Podcast appearances and mentions of wesley j smith

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die The post Euthanasia in Canada, the UK and New Zealand – Wesley Smith, 8/19/25 (2311) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die The post Violations of the Dead Donor Rule – Wesley Smith, 7/29/25 (2101) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Today’s episode is a special rebroadcast of an episode of Humanize, a Discovery Institute podcast that discusses the issues that impact human personhood and to defend the unique and intrinsic moral worth of human life. Here, Humanize host Wesley J. Smith speaks to three contributors of the recent volume Minding the Brain to explore from both philosophical and scientific viewpoints why the Read More › Source

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die The post The Journal of the American Medical Association Calls for Over-the-Counter Abortion Pills – Wesley Smith, 2/5/25 (0362) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Hour 2 for 1/6/25 Drew prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with Brooke Taylor (1:00). Then, Wesley J. Smith covered assisted suicide (28:50). Topics included: death celebrations (37:44), caller - I tried to take my life, but thank God I didn't (39:31), and how priests respond (48:00). Links: https://humanize.today/

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die The post West Virginia Bans Assisted Suicide & A New Report on Canada's Assisted Suicide Program – Wesley Smith, 11/15/24 (3203) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Sponsor special: Up to $2,500 of FREE silver AND a FREE safe on qualifying orders - Call 855-862-3377 or text “AMERICAN” to 6-5-5-3-2“When a country or a state legalizes assisted suicide or euthanasia, it can no longer call itself anti-suicide, because it specifically approves some suicides. ... It's a very dangerous movement that is normalizing this kind of approach to dying as opposed to natural death.”In this episode, I sit down with Wesley J. Smith, a lawyer, public speaker, award-winning author, and chair of the Discovery Institute Center on Human Exceptionalism.“We're seeing in Canada also the beginning of a situation where patients who have a tough time getting an oncologist because of such a long waiting list, ask to be killed because they can't get quality medical care,” Smith says.We dive into his work on bioethics and euthanasia, better known today as “medically-assisted suicide.”“Assisted suicide and euthanasia is a symptom, not a cause, and there's a deep nihilism that seems to have infected society on many levels,” Smith says.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die The post 1982. A California Law Allowing Schools to Hide a Child's Gender Dysphoria from Parents – Wesley Smith, 7/17/24 first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die The post 1654. Donald Trump's Claim that Democrats are “Against Religion” – Wesley Smith, 6/13/24 first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Wesley Smith graciously spoke at our 45th Annual Legislative Day hosted just last week on May 1. He shared new developments and his insights on defending against physician-assisted suicide. We then had the privilege of continuing the conversation on our LifeBeat podcast. Lawyer and award-winning author, Wesley J. Smith, is the host of the Humanize podcast and Chair of the Discovery Institute·s Center on Human Exceptionalism. In 2004, he was named one of the nation·s premier experts in bioengineering by the National Journal. In 2008, the Human Life Foundation named him a Great Defender of Life for his work against assisted suicide and euthanasia. Smith·s book, ·Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die,· has become a classic in anti-euthanasia advocacy. He has published hundreds of articles and appeared on thousands of TV and radio programs across the U.S. and internationally. Smith is often called upon by members of the legislative and executive branches of government to advise on issues within his fields of expertise.

“Assisted dying” – what is it, and what's the purpose? Wesley J Smith,  Chairman of the Discovery Institute Center on Human Exceptionalism, joins Trending with Timmerie.  (2:27) Frank called and wants the option to commit suicide. (15:45) What happens when society accepts killing as a solution to human suffering? (31:48) Soldiers at the service of Christ – inspiring words of St. Fidelis. (45:30) Resources mentioned :  Discovery Institute  https://www.discovery.org/p/smith/   Young, healthy women being euthanized in the Netherlands should be a warning for Canada https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/young-healthy-women-being-euthanized-in-the-netherlands-should-be-a-warning-for-canada/   28-year-old Dutch woman to be killed by assisted suicide after doctors deem her autism ‘untreatable' https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/28-year-old-dutch-woman-to-be-killed-by-assisted-suicide-after-doctors-deem-her-autism-untreatable/ Fertility care  NaPro https://fertilitycare.org/find-a-mc   NaPro Telemedicine https://naturalwomanhood.org/find-a-doctor/telehealth/ Conversations with Dr. Susan Caldwell https://relevantradio.com/?cat=23210&s=susan+caldwell  

