“Creation and evolution: an integration, not an exclusion”

“Creation and evolution: an integration, not an exclusion”, says F. Rafael Pascual LC, Dean of Philosophy Faculty and Academic Director and Scientific Coordinator of Science and Faith Diploma Program, at Pontifical Atenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Roma.

Father Pascual, author of "L' evoluzione: Crocevia di Scienza, Filosofia e Teologia" (The Crossroads Evolution of Science, Philosophy and Theology), said that:

"the debate on evolution is open. A distinction must be made between the different levels: scientific-philosophical-theological, without confusing them or separating them completely."

In regard to the debate on intelligent design, Father Pascual pointed out that "it isn't a scientific question, but rather a philosophical one." "But neither is the negation of finality, or recourse to pure chance and to necessity, scientific," that is why "it seems to be a mistake to present intelligent design as an alternative scientific theory to the theory of evolution," he said.

Read full article from Zenit
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=94144

Embryonic stem cells like Edward Jenner's vaccine ?

Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning and science writer, has recently
published on NYT an article about stem cells research. She would
optimistically encourage people about unavoidable positive effects of this
research, despite objections of the Catholic Church, religious people, even of a large
group of scientists.

She underlines also that even in the past centuries, scientists have discovered cures and drugs for life treatening and unknown diseases, despite the opposition of Catholic Church and sometimes of Government too.

"An illuminating case study" she says, "is the late 18th-century controversy
over inoculation against smallpox.
Condemned by clerics as both immoral and blasphemous, smallpox inoculation
offers some surprising parallels to our current impasse over research using
embryonic stem cells."

And she follows, comparing Edward Jenner to today's researchers and scientists,
involved in embrionic stem cells experimentation.

If you're curious about it, you can read full article on NYT, at this link,
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/opinion/01blum.html

and you can too follow the debate on NYT, at link
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/opinion/l06stem.html


I'd just want to express a simple point of view, that reflects also some opinions expressed in the debate.

- There are not absolute evidences of near and surely positive effects of stem cells research.
It needs time, like for every other experimentation, to obtain these results and to be, more, absolutely confident about them.

- We can't compare a vaccine with embryonic stem cells, part of another human being.

- There are too many other interests, and too many money, around embryonic stem cells today research.

- The opposition to Jenner was due to a lack of knowledge. People didn't know and didn't understand his "technology". Today opposition to embryonic stem cells research, is due for ethical reasons.

We know this technology, we understand how it works, we don't accept it.

Stem cells. Why embrions if ...

... adult stem cells, from bones, skin, even fat, are becoming more "flexibles", due to new techniques and experimentations, and sometimes are better than embrionic stem cells ?

So, we think, embrionic stem cells research it's not only unethical, it's probably also useless, if we just can wait for a while.

A sample ? Type II diabetes and obesity.

Here it is the link to an article from TechJournalSouth, http://www.techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=1595

It has been developed a technology and a specific kit that "has practical application for the discovery and development of drugs to treat obesity and type II diabetes."

"these kits are suitable for use with any lipid containing cell including hepatocytes (liver cells) and skeletal muscle".

Moreover, fat stem cells are also more useful for engineering and repairing smooth muscle tissues and, generally, "adult stem cells, from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, nasal tissue, and even fat, have a flexibility that can be harnessed in treatment regimens" - Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB115466117375126716.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj

We could argue: is it so necessary embrionic experimentation ?

Science and Faith Diploma Program 2006/2007

It has been approved and published the New "Science and Faith Diploma Program", 2006/2007, at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum (see link below).

http://www.upra.org/articulo.phtml?id=461&se=5

Congress and Exhibition "Eucaristic Miracles"

Eucaristic Miracles exhibition, from 18 may 2006 to 26 may 2006, at "Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum", organized by "Istituto San Clemente I e Martire"

Exhibition, one of the projects realized by Science and Faith Master (Master of "Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum") has been opened in a Congress, 18 of may, where has been presented book:
I Miracoli Eucaristici.
Tesori nascostiUna prospettiva interdisciplinare
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Eucaristic Miracles
Hidden treasures
An interdisciplinary perspective.

This book, edited by Father Rafael Pascual L.C. , Science and Faith Master Director, and by prof. Gianluca Casagrande, contains proceedings of 5 may 2005 Congress, held at "Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum", in collaboration with "Istituto San Clemente I Papa e Martire".

Science and Faiht Master joins STOQ Project- Science Theology and the Ontological Quest (http://www.stoqnet.org/).