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Bob, Brilliantly stated. I agree. I would hope more can understand your point. Greg 47/35/35 ----- Original Message ----- From: "ROBERT A MARTONE" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2000 5:39 AM Subject: Stem Cell > I have been religiously following the debate on Stem Cells. > I'm not sure why I haven't jumped in sooner. What I have > been doing is reassessing my own system of values as it > relates to this complex subject. Part of this evaluation has > forced me to go back and look at the definition of words > that are used in the debate. Words like zygote, blastula, > totipotent and pluripotent were not part of my everyday > vocabulary so I sent those definitions to the list a few > days ago. > > Religion, morals, ethics and science are a part of my every > day vocabulary but tonight I found myself going back and > re-examining those words too. So I am forwarding those to > the list as part of this commentary. > > It seems to me the issues fall into two categories: > > The first is science and the second is belief systems. The > science of a single life form has a starting and an ending > point. The belief systems that interpret those points are > almost never ending. Science relies heavily on knowledge, > quantitative knowledge. Belief systems involve reverence for > a supernatural power or absence of reverence for a > supernatural power both tempered by knowledge. Ethics and > morality seem to flow logically from the application of > belief systems and knowledge. Some people place greater > emphasis on the belief system, others place greater emphasis > on the science and others try to wrestle with the two. > > For me it has been nearly impossible to separate these two > issues. My belief system is that life should be protected > and preserved. I used to add "at all cost." Our ability to > extend life through artificial means that don't always > address the quality of life has caused me to reconsider the > "at all cost" phrase. > > My belief system has been that life begins at conception. My > knowledge now causes me to challenge that notion. I now > know, or I think I know that a female is born with all her > eggs in place at birth. This is more than she can ever use > during her childbearing years or even during her lifetime. I > also know that a male is capable of producing more sperm > than he could ever use to fertilize and egg. Therefore the > potential to produce life through traditionally acceptable > means (sanctioned monogamous relationships) allows most > potential life giving zygotes to die. > > Thirty years ago I might have thought of this as a > curiosity of nature. As a pro-life thinker today I find > myself asking why all this death? Could it be that the > supernatural power that I do believe exists is revealing new > life opportunities to me or am I somehow violating the > ethical bounds imposed by my traditional belief systems that > are based on my knowledge and the knowledge of many > generations that have preceded me. > > My leaning today is to allow the exploration, some would > call it exploitation, of these life or potential life forms > to proceed in a guarded and regulated way. I would proceed > based on the knowledge we possess and the body of belief > systems including religious beliefs that provide the moral > and ethical constraints that have served mankind so well. I > believe the NIH guidelines provide those constraints. > > Do I have concerns about the potential abuses that can > result? Absolutely. The scientists that created the first > atomic bomb were deeply troubled by the potential for abuse. > Many pleaded to stop the research. It took nineteen months. > Nearly sixty years later we still have the same concerns. > Despite these concerns there have been many advances that > mankind has experienced including many medical advances > based on that discovery. The sole purpose of that effort was > to kill to end the killing. So far, I believe that promise > has been fulfilled. > > It seems to me that science may be able to establish when > life begins but each belief system will continue to spin > that knowledge to support their particular view of when it > begins. While the taking of any life troubles me, and > probably always will, my spin on my newly acquired knowledge > is that the current use of excess embryo's to end the > killing caused by disease seems morally and ethically > justified. > > I welcome comments. > > Respectfully, > > Bob Martone > [log in to unmask] > http://www.samlink.com/~bmartone > > -------------------------------------------------------- > Definitions for religion, ethics, amoral, moral, and science > follow. > ------------------------------------ > Religion - > Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers > regarded as creator and governor of the universe. > A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such > belief and worship. > The life or condition of a person in a religious order. > A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the > teachings of a spiritual leader. > A cause, a principle, or an activity pursued with zeal or > conscientious devotion. > ---------------------------------- > > Ethic > A set of principles of right conduct. > A theory or a system of moral values: "An ethic of service > is at war with a craving for gain" (Gregg Easterbrook). > ethics. (used with a sing. verb)The study of the general > nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be > made by a person; moral philosophy. > ethics. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)The rules or > standards governing the conduct of a person or the members > of a profession: medical ethics. > Amoral - Adjective > Not admitting of moral distinctions or judgments; neither > moral nor immoral. > Lacking moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong. > ---------------------------- > Moral - adjective > Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness > of human action and character: moral scrutiny; a moral > quandary. > Teaching or exhibiting goodness or correctness of character > and behavior: a moral lesson. > Conforming to standards of what is right or just in > behavior; virtuous: a moral life. