I’ll be first since I didn’t jump in until the end last week. I do think embryonic stem cell research is unethical. The argument certainly hinges on the definition of human life. Is an embryo really a human being with rights? Scientists and others who support this type of research say no. They’ll even go so far as to use scientific terms when speaking of the early embryo in order to avoid conveying any sort of idea that the embryo is a person. If you can put the embryo in another category other than human life, it is easy to experiment on it or destroy it without feelings of guilt or wrongdoing.
What makes us human? Is it our ability to breath? No, animals do that and they aren’t human. Is it defined by the full development of our physical attributes? No because children would not be human if that were the case. Or, is it our DNA that makes us who we are, that makes us human? If so, and if all the genetic information is present once an egg is fertilized, then an embryo is indeed a human being. It is the same as you and I at the core of its existence.
Thus, any experimentation or destruction of a human embryo is the experimentation and/or destruction of a human life. We would find any other human testing unthinkable. The destruction of the Jews during World War II is viewed as a horrendous tragedy. But a great tragedy is happening in our world today that seems to have bypassed most people’s radar and conscience.
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Jeff Lash
I’ll be first since I didn’t jump in until the end last week. I do think embryonic stem cell research is unethical. The argument certainly hinges on the definition of human life. Is an embryo really a human being with rights? Scientists and others who support this type of research say no. They’ll even go so far as to use scientific terms when speaking of the early embryo in order to avoid conveying any sort of idea that the embryo is a person. If you can put the embryo in another category other than human life, it is easy to experiment on it or destroy it without feelings of guilt or wrongdoing.
What makes us human? Is it our ability to breath? No, animals do that and they aren’t human. Is it defined by the full development of our physical attributes? No because children would not be human if that were the case. Or, is it our DNA that makes us who we are, that makes us human? If so, and if all the genetic information is present once an egg is fertilized, then an embryo is indeed a human being. It is the same as you and I at the core of its existence.
Thus, any experimentation or destruction of a human embryo is the experimentation and/or destruction of a human life. We would find any other human testing unthinkable. The destruction of the Jews during World War II is viewed as a horrendous tragedy. But a great tragedy is happening in our world today that seems to have bypassed most people’s radar and conscience.