• Cloning
• CFT condemns new Euthanasia Step in The Netherlands - CFT Netherlands Press Release 14 April 2001
• Dutch Gay Marriages - CFT Netherlands reports
• Tabitha Adult School
• CFT Port Elizabeth vs 'Adult World'
• Devotional Thought: A Time to be Deaf
• TLW tour to Soweto (23 - 26 April 2001)
• Upcoming Events

CLONING

It all started in 1978. Louise Brown, the world's first baby conceived in a scientific laboratory, was born that year in Oldham, England. She was the offspring, so to speak, of ten-plus painstaking years of similar attempts by a Cambridge University scientist named Robert Edwards, who sought to bring about the conception of a human being outside its mother's womb, and then to implant the embryo safely inside its mother.
Less than two years later, Elizabeth Carr became the first in vitro, or "test-tube" baby to be born in the United States.
It is amazing how quickly today's burgeoning human genetics industry-surrogate motherhood, egg donation and harvesting, cloning, the creation of designer children, and the highly controversial branch of stem-cell research that depends on the use of human embryos for experimental purposes-has mushroomed from the relatively crude fertilization technology that led to Louise Brown's birth just 23 years ago.
The United States has been a leader in this fast-paced research, a sort of "keeping up with the Joneses" on an international scale. In America alone, more than two million couples a year seek infertility treatments, which almost inevitably include egg-harvesting, from more than 300 Jones-like clinics across the country. In fact, IVF technology-retrieving eggs from a woman's uterus, fertilizing them in the lab, and then reinserting some with the hope that at least one will implant-seems to have become a springboard in the development of other reproductive technologies that, taken together, have brought humanity to the brink of what we now call the "biotech revolution." We are entering an era in which increasingly we will be able to "remake" our own bodies and heal ourselves genetically.
Today's headline-making medical developments such as cloning, human embryonic stem-cell research, genetic screening for disease, and genetic engineering all depend in some measure on aspects of IVF, which was a cutting-edge procedure when Brown was born. Now it's something that scientists-not to mention the millions of would-be parents who visit infertility clinics-take for granted.
Embryo Experiments
Even human embryonic stem-cell research, the most morally problematic to date of all the new reproductive technologies because it involves the destruction of the embryos, has a huge cadre of advocates who look to stem-cell therapy to cure a wide range of degenerative disabilities, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. That means that everyone threatened with such disabilities or who has a relative suffering from one of them is now potentially part of a vast constituency for pushing the research forward. That is where the brave new genetic world we have built on IVF technology starts to look scary.
Meanwhile, IVF-derived research and related scientific breakthroughs continued apace. All the new techonologies are linked to each other by more than their IVF base. We're now closer than ever to the prospect of genetically engineering our offspring, thanks to the human genome, a map of all the genes in the human body that was published only this year.
The biomedical frontier seems to extend outward daily. National Genome Research Institute director Francis Collins has asserted that a "fitter" human species via disease immunity will be the eventual consequence of mapping the human genome. Earlier this year, University of Kentucky scientist Panayiotis Zavos went further and announced that he and a private consortium of scientists intend to clone a human embryo and bring it to term. In 1998, physicist Richard Seed, commenting on the 1997 creation of the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, announced his intention to set up a cloning clinic. He predicted the manufacture of as many as 200,000 human clones in the near future, as mass production meets cloning technology.
America allows stem-cell researchers receiving public money to have access only to cell lines from "spare" human embryos left over from IVF-generated fertility procedures. Britain's new policy, by contrast, allows scientists receiving government funds actually to create human embryos in the laboratory for research purposes. One problem is that, thanks to huge amounts of government and private spending on medical research, biotechnological progress is amazingly fast. Take stem-cell research. Stem cells are "master cells" found in large quantities in days-old embryos, and also in adult tissue, that if properly coaxed, can become any kind of tissue in the body. Many scientists lobbied vocally to change the rule, deeming embryonic stem cells preferable to adult ones, as they are thought to be longer-living and more malleable.
(To be continued in next newsletter)

