Ross Douthat and the
Catholic News Service both caught Arlen Specter promoting the
old (and largely manufactured) war between science and religion
during the stem cell research debate in the Senate. He suggested
the study of human cadavers was blocked by the Catholic Church
during the 13th century. Wrong. And that Michael Servetus ran afoul
of the church for his study of cadavers in the process of learning
about the circulation of blood. Wrong. Servetus got in trouble over
the Trinity, not medical practice or study.
I've played the staffer role enough times to know what happened
here. The big strategy is to paint opposition to stem cell research
as purely religious and to draw the noose tight with a good story
about how irrational religion has been. So, you go out trawling
issues of Village Atheist or books by Prometheus Press and you get
what you're looking for.
After the voting's over, who cares if any of it was true?
topics:
Religion, Books