Is modern science a search for truth or a search for power? How can we restore public trust in the scientific enterprise? On this ID The Future, we're delighted to share a recent conversation between bioethicist Wesley J. Smith and philosopher of science Dr. Stephen C. Meyer. In an exchange that lasts just over an hour, Smith and Meyer touch on a variety of topics relevant to the public's view of the scientific enterprise. This interview originally aired on the Humanize podcast. Source

Would our world be a better place if scientists were in charge? On this ID the Future from the archive, author and philosopher Jay Richards hosts bioethicist Wesley J. Smith to discuss a tweet from Physics-Astronomy.org. The tweet read, “Imagine a world ruled by scientists, not politicians.” The pair discuss the consequences of such a form of governance, using the response to the coronavirus pandemic as a case in point. Source

Would our world be a better place if scientists were in charge? On this ID the Future from the archive, author and philosopher Jay Richards hosts bioethicist Wesley J. Smith to discuss a tweet from Physics-Astronomy.org. The tweet read, “Imagine a world ruled by scientists, not politicians.” The pair discuss the consequences of such a form of governance, using the response to the coronavirus pandemic as a case in point. Source

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are aware of how the transgender ideology has been sweeping through the medical, educational, and legislative communities. This has created a growing sense, especially among our kids, that assuming a gender identity other than your birth gender is not only an option to explore, but an admirable thing to pursue. Salvo magazine reports that the trend may be taking a turn in the right direction, citing bioethicist Wesley J. Smith's list of four signals that the tide might be turning against the cult-like push for trans-positivity. Smith says that first, European countries are back-pedaling on policies that allow medical transitioning for kids. Second, detransitioners are now speaking up to tell their horrific stories. Third, some are now suing those who influenced and helped their transition. And fourth, states are passing laws to protect minors from predatory medical practices. Let's educate our kids on God's design and his good gift of gender.

Wisconsin Right Now's Jim Piwowarczyk, Discovery Institute's Wesley J. Smith, Strategic Vision's David Johnson, Election Watch's Peter Bernegger, WILL's Rick Esenberg, and Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association's Jean Bahn

Wesley J. Smith, lawyer, award winning author, and Chair and Fellow at the Discovery Institute's Center For Human Exceptionalism joins Dr. George to explore the policies that have led to the homeless crisis. Wesley J. Smith is an award-winning author, international lecturer and public speaker. He left the full-time practice of law in 1985 to pursue a career in writing and public advocacy. He is the author or coauthor of fourteen books, including: Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die  Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World A Rat is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement The War on Humans Power Over Pain: How to Get the Pain Control You Need (co-authored with Eric M. Chevlen, MD) Additionally, Smith has published hundreds of articles and opinion columns. He covers issues such as the importance of being human (human exceptionalism), assisted suicide, bioethics, eugenics, transhumanism, legal ethics, medical ethics, and public affairs. Further, Smith is often called upon by members of legislative and executive branches of government to give advice on issues within his fields of expertise. He has testified as an expert witness in front of federal and state legislative committees and has counseled government leaders internationally about matters of mutual concern. [Humanize – Visit the Website & Listen to the Podcast] • [‘Housing First' Caused the Homelessness Catastrophe – Read the Article] • [Discovery Institute – Visit the Website] • [Wesley J. Smith – Follow him on Twitter]

Congressman Tom Tiffany, National Review's Wesley J Smith, MacIver Institute's Bill Osmulski, State Senator Steve Nass, The Federalist's Evita Duffy, and National Center's Bonner Cohen

