While I am a supporter of stem cell research, I also understand the public's worry about the consequences of stem cell research as the beginning of a slippery slope towards moral decline. There are no historical precedents that seem to accurately mimic the situation we are in right now. With the issues of life surrounding testing on embryonic cells, this study becomes much more than just a scientific advancement for a greater good. If embryonic cells were to be defined as living individuals, the push towards embryonic cell exerimenting could be paralleled with experimentation on citizens of America. When put like that, it disturbingly reminds me of human experminentation in the Holocaust.
Honestly, it all becomes boils down to a issue of life in the future, but I was wondering where other people stand on this issue. I'm not talking about whether or not you believe that embryos deserve full rights, that debate becomes way too complicated. Instead, do you think that Obama's support for government spending in embryonic stem cell research is the beginning of a steadily increasing support for stem cell research? And where will this support reach its limits? Will we be artificially fertilizing eggs for the sole purpose of stem cell research if it reaches that magnitude?
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There is a group of physicians, patients and other interested people working together to get treatment with adult stem cells legalized in the U.S. as it should be. Please ask your family and friends to sign up ("JOIN"), and get as many doctors to sign up as well. Please see The American Stem Cell Therapy Association site
www.stemcelldocs.org
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It seems to me that the current debate on whether stem cells should be considered potential human lives kind of misses the point because I'm no expert on the subject but i was under the impression that the stem cell being used for research would have otherwise been thrown away by the clinics. So whether they're considered potential human lives or not- they're either being thrown away or being used to research so regardless they're not being treated with the dignity of a real human life.
Personally i think that stem cells seem to have the potential to cure a lot of the worse problems plaguing mankind today and those who would oppose it often use a slippery slope argument or completely inappropriate comparisons, like to the holocaust for example, which Victor mentions. Obama is allowing scientists to do important research on unfertilized cells...not on live human beings, not on children, not along racial or religious lines like the Nazi's did so I dont think that we'll make the jump between stem cell research and human experimentation anytime soon. but i think victor may be right in suggesting that it could lead to a steady increase in support for the research-- especially if significant progress is made in finding any number of cures that scientists think they could potentially find.
I am in whole agreement with you that the stem cell research will be a very positive impact on society, as it is one of the greatest means of curing many diseases. Obama's lift on the government funding in itself is in no way a violation of the ethics that surround it, as you pointed out that he would not be promoting the practice of artificial embryonic fertilization. I guess I was just trying to see if you believed that this steady increase would continue to grow exponentially to begin to raise ethical concerns because of Obama's action.
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