News

The meaning of extremism is changing daily and is beginning to mean the opposite of its original intent. In a recent homily, the Bishop of Shrewsbury in the UK, Mark Davies, shared his concerns that, if British law continues in its current direction, belief in Jesus Christ and the Bible may one day be viewed as “extremist” ideology (Catholic Herald, August 1, 2017).

Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University have successfully “edited” a gene mutation in human embryos that they created (National Geographic, August 2, 2017). “The team used ‘genetic scissors’ called CRISPR-Cas9 to target and remove a mutation associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common inherited heart disease, in 42 embryos.” While many scientists are hailing the research as revolutionary, many bioethicists are labeling it as “scientists...

News polls indicate that the status of the United States is declining and becoming increasingly irrelevant on the world stage (Washington Post, July 27, 2017). A recent interview with a Nigerian man demonstrated the sad disappointment of many regarding the U.S.: “Your country has gone crazy [he said]… I’m from Africa.

Hebrew University scientists report that fertility rates among men in Western nations are dropping each year by 1.4 percent (The Guardian, July 29, 2017). Over the last 40 years, male fertility rates in these nations have dropped by over 50 percent! The problem is compounded when Western families wait until women are over age 30 to conceive, resulting in lower fertility rates among women.

Throughout history, unscrupulous men have sought positions of power and brought themselves and others to ruin. Today in Africa we see just such a tragedy of corruption and suffering unfolding. In Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) Robert Mugabe has presided over the country since independence in 1980. Once the breadbasket of the region, Zimbabwe must now import food to feed its people due to a violent land redistribution scheme that saw food production fall drastically.