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Eight is more than enough

08 Mar 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

God promises Abraham abundant descendants in this Sunday's reading from the Book of Genesis. The recent and widely reported birth of octuplets in California, however, is sparking concerns that fertility clinics nationwide may be ignoring federal guidelines with regard to embryo implants. The tabloid-friendly tale of Nadya Suleman, the so-called California "Octomom," continues to stir debate. Although the doctor who supervised in-vitro fertilization for Suleman, 33, is regarded by many in the field as having violated professional norms, U.S. health records indicate a large majority of fertility clinics disregarded implant guidelines in 2006, the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune reported. Citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the newspaper said 80 percent of U.S. fertility clinics in 2006--the most recent year for which records are available--did not follow embryo implant guidelines set in 1999 by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. "Assisted reproduction is a multibillion-dollar business," Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society in Oakland said. "Like other commercial enterprises, it needs rules." Along those lines, a Georgia state senator introduced legislation this week to limit the number of embryos that can be implanted in a woman's uterus during in-vitro fertilization procedures in that state. Sen. Ralph Hudgens said his legislation was inspired by Suleman, who gave birth to octuplets after reportedly being fertilized with six embryos. Suleman had six children at the time the procedure was performed. State lawmakers in Missouri are considering a similar bill. Source: Articles by United Press International and CNN

georgia missouri center for genetics and society marcy darnovsky us centers for disease control and prevention in-vitro fertilization nadya suleman embryo implants fertility clinics octuplets ralph hudgens
Scores of lives lost in tornadoes’ twisted wreckage

29 May 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s psalm response, all the earth is encouraged to “cry out to God with joy.” But in Joplin, Missouri there are mostly cries of sorrow this week in the wake of Sunday’s devastating tornado that cut a path of destruction a mile wide and four miles long through the city, with wind speeds reaching 166 miles per hour. The death toll rose above 120 midweek and a second lethal Midwest storm added more fatalities. The massive twister that leveled 30 percent of Joplin has been labeled the deadliest single tornado since 1950. "We are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure they recover," said President Barack Obama, who announced Tuesday that he plans to visit the region this Sunday. Obama said he will let people there know "the whole country is going to be behind them." Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles said about 600 people are conducting search-and-rescue operations across the 1,800-acre swath of Joplin that was damaged by the tornado. Officials here won’t confirm how many people remain unaccounted for, but Facebook pages and other websites contain hundreds of names. “That does not mean they are injured or deceased,” Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said at a news conference Tuesday evening. “It means that loved ones are not aware of their whereabouts.” Source: Articles by Judy Keen for USA TODAY, ABC World News, and CNN

missouri joplin tornadoes
Video makers game religion’s reputation

11 Mar 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“You shall not kill” is among the commandments the Lord delivers to the people in this Sunday’s first reading. Apparently, video-game makers didn’t get the memo. Many video games have begun incorporating religion into their story lines, and a new study finds that these representations often equate religion with violence. Greg Perreault, a doctoral student in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, examined five recent video games that include religion heavily into their scenarios: “Mass Effect 2,” “Final Fantasy 13,” “Assassin’s Creed,” “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow,” and “Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.” Perreault found that all of these games closely link religion with violence. “In most of these games there was a heavy emphasis on . . . 'Knights Templar' and crusader motifs,” Perreault said. “Not only was the violent side of religion emphasized, but in each of these games religion created a problem that the main character must overcome, whether it is a direct confrontation with religious zealots or being haunted by religious guilt.” “It doesn’t appear that game developers are trying to purposefully bash organized religion in these games,” Perreault said. “If you look at video games across the board, most of them involve violence in some fashion because violence is conflict and conflict is exciting. Religion appears to get tied in with violence because that makes for a compelling narrative.” Source: An article by Nathan Hurst for the University of Missouri News Bureau

religion Violence video games university of missouri school of journalism greg perreault