Monstrous to some, but representing a ray of hope in the fight against debilitating diseases to others, stem cell research has been steeped in controversy for over a decade.
While scientists, doctors, patient groups and medical charities welcome the ground-breaking advances it could bring, the Roman Catholic Church and several other faiths are vehemently opposed to stem cell research on the grounds that it compromises the sanctity of human life. Central to the religious objectors’ argument is that using stem cells amounts to deriving benefit from the destruction of human embryos – fertilized eggs in the early stages of development – and is therefore tantamount to murder, and certainly little better than abortion.
Yet supporters of the revolutionary research techniques are thrilled that stem cells taken from embryos can be made to grow into any cell in the human body, providing an extraordinary resource in the fight against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Motor Neurone Disease, diabetes and other conditions.
Scientific hubris. Science advertises that it can do anything when it can’t. Let them create something out of nothing.
Yet supporters of the revolutionary research techniques are thrilled that stem cells taken from embryos can be made to grow into any cell in the human body, providing an extraordinary resource in the fight against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Motor Neurone Disease, diabetes and other conditions.
Umm…no. This may be possible decades from now. For now, this is a pipe-dream, not the present reality that this implies.
This is not a pipe dream. It is a speculation based on solid evidence. That’s the problem. Science WILL do what it says, as it has so often done. Unlike religion, science can make promises and then verify them with manifest experience. This has happened so often, one can no longer count science’s successes. There are thousands and thousands, and you all know it. The reason is that the pathway to success lies through avenues that have already been opened. Science has said,” I can grow a tomato; therefore I can grow a forest.” The principles in God’s world natural are universals and are within the grasp of the human mind. To pretend this is not so, now this IS a pipe dream and fall in the same class those simpletons who continue to deny that evolution is a reality.
And there’s the problem. Science will not admit that the abuse of the accumulated practices is inevitable and potentially cat astrophic for mankind. As science masters ever more fundamental principles, the chance for catastrophe increase. When science can provide dna alteration for the diseases cited, it will also have made possible the creation of “superior” humans and the cloning therefore. This WILL happen; we know it and science knows it, but they will not pay attention to the risks nor will they allow human ethics to catch up with what they have already done. Larry
Besides, we just watched “I Am Legend” last night. Worth considering in light of this article!
The Catholic Church is not opposed to all stem cell research. She is opposed to the use of embryonic or fetal stem cells. She supports the use of adult stem cells.
Thank you, Paula. In fact, the entire discussion is helped by distinguishing between fetal stem cells and adult stem cells. The last time I read up on the subject (and it’s been over a year), the adult cells were the ones showing promise.
It terrifies me to think that Larry may be right in his post no. 3.
Paula, it is not about where the stem cells come from, it’s about what you do with them. Consider: there’s probably a fortune in restructuring autism, but you KNOW there are a thousand fortunes in altering genetic embryonic potential to produce brainy babies. Taller, slimmer,stronger. Which fortune will come first, and which potential will researchers go to first? And if you can alter homosexuality (if it’s genetic) into heterosexuality, then you can reverse the process. This, this, this is the new eugenics, and it is exactly what all the Baby Boomers and their narcissistic children are hungering for. Fixing Alzheimer’s is noble, but all those younger marrieds (and unmarrieds) about to have children are not thinking about this. They are thinking, “How can I guarantee that my child gets easily into Harvard, and how can I afford the genetic work on the embryo I am carrying.” THIS is what Americans want and will pay for and pay for and pay for. God have mercy upon us if the time comes when one can buy genetic alteration that will guaranteed 150 years of life, because this is the great goal of mankind from our very outset. We pray, ”
Whatever else happens to me, let me avoid death.” Larry
And in all of this, please, where is Christianity? Where is Anglicanism? Caught up in internecine battles which cannot be won because the spine to do so is lacking. The interface between science and Christian ethics is explosive, and we ignore it while we fight with fools and the novelty-driven. Larry
Larry rather than give you a lengthy reply I will simply write that I support fully the Catholic Church’s position on this matter. I do this without any hesitation and thank God that the Church stands for the dignity of all persons.
Larry, I disagree with you. I have known a lot of women doing IVF, donor egg, etc. The VAST majority want children that are JUST LIKE THEM. In fact, as you know, the weird thing is that there are deaf parents asking if IVF can be used to help them select deaf embryos, etc. Parents want children with the same genes and the same traits they do. Sure…AFTER they’re born they want them to get into Harvard, etc. But they don’t want to change their genetic structure — otherwise all parents would want to use donor sperm and egg of geniuses and they don’t. The vast majority want their OWN genetic children that are genetically as much like them as possible.
We are not so much in disagreement, I think. See my example of those dreadful women who wanted a child as disabled as themselves. The point is that science and tech could have actually done it if it hadn’t been so obviously unethical. However, the reason the parents are not lining up to have brain enhanced children is that it is not possible yet.
But it will be, and then we will see the lines. Let me ask you a non-rhetorical question: If for $50,000, science could have given you your very own child as a genetic matter only intellectually enhanced, would you have said “No?” I truly don’t know what I would do. Larry
#’s 5 & 6 are right on. I am here able to post thanks to an adult stem cell transplant 13 months ago as a treatment for leukemia. Adult stem cells are not just showing promise they are saving lives now! Just because adult stem cells saved my life (the fights not over yet for sure), does not lay aside the serious questions I have about embryonic stem cell research which to this point has resulted in no useful treatments to my knowledge.
Vern