Another classic cartoon from Pithless Thoughts. Please look at the cartoon article and then read this blog post by Chaplain Mike. I think you will agree that they go together rather nicely. My email box spam is getting harder and harder to control, though I keep signing off of lists and manufacturer’s websites, etc. Sadly, it is many of my own family and friends that pass on this spam. It ranges from diabetic inducing stories with a completely non-Christian “magic” ending (forward this to 12 friends and you will get your wish), to manipulative endings (if you really care about . . . you will pass this on), to bad fiction that would rival most of what Hollywood manages to concoct for sheer invention.
Sadly, much of the bad fiction that gets passed on is political or untrue. What do I mean by bad fiction? Well, almost any e-mail story you receive can be checked out by going to one of the reliable urban myth sites. One of the oldest is Snopes.com but there are many others. These are sites that keep track of e-mail stories, the way the stories changed as they get passed around, and the way the facts are altered in order to keep the stories current. Snopes is one of the better sites in that they rate stories as true, false, undetermined, unclassifiable veracity, or as having “multiple truth values.” Multiple truth values means that the stories contain both true statement and made up statements. Usually the true statements get you hooked so that you will believe the made up statements (the lies).
By the way, if you receive an e-mail asking you to sign a petition and send it to . . . in order to stop a film about a gay Jesus, DO NOT DO SO. That particular petition has been circulating since 1984 and made it to permanent Internet status in 2000.
In doing some further reading on the vaccine and fetal cell issue, I found websites that now claim that the increase of autism in this country is due to vaccines made from aborted fetal cells. So, it looks like this rumor may be replacing thimoseral and/or mercury as the “new” culprit that will tempt even more parents to not vaccinate their children. Interestingly enough, that website discounts mercury as a possible cause and says that it is “liberals” that want to keep this connection alive and that it is pro-choicers that refuse to investigate any connection between autism and those vaccines. I suspect that this will become the new horror story that will be used in the Religious Right. And, yes, the website showed the fervor of the completely convinced, regardless of what any scientific studies may or may not show.
Another website says that vaccines may contain, “live virus, poisons, even aborted human fetal cells.” I really wanted to scream when I read that one. Here is some news for you. Whole virus vaccines, either live or killed, constitute the vast majority of vaccines in use at present. And, yes, many of the vaccines contain live virus that has been attenuated. What does that mean?
Live virus vaccines are prepared from attenuated strains that are almost or completely devoid of pathogenicity but are capable of inducing a protective immune response. They multiply in the human host and provide continuous antigenic stimulation over a period of time, Primary vaccine failures are uncommon and are usually the result of inadequate storage or administration. Another possibility is interference by related viruses as is suspected in the case of oral polio vaccine in developing countries. Several methods have been used to attenuate viruses for vaccine production.
Use of a related virus from another animal – the earliest example was the use of cowpox to prevent smallpox. The origin of the vaccinia viruses used for production is uncertain.
Administration of pathogenic or partially attenuated virus by an unnatural route – the virulence of the virus is often reduced when administered by an unnatural route. This principle is used in the immunization of military recruits against adult respiratory distress syndrome using enterically coated live adenovirus type 4, 7 and (21).
Passage of the virus in an “unnatural host” or host cell – the major vaccines used in man and animals have all been derived this way. After repeated passages, the virus is administered to the natural host. The initial passages are made in healthy animals or in primary cell cultures. There are several examples of this approach: the 17D strain of yellow fever was developed by passage in mice and then in chick embryos. Polioviruses were passaged in monkey kidney cells and measles in chick embryo fibroblasts. Human diploid cells are now widely used such as the WI-38 and MRC-5. The molecular basis for host range mutation is now beginning to be understood.
The website that meant to scare you by saying that vaccines may contain live virus is so utterly uninformed that I stopped reading. IT IS THE ATTENUATED LIVE VIRUS THAT MAKES THE VACCINE POTENT! And, yes, I used all caps because I intend you to understand that I am yelling. Oh, yes, it was one of the pro-birth websites.
By now, I hope you all know that I am pro-life. But, please stop reading some of the pro-birth websites. They are probably dangerous to your health, both mental and physical. And, sadly, they are often full of misinformation and urban legends.
Tomorrow, we will look at the second point in the statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I had said it would be today, but I needed you to see the contrast between some of the pro-birth websites and the fine moral theology done by the USCCB.
I rather strongly suspect that the increase in rate of autism is linked more to the expansion of the definition of autism than anything else.
Funny you should say that! There just happens to be some nice studies done out of Oxford, England.
“ScienceDaily (Apr. 9, 2008) — New research suggests that many children diagnosed with severe language disorders in the 1980s and 1990s would today be diagnosed as having autism. The research supports the theory that the rise in the number of cases of autism may be related to changes in how it is diagnosed.”
….
In recent years, the criteria for diagnosing developmental language disorders and autism have changed. This has coincided with a marked rise in the rates of diagnosis of autism. According to the Special Needs and Autism Project, the figure until the 1990s was widely accepted as being about 5 people per 10,000; even using the narrowest definition of autism, this rose to almost 40 in 10,000 by 2006
There are two main hypotheses to explain this rise: the “autism epidemic” hypothesis and the “diagnostic substitution” hypothesis. Whilst the former says that the rise is genuine, the latter maintains that the true prevalence of the disorder is constant but that changes in diagnostic criteria mean that more children are being diagnosed as autistic. The latter theory is supported by a UK study using the General Practice Research Database, which found that the rise in autism was mirrored by a decline in frequency of language disorders, and now by Professor Bishop’s study.
Of course you realize that speaking out against The Cause just means you are Part of The Conspiracy. Once Grand Unified Conspiracy Theory logic is in effect, any debunking of The Conspiracy is Disinformation planted by The Conspiracy.
The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs, and Won’t Be Taken In.
urban legends + mother-in-law = confirmation of WC Fields (I think, or maybe Ringling) line:
There’s a sucker born every minute…
True enough.
Yes, this is what prompted me to ask you to write about this topic. I started seeing blogs about the EPA’s statement about a spike in autism at two different points. Immediately, the headlines said something like, “EPA Study Shows Abortive Fetal Cells In Vaccines Cause Autism!” or something along those lines…here’s an example:
http://lifenews.com/nat6272.html
Of course, the headline initially shocked and interested me, but when I looked at the study, it contained absolutely no reference to any of these issues and the connection was purely speculative. However, in no time, people were putting this headlines all over Facebook and acting like the truth had finally been found. Sigh.
That article is only reporting on one part of the debate. Life News also published a follow-up article http://www.lifenews.com/nat6284.html in which they reported on those in the pro-life movement who objected strongly to the conclusions of the article you cited.