Pouring Cold Water on the Bucket Challenge
I've been observing with fascination on television and social media the new fad called "the bucket challenge." Many of my family and Christian people whom I love and respect are taking this challenge. The other day I asked my wife what it was about. She informed it a fund raising scheme of the ALS foundation. I thought what better cause, "I would do that." I'm a Christian and a hospital chaplain. I have seen the suffering ALS brings. As a follower of Christ I look for opportunities contribute to good causes. Jesus healed many. I think often of the man who said, "Lord if you are willing, make me clean."
Jesus responded, "I am willing be clean." and he touched him. The word translated willing implies that Jesus was so moved by the man's condition his bowels moved. He was personally stirred. He also touched him. No one was more committed to sacrifice of himself to heal the sick. Why would we not support ALS? I also notice on social media that the circle of people I know who are doing this is getting smaller. It's getting closer to me as close friends and members of my family are participating. I'm beginning to wonder whether someone is going to call on me to take the challenge. After some research on the event if asked to participate I would decline.
I have seen the moving story on the Internet of Paul Frate. Most of us have heard his story and we have seen how lives of people like the great astrophysicist Stephen B. Hawking has been affected by ALS. Most of us have seen the news clip of the former New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig saying farewell to his fans as he ended his career to battle this horrible disease. For some of us it has come even closer to our own family or circle of friends. How could anyone, especially a Christian and a hospital chaplain whose involved daily in showing God's love to the sick refuse this event. Is it hypocritical of me to pour cold water on the bucket challenge?
As compelling as the cause is, I am cautious about joining causes. I think medical research must be based on a consistent advocacy of the sanctity of life. If we do research that benefits one group at the expense of another we may be acting as though one group of people is more deserving of help than another. As important as healing was in Chirst's work (Luke 4:38-41). It is clear Jesus did not always heal (John 5: 1-9). While Jesus rather selective approach to healing in no way justifies selectivity in research, it does recognize that there are limits to our capacity to heal and to our methods of intervention and interdiction.
I have seen how trends can often get started and people become excited about something that seems innocuous or even beneficial and be unaware of hidden danger? Some charities have abused or misrepresented how they have used funds. Sometimes in our compassion to end suffering we adopt an ends justifies the means mentality. Instead of recognizing God's providential purposes that are sometimes present in suffering we neglect or do harm to one group in order to help another. I always check out what's behind the scene before I get involved in causes. I once worked for a large national company that gave millions of dollars and participated in events sponsored by "March of Dimes," who uses pro life symbols and language in their fund raising to create the perception that they respect life and children. Before participating in the company events I researched March of Dimes and was shocked to discovered that they, in fact, advocate abortion and infanticide as the means of ending birth defects. While my Christian faith compels me to show compassion to work for the ending of birth defects, I can not support destroying fetuses or young children to eliminate a defect from the gene pool. Frankly, I think it is a horribly sinister crime this organization is perpetrating. I chose not to participate in the many company events we had supporting March of Dimes. Often my Christian friends at my work place would criticize me for not participating. I would explain that although I respected their decision to participate I had chosen to decline, while supporting the ending of birth defects, I did not support infanticide or abortion as the means to do it. I explained that March of Dimes was second only to Planned Parenthood as a funding source for abortion.
I find myself equally conflicted about the bucket challenge. In fairness, ALS is far from advocating genocide nor do they use euphemistic language to hide their activity. (ALS IS in no way morally comparable to March of Dimes which is morally reprehensible and hypocritical in its fund raising. I only used them as an illustration to show that sometimes we don't fully understand how an organization is using its fund by its marketing programs.) The ALS foundation sincerely desires to bring an end to a horrible disease in a way that is honorable and helpful. They are a credible, well run charity, that is advancing the cause of ending ALS. Many good altruistic people are involved in this campaign and I highly respect what they are doing. While I respect those who have accepted the bucket challenge. I just can't join it myself.
