Bush's own church supports stem cell research!
by simplicio
Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 05:06:32 PM PDT
As you know, President Bush vetoed the Stem Cell Research Bill today.  To be
honest, I couldn't care less what the United Methodist Church has to say
about ethics.  I think society gives far too much weight to the
pronouncements of religious leaders.  But that's a whole other topic.  You
do have to wonder who supports President Bush's position when even his own
church disagrees with him.
simplicio's diary :: ::

The United Methodist Church has issued a position on the ethics of stem cell
research which I largely agree with.  You can read it all here
Ethics of Stem Cell Research
I'll highlight a few excerpts.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a clinical practice in which a woman's
ovaries are hyper-stimulated to release several eggs, which are extracted
and subsequently fertilized in a laboratory dish. This is for the purpose of
creating embryos to be introduced into the uterus in the hope of
implantation, gestation, and eventual birth. Current practice usually
involves the extraction of up to 15-16 eggs for fertilization. The resulting
embryos that are judged most viable are either introduced into the womb in
the initial attempt or frozen and stored for possible later use. Some of the
embryos are judged to be less viable than others and are discarded. (Those
stored embryos that are not later used become the "excess embryos" whose use
as a source of embryonic stem cells is currently under discussion.)
There is the crux of the issue.  The stem cells being considered for
research already exist and are currently frozen!  No one is advocating
creating embryos with the intent of immediately destroying them for
research.  We're talking about using embryos that come into being as a
result of attempts at in vitro fertilization.  Does the religious right
think couples using IVF are evildoers and murderers?  Maybe some people do.
If so, get out there and start marching on IVF clinics throwing blood on
infertile couples as they walk in.
What does President Bush's church think should be done with these existing
embryos?
Given the reality that most, if not all, of these excess embryos will be
discarded-we believe that it is morally tolerable to use existing embryos
for stem cell research purposes. This position is a matter of weighing the
danger of further eroding the respect due to potential life against the
possible, therapeutic benefits that are hoped for from such research. The
same judgment of moral tolerability would apply to the use of embryos left
from future reproductive efforts if a decision has been made not to
introduce them into the womb. We articulate this position with an attitude
of caution, not license. We reiterate our opposition to the creation of
embryos for the sake of research.
This atheist concurs!  Instead President Bush has decided to stubbornly
pander to his willfully ignorant base, the 30 percenters who get a warm
fuzzy feeling inside about "protecting innocent life" by insisting that
already existing embryos continue to help no one by remaining frozen.
Last time Bush spoke about stem cell research he invited families with
"snowflake babies," babies resulting from the adoption of frozen embryos to
attend his remarks.  So far, 84 families have adopted frozen embryos.  There
is an estimated 400,000 frozen embryos in existence today and growing fast.
By using Karl Rove's "the math" one might think embryo adoption is a
solution for what to do with all these additional embryos.  As a resident of
the reality-based community, I beg to differ.
simplicio on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 05:04:58 PM PDT
Rayilyn Brown
Board Member AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
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