Ohio bishop halts race-for-cure Komen fund-raising

[_Abyssinia]

Don’t even think about embryonic stem cell research if you want to be in good standing with Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo.

Blair told parishes and parochial schools in his diocese to desist raising funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation for breast cancer research because maybe, maybe, someday in the future, the organization, which says it has never funded embryonic stem cell research, might support it.

According to the National Catholic Reporter, Blair

… cited Komen’s contributions to Planned Parenthood and noted the foundation does not exclude the possibility of funding research that uses embryonic stem cells as reasons Catholic entities should not support the nonprofit organization.

Blair’s letter said:

"While we want to do everything possible to support the search for a cure (for cancer), sadly the landscape of medical research today is sometimes marred by the erroneous belief that research is not bound by moral norms rooted in faith and reason, as reflected in the teaching of the church."

Andrea Radera spokesperson for the national foundation in Dallas told Catholic News Service on Tuesday that they are “very clear that we do not fund embryonic stem-cell research,” (which has “little application” in breast cancer research). However, Radera also added,

We do not want to preclude that possibility, so we do not shut that door.

For individuals who want to take Komen at its word, Blair says it’s not a ban for individual Catholics who choose to keep donating funds. But, he says in his “clarification” on the diocesan web site:

"In order to avoid even the possibility of cooperation in morally unacceptable activities...fundraising activities carried out under Catholic auspices, including our schools, should be channeled" elsewhere. In the Diocese of Toledo, Mercy Cancer Centers are a very appropriate local way to channel donations raised under Catholic auspices...

This was all shock to the Northwest Ohio Affiliate Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which has granted $300,000 to local Catholic hospitals in the last five years. According to their online response to Blair, the national organization

... has never funded abortion or embryonic stem cell research. Funds from the Northwest Ohio Affiliate have never gone to Planned Parenthood.

content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/breast-cancer-komen-catholic-bishop/​

Komen for the Cure donated $731,303 to Planned Parenthood in 2009: lifenews.com/2011/04/18/komen-admits-planned-parenthood-grants-dont-get-women-mammograms/

 

[estesbob]

Komen for the Cure donated $731,303 to Planned Parenthood in 2009: lifenews.com/2011/04/18/komen-admits-planned-parenthood-grants-dont-get-women-mammograms/

*If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas

 

[Loboto-Me]

Funny how they say they’ve never funded PP and are boasting about giving a whole 300,000 to Catholic hospitals in five years when they gave PP more than double that in one year… guess that 300,000 was just to appease their conscience (if they have one)

 

[kimmielittle]

Funny how they say they’ve never funded PP and are boasting about giving a whole 300,000 to Catholic hospitals in five years when they gave PP more than double that in one year… guess that 300,000 was just to appease their conscience (if they have one)

 

[kimmielittle]

[/INDENT]*If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas

I stopped giving to them in 2008 because of their support of PP.

 

[the_painter]

Hello- I sent a letter of support to Bishop Blair. It is a fact that Susan G. Komen supports Planned Parenthood, in spite of their denials. Also, SGK has taken to filing lawsuits against anyone- little community church groups or whatever, that dare to use the words “for the cure”. If they are such a benevolent minded research funding group, then why do they retain a battery of lawyers to do this? I am sorry, but they have no copyright on the words “for the cure”. They are after the money. In reading through some research on many of these huge fundraising endeavors, I never support any of them because they are used mainly to support the all the levels of management they have built for themselves, they not only oppose but do their best to squash any infringement on their territory, and they use scare tactics on people in need of real help and support. The original intent may well have been noble, but like all things where too many people get involved, it degenerates into just another money pit. What small amount may go to research only goes to research for more drugs, not for real help. What a sad state of affairs. Way to go, Bishop Blair- don’t let them get you down. You did the right thing.

 

[Elizium23]

If they are such a benevolent minded research funding group, then why do they retain a battery of lawyers to do this? I am sorry, but they have no copyright on the words “for the cure”.

You are correct. They have no copyright on “for the Cure”. In fact, they have a trademark on it! Trademarks, unlike copyrights, must be vigorously legally protected from dilution by legal action, or they can be lost. SGK is doing exactly what they need to do to protect their registered trademarks.

 

[Joe_5859]

Funny how they say they’ve never funded PP and are boasting about giving a whole 300,000 to Catholic hospitals in five years when they gave PP more than double that in one year… guess that 300,000 was just to appease their conscience (if they have one)

The way I read the article is that this particular affiliate (i.e. the Northwest Ohio affiliate) gave the $300K to local Catholic hospitals and also has never given money to PP. The $731K to PP is from the group as a whole (i.e. all affiliates across the country). But maybe I’m missing something.