CFT CONDEMNS NEW EUTHANASIA STEP IN THE NETHERLANDS - CFT NETHERLANDS PRESS RELEASE 14 APRIL 2001

Christians for Truth, an international Christian organisation, condemns the latest step which the Dutch government and parliament have taken in the decriminalisation of assisted suicide. The Dutch parliament accepted a law earlier this week in which the killing of a patient by a doctor will no longer be punishable when the doctor has acted 'carefully' along certain guidelines and reports the killing to a (non-judicial) committee.
The removal of these killings from the Penal Code is a new signal in the on-going relaxing of the law around suicide and euthanasia. While this law was being discussed, there were two court cases pending (in appeal) which already foretell the shadows of the future and seem to be the next step on the slippery slope downwards. In one case a perfectly healthy elderly man was killed on his own request, because he felt he was 'done with life'. In the other, most recent case, a lady who could not express her own will, was killed on the initiative of the doctor and her relatives. The doctor was acquitted of murder. He did not receive punishment because he committed the deed out of compassion, the judge ruled.
The successive Dutch laws around these medical ethical issues in the past have all been drawn up after courts judged certain behaviour of doctors tolerable (which was always a step further than the law officially tolerated at that time). This means that if the higher courts uphold the verdicts in these ongoing court cases, a new, further relaxing of the laws will be around the corner. Research shows that already at least a thousand patients per year are being killed without their explicit (recent) consent. The Dutch minister of Health, Mrs Els Borst-Eilers, made it clear during the debate that a deeply demented person who cannot express her/his will clearly anymore and refuses food or drink, can be considered as having a wish to die. If the person has years ago made it clear that he/she would opt for euthanasia, the doctor may think on the patient's behalf and decide that it will be according to his/her wish to be killed, so the minister concluded.
During the debate, no answers were given by the government on how the very low reporting rate of committed euthanasia will be increased. Although full reporting is required, at present less than 50% of all cases are reported. It can be concluded that many doctors commit forgery on the death certificates in order to stay out of trouble. (It is striking that many of the cases which were and are brought before the court, had been committed by doctors who were clear supporters of assisted suicide and chose deliberately to seek publicity to further their cause.)
During the discussions, the opposition Christian Democratic party, which as a governing party helped in forming the liberal euthanasia climate over the last twenty years, showed itself a fierce opponent of the new law. For the last six years approximately, the Netherlands has been governed by a government which exists of a multi-coalition of social-democrats, liberals and social liberals. These parties fervently favour the euthanasia law and have proposed many other drafts of legislation which contradict values of life.
CFT, who took part in a silent protest against the new euthanasia law on 10 April, the day of the discussions, was very thankful for the massive turnout of more than 10,000 participants. This was a rare show of unity in which many Dutch churches and individual Christians united against the new proposals. CFT hopes that this will be the start of further fruitful cooperation amongst concerned Christians in these dangerous times.

DUTCH GAY MARRIAGES - CFT NETHERLANDS REPORTS

"Filled with thankfulness, we returned home at 01:00 on 1 April. Seven CFT members had been standing before the Amsterdam Town Hall, each holding a sign, spelling out the words: Come, let us return to the Lord. (Hosea 6:1). At 24:00 the Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, was to marry the first four homosexual couples. Before he became mayor, he had been the junior minister of Justice who had defended the law permitting gay marriages, in Parliament.
The law was to take effect on April 1. At 22:45, standing at the entrance, we were discovered by the media. There were more media people at the scene, than visitors. About twenty to thirty TV crew members, 40 photographers and 40 journalists from Japan, Canada, Italy, Australia etc. We could tell them that we were offering an alternative to that which was going on inside the Town Hall, a better way of real happiness. We had a wonderful opportunity to testify to that which God had done in our lives, and we could also give our opinion about homosexuality and the medical reasons why it is bad for individuals and society as a whole." (CFT Netherlands, 1 April)
The gay couples were welcomed by applause from family and supporters as they arrived for the ceremony, but a handful of demonstrators protested against what they called an unnatural union.
"We hope these people will chose to return to the Lord," said Cor de Vries, a 30-year-old protester. (1 April 2001, Sapa-AP)

