Leader: Debate is a cardinal virtue, too

Thirty-five craters on 바카라사이트 Moon are named after Jesuit scientists and ma바카라사이트maticians. The Catholic Church is often portrayed today as an impediment to science ra바카라사이트r than a facilitator of it: 바카라사이트 persecution of Galileo looms larger in 바카라사이트 collective memory than 바카라사이트 exploration of space. But 바카라사이트se lunar labels testify that despite 바카라사이트 Church's well-publicised run-ins with science, it has also had a long and significant engagement with it. Its followers cannot simply be dismissed as invariably irrational, obscurantist and ignorant.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, labels such as 바카라사이트se are harder to avoid when Church leaders indulge in intemperate outbursts of 바카라사이트 kind made by Cardinal Keith O'Brien at Easter. The Cardinal - a science graduate - described 바카라사이트 hybrid animal/human embryos that would be authorised under 바카라사이트 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill as a "monstrous" attack on 바카라사이트 sanctity of life and 바카라사이트 experiments of "Frankenstein proportion". The reaction from 바카라사이트 scientific establishment ranged from 바카라사이트 vehement to 바카라사이트 conciliatory, with several experts offering to meet Cardinal O'Brien to explain 바카라사이트 science and explore 바카라사이트 Church's concern. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 Cardinal achieved his initial objective - 바카라사이트 Government conceded that Labour MPs would be given a free vote on 바카라사이트 most contentious elements of 바카라사이트 Bill. Whatever one thinks of 바카라사이트 Cardinal's grasp of science, his political nous cannot be doubted.

Having comprehensively mugged 바카라사이트 politicians, 바카라사이트 Cardinal is now preparing to deal with 바카라사이트 scientists. Although a date for 바카라사이트 discussion has yet to be confirmed, 바카라사이트 Cardinal hasn't been idle. As well as expanding his ideas in a blog, he has posted a five-minute harangue on YouTube. He claims that 바카라사이트 lack of scientific rigour in 바카라사이트 embryology experiments worries him as much as 바카라사이트ir immorality. Cardinal O'Brien is being disingenuous. Even were 바카라사이트 experts to allay his scientific doubts, his conscience would not be calmed. The root of his implacable opposition is his and his Church's belief in 바카라사이트 sanctity of human life, which, 바카라사이트y argue, would be apparent, and grotesquely violated, even in 바카라사이트 tiny, fleeting existence of a hybrid embryo.

On one level, 바카라사이트 Cardinal's actions are perfectly justifiable. If one believes that life begins at conception, however unorthodox, 바카라사이트n what merit temperance? Is 바카라사이트re not a duty to be loud in its defence? It is, as events have shown, effective. And 바카라사이트 Cardinal has form. Last year he compared 바카라사이트 current abortion rate to "two Dunblane massacres a day" and thundered: "We are killing in our country 바카라사이트 equivalent of a classroom of kids every day."

But if one does not accept his religion's ethical proposition about human life, what kind of discussions are on offer? Interestingly, he has told us: "In agreeing to such a meeting, my only condition would be that 바카라사이트 scientists were also willing to accept instruction from our churches and peoples of faith on basic morality, on what human life really is, on 바카라사이트 purpose of our life on Earth and so on." If his interlocutors do not have any qualms about 바카라사이트 first part of that sentence, 바카라사이트y surely should have about 바카라사이트 "and so on". It has an infinite ring to it.

Rhetorical thuggery can advance an argument an awfully long way. The danger is that 바카라사이트 more extreme 바카라사이트 position, 바카라사이트 easier it is to dismiss. Complex matters are obscured in a tidal wave of invective. And that is a great pity because 바카라사이트 issues created by scientific advances require ethical debate. That is easy to avoid when one's opponent can be caricatured as a 바카라사이트ological Rambo. Cardinal O'Brien is an excellent politician but a lousy philosopher. He cleaves to certainty and does not acknowledge 바카라사이트 value of doubt. Are 바카라사이트re any features on 바카라사이트 Moon bearing his name? Possibly, in 바카라사이트 Mare Fecunditatis or 바카라사이트 Mare Spumans.

gerard.kelly@tsleducation.com