Experiments on the living unborn. Organ harvesting. Reckless biotech. Radical environmentalism. These are not horror stories playing at your local movie theater. They're playing out in labs, hospitals, and institutes across America. On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid speaks with bioethicist Wesley J. Smith about frightening abuses of science being done in the name of progress. In this unnerving exchange, Smith discusses examples of biotechnology that are advancing faster than our ethical considerations, including synthetic human embryos, genetic engineering, and fetal farming. He unpacks recent attempts by environmental activists to give rights to non-living things like rivers and oceans. He explains the difference between animal rights and animal welfare, while exposing the animal rights campaign as an anti-human movement that inhibits human flourishing. Smith also discusses the latest fronts in the gender ideology crusade, and how the rush to affirm gender dysphoria in children is causing tremendous harm to our society. And before the nightmare ends, Smith explains the pernicious push from evidence-based medicine to "science-based medicine," a strategy that encourages censorship and totalitarian governance of the scientific enterprise. Source

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are aware of how the transgender ideology has been sweeping through the medical, educational, and legislative communities. This has created a growing sense, especially among our kids, that assuming a gender identity other than your birth gender is not only an option to explore, but an admirable thing to pursue. Salvo magazine reports that the trend may be taking a turn in the right direction, citing bioethicist Wesley J. Smith's list of four signals that the tide might be turning against the cult-like push for trans-positivity. Smith says that first, European countries are back-pedaling on policies that allow medical transitioning for kids. Second, detransitioners are now speaking up to tell their horrific stories. Third, some are now suing those who influenced and helped their transition. And fourth, states are passing laws to protect minors from predatory medical practices. Let's educate our kids on God's design and his good gift of gender.

The pursuit of human liberty, dignity and equality are just part of the ongoing efforts of Wesley J. Smith, Chair and Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism. Wesley joins us for an in-depth discussion on the focus of his work such as bioethical issues, particularly relating to conscience, patient protection, eugenics, suicide, gender ideology, medical ethics and law and policy. Intriguing! Wesley J. Smith | Discovery Institute

The groundbreaking recent book Your Designed Body is the focus of today's ID the Future. Here in Part 2 of a two-part conversation with host Wesley J. Smith, the two authors, systems engineer Steve Laufmann and physician Howard Glicksman, delve deeper into the exquisite, multi-layered fine tuning of the human body. They point to essential systems within systems within systems—irreducible complexity cubed, if you will. They also respond to the charge that aspects of the human body are poorly designed and, therefore, are supposedly better explained by the blind process of Darwinian evolution. Laufmann identifies five common errors that Darwinists make when pushing this bad-design argument. All of the errors involve an ignorance of key engineering principles, he says, one of them being a failure to consider the principle of constrained optimization. This episode is reposted at ID the Future by permission of Wesley J. Smith and the Humanize podcast. Source

Is your body engineered? Or did it evolve through impersonal, random processes over millions of years through natural selection? On this ID The Future, host Wesley J. Smith interviews engineer Steve Laufmann and physician Howard Glicksman about their recent book Your Designed Body. In their book, Laufmann and Glicksman evaluate the causal factors of Darwinism - heritability, random mutation, natural selection, and time - and find that they are both inadequate and incapable of producing the interconnected systems of the human body. "The systems that are required to make the human body work," says Laufmann, "are exactly the kinds of things that engineers design and build." Instead, they explain the body through the lens of engineering, showing that design is the most adequate mechanism currently available to explain how the origin of our amazing human bodies. Says Glicksman: "The more we understand how life actually works, the more the neo-Darwinian narrative becomes impossible." This is Part 1 of a two-part interview, originally airing on the Humanize podcast, a production of Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism. Source

For nearly a decade, federal policies meant to address homelessness have centered around “Housing First,” which begins with an assumption that the crisis is driven primarily by a lack of affordable housing. But is it really? Studies show that most individuals experiencing homelessness suffer from severe addiction, untreated mental illness, or a combination of the two. Others end up on the streets because they have no one to turn to, typically owing to broken familial relationships. It's time for a change. Steven Buri, Robert Marbut and Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute joined us to explore a new approach that acknowledges the inherent dignity of those suffering and that focuses on restoration, recovery, and self-sufficiency.Support the show

Climate Depot's Marc Morano, Moms For Liberty's Scarlett Johnson, National Review's Wesley J. Smith, Washington Times' Jed Babbin, and Judge Jim Troupis in studio

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die

Guest host Brooke Taylor is joined by her guest Wesley J. Smith to discuss Transhumanism. Where do we draw the line when it comes to radical anti-aging technologies? At what point do human enhancements become a challenge for human personhood. Tune in to Trending for the answers.

