To put this into perspective, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started July 29, 2014 and, I am more than happy to report that currently the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over $31.5 million for ALS research. Ordinarily, ALS would typically raise close to $2 million in that same time period.
$31.5 million compared to $2 million in donations is astonishingly awesome ... so ... one Catholic Priest, Fr. Michael Duffy has decided to capitalize on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Donations to pimp and divert ALS donations to his own charity of choice.
From Fr. Duffy's blog:
As the ALS association is supportive of embryonic stem cell research, we as catholics ought not to support it, especially when there are morally acceptable alternatives. The John Paul II Medical Research Institute is just that, a morally acceptable alternative to the ALS Association.Ok, to me, what Fr. Duffy is doing is grotesque!If you are nominated to do the Ice Bucket challenge, donate to the JPII Medical Research Institute:
The John Paul II Medical Research Institute (JP2MRI) is excited to kick off 2014 with a One Million Dollar Capital Campaign Drive to start the process of developing adult stem cell therapies....
The cost to build and initiate the operation is anticipated to be 1 million dollars. Funds raised from the One Million Dollar Capital Campaign Drive will be used to help build the clean room, lease additional laboratory space, hire scientific personnel and purchase necessary laboratory equipment to develop adult stem cell therapies.
Fr. Duffy is trying to guilt people into not donating for research on a deadly disease and, instead, divert those donations so a "clean room" can be built at a Catholic hospital. How about instead of Fr. Duffy's scheme to divert ALS donations, he simply pick up the phone and call the Pope and ask him to sell one of those million dollar pieces of art being stored in the Vatican's museum?
Here is a spot on comment left by one of Fr. Duffy's blog readers:
Colleen Connell Mitchell • 4 days ago
So are they researching actual cures for ALS? I do not see this as an alternative unless that is the case.