After I went to the web site of the organization today http://www.alsa.org/research/about-als-research/stem-cells.html, and was disappointed to learn that they advocate and sponsor embryonic stem cell research as a potential therapy for ALS. Embryonic stem cell research has been out of the news in the last few years. Several years ago Michael J. Fox and other celebrities opposed President Bush's policy on denying federal funding for embryonic stem cell research saying he was uncaring. You have heard little about embryonic stem cell research recently because it has proved to be a false hope. Research has found little to no healing potential in embryonic stem cells. Continuing to research in this area is waste of funds as it has been proven ineffective. There is great potential in adult stem cells, which does not destroy a living human cell. As much as I would like to participate, I do think how we go about finding a cure is as important as finding one. I can not support sacrifice one set of lives because they hold potential of helping others.
In response to criticism of their research the ALS foundation is attempting to give the impression that embryonic stem cell research is an insignificant emphasis of their research. Yet they have dedicated long pages on the website explaining and defending the practice. They say there is only one program in their funding streams that is doing embryonic stem cell research, therefore it is a minor emphasis. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from live human embryo's. Lives are taken to do the research. The taking of human life by one research venture is never a minor issue. That is precisely the point of the doctrine of human sanctity. All human life whether contained in a single embryo, a birth defective child, mature or elderly adult is of equal value. For those Christians who argue that an embryo is not life, I would remind you that Jesus came to the world as a single cell human embryo. His redemptive work began at an embryonic level. Thus in becoming man Jesus grew from embryonic stage to maturity (Luke 2:52). Since Jesus considered human embryo's important enough in God's redemptive work to become one, how can Christian's deny an embryo's humanity, and significance? How can we support and organization that favors research that destroys embryos for whom Christ died and rose an insignificant realm of their research? With so much space devoted to the defense of the practice on the web site the practice of embryonic stem cell research seems to be a valued and significant program. Although the claim is made that funds can be designated for non embryonic stem cell research, the process seems to be a fundamental aspect of the organizations mission. The ALS organization does not seem to see an ethical problem with taking the lives of innocent embryos for a long shot attempt at saving the suffering.
Thus if I am to be consistent with my past practices and current beliefs I must decline the bucket challenge. Since I chose not to participate in my companies funding of March of Dimes, because I believed that as a pro-life Christian I could not oppose abortion and infanticide and give money money to an organization that advocated it. I find myself in the same position with the bucket challenge. I cannot support an organization that advocates the taking of human life, no matter how insignificant that life is to provide research for other living people. To do is fundamentally inconsistent with a Christian world view,
To my many Christian friends who are doing this I can appreciate your reason and your enthusiasm. There's a part of me that would like to get in on the fun. I hope you can appreciate my reason for declining in the event. Please don't ask me to take the bucket challenge.
Jesus responded, "I am willing be clean." and he touched him. The word translated willing implies that Jesus was so moved by the man's condition his bowels moved. He was personally stirred. He also touched him. No one was more committed to sacrifice of himself to heal the sick. Why would we not support ALS? I also notice on social media that the circle of people I know who are doing this is getting smaller. It's getting closer to me as close friends and members of my family are participating. I'm beginning to wonder whether someone is going to call on me to take the challenge. After some research on the event if asked to participate I would decline.
I have seen the moving story on the Internet of Paul Frate. Most of us have heard his story and we have seen how lives of people like the great astrophysicist Stephen B. Hawking has been affected by ALS. Most of us have seen the news clip of the former New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig saying farewell to his fans as he ended his career to battle this horrible disease. For some of us it has come even closer to our own family or circle of friends. How could anyone, especially a Christian and a hospital chaplain whose involved daily in showing God's love to the sick refuse this event. Is it hypocritical of me to pour cold water on the bucket challenge?
As compelling as the cause is, I am cautious about joining causes. I think medical research must be based on a consistent advocacy of the sanctity of life. If we do research that benefits one group at the expense of another we may be acting as though one group of people is more deserving of help than another. As important as healing was in Chirst's work (Luke 4:38-41). It is clear Jesus did not always heal (John 5: 1-9). While Jesus rather selective approach to healing in no way justifies selectivity in research, it does recognize that there are limits to our capacity to heal and to our methods of intervention and interdiction.
