House Passes Comprehensive Cloning Ban (Again)

House bans all human cloning For the second year in a row, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a ban on all forms of human cloning.

“We cannot afford to treat the issue of human embryo cloning lightly,” said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich, one of the bill’s cosponsors. “The human race is not open to experimentation at any level, even the molecular level.”

Though the bill passed in a 241-155 vote (see how your representative voted here), it did so by a slightly smaller margin than last year‘s 265-162 vote for a very similar bill, which stalled in the Senate.

Reports today say the new bill faces “an uncertain future” in the Senate.

“Proponents in the Senate have conceded they do not have the 60 votes necessary to end debate and force a vote on the bill,” the Associated Press reports. “It also is unclear how aggressively Majority Leader Bill Frist, a heart surgeon from Tennessee who has taken a middle ground on embryo research issues, will push the anti-cloning measure.”

The vote came after an alternative bill, which would have banned reproductive human cloning but allowed the procedure for research, was defeated in a 231-174 vote. Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., said that allowing research cloning “would license the most ghoulish and dangerous enterprise in human history.”

President Bush welcomed the House’s vote and called for the Senate to act quickly in passing the bill. “Like most Americans, I believe human cloning is deeply troubling, and I strongly support efforts by Congress to ban all human cloning,” he said. “We must advance the promise and cause of medical science, including through ethical stem cell research, yet we must do so in ways that respect human dignity and help build a culture of life.”

Under the bill, anyone engaged in human cloning could be imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined up to $1 million.

Persecution and violence:

Cambodia bans Christian proselytizing | “These actions infringe on the rights of the Cambodian people,” undersecretary of state for cults and religious affairs Dok Narin said (AFP)
New wave of Christianity in Sri Lanka | However, many Christian congregations around the island have been the target of attacks in the recent past. Even rural churches have not been spared (The Sunday Leader, Sri Lanka, second item)
20 Zimbabwe clergy members held by cops | The clerics, dressed in suits and carrying three wooden crosses, were picked up just a few meters away from the entrance to the police general headquarters where they planned to seek an apology for the arrest of one of their colleagues two weeks ago at a church in Harare (AFP)
U.S. should seek UN action on Iranian religious persecution | A group of human rights activists is calling on the United States to highlight Iran’s crackdown on religious minorities at next month’s meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Commission. (Voice of America)

New Archbishop of Canterbury enthroned:

Archbishop enthroned | Outspoken Anglican leader Dr Rowan Williams has been enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. (BBC)
Also: Anglican church enthrones ‘leftie’(CNN)
Also: Liberal Williams enthroned as Archbishop (Reuters)
Also: Archbishop of Canterbury enthroned (The New York Times)
Also: Bishop enthroned, with lament (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Also: 104th archbishop of Canterbury enthroned (UPI)
New Archbishop preaches tolerance | Dr Williams used his sermon to urge tolerance of differences and cautioned against using any single group in society as a “scapegoat” (Ananova)
Also: Archbishop’s enthronement sermon in full (The Telegraph, London)
Also: Williams: Speak out with passion (The Telegraph, London)
Anti-war demo at Archbishop ceremony | Enthronement also draws evangelical protesters. (Evening Standard, London)
Also: Canterbury’s day of glory and protest | In his sermon during the enthronement as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, in a cathedral with some experience of turbulent priests, the first Welshman to lead the world’s 70 million Anglicans told a congregation of religious and political leaders that he would continue to speak out on affairs of state (The Times, London)
Earlier: Archbishop faces anti-gay protest | Critics of the new Archbishop of Canterbury’s liberal stance on homosexuality, some of them wearing black armbands, planned to mount a protest outside his enthronement. (The Telegraph, London)
New archbishop faces hurdles to Anglican unity | As global leader, he faces yet another challenge – a potential split in the Communion that his predecessor, George Carey, termed “of crisis proportions.” (The Christian Science Monitor)
Enthronement in Welsh garments | The Welshman to be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury for over 1,000 years will be dressed in robes that bear the symbols of Welsh history and tradition. (BBC)
Archbishop’s enthronement sees a religious divide emerge (Financial Times)

Pop culture:

Dixie’s defenders fire off uncivil words | The films that are most vociferously defended after they receive a bad review are those that are pitched to people who mostly stay at home because they disapprove of the violence and profanity found in many modern movies. (John Beifuss, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis)
Mission possible | Audio Adrenaline wants fans to share their faith with everyone they know. (The Wichita Eagle)

Life ethics:

Abortion foes plan offensive | Abortion opponents, emboldened by changes on the national front, plan to introduce legislation today that would place new limits on abortions in Washington, including a 24-hour waiting period and an end to public funding (The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.)

