Stem cell breakthrough?

New techniques to derive embryonic stem cells without destroying an embryo are encouraging but unlikely to break the social conservative block on federal research funding anytime soon. That’s because the techniques haven’t been used in humans yet, and one of the procedures still has ethical concerns (it involves deliberately creating an embryo that will not grow). But if the procedures do work, it could split the pro-life opposition into those who are OK with stem cell research as long as an embryo isn’t destroyed, and those who are opposed to the creation of embryos, including for in vitro fertilization.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

4 Comments

  1. Brian
    Posted October 18, 2005 at 2:09 am | Permalink

    Stem cell research does present some profound questions for ethicists. Let me just throw a few observations into the mix that some might not have considered before.

    First, cloning research has demonstrated that the potential exists for every cell, not just fertilized germ cells, to be a source for new life. Must we therefore oppose research that involves the destruction of ANY cell on the grounds that it is destroying a potential human life?

    The Bible is rather silent on the issue of abortion, but some statements are made regarding the value of life. Consider,

    “And if men struggle and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is no further injury, he shall be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” Ex 21:22-25

    If the baby is lost in this situation, it does not require a death sentence — it is not considered murder. But if the woman is lost, it is considered murder and is punished by death. This passage indicates that the fetus has value, but is not valued equally to a human person.

    The standard Jewish position is that abortion is a tort, not a felony. Life does not begin until birth. This is further supported by Biblical references to God imparting the breath of life at birth, references to fetuses as “things”, and so on.

    I’m sure that these points won’t change anyone’s mind on the issue. I bring them up only for the sake of discussion.

  2. J M Wlaker
    Posted October 18, 2005 at 5:37 am | Permalink

    Well said, Brian. As I stated yesterday, the United States leads the world in stem cell research with eleven lines of stem cells, and more growing. So the argument that we are totally against experimenting on stem cells is basically moot.Our total budget research is at the moment well over three billion dollars. That’s over two billion more than any other country.The problem will always be in creating (cloning) life for the purpose of destroying it for scientific purposes. I would hardly call everyone against doing that “far right”. Some have normal religious beliefs that happen to put a greater value on human life than the government, which, at the time, finds life in other countries (Iraq, Afganistan) very chaep.

  3. JUSTA GUY
    Posted October 18, 2005 at 6:41 am | Permalink

    Saving lives or saving “potential” lives. Stem cell research may be the answer to many of the world’s killer diseases. Of course, it may be stopped in the U.S., but not in the rest of the world.

  4. Jed
    Posted October 18, 2005 at 6:48 pm | Permalink

    What’s going to happen when a defective fetus is saved by the use of engineered stem cells?Even more interesting is the possibility of cloning any cell; will refusal to clone all of the thousands of cells a person sheds on any given day be held to be the equivalent of abortion?