The Stem Cell Debate

[JustJack!]

With Bush planning on vetoing the next stem cell bill, the issue has been resurrrected once more.

I'm curious what motivates people to put an artificially created embryo which is going to be destoryed anyway above cures for some of our worst diseases which claim millions every year.

 

[Garnet2727]

There is usually a resounding silence from the Pro Life group on this issue. I'll be interested to see if you get any responses from them.

 

[tcampen]

Unless you believe the in vitro process itself is immoral, because the proceedure necessarily results in the destruction of fertilized eggs just beginning to divide, then there is no intellectual consistency opposing this kind of research.

These stem cells hold the potential to save lives and greatly improve the lives of tens of millions in the U.S. alone - and hundreds of millions worldwide. Federal investment in this makes at least as much sense as countless other research pursuits the government is funding.

Unless ones draws a bright line at fertilization, regardless of the circumstances, then there is no real argument against this research.

 

[salida]

With Bush planning on vetoing the next stem cell bill, the issue has been resurrrected once more.

I'm curious what motivates people to put an artificially created embryo which is going to be destoryed anyway above cures for some of our worst diseases which claim millions every year.

I'm very prolife - and against that stem cell nonsense - along with many of us! They want to grow embryos - to help the living because they don't think its a human being they are destroying somehow. It is beyond me how they don't think its a human being! They have no logical and reasonable explanation to their conclusions besides "I just don't think blah blah blah".

Its a farce because only adult stem cells has helped 70 diseases and embryonic has helped zero. Plus, many of these scientists that want to do the stem cell dance are secularists and humanists - their view of life isn't at all the christian one.

 

[OdwinOddball]

I'm very prolife - and against that stem cell nonsense - along with many of us! They want to grow embryos - to help the living because they don't think its a human being they are destroying somehow. It is beyond me how they don't think its a human being! They have no logical and reasonable explanation to their conclusions besides "I just don't think blah blah blah".

Its a farce because only adult stem cells has helped 70 diseases and embryonic has helped zero. Plus, many of these scientists that want to do the stem cell dance are secularists and humanists - their view of life isn't at all the christian one.

Christian morality does not define national policy.

Do you have a non-religious objection? Or are all your objections based on your religion?

Are you aware that fertiltiy research and procedures routinely create human embryos that are not used, and thus destroyed? What is unethical about using these waste embryos in stem cell research?

 

[vitodabona]

There is usually a resounding silence from the Pro Life group on this issue. I'll be interested to see if you get any responses from them.

There is a certain irony of labeling oneself pro-life and then being against technology and research the may preserve and lengthen life. Maybe they should go with the label antiabortionists, this would be far more descriptive of there position.

 

[Kroger99]

Christian morality does not define national policy.

Do you have a non-religious objection? Or are all your objections based on your religion?

Are you aware that fertiltiy research and procedures routinely create human embryos that are not used, and thus destroyed? What is unethical about using these waste embryos in stem cell research?

They still can do stem cell research..... just not with Federal Money.

Have you made a Private donation for this study lately?

 

[Kroger99]

There is a certain irony of labeling oneself pro-life and then being against technology and research the may preserve and lengthen life. Maybe they should go with the label antiabortionists, this would be far more descriptive of there position.

Our problem is using dead babies to do it.

Have you made a Private donation lately to help fund what the governmnet is not.

 

[OdwinOddball]

They still can do stem cell research..... just not with Federal Money.

Have you made a Private donation for this study lately?

If you'd like to donate to the Keep Odwin in house and fed fund, I'd be happy to donate money to several causes and research goals.

How much money someone is willing to give does not have a bearing on wether or not research should be done. I asked a simple question.


Is it better to destroy waste embryos from fertitlity research, or use them to conduct potentially life saving research?

 

[Kroger99]

If you'd like to donate to the Keep Odwin in house and fed fund, I'd be happy to donate money to several causes and research goals.

How much money someone is willing to give does not have a bearing on wether or not research should be done. I asked a simple question.


Is it better to destroy waste embryos from fertitlity research, or use them to conduct potentially life saving research?

Perhaps if there was any evidence that dead baby stem cell research was potentially life saving, I might have a different stance, but I see no value for it to be federally funded.

 

[Garnet2727]

There is a certain irony of labeling oneself pro-life and then being against technology and research the may preserve and lengthen life. Maybe they should go with the label antiabortionists, this would be far more descriptive of there position.

Bingo. I have yet to see an anti-abortionist that is opposed to in vitro fertilization. Those hardliners who believe that life begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg should be protesting fertility clinics in droves. After all, I suspect that far more "embryos" are discarded in the in vitro fertilization process than there are abortions.

 

[Kroger99]

Bingo. I have yet to see an anti-abortionist that is opposed to in vitro fertilization. Those hardliners who believe that life begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg should be protesting fertility clinics in droves. After all, I suspect that far more "embryos" are discarded in the in vitro fertilization process than there are abortions.

This Pro-Lifer is one who has a hard time with vitro fertilization as well. I just don't understand the who process to argue it real hard...thats all.

