THERE’S A BOMB COMING THAT IS BIGGER THAN THE A-BOMB AND THE H-BOMB…IT’S THE BIOLOGICAL BOMB. AND THE CHURCH IS NOT READY FOR IT.
– Dr. Francis Schaeffer, 1971.

An Invitation to a Special Pastors Update September 29, 2004

Decades ago, prophets like Dr. Schaeffer and others saw the significance of the developments in biotechnology that we face today–embryonic stem cell research and cloning.The biological bomb has been dropped and our communities, including our churches, are living in the fallout. On California’s November ballot voters will decide whether or not our state becomes the international leader in embryonic stem cell research at taxpayer expense.

Is the church ready to face this question? Do our church leaders know and understand the embryonic stem cell procedure and its ethical implications? Do we know the close connection between embryonic stem cell development and human cloning? ﾠAs pastors, are we prepared to give informed opinions and wise counsel that is morally and biblically grounded?

On Wednesday, September 29, 2004, The Center for Bioethics and Culture (the CBC) in collaboration with Talbot School of Theology will present a strategic Pastors Update designed to inform church leaders on the embryonic stem cell issue and the intent of proposition 71 (The Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative).

The program will include a short video message by Joni Eareckson Tada prepared especially for the Pastors Update. The main speaker will be Wesley J. Smith, J.D., who has written extensively on the embryonic stem cell issue. (See bio below.) Mr. Smith’s presentation and a Q & A ﾠperiod to follow will be the central part of the morning. Books, articles, vhs, dvds, and other resources will also be available.

Responding to ﾠWesley Smith’s presentation will be Scott Rae, Ph.D., professor of ethics at Talbot; Jennifer Lahl, R.N., M.A., the national director of the CBC (See bio below); Kenneth Schemmer, M.D., general surgeon and author of “Tinkering with People” and “Between Life and Death.”

The Pastors Update begins at 10:15 am and will conclude at noon. We encourage you to bring colleagues and other church leaders. Please forward this email to anyone you think should be there. There is no charge for the event. It will be held in the Chapel at the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton/main campus, 2801 N. Brea Blvd., in Fullerton. (See map below.) Coffee will be available starting at 9:45 am in the adjacent Fireside Room.

Paul Sailhamer, Southern California consultant to the CBC, will host the event. A number of area pastors have joined with us to invite and encourage your participation: ﾠJerry Johnson, Lake Avenue Church; Dale Burke, First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton; Reed Jolley, Santa Barbara Community Church; Steve Larson, Evangelical Free Church of the Conejo Valley; Lynn Cory, Valley Vineyard; Mark Dane, Chino Valley Community Church; Alan Meenan, First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood; Eric Heard, Mariner’s Church, New Port Beach; Ray Chang, Ambassador Church.

If you plan to attend this event please reply by email and let us know how many will be in your group.

For further information visit our Website(www.thecbc.org) or call / email our Southern California office. 714 – 526-4680, PaulSailhamer@thecbc.org.

Wesley J. Smith, J.D.

Wesley J. Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, is an attorney and consultant for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. He is an international lecturer and public speaker, appearing frequently at political, university, medical, legal, bioethics, and community gatherings across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. Wesley J Smith’s writing and opinion columns have appeared in such national and regional news publications as Newsweek, the New York Times, the Weekly Standard magazine, National Review, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the New York Post, First Things, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Detroit News. He wrote the article on assisted suicide for Microsoft’s on-line encyclopedia, Encarta.

Jennifer Lahl, R.N., M.A.
Founder and National Director of the CBC

National Director of CBC and Executive Director of the Bay Area CBC. Jennifer has her B.S. degree in Nursing from California State University at Fullerton and her M.A. degree in Bioethics from Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL. She also serves on the North American Editorial Board of the international journal, Ethics and Medicine. Ms. Lahl is an adjunct fellow with Charles Colson’s Wilberforce Forum and is a member of the Council for Biotechnology and Policy in Washington, D.C.

The CBC…Who We Are

The Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC) is composed of Doctors, Nurses, Ethicists, Clergy, Educators, and other professionals coming together to educate and equip people to face the bioethics issues of the 21st Century, a century already christened “the Biotech Century.”

Our Advisory Board has many noted experts in the field of bioethics, such as John Kilner, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, and C. Ben Mitchell, Ph.D., Editor of the International Journal Ethics and Medicine, with Nigel M. de S. Cameron, Ph.D., former Dean of Charles Colson’s Wilberforce Forum, president of the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, and research professor of Bioethics at Chicago-Kent College of Law, serving as our Executive Chairman.

The CBC is providing the expertise to help integrate the myriad choices and decisions in bioethics for the preservation of human dignity into the future.

Why we exist:

The past century has seen rapid advances in medical and scientific technologies, as well as the separation of science and the sacred, whereby religion and religious values have become increasingly irrelevant in the examination of the ethical dimension of science. The pursuit of scientific and medical advances has often blurred the distinction between “what is scientifically possible” and “what is ethically permissible.” The CBC strives to bring the ethics and morals of traditional faith values into play on issues in science, medicine and bioethics.

Today’s public has limited knowledge of the current issues in bioethics. Rapidly changing medical and scientific advances bring both new hope and new ethical implications for human life and dignity, and we must provide informed responses to these important issues. The CBC has a desire to serve the community by helping us understand bioethics within the worldview we espouse. Some day each of us will be faced with an ethical dilemma. It may involve a family member or a friend, or perhaps it will be a decision to make for our own medical need. The CBC takes a proactive approach, preparing us before the decisions need to be made.

Our Mission:

Through our educational resources, seminars and conferences, we aim to train and equip others to understand issues in bioethics in the 21st Century. Overall, our organization is characterized as a high-quality, professional and up-to-date organization, with a heart to meet the needs of those wishing to rightly understand the ethical decisions we all will face one day.

The Center for Bioethics and Culture is a non-profit 501(c)3 public benefit educational organization.

Map to the First ﾠEvangelical Free Church of Fullerton

From the 57 Freeway, take the Imperial Highway exit and go west. Turn left (south) on Brea Boulevard. Our Main Campus (Worship Center) is located on the right after crossing Rolling Hills Drive. Our North Campus (High School, Jr. High, and additional classrooms) is located on the left before crossing Rolling Hills

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