Wesley J. Smith

September 10 is Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day.  Good.  But, I fear not very effective.The well meaning people behind WSPD have missed-or were afraid of the controversy that would be caused by tackling—the proverbial elephant in the living room.  You see, many high profile . . . . Continue Reading »

Stem cell bioethicists apparently have claimed that IPSCs—skin or other cells reprogrammed to be stem cells—“are as morally fraught” as ESCR—stem cells taken from destroying human embryos.   Baloney.  ESCR is, by the very way the cells are derived and . . . . Continue Reading »

The pro assisted suicide group Compassion and Choices, along with a compliant media, continues to romanticize self destruction as an answer to the problem of human suffering. Latest example: In Montana, a man murdered his wife, who had cerebral palsy, set his house on fire, and then, shot . . . . Continue Reading »

The always compelling Christopher Hitchens has a terrific piece out in Vanity Fair ( “Unanswerable Prayers” ) about being an atheist with serious cancer, who is the subject of prayers.  And that got me to thinking, should believers tell atheists that they are praying for . . . . Continue Reading »

This isn’t a post about faith versus atheism—a topic that is not within SHS’s jurisdiction. It is a post about how to best show compassion to people who are seriously ill.I bring this up because of a fascinating article by one of my favorite writers, Christopher Hitchens—oh, . . . . Continue Reading »

A new law has gone into effect in Missouri that requires women contemplating abortion to be told some medical facts.  From the story: But in the meantime, the process of getting an abortion in Missouri has changed. Starting this week women seeking an abortion in Missouri will:- Be asked if they . . . . Continue Reading »

Some in the ESCR community—and I am referring to those without moral objections—are worried that the coming ESC human trials are premature. From the story:Scientists are poised to inject cells created from embryonic stem cells into some patients with a progressive form of blindness and . . . . Continue Reading »

NICE—the rationing board for the UK’s NHS—is the model that Obamacare’s major supporters want for us, and the potential to create such centralized control was passed under Obamacare. For example,  Former Senator Tom Daschle, described by the NYT as the most influential . . . . Continue Reading »

There is a hostage drama ongoing in which a man—apparently an enviro nut—has invaded the Discovery Channel (of all places) to make demands.  From the story:Lee appears to have posted environmental and population-control demands online, saying humans are ruining the planet and . . . . Continue Reading »

My colleague at the Discovery Institute—Bruce Chapman, our fearless leader—has brought up a point that I think deserves more attention.  In the wake of the Mark Hauser scandal at Harvard—who may have falsified evidence of monkey moral reasoning—Bruce asks two important . . . . Continue Reading »