War with Iraq:

Silent evangelical support of Bush’s proposed war against Iraq | The Bush administration has strong support from evangelical Christians, who believe war is justified, but don’t take public stands (Morning Edition, NPR)
Readers respond to the Prayer on the brink of war (Gregory Elder, Redlands [Calif.] Daily Facts)
Against widespread clergy protest, some lay Christians justify war against Iraq | Jean Bethke Elshtain, a Protestant professor of social ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Michael Novak, a Roman Catholic philosopher at the American Enterprise Institute, each opposed the Vietnam War. But each has argued recently that a conflict with Iraq meets the demands of Christianity’s “just war” doctrine—the theological tests for deciding the morality of war that date back to the fifth century. (Associated Press)
Clergy set Hill vigil against Iraq war | Without access to the White House, the group of American, British, Scottish, French and German clergy are holding a briefing and prayer vigil on Capitol Hill today (The Washington Times)
Religious leaders are split over Bush’s war policy | Despite his moral convictions, denominations lack unanimity (Philadelphia Daily News)
In Kuwait, baptism before the gunfire | Faced with threat of war in Iraq, many marines turn to religion (The Washington Post)
Evangelical Christians call for peace | “We believe that war or violence is almost always the worst solution for resolving conflict.” (The Star, Malaysia)
Happy clapping on the Hill | If I had not heard and seen it all before—back in the days of Vietnam—I would have been touched. (Uwe Siemon-Netto, UPI)

Church life:

Without some young blood, the Church must surely die | The Church of England is failing – failing to recognize it is out of touch with young people and failing to do anything about it. (Erin Baker, The Daily Telegraph, London)
The religious and other beliefs of Americans 2003 | Many people believe in miracles (89%), the devil (68%), hell (69%), ghosts (51%), astrology (31%) and reincarnation (27%), according to the Harris Poll (Press release)

Marriage and sexual ethics:

Philippines bishop bans pregnant brides | A Roman Catholic bishop in the Philippines has banned heavily pregnant brides from having public weddings. (BBC)
‘Three-parent’ case challenged | A Protestant group has asked the court for the right to intervene in the matter. (The London [Ont.] Free Press)
Gay bashing in Jesus’ name a hateful twist | Most people surely agree that no one should bully students. A few Christians, however, think it is always appropriate to bully gay kids. (Steve Gushee, Palm Beach Post)

Church state:

Alabama governor raises concerns with Bible study at Capitol | Critics say it’s just a political ploy (Associated Press)
Commandments pushed | Kentucky legislators call for change in U.S. law (Associated Press)

Interfaith relations and other religions:

Jewish group seeks better ties with allies | Council wants to work with evangelical Christians on Israel, religious rights (The Baltimore Sun)
Two men create bridge over Nigeria’s troubled waters | In a conflict zone between the Muslim north and the Christian south, two former enemies find common ground and share a peacemaking mission (The Christian Science Monitor)
Militant Aborigines embrace Islam to seek empowerment | Most Aborigines have been Christians since missionaries arrived with the convict fleets two centuries ago (The London Independent)
What makes a convert real? | Christian converts from Islam are seldom spoken about because in many countries their lives would be in danger.(Uwe Siemon-Netto, UPI)

Clergy sex abuse:

Pope reportedly acts to speed removal of abusive priests (The New York Times)
George hosting accused priest | The Rev. Kenneth J. Martin, 57, a priest from the Wilmington (Del.) Diocese who in 2001 was charged criminally with sexually abusing a high school boy in Maryland in the 1970s, has stayed at the cardinal’s mansion on North State Parkway about one week a month since last May (Chicago Sun-Times)

Missions and ministries:

Beachfest wraps a huge party in a Christian message | Free event will bring Christian pop and rock groups, sports clinics, Jumbotron screens and a skateboard park to the beach on March 22 and 23 (Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Missionaries accept risks | Christian workers keep faith during trying times abroad (The Shreveport [La.] Times)
Christian nightclub offers gospel music, Bible-themed menu | Besides a nightclub, Praise Place also features a CD and book shop, a recording studio and a ministry center (Associated Press)
Far from boring weekend at MissionsFest | Even if I hadn’t been getting information for this article, I still would have gone back all weekend (Edmonton Journal)
Stephen Ministers walk with the troubled | Men, women lend willing ears (The Times-Picayune, New Orleans)
Mission accomplished | Before the Alamo became a symbol of Texas defiance, it was fighting for men’s souls (The Wall Street Journal)

Other stories of interest:

Weeping Mary not a miracle, says Church | The commission had found the substance produced by the statue was vegetable oil mixed with rose oil. (AFP)
Dead Sea Scrolls coming to Murfreesboro | It is one of only two appearances scheduled in the United States this year, organizers said. (The Tennessean)
Also: Wycliffe Bible, tablet included in exhibit (The Tennessean)
Baby baptized at treasurer’s office before mom ships out | Cook County treasurer organizes hasty baptism after hearing news (WMAQ, Chicago)
College challenges conservative lifestyle | Many feel that they are marginalized in the Swarthmore social scene (The Phoenix, Swarthmore College)
Nature lover finds world of prayer in great wide open | Five years ago, Cindy Crosby went for a walk and rediscovered her spirituality (Chicago Sun-Times)
Pushing the apocalypse | How fundamentalists see scripture—and politics—on schedule for the end of the world (City Weekly, Salt Lake City)