Former Milwaukee Co Sheriff David Clarke, WILL's Luke Berg, National Right To Work Foundation's Mark Mix, Discovery Institute's Wesley J. Smith, No Left Turn In Education's Ali Scweitzer, and Attorney Lance LoRusso

MacIver Institute's Brett Healy, Color Us United's Christian Watson, American Commitment's Phil Kerpen, Project 21's Horace Cooper, Author Larry Correia, and The Epoch Times' Wesley J. Smith

Ed Morrissey, host of "The Ed Morrissey Show Podcast" and Managing Editor at HotAir.com, fills in for Hugh from Central Texas. Ed discusses the news of the morning with John Hinderaker, co-founder of PowerLineBlog.com and president of the Center of the American Experiment, Wesley J. Smith, Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism senior fellow, Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist at First Trust Portfolios LP, as well as King Banaian of St. Cloud State University, Cam Edwards of BearingArms.com, and Christian Toto, editor of HollywoodInToto.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Wesley Smith's National Review Columns Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die

Today's ID the Future brings listeners the second half of a panel discussion at the 2022 Center for Science and Culture Insider's Briefing. This portion begins with bioethicist and Discovery Institute senior fellow Wesley J. Smith making a surprising argument: His own field, bioethics, is at war with true medical ethics. Specifically, its most prominent figures—hailing from elite universities in the United States and Europe—are dedicated to emptying our medical culture of traditional ethical standards that protect human rights and are guided by a commitment to inherent human dignity. Some leading bioethicists see human beings as of no more inherent value than yeast. Smith stands athwart this anti-human trend and urges listeners to wake up and push back. Then John Read More › Source

Wisconsin Right Now's Jessica McBride, Sheriff David Clarke, American for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist, The Stream's John Zmirak, Discovery Institute's Wesley J. Smith, and Senator Ron Johnson

In episode one of the second season of Humanize, Wesley J. Smith's guest is the internationally famous novelist Dean Koontz. Dean and Wesley discuss how he came to be an author, how life is filled with meaning, his art, the importance of human exceptionalism, the problem with transhumanism, and how Dean uses humor to further his plots and character development. Read More ›

Mr. Wesley J. Smith is a lawyer, award-winning author, the host of the Humanize podcast and Chair of the Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism. Here he joins Dr. George to discuss the underlying tenets of transhumanism. They talk about whether or not it is possible to be a Christian and believe in transhumanism. https://humanize.today/ https://www.discovery.org/   

RSR host Fred Williams and Brian Lauer continue to expose the underlying agenda behind the World Economic Forum's "The Great Reset". History professor Yuval Hariri is one the movement's chief advisors and a mouthpiece for promoting its anti-Biblical tenets. The top of his website reads, “History began when humans invented god, and will end when humans become god.” (see Isaiah 14:14)  He believes that Artificial Intelligence will eventually take over, and end free will as we know it given that humans are "hackable animals". In a 2020 article “The World After Coronavirus” he said that "It is crucial to remember that anger, joy, boredom and love are biological phenomena just like fever and a cough.". A dedicated materialist, he shows a total ignorance of the concept of information that many leading physicists are now accepting as a major component in science. MIT's Edward Fredkin, sometimes Feynman collaborator, sometimes physics professor, once said "I've come to the conclusion that the most concrete thing in the world is information".  Fred and Brian discuss various audio clips by Harari including alarmist claims regarding transhumanism, which amounts to a different packaging of eugenics. The words of Wesley J Smith said it best: "This is transhumanism's fatal flaw. To paraphrase a great saint, 'If I blend with an AI computer program and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have enhanced capacities that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.' " He is also an advocate for global solidarity and implores "People need to trust science, to trust public authorities, and to trust the media.". Whose “science” should we trust? Which public authority, Fauci? Which media outlet? Pravda, CNN?