TABITHA ADULT SCHOOL

Started at the beginning of the 90's Tabitha Adult School has trained hundreds of people who did not have the privilege of learning to read or write.
This year 106 students enrolled, all to improve their reading and writing skills. This is just a drop in the ocean if we consider illiteracy in our country. Tabitha is a private tuition centre linked to the Department of Education. In the past Tabitha only wrote internal exams. This year all the levels will write a national exam.
Mother tongue
In KZN, this means Zulu. Sarah - A mother and wife received permission to attend the school for a year. In Sarah's own words: "I so long to be able to read my Bible. I begged my husband to let me go to the mission so I could attend Tabitha.
Local Inkosi (Chief) attends ABET
"This is a time to learn. I need to improve my skills as a leader. I attend many meetings for traditional leaders and they are all conducted in English, thanks to Tabitha I don't need an interpreter. Instead I can even help other Inkosi's."
The Inkosi has also recruited his wife who attends the classes.
Counsellor (for the tribe)
"My work as a counsellor takes me to many meetings with the municipality. I am happy for an opportunity to improve my English. This will equip me in the development of my people."
Modern technology
Modern technology has penetrated even the rural areas where its benefits are felt and appreciated. Teachers from the surrounding schools joined Tabitha to take the computer courses offered. Sarie Louw and Bruce Mabizela handle the computer courses, which range from basic computer literacy to more complicated programmes, such as MS Office.
Besides reading and writing skills in Zulu and English we offer Zulu as a second language for amongst others missionaries who would like to improve their communication skills. Others want to learn other languages, like Dr Mngadi who took a German course.
Tabitha has gone as far as Kranskop, a village about 20km away, to hold classes for people who desperately need to learn these basic skills. At over 40 years of age two of these learners (see the photos) had never learnt to write their names.
(At the cost of just R350 you can sponsor someone and give them the opportunity to learn to read and write. Contact number is: 083-529-4373 Mrs Jenny Christmas)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: A TIME TO BE DEAF

In slander the listener is almost, if not quite, as bad as the speaker. The only true thing is to shut your ears the moment you begin to hear from anyone an evil report of another. The person has no right to tell it to you, and you have no right to hear it. If you refuse to listen, he will not be able to go on with his narration.
Ears are made to hear with, but on occasion it is good to be deaf. We all aim at courtesy, and courtesy requires that we be patient listeners, even to dull and prosy talkers; but even courtesy may not require us to listen to evil reports about a neighbour.
Ear-gate should be trained to shut instinctively when the breath of aspersion touches it, just as eye-gate shuts at slightest approach of harm.

TLW TOUR TO SOWETO - (23 - 26 APRIL 2001)

It was to the historically famous township of Soweto, that 6 TLW-ers went for a 4-day tour of 5 schools. Ralph, Sbongeleni, Andries and Jerusha drove up to Soweto in the new TLW vehicle. There, they were joined by Jabu and Viyeka.
Starting at Phafogang High School, the team was given the liberty of visiting each class in the school to share the message. The response was overwhelmingly positive. We also visited two other schools in Soweto, where many of the students came to us with questions, stories and mostly encouragement to continue with the spreading of TLW.
Many teachers expressed surprise that the TLW team did not need extra supervision to control problem classes. The learners were spellbound by the message, and there was no trouble. Rather, the message was well received and we as a team were fired with heartfelt questions, which we were glad to answer.
When we visited the outskirts of Soweto, the sad state of the learners struck each of us deeply. One girl came to a TLW-er and asked whether she could sign the card if she was HIV positive. We told her that she definitely could. Another told us that she was pregnant and was being pressurised to abort the baby before her parents found out. Yet another cried as she told of the horror of a boyfriend who beats her when she refuses to sleep with him. His reason? She has his baby.
The message of TLW has shown again and again that there is always hope, always another chance. You can always start again. The many cards that were signed bore witness yet again to the rising popularity of TLW.
Sadly, we only had four days in Soweto. These days were packed with presentations, which left us pretty exhausted. However, it was worth it - and all of us would not have minded staying another week for more meetings.
A heartfelt thanks to the team that left their jobs to go for TLW. Also a big thanks to our great photographers. We are the new revolution and there are so many youngsters out there who don't know about us, but are eager to join us. Let's up 'n at 'em!

Upcoming Events: