The Weekend

I don't want to do that again for a while.

Thursday: on call, plus turning 38, plus trying to move. Had a very nice day at friends who graciously invited us and our large family over for dinner with all the fixins. Actually got a nap. Made 100 trips in the van with house junk to the new place. Up half the night doing surgery.

Friday: More van trips, more surgery.

Saturday: Off call, but this is moving day, got all the big stuff moved thanks to some great friends (all bikers BTW), slept part of the night in the new house.

Sunday: Call again, reasonably busy. But, did get to demo a couple Bionicons which I liked, but not as much as the Box.

So in all, the score is:

Three lives saved by surgical intervention, four lives changed for the better, one 38 year old birthday, and the family snug in a new house.

Not a bad weekend, but the pace is blistering.

Immunizations (or not)

A great friend brought to my attention that some vaccines used in the USA are produced using aborted fetal tissue. I never knew this, and frankly was shocked to find out that he was right.

I spent a lot of time on my response to him so I thought it would be blog worthy. There are folks out ther that distrust everything not "natural". Most are fairly ignorant. I appreciate it when someone sincerely researches and wrestles with the issues based on the facts. In general, not immunizing your kids is dumb for a lot of reasons. It is morally repugnant that we are using aborted tissue cell lines when I believe alternatives are available. I am not an expert in vaccine production, so it would be interesting to know why they are still using these 40 year old cell lines.

Thanks to your wife for researching this and stimulating my mind. I did not know these facts.

I found some stuff that will help you as you think about it attached below.

There is no doubt that aborted tissue is used in the production of the chicken Pox and Rubella (German Measles) vaccines. These are the only common vaccines that use human tissue. The human tissue does not come from continuous abortions. They are cell lines cultured and grown since the 60's from abortions at that time. In other words, they came from two aborted children, but none since. So called embryonic stem cells.

Here are some good details on the cell lines involved:

The Rubella Vaccine is also part of the MMR (measles mumps rubella) shot series.

Essentially there are alternatives to everything except Rubella and Varicella. Ironically, the Rubella vaccine is actually given mainly to protect the unborn from the catastrophic effects of Rubella on the fetus (that is the disease my sister came home with when my mom was pregnant with me). In other words, you protect the unborn by immunizing potential mothers, and by eliminating the disease from the surrounding population (this is called herd immunity).

I thought this site had some great reasoning

Medically, the so called cancer causing things in the vaccines are extremely minute. The site you sent me especially focuses on the "dangers of vaccine" Little time is spent on the danger of the diseases themselves. If we didn't vaccinate, lots of kids would die or be permanently brain damaged from various childhood illnesses. You have never seen someone paralyzed for life from polio I bet? Probably never seen a photo of an infant with Tetanus near death? I'll spare you the infants, but here are some adults. Search google images under "risus sardonicus" if you want to see some creepy stuff.

Those folks are holding that posture involuntarily thus the moniker "lockjaw"

This whole site is dedicated to educating you about what these buggers can do. We forget this because we don't see these diseases much anymore because of immunization.

More pro vaccine propaganda

Go to the source and read these comprehensive studies.

Be sure to check all the vaccine safety tabs on that one. Vaccines are incredibly carefully studied.

Finally, check out a few articles from pro life medical organizations. The first is from Christian Medical Society. The second is a very detailed, well reasoned one from the Vatican (believe what you want about the catholics, they are very thoughtful on most issues)

I am really glad you are doing your homework. Continue to do so, and be sure to see the other side of the story. These diseases are nasty.

Hope this overwhelming amount of information helps. You have several hours of homework here.

I personally am leaning towards avoiding the Rubella and Varicella vaccines for our kids until something else is available. I do this for moral reasons and not safety concerns. I don't know AZ law on this, but it might keep your kids out of public school of you do so.

In my opinion it would be morally wrong to allow someone to die from rabies if I had a treatment for it even though the treatment was produced in a morally unacceptable fashion. I can't change the past. I would like to see a rabies alternative, however. The other vaccines on your list are very uncommon to use.