RSR host Fred Williams and Brian Lauer continue to expose the underlying agenda behind the World Economic Forum's "The Great Reset". History professor Yuval Hariri is one the movement's chief advisors and a mouthpiece for promoting its anti-Biblical tenets. The top of his website reads, “History began when humans invented god, and will end when humans become god.” (see Isaiah 14:14)  He believes that Artificial Intelligence will eventually take over, and end free will as we know it given that humans are "hackable animals". In a 2020 article “The World After Coronavirus” he said that "It is crucial to remember that anger, joy, boredom and love are biological phenomena just like fever and a cough.". A dedicated materialist, he shows a total ignorance of the concept of information that many leading physicists are now accepting as a major component in science. MIT's Edward Fredkin, sometimes Feynman collaborator, sometimes physics professor, once said "I've come to the conclusion that the most concrete thing in the world is information".  Fred and Brian discuss various audio clips by Harari including alarmist claims regarding transhumanism, which amounts to a different packaging of eugenics. The words of Wesley J Smith said it best: "This is transhumanism's fatal flaw. To paraphrase a great saint, 'If I blend with an AI computer program and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have enhanced capacities that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.' " He is also an advocate for global solidarity and implores "People need to trust science, to trust public authorities, and to trust the media.". Whose “science” should we trust? Which public authority, Fauci? Which media outlet? Pravda, CNN?

Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute Culture of Death: The Age of “Do Harm” Medicine Forced Exit: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and the New Duty to Die Wesley Smith's National Review Columns

On today's ID the Future, bioethicist Wesley J. Smith explores a recent article in the journal Nature, “The Alarming Rise of Complex Genetic Testing in Human Embryo Selection.” Source

On today's ID the Future, bioethicist Wesley J. Smith explores a recent article in the journal Nature, “The Alarming Rise of Complex Genetic Testing in Human Embryo Selection.” As alarming as that title sounds, Smith says the reality is even worse than the Nature article suggests. Using the breakthrough technology known as CRISPR, scientists are not only altering the genes of a given creature, including humans, but are even altering the creature's germline. This threatens to permanently alter a species, Smith explains, including the human species. There's the question of whether we have the right play god in this way, of course. There's also the practical issue of scientists not really knowing what they are doing yet. A gene identified Read More › Source

This week on Family Policy Matters, host Traci DeVette Griggs welcomes Dr. Wesley J. Smith to discuss the rise of a troubling “religion”—transhumanism—which elevates technology as the way to eternal life.

On today's ID the Future, Human Nature author David Berlinski continues his conversation with host Wesley J. Smith. Here Berlinski reflects on the Jewish Holocaust, the destructive nihilism of the Nazis and the SS, and the shortcomings of Neo-Darwinism as an explanation for the diversity of life. Berlinski and Smith also discuss the increasingly widespread attacks on human exceptionalism, the growth of emotivism and why it's a problem, and the bizarre nature rights movement. This is the second and concluding part of a conversation borrowed, with permission, from Wesley J. Smith's Humanize podcast. Source

On this ID the Future, host Wesley J. Smith talks with polymath and Human Nature author David Berlinski about the philosophy of mathematics, the corruption of science, the burning of Notre Dame, modern Europe's curious incapacity to build graceful, beautiful structures, and what's driving the devolution of Western society. Source

On this ID the Future, host Wesley J. Smith talks with polymath and Human Nature author David Berlinski about the philosophy of mathematics, the corruption of science, the burning of Notre Dame, modern Europe's curious incapacity to build graceful, beautiful structures, and what's driving the devolution of Western society. But before any of that, Berlinski relates the dramatic story of how his parents, European Jews, escaped the Nazis only by the skin of their teeth. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation borrowed with permission from Wesley J. Smith's Humanize podcast. Source

