Misleading the public on stem cell research…
The misrepresentation of this issue to the public by those in positions of influence continues. For example, this AP story -
Calif. GOP Opposes Stem Cell Proposition
The headline is very misleading as the GOP opposed the proposition, but it was not a stem cell proposition. It was an embryonic stem cell proposition. For the media and lobbyists on this issue to continue to blur the lines between embryonic and adult stem cell is unacceptable. If I were a reporter and wrote up a story on M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and headlined it “Mothers against driving”…would that be fair? Nope… and neither is this. For it is obvious the writer knows the difference between the two as he mentions it later in the story…
Scientists believe stem cells, the body’s building blocks, can be used to repair organs or treat diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. But because stem cells are typically removed from days-old human embryos that are destroyed when the cells are extracted, many anti-abortion activists oppose such research.
The writer’s conclusion that stem cells are typically removed from embryos is debatable as there seems to be more justification for using adult stem cells as this BreakPoint article details…
Is taking stem cells from embryonic humans the only way to get them?
No. The adult human body contains stem cells too, stem cells that can be obtained without destroying a human life. And while embryonic stem cell therapies are only a dream, adult stem cells are already being used to treat diseases. Adult stem cells can do everything researchers claim for embryonic stem cells and have at least three advantages. First, adult stem cells do not have the risk of out of control growth. When injected into the body, embryonic stem cells sometimes grow into tumors; adult stem cells grow normally. Second, based on cloning experiments with animals, we know that cloned cells are not normal and the risk of mutation is high. Adult stem cells are healthy if taken from a genetically healthy adult. Third, there is no ethical question associated with the use of adult stem cells.
Lastly, note the danger of this view…
“I think it’s time the Republican Party take a more humanistic attitude toward this issue,” said Dr. James Mertzel, a San Fernando Valley dentist addressing his party colleagues. Mertzel said afterward, “If you had an illness fatal to one of your children, you’d look at anything to find a cure for it.”
Anything? I don’t think we want to do just anything. We can’t do something unethical for ‘a greater good.’ That ends up being a sacrificial system where the weak or unimportant are sacrificed for the stronger or more imporant. Also, by humanistic does he mean Godless living - with no accountability to God for our actions? If that’s the case, then maybe he does mean anything!
Tags: News and Media