RNAi

My dad sent me this link about RNAi. I found it quite interesting. Watch the video if you have time.

Best description of the cellular machinery at work that I have seen. Makes me remember how much I loved this subject in school.

PS: Nova is the best thing about public TV, or TV in general.

Creationism

Stimulated to thought by Dave's thoughts on the evolution/intelligent design debate. I'll attempt to add to the discussion.

I am currently reading the book "The Myth of Certainty". I have barely begun, but the author seems to be describing me to a T. He discusses so called "reflective Christians" and the difficulties they run in to. Good review of it here. Essentially, reflective believers are caught between subcultures. They refuse to toe every line of the institutional church, while at the same time not totally measuring up to the demands of secularism. They are Christians of deep faith and commitment with a willingness to think outside of the Christian box. To ask difficult questions, and possibly receive difficult answers. Here is a quote:

". . . each group is impatient with the recalcitrant who wants to retain parts of both worlds. Conservative Christendom will allow you to think, as long as you think 'correctly,' or keep dangerous thoughts to yourself. The secular world will allow you to be a Christian, as long as your faith is kept in quarantine and not allowed to influence your judgments or lead to you to question secular presuppositions." P 60

Thus we come to the Creation/evolution debate. On the one hand, we have literal seven day creationists a great example would be the good folks at Vision Forum. Their statement on creation can be seen here. They are closely allied with the Institute for Creation Research. The very basic tenets these groups hold is this: The bible was written by God, is therefore inerrant in every possible way, and literally true Therefore, the earth is 7000 years old and was created in seven literal days. If we find any evidence contrary to this using the scientific method, then our methodology is incorrect because the evidence can not overrule God's inerrant word because only God was there in the beginning.

I have great respect for the folks at both institutions, especially their devotion and integrity of their faith. I also disagree with them.

On the other hand, we have secular humanism which completely rejects the possibility of an interactive God out of hand (just as close minded as the literal bible believers I might add). Since they believe God does not and can not exist, they must explain everything naturally. If it does not add up, then we simply don't know enough yet. The disturbing endpoint of this thinking is that everything and everyone is a random event with no meaning, no purpose. Might as well blow your brains out. What the secularists have going for them is the scientific method and empiric observation.....truth if you will.

I have great respect for science and the scientific method, but find the Secularists to be as close minded as the Christians at times.

What is the answer? I'm not smart enough to tell you. The bible is God's word. The scientific evidence suggests an old earth. We are here, so we came from somewhere, but evolutionary theory has thus far not been able to explain pre-biotic (life from non-life) evolution in any satisfactory manner. Where did all the energy for these processes (big bang) come from in the first place?

In the first Chapter of Velvet Elvis (highly recommended), Rob Bell states there are two different kinds of philosophical stances. One is a brick wall where if even one brick is removed, the whole thing is in danger of toppling. This represents the biblical literalists, and their fear of thinking outside of the doctrinal box as well as humanistic thinkers who categorically deny a personal God. The other stance is more like a trampoline that stretches and bends, but generally retains its shape. This represents Christians who are willing to probe and think, and push the limits. the whole thing will not necessarily break down.

I'm too tired to think so I might update this in the future....or not. No conclusions unfortunately, other than we are all a bit more close minded than we think.

Freeeedom!

Gave notice to my current employer that I was not signing up again. This occurred for a lot of reasons.

I am now thrust upon the path of small business ownership and transient (hopefully) financial stress.

I have no doubt this was the right decision, but it was hard to reach.

So at 38, I will finally be my own man in a few months. Part of the reason I am here, doing what I am is because I just didn't have the guts to go for things on my own, so I stayed in school as long as possible, then accepted an employment position which kept my hassles to a minimum.

The decision took a lot of prayer and thought, but ultimately, I am 100% sure it is the right direction for this family. It also takes a lot of faith in the provision and goodness of God, and a lot of belief that I have what it takes to pull off a successful small business.