If your dog and a perfect stranger were drowning in a lake, side by side, who would you try to save? Would it surprise you to learn that nearly 2/3 of American adults would choose their dog? This disregard for our fellow man, in favor of animals is permeating society to a degree that many married couples are choosing to have pets instead of having children, and many animal species have greater legal protections than unborn babies. As Christians, we ought to be aware of how our attitudes about animals and their relative value to human beings can mimic that of the secular world, and this is exactly the consideration - and many more - that Ciara and Jessi look at in this episode.Show Notes:Chewy.com Christmas commercial: https://youtu.be/iIavnj8qGa0PragerU: Are Humans More Valuable Than Animals? https://youtu.be/7JATJv8HlV8Episode 15: Is God A Wo(Man)? https://www.buzzsprout.com/1538023/8151370-ep-15-god-is-a-wo-manA Rate is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement https://www.amazon.com/Rat-Pig-Dog-Boy-Movement/dp/1594033463The New England Journal of Medicine: The Groningen Protocol https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmp058026"Euthanizing Children" by Wesley J. Smith https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/10/euthanizing-childrenCDC 2020 Birth Rates https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr012-508.pdfPopulation Trends in the Middle East and North Africa https://www.prb.org/resources/population-trends-and-challenges-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/Why Muslims Are The Fastest Growing Religious Group https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/why-muslims-are-the-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group/Voddie Baucham: The Centrality of the Home in the Evangelism and Discipleship of the Next Generation https://www.sermonaudio.com/solo/gracefamilybaptist/sermons/5209234630/Follow crosswise on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crosswisepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crosswisepodcast/

On this episode of The Resistance Library Podcast, Sam Jacobs interviews Wesley J. Smith. Wesley J. Smith is the host of Humanize Podcast, Chairman of Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, and an award-winning author whose works have appeared in the op-ed pages of The Epoch Times among other places. We had him on to discuss the Culture of Death in the West, the woke dehumanization of women, and why the vaccine mandate is Biden's exploding cigar.   For $20 off your $200 purchase, go to https://ammo.com/podcast (a special deal for our listeners).   Follow Sam Jacobs on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamJacobs1776   And check out our sponsor, Libertas Bella, for all of your favorite Libertarian shirts at LibertasBella.com.   Wesley J. Smith Links: @theWesleyJSmith | Twitter Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism   Helpful Links:  Resistance Library  Sam Jacobs

As I said in a BreakPoint commentary last month, gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR and what's being called “Prime Editing” are “existential threats.” We have no idea what our attempts to play god with the human genome will unleash on humanity. Yet, we insist on charging ahead despite our imperfect knowledge with an unbounded confidence in our abilities. Coming from a concerned non-scientist like me, these concerns can be easily dismissed as alarmist, but what if the concern comes from the Director of the National Institutes of Health? It turns out that Francis Collins is also concerned. In a recent article in Discover Magazine entitled “We Must Never Allow Our Technology to Eclipse Our Humanity,” Collins called for a “moratorium of at least five years on heritable human gene editing.” Heritable gene editing technologies, like “Prime Editing,” aim to edit genes that can be passed on to future generations, along with any unintended and dangerous mutations. This differs from “non-heritable gene editing,” which can be used to treat people with “life-threatening disorders, such as sickle cell disease, HIV infection, cancer and muscular dystrophy.” Proponents of Prime Editing talk about the possibility of making “any kind of DNA change that anyone wants at just about any site in the human genome.” Thus, according to Collins, “scientists and leaders around the globe have an obligation to consider the appropriate use — if any — of heritable human gene editing. This involves scrutinizing the safety of such experiments, including the risk of unintended mutations, as well as a clear-eyed analysis of actual medical need.” Anticipating some objections, the NIH Director added that “the current arguments — that the benefits outweigh the risks — are surprisingly uncompelling.” Finally, Collins insisted that “We must weigh the profound social, ethical and moral issues associated with modifying the germline in ways that could change the human species forever.” It's good to hear someone as prominent as the director of the National Institutes of Health voice many of the same concerns we have at BreakPoint. But, as Wesley J. Smith pointed out at National Review, it's probably not enough. As Smith notes, when it comes to “the rapid development of the most powerful technologies ever invented — CRISPR germline gene editing, “artificial life,” “3-parent” embryos, cloning,” the Trump Administration has been, and I am quoting Smith here, “derelict.” For the most part, while NIH Director Collins' statement should be applauded, it is an exception. As Smith states, “unless leaders higher up the food chain engage the question in more amplified media venues than Discover,” Collins' proposed moratorium will never happen. In some ways, as I recently pointed out, the Communist Party of China, by sentencing Dr. He Jiankui to three years imprisonment for experimenting on fetuses using CRISPR, has demonstrated more commitment to reining in scientific hubris than our own government. Of course, given their track record, it would be silly to think that Beijing cares at all about humanity dignity and the sanctity of human life. Their reaction was almost certainly because Dr. He's transgressions portrayed that country in an especially bad light. In our country, scientists differ from Dr. He in only one respect: They're a lot more subtle about what they are doing than Dr. He was. We need much more evidence that those “higher up the food chain” in this administration care about the issue and are willing to make it a priority. For that to happen, we have let them know that it's a priority for us. Gene editing, what Smith has called “biotech anarchy,” is among the greatest threats to the sanctity and dignity of human life that we currently face. I will say it again: It is an existential threat. It's time for Christians, and through them our leaders, to treat it like one.  

