2.28.2009

Stem Cells are Indeed an Ethical Dilemma!

"It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda — and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology."

This is pure political spin, or else flat out ignorance.

All decisions are ethical!

And we must hold an account for the decisions we make, including decisions about what types of scientific research we pursue. I assume that no one is advocating the use of (for example) comatose patients, or the terminally ill for research, why? Because we understand that scientific knowledge is not an end in itself! There are limits to the value of knowledge, and one of those limits are the ethical lines surrounding the acquisition of that knowledge!

"Science thrives when there is an open and collaborative exchange, not when there are artificial barriers, silos, constructed by the government."

I'll be honest, I have no idea where I stand on human-embryonic stem cell research, but am I the only one who sees these words dripping easily from the lips of Nazi doctors who experimented on Jews, Gypsies and others?

I can understand the position of those who are for the research, but for them to go so far as to imply that people who are against it are against scientific inquiry is silly; to ignore (or even mock) the ethical ambiguity surrounding the issue is a sign of true folly.

1 comment:

~eljefe said...

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo known as a blastocyst. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization. ~taken from wikipedia...I'm not that scientific with my definitions.

This is what most people call a person. Most people will admit that life begins at "conception". Event Obama says this...his interview in August 17th with Rick Warren..."I personally believe that the life begins at conception without a doubt I am a Christian myself and I’ll claim to know this as a fact."
So where are these embyos coming from?
Is everything okay if it is done by people in white robes?

I will say it is wrong. Not just ethically, but stealing healthy babies, in or out of a womb, is not right.