – six reasons for caution
The newspapers are full today of the news that scientists in the US state of Oregon have produced embryonic…

Joy, sorrow and satisfaction – medical mission in Ecuador
My own personal journey to becoming a medical missionary began when I finished secondary school and went…

It’s exam time! Can smart drugs make you smarter at this testing time?
While a cup of strong coffee is probably the choice of drink for most people studying for exams, perhaps…

The ‘Groningen protocol’ for euthanasia of disabled babies in the Netherlands
In an interview this morning on BBC Five Live (at 0705) on the Paul Lamb case (listen here) I was asked…

Don’t be fooled by Lord Falconer’s ‘modest’ assisted suicide proposals
Lord Falconer has finally announced that his long awaited assisted suicide bill will be tabled in the…

Doctors should not be forced to provide emergency contraception
The Independent has run the story of a ‘Christian-run NHS GP surgery’ which has apparently ‘attracted…

Several leading bioethicists defend the practice of infanticide this week in leading medical journal
In February 2012 two bioethicists provoked international outrage with an article advocating infanticide.
Writing…

Marie Fleming loses Supreme Court appeal challenging ban on assisted suicide
A 59-year-old Irish woman today lost her Supreme Court challenge to the ban on assisted suicide.
Marie…

What the UK needs to learn from the worldwide Church
Last week there was a meeting between David Cameron and leaders of major UK NGOs on the process to find…

GMC and RCM must now move urgently to review their abortion guidance in light of Glasgow midwives court ruling
Two Roman Catholic midwives have today won a landmark legal battle to avoid taking any part in abortion…

Losing trust – why immunisation programmes fail
What do South Wales, North Nigeria and Northwest Pakistan have in common? They all have outbreaks of…
World Medical Association reaffirms its strong opposition to euthanasia
The World Medical Association has reiterated its strong opposition to euthanasia. From the WMA Resolution on Euthanasia: Euthanasia, that is the act of deliberately ending the life of a patient, even at the patient’s own request or at the request of close relatives, is unethical. This does not prevent the physician from respecting the desire of […]
Springbok rugby hero Joost van der Westhuizen, dying from motor neurone disease, speaks of his Christian faith
Joost van der Westhuizen is a name well known to rugby fans the world over. It was the scrum half’s try saving tackle on the towering All Black wing Jonah Lomu in the World Cup rugby final in 1995 which arguably won the tournament for South Africa. He went on to win the Tri Nations […]
A Cranky Old Man
Debates in the media about failing care standards in our hospitals are important but can sometimes be a bit sterile and focus more on the problems that need sorting than the people who need care. There is a wonderful poem circulating on the internet that is a probable adaptation of a poem by Phyllis McCormack […]
New study adds further fuel to debate about link between induced abortion and breast cancer
Is there a link between induced abortion and breast cancer? Any such link has been hotly denied by official bodies but a new study has added further fuel to this ongoing controversy. The Bangladesh study published in the Journal of Dhaka Medical College on risk factors for breast cancer, led by Dr Suraiya Jabeen, found a statistically […]
Love: the everyday miracle
You see her in the clinic, in the emergency assessment room, on the ward. She’s had pain for several years now. Many fruitless investigations have been done. The vital signs, the blood work and the imaging give no cause for alarm. Still, she’s in pain, and certain something is wrong. Everyone is frustrated. She wants […]
Lessons from Africa: running and dying well
We are just back from amazing two weeks in East Africa. Our son Andrew was taking on a series of epic challenges, which included running up Mt Kilimanjaro in a day (he took 7hrs 16 minutes from base camp), doing the same with Mt Kenya, and running over 50km every day for 18 days. Mary […]
Police arrest in Chichester should serve as a reminder of why assisted suicide is against the law
A 65-year-old woman and her son from the Chichester area have been arrested after police suspected they were planning to take her husband to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to commit suicide, sources said. The pensioner and the 25-year-old were held on suspicion of encouraging or assisting a suicide. Details about the condition of the 71-year-old man […]
3.8 million human embryos created to produce 122,000 live births – success rate of 3.2%
3.8 million human embryos created to produce 122,000 live births – success rate of 3.2% The Daily Telegraph this weekend reports on a new expert study which has raised fears that some clinics may be offering techniques that put the embryo at risk for their own profit. The review, carried out by Dr Justin McCracken, […]
Over 850,000 people have signed the petition to protect human embryos in Europe. Have you?
Over 850,000 people have signed the petition to protect human embryos in Europe. Have you? The ‘One of Us’ campaign underlines the moment of conception as the beginning of human life, and aims to prevent any funding of activities which result in the destruction of human embryos, particularly focusing on areas of research, development aid […]
Welsh plans to introduce a system of presumed consent for organ donation are both unnecessary and unethical
I was recently interviewed by Emily Graves of Crossrhythms Radio about Welsh plans to introduce a system of presumed consent for organ donation. The following is an extract from the interview. The full transcript is available on line. Emily: Please could you start by outlining what the previous law was and the changes that have […]
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide – more worrying developments in Belgium and the Netherlands
I was recently interviewed by Emily Graves of Crossrhythms Radio about moves to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide around the world. The following is an extract from the interview focussing on recent developments in Belgium and the Netherlands. The full transcript is available online. Emily: Can you tell us a little bit more about what […]
The explosive growth of the South Korean church had its origins in profound missionary sacrifice
In Yanghwajin Foreigners’ Cemetery in Seoul are 145 graves belonging to Christian missionaries and their families who dedicated their lives to Korea during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These missionaries profoundly influenced Korean society, not only by establishing hospitals and schools, but by being God’s agents in far-reaching spiritual revival which transformed the […]