Officially, the Netherlands is a safer country to live in than the United States. Its gun homicide rate is about 4 percent that of the United States, and its official murder rate is less than one-fourth that of the United States. The key word in that statement is “official.” Because, as a recent report in the Guardian tells us, there's a lot of killing going on in the Netherlands that doesn't involve a gun and isn't classified as murder, although it should be. An article in the January 18 edition of Britain's Guardian newspaper asked the question “Death on demand: has euthanasia gone too far?” Now to be clear, the Guardian is the British Left's paper of record. It's a far more liberal publication than any mainstream American newspaper. So for the Guardian to ask whether euthanasia has “gone too far” suggests that things could be a lot worse than the public has been led to believe. And the area of focus for the piece was The Netherlands. The Guardian found that in 2017 “well over a quarter of all deaths… in the Netherlands were induced.” “Induced” means that the person died at his or someone else's hand, instead of by illness or accident. By way of comparison, during the same period in the United States approximately 65,000 deaths out of more than 2.7 million were “induced.” This includes approximately 17,000 homicides, 45,000 suicides, and 1,300 deaths via physician-assisted suicide. That's only 2.5 percent. So, which one is the more dangerous country again? As I noted, the Netherlands official homicide rate is one-fifth that of the United States, and its suicide rate is about a third lower. So, who's “inducing” all these deaths? The troubling answer is… doctors. We've talked a lot on BreakPoint about the ever-expanding euthanasia-industrial complex. We have told you about how the so-called “right to die” eventually becomes, in effect, the “duty to die.” We've also told the stories of doctors so eager to end life that it isn't clear in some instances if it was what the patient actually wanted. Still, even in the context of all of those realities, what the Guardian found was shocking. For example, Dutch doctors commonly practice what's known as “terminal sedation.” This is “a slow-motion euthanasia wherein patients not in the active stage of dying are put into artificial comas and denied all sustenance until they dehydrate to death.” This is different from “palliative sedation,” which is “a rarely required procedure in which patients near death are sedated to control pain or other symptoms such as severe agitation or air hunger that cannot be alleviated in any other manner.” While approximately 6,600 Dutch were officially euthanized and another 1,950 people killed themselves in 2017, the Guardian found that “the number of people who died under palliative sedation – in theory, succumbing to their illness while cocooned from physical discomfort, but in practice often dying of dehydration while unconscious [that is, terminal sedation] – hit an astonishing 32,000.” Add it all up, and in 2017 more than 40,000 of the 150,000 deaths in the Netherlands were induced. While the Guardian was astonished, Wesley J. Smith wasn't. He's among those telling anyone who will listen that in places like the Netherlands the line between palliative sedation and terminal sedation has been blurred for some time. As he wrote in the National Review, “Since euthanasia was first decriminalized in the Netherlands, the country's doctors have traveled a very dark road.” The category of people deemed candidates for induced death has steadily grown. And while a theoretical line has been crossed, Dutch officials do nothing. It could hardly be otherwise. As Smith put it, the Dutch aren't “horrible, ghoulish people.” But they are logical. Once they “accepted the premise that killing is an acceptable answer to suffering,” they're now simply taking “that belief precisely where it leads.” Which makes the Netherlands a lot more dangerous than official stats suggest. And which makes me ask, “Americans, is this what we really want?”     http://www.breakpoint.org/2019/02/breakpoint-assisted-suicide-turned-homicide/