Why some are wary about doing ALS challenge

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Catholics are being advised to be careful to whom they donate if they choose to accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and being given alternatives.

Animal rights activists and some others are also being cautious.

Youve likely seen numerous people dump ice water on themselves then pledge to donate to the ALS Association.

Bishop J. Terry Steib of the Memphis Catholic Diocese has not issued an official statement, but others have.

The concern centers around the support of the ALS Association for embryonic stem cell research.

That research uses a fertilized embryo, often left over from IVF treatments.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis released a statement saying, Embryonic stem cell research is always morally objectionable because a human person must be destroyed to harvest his or her stem cells. As the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated: The use of embryonic stem cells or differentiated cells derived from them even when these are provided by other researchers through destruction of embryos or when such cells are commercially available presents serious problems from the standpoint of cooperation in evil and scandal.

Catholics and others are still encouraged to take part in the challenge but to donate to the John Paul II Medical Research Institute in Iowa City, that does ALS research but not with embryos.

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Why some are wary about doing ALS challenge