Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Journal 6: Stem Cell Research
Stem cell research is a difficult topic, but it is definitely the buzz word of today. I did not realize there were two types of stem cell research: adult and embryonic. Adult stem cell research is not causing nearly as much controversy as embryonic. In fact, most people accept adult stem cell research as ethical and it has already been used successfully to treat many different types of diseases. Embryonic stem cell research is controversial because in order to get the stem cells the whole embryo must be destroyed. However, this embryo is seen to some people as a human being. I would have to agree with this viewpoint. Although it is not and never will be implanted into a uterus to grow into a baby, it is the starting point that everyone came from. I do not agree that human life should be destroyed to save someone else’s life. This brings in the issue of second class citizenship, which is something that America does not stand for. America and the people in America make sure that everyone has all of their rights. It is surprising that the Democrats are usually the group of people who fight for the “little man” and stand up for the people whose rights are usually suppressed yet they support embryonic research. If they really wanted to give everyone their rights, they should fight against embryonic research with all their might because the embryos are the ones without a voice.
The Episcopal Church states clearly that the embryos that we have now should be used for research to cure disease, but new embryonic lines should not be created for this purpose. I agree with this statement when it comes to what we should do with the embryos we have now. I also agree with the Christian Coalition which states that killing one human being to save another is never morally just and supporting embryonic research would be the first time America has supported a program that endorsed the killing of human life for research purposes. Embryonic research is not something that we should try to continue. If we have researched with adult stem cells and found cures through them, we should continue to use adult stem cells. While it may be more difficult to find the correct stem cells, it is more ethical and we know that it works. Embryonic research has not had success like adult stem cell research. While supporters of embryonic research say they need more time, this time should be spent continuing adult stem cell research. Groups which would oppose this policy would be the people who believe embryonic research could have saved a loved one who recently died. Christopher Reeves and Ronald Reagan are just two famous men who died from diseases that have no cure as of now.
Embryonic research is not ethical. It is not ethical because it kills a human life for research purposes. Killing people is not ethical, it is against the law. The problem today is that there is a difference between what different groups consider to be human life or not. Personally I think that human life begins at conception, like the Catholic Bishops. People who support embryonic research do not believe human life starts that early. Until we can resolve this issue, embryonic research will still be a point of major conflict. Once we decide as a country when human life begins not only can we decide about embryonic research we can also decide the abortion conflict.
The Episcopal Church states clearly that the embryos that we have now should be used for research to cure disease, but new embryonic lines should not be created for this purpose. I agree with this statement when it comes to what we should do with the embryos we have now. I also agree with the Christian Coalition which states that killing one human being to save another is never morally just and supporting embryonic research would be the first time America has supported a program that endorsed the killing of human life for research purposes. Embryonic research is not something that we should try to continue. If we have researched with adult stem cells and found cures through them, we should continue to use adult stem cells. While it may be more difficult to find the correct stem cells, it is more ethical and we know that it works. Embryonic research has not had success like adult stem cell research. While supporters of embryonic research say they need more time, this time should be spent continuing adult stem cell research. Groups which would oppose this policy would be the people who believe embryonic research could have saved a loved one who recently died. Christopher Reeves and Ronald Reagan are just two famous men who died from diseases that have no cure as of now.
Embryonic research is not ethical. It is not ethical because it kills a human life for research purposes. Killing people is not ethical, it is against the law. The problem today is that there is a difference between what different groups consider to be human life or not. Personally I think that human life begins at conception, like the Catholic Bishops. People who support embryonic research do not believe human life starts that early. Until we can resolve this issue, embryonic research will still be a point of major conflict. Once we decide as a country when human life begins not only can we decide about embryonic research we can also decide the abortion conflict.
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Katie Hawkins, I agree with you very greatly about what you posted here. In a class discussion last week, my group was talking about the ethics of embryonic stem cell research. Some of the group believed that destroying embryos is OK and some believed that it is wrong. The line of difference was that "who knows?" Since it was at the end of the discussion, I mentioned that maybe we should let God decide what is right and wrong (after all, He is God.) A girl responded "well, not everybody believes in God." And I bluntly replied that "that is the biggest problem of all, isn't it?" This is just a thought, but for people to understand the possible evils of embryonic research, perhaps bigger Understandings are called to order.
And by the way, I completely agree with you Craisydaisy. Can I just copy paste your journal entry? :)
I strongly agree with embryo researches. I think an amount of cells should not have the same rights than a “real person.” The stem cells are taken from the embryo in such early stage that you could never say that looks like a human being. Not only the shape, but also nothing in that group of cells should be considered human. There are no heart, brain or even legs there. A promise of a future human life is definitely different than a human life. When you get an embryo in its very early stage of life and take its stem cell, you are taking its possibility to become a human being (what it never was.) Technically you are taking some cell’s life not a humans being life. Most of the arguments against these kinds of researches are from people directly related to a religion entity. I am not saying arguing against religion, but I believe that we should not let religious values interfere in the development of the science. People know what these interference costed in the past, when the catholic church burned thousand of people in the inquisition because there were people saying that the Earth is not the center of the universe.
The promise of what these stem cell researches can bring to the humanity are unlimited. Just these facts should overcome any possible Pro/Con debate, since in the end humanity will gain more with results. The question that should be considered is: what will bring more happiness?
The promise of what these stem cell researches can bring to the humanity are unlimited. Just these facts should overcome any possible Pro/Con debate, since in the end humanity will gain more with results. The question that should be considered is: what will bring more happiness?
In the last couple of years, stem cell research has changed from an issue of interest only to research scientists to a political issue linked with abortion. Nowadays this is a topic which is drawing the attention not only of scientists; it is taking the attention of politicians, religious figures and almost everybody in the world. One of the main reasons this issue became political is because it involves economic, religious, moral and ethical concerns. Is it more ethical for a woman to donate unused embryos that never that will never become human beings or let them be tossed away as so much garbage when they could help save thousands of lives? Embryonic stem cells are obtained from early-stage embryos, a group of cells that forms when a woman's egg is fertilized with a man's sperm.
I strongly agree with embryo researches.Stem cell research can improve some lives and even better can save millions of lives. This is the primarily reason people have to keep in mind when we are talking about stem cells research. People can help with medical progress and let millions of people stop suffering. People should separate science and religion because that makes people be in a debate with themselves. Religious people believe that stem cells are the essence of “life,” but nobody can say when “life” really starts. People have to think in their own benefits and society benefits to have a better and a healthy future. Stem cells can finish with several diseases that now are devastating to society.
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I strongly agree with embryo researches.Stem cell research can improve some lives and even better can save millions of lives. This is the primarily reason people have to keep in mind when we are talking about stem cells research. People can help with medical progress and let millions of people stop suffering. People should separate science and religion because that makes people be in a debate with themselves. Religious people believe that stem cells are the essence of “life,” but nobody can say when “life” really starts. People have to think in their own benefits and society benefits to have a better and a healthy future. Stem cells can finish with several diseases that now are devastating to society.
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