 

[Garnet2727]

This Pro-Lifer is one who has a hard time with vitro fertilization as well. I just don't understand the who process to argue it real hard...thats all.

Page one of this link gives a simple overview of the process: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro_fertilization/article_em.htm

They don't really touch on the embryos that are discarded without any attempt at fertilization and I've don't have the time to search for that now. Suffice to say that there are usually embryos left over and they are usually destroyed. Also, some embryos that are implanted don't take. In addition, there is a procedure for reducing the number of viable implanted embryos if the woman chooses. I am puzzled that those who oppose stem cell research on thise particular embryos aren't outraged at the in vitro process in general.

You may be one who is and may state that later. And in my experience, you'd be the first that would be intellectually honest enough to do so.

Nevertheless, I do not hear hardline anti-abortionists opposing in vitro fertilization in the droves they oppose abortion. Again, I suspect that the numbers of dicarded embryos are far higher than the number of abortions that take place in this country.

 

[Kroger99]

Page one of this link gives a simple overview of the process: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro_fertilization/article_em.htm

They don't really touch on the embryos that are discarded without any attempt at fertilization and I've don't have the time to search for that now. Suffice to say that there are usually embryos left over and they are usually destroyed. Also, some embryos that are implanted don't take. In addition, there is a procedure for reducing the number of viable implanted embryos if the woman chooses. I am puzzled that those who oppose stem cell research on thise particular embryos aren't outraged at the in vitro process in general.

You may be one who is and may state that later. And in my experience, you'd be the first that would be intellectually honest enough to do so.

Nevertheless, I do not hear hardline anti-abortionists opposing in vitro fertilization in the droves they oppose abortion. Again, I suspect that the numbers of dicarded embryos are far higher than the number of abortions that take place in this country.

I actually do concider my self a hardline anti abortionist, I'm not out on the protest lines. Some of us have to make a living....lol

However, to some degree, I think you "could" have a point. My question that I would have to look at is...
Is this the natural process of getting pregnant?

How many of these women are gonna go through this process and then kill their baby by abortion?

 

[Eryk]

There is usually a resounding silence from the Pro Life group on this issue. I'll be interested to see if you get any responses from them.

I support stem cell research, but I have to hand it to the folks who are adopting the extra embryos from fertility clinics. THAT is sincere. Link

 

[Garnet2727]

I actually do concider my self a hardline anti abortionist, I'm not out on the protest lines. Some of us have to make a living....lol

However, to some degree, I think you "could" have a point. My question that I would have to look at is...
Is this the natural process of getting pregnant?

How many of these women are gonna go through this process and then kill their baby by abortion?

I'm by no means an expert and I hope I haven't presented myself as one.

However, and I don't know the statistics, sometimes too many implanted embryos "take" in the uterus. Then doctors often selectively abort one or more of the implanted embryos. The remaining embryo or embryos are carried to term.

 

[Garnet2727]

I support stem cell research, but I have to hand it to the folks who are adopting the extra embryos from fertility clinics. THAT is sincere. Link

I have to agree with you on that one!

By the way, I support stem cell research as well.

 

[laptoppop]

I strongly support stem cell research. I strongly oppose embryonic stem cell research.

Conventional stem cell research using cells from sources that do not involve destroying an embryo is the only thing which has produced positive results -- and has a lot of great potential. Using stem cells from things like umbilical cords is a great field of research.

Embryonic stem cell research has yielded nothing but tumors so far, and there is no reason to think that it will be better than the non-embryonic stem cell research.

Why kill something if you don't have to?
-lee-

 

[Sabina41]

Bingo. I have yet to see an anti-abortionist that is opposed to in vitro fertilization. Those hardliners who believe that life begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg should be protesting fertility clinics in droves. After all, I suspect that far more "embryos" are discarded in the in vitro fertilization process than there are abortions.

**raises hand** I am pro-life and against traditional in vitro fertilization, i.e. in vitro in which many embryos are created, only some implanted and the rest discarded or frozen and abandoned. I am not however against in vitro fertilization as a whole, simply methods that result in the unnecessary destruction of excess embryos. There is a family at my church that was directly faced with this decision. The wife was unable to conceive naturally and they were seeking in vitro fertilization, but didn't want to have potential children - embryos - destroyed. To you it might just be an embryo in a petri dish, but for them it would have been their child in that dish, their child that would be destroyed so cells could be removed...I could never make that decision.

Besides, at the moment embryonic stem cell research is right up there with gene replacement therapy - a great promise that has yet to deliver. In fact, there has been recent success with adult stem cells that is as yet unparalleled by embryonic stem cells.
http://aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/content/article/112/110298.htm

To you it may be "just an embryo" but in truth it is a unique human being. Sure the potential has not been realized, it has not developed and been born, but how can you look at that embryo in the petri dish with all it's potential and cast it aside?

 

[MoonlessNight]

With Bush planning on vetoing the next stem cell bill, the issue has been resurrrected once more.

I'm curious what motivates people to put an artificially created embryo which is going to be destoryed anyway above cures for some of our worst diseases which claim millions every year.

There's no putting one above the other. I don't believe in the morality of the scales.