If one believes an embryo is a life then it is entitled to protection (life and liberty) under the law. So using federal funds to pay for it's destruction is wrong. The embryo has not committed any crime. If you do agree that it is the government's job to protect the lives of the individuals, when do you think that a life begins and is entitled to that protection? If not as an embryo then when?
Embryonic stem cell research is not banned in the United States, the research is just not funded using federal funds. The research might have the potential in theory to help people. Since there are other potential sources for stem cells, those sources should be explored using federal funds.
States and private funds may pay for research using human embryonic stem cell lines that are not eligible for federal funding.
This federal funding debate reminds me of some of the people in the 80s who did not want their tax dollars used to pay for nuclear weapons.
Jim
At 07:10 AM 5/28/2005, David K. Kelmer wrote:
I respect your views on not using embryos from IVF for embryonic stem cell research IF in vitro fertilization treatments, which creates excess human embryos in the first place, is also banned.
The reality is that IVF HAS created thousands of cells that will be discarded, and in my mind, simply discarding these cells without using them for medical research is not ethical reasoning.