I have seen how trends can often get started and people become excited about something that seems innocuous or even beneficial and be unaware of hidden danger? Some charities have abused or misrepresented how they have used funds. Sometimes in our compassion to end suffering we adopt an ends justifies the means mentality. Instead of recognizing God's providential purposes that are sometimes present in suffering we neglect or do harm to one group in order to help another. I always check out what's behind the scene before I get involved in causes. I once worked for a large national company that gave millions of dollars and participated in events sponsored by "March of Dimes," who uses pro life symbols and language in their fund raising to create the perception that they respect life and children. Before participating in the company events I researched March of Dimes and was shocked to discovered that they, in fact, advocate abortion and infanticide as the means of ending birth defects. While my Christian faith compels me to show compassion to work for the ending of birth defects, I can not support destroying fetuses or young children to eliminate a defect from the gene pool. Frankly, I think it is a horribly sinister crime this organization is perpetrating. I chose not to participate in the many company events we had supporting March of Dimes. Often my Christian friends at my work place would criticize me for not participating. I would explain that although I respected their decision to participate I had chosen to decline, while supporting the ending of birth defects, I did not support infanticide or abortion as the means to do it. I explained that March of Dimes was second only to Planned Parenthood as a funding source for abortion.
I find myself equally conflicted about the bucket challenge. In fairness, ALS is far from advocating genocide nor do they use euphemistic language to hide their activity. (ALS IS in no way morally comparable to March of Dimes which is morally reprehensible and hypocritical in its fund raising. I only used them as an illustration to show that sometimes we don't fully understand how an organization is using its fund by its marketing programs.) The ALS foundation sincerely desires to bring an end to a horrible disease in a way that is honorable and helpful. They are a credible, well run charity, that is advancing the cause of ending ALS. Many good altruistic people are involved in this campaign and I highly respect what they are doing. While I respect those who have accepted the bucket challenge. I just can't join it myself.
After I went to the web site of the organization today http://www.alsa.org/research/about-als-research/stem-cells.html, and was disappointed to learn that they advocate and sponsor embryonic stem cell research as a potential therapy for ALS. Embryonic stem cell research has been out of the news in the last few years. Several years ago Michael J. Fox and other celebrities opposed President Bush's policy on denying federal funding for embryonic stem cell research saying he was uncaring. You have heard little about embryonic stem cell research recently because it has proved to be a false hope. Research has found little to no healing potential in embryonic stem cells. Continuing to research in this area is waste of funds as it has been proven ineffective. There is great potential in adult stem cells, which does not destroy a living human cell. As much as I would like to participate, I do think how we go about finding a cure is as important as finding one. I can not support sacrifice one set of lives because they hold potential of helping others.
In response to criticism of their research the ALS foundation is attempting to give the impression that embryonic stem cell research is an insignificant emphasis of their research. Yet they have dedicated long pages on the website explaining and defending the practice. They say there is only one program in their funding streams that is doing embryonic stem cell research, therefore it is a minor emphasis. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from live human embryo's. Lives are taken to do the research. The taking of human life by one research venture is never a minor issue. That is precisely the point of the doctrine of human sanctity. All human life whether contained in a single embryo, a birth defective child, mature or elderly adult is of equal value. For those Christians who argue that an embryo is not life, I would remind you that Jesus came to the world as a single cell human embryo. His redemptive work began at an embryonic level. Thus in becoming man Jesus grew from embryonic stage to maturity (Luke 2:52). Since Jesus considered human embryo's important enough in God's redemptive work to become one, how can Christian's deny an embryo's humanity, and significance? How can we support and organization that favors research that destroys embryos for whom Christ died and rose an insignificant realm of their research? With so much space devoted to the defense of the practice on the web site the practice of embryonic stem cell research seems to be a valued and significant program. Although the claim is made that funds can be designated for non embryonic stem cell research, the process seems to be a fundamental aspect of the organizations mission. The ALS organization does not seem to see an ethical problem with taking the lives of innocent embryos for a long shot attempt at saving the suffering.
Thus if I am to be consistent with my past practices and current beliefs I must decline the bucket challenge. Since I chose not to participate in my companies funding of March of Dimes, because I believed that as a pro-life Christian I could not oppose abortion and infanticide and give money money to an organization that advocated it. I find myself in the same position with the bucket challenge. I cannot support an organization that advocates the taking of human life, no matter how insignificant that life is to provide research for other living people. To do is fundamentally inconsistent with a Christian world view,
To my many Christian friends who are doing this I can appreciate your reason and your enthusiasm. There's a part of me that would like to get in on the fun. I hope you can appreciate my reason for declining in the event. Please don't ask me to take the bucket challenge.
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