A thought on embryonic stem-cell research
Another excellent note on the STR blog.
There is a lot of deception going on in the way this debate is being covered in the media. It is made (in most outlets) to sound like conservatives are against stem-cell research. This is not true. There is much stem-cell research being conducted with adult stem-cells as well as stem-cells from the blood collected from the umbilical cords of newborns (cord-blood stem-cells). Both of these areas of research have shown promise, where embryonic stem-cell research has yielded little or no gain. Yet those in favor of embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR) insist on tearing apart these pre-born children in order to cannibalize their stem-cells. Another misconception being foisted by the media is that the President is against stem-cell research. Again false. He has made it perfectly clear that he only opposes embryonic stem-cell research and has pledged that no tax money will be spent in support of it. He has not banned the research...he has only stripped it of federal funding. If those in favor of ESCR want it to continue, they can donate their money...just don't expect my tax dollars to pay for this morally bankrupt work.
I also believe that there is one issue that is not being addressed in this debate (at least not by those who favor ESCR) and that is what happens when the main argument is taken to its logical conclusion. The argument I've seen presented most often is that "the embryos will be destroyed anyway." Under this logic, why not perform experimentation on terminal alzheimers patients? Why not fiddle with the genes of those in a "persistent vegitative state"? Truth be known, there are some on the radical side of the issue that would concur with these conclusions, but the mass of people making this argument refuse to see the connection between the unborn embryos and the terminally ill. They just cannot see that using the logic of "the embryo will be destroyed (will die) anyway" matches perfectly with "the invalid will die anyway."
It brings to mind the Scriptures where it is stated "professing to be wise, they became fools...." (Rom 1:22).
There is a lot of deception going on in the way this debate is being covered in the media. It is made (in most outlets) to sound like conservatives are against stem-cell research. This is not true. There is much stem-cell research being conducted with adult stem-cells as well as stem-cells from the blood collected from the umbilical cords of newborns (cord-blood stem-cells). Both of these areas of research have shown promise, where embryonic stem-cell research has yielded little or no gain. Yet those in favor of embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR) insist on tearing apart these pre-born children in order to cannibalize their stem-cells. Another misconception being foisted by the media is that the President is against stem-cell research. Again false. He has made it perfectly clear that he only opposes embryonic stem-cell research and has pledged that no tax money will be spent in support of it. He has not banned the research...he has only stripped it of federal funding. If those in favor of ESCR want it to continue, they can donate their money...just don't expect my tax dollars to pay for this morally bankrupt work.
I also believe that there is one issue that is not being addressed in this debate (at least not by those who favor ESCR) and that is what happens when the main argument is taken to its logical conclusion. The argument I've seen presented most often is that "the embryos will be destroyed anyway." Under this logic, why not perform experimentation on terminal alzheimers patients? Why not fiddle with the genes of those in a "persistent vegitative state"? Truth be known, there are some on the radical side of the issue that would concur with these conclusions, but the mass of people making this argument refuse to see the connection between the unborn embryos and the terminally ill. They just cannot see that using the logic of "the embryo will be destroyed (will die) anyway" matches perfectly with "the invalid will die anyway."
It brings to mind the Scriptures where it is stated "professing to be wise, they became fools...." (Rom 1:22).
Labels: Christianity, culture, ethics, life
posted by Jim V. | 10:53 AM
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