by Brummie 70 Replies latest jw friends
It was discussed by the president & kerry, It will be all over the news over the next few days because of the death of a hero, for some reason the stem cell issue scares me and I dont think I could support it, taking some voiceless life to improve another, maybe I am misinformed? it all seems unethical.
I dont know all the facts, can you enlighten me please?
Brummie
I am a major supporter of stem cell research. The potential is too amazing to ignore.
Here is a VERY elementary explanation/analogy. When the egg is fertilized by the sperm, the cells initially are nondescript. They could basically form into anything (arm, leg, eyeball). The suggestion is that, if you implant these stem cells into say, a damaged heart.. that the stem cells will generate into heart cells and regenerate the heart.
At least that is my understanding.. I'm sure someone else will correct me or elaborate.
stem cells aren't a life, they are a cluster of cells just growing in a petri dish. SP is right, when the cells start to divide just after fertilisation they have the potential to be anything, they can be inserted into damaged spinal tissue and have the potential to reconnect the spinal cord.
It's a shame all the decent research is being done over here where the government haven't bowed to the uninformed opinion, unfortunately the debate on stem cell research has been hijacked by the anti abortionists in the USA
I personally think that stem cell research is a little too much like playing God . I do get tired however of living in a representative republic only to have the representatives of the people lecture us on moral issues . I think issues like this demand public say on the basis of a vote in each state that way the representatives can actually represent something other than their own personal agenda .
but that's the problem isn't it? we can't truly live in that much of a democracy where every decision gets a referendum, it would tie up the wheels of government so much that nothing would get done.
as for playing god, why do you think that stem cell research equates to that? the stem cells have the potential to become life as they come from a fertilised egg but they are used before they become a life form so it's not like an abortion. We play god every day in medicine by saving lives that 100 years ago would have ended through disease or illness. Infant mortality was horrendous even up to the turn of the century, how can we criticise playing god on the one hand using stem cells to take medical expertise forwards and not criticise it when we are increasing lifespan and straining the worlds resources with our longer lives. If you really want man to stop playing god then are you prepared to not have your kids immunised, or disallow them surgery when they are ill?
I wonder if some of these same arguments were used when organ transplants were first started?
Great point, Blondie...
You read my mind. (now there's a scary thought) I think that just as with organ transplants, you don't intentionally take a "life" even of a zygote. But, what of all those in the freezer for fertility clinics? they are going to be destroyed anyhow. Why not get some benefit out of them? Just make the rule like the transplants...you can't rais humans as a farm from which organs can be harvested. Same way with fetuses or zygotes for embryonic stem cell research. To me, the issue isn't all that complex.
Ern
Just make the rule like the transplants...you can't rais humans as a farm from which organs can be harvested. Same way with fetuses or zygotes for embryonic stem cell research. To me, the issue isn't all that complex.
Exactly.
As for "playing God".. that's used every time any major leap or projected leap is made in science, especially medicinal science; and it's not much of an argument .
What exactly is wrong with "playing God" anyway? Someone's got to do it - God's doing sweet FA to cure diseases! :)
Glitter-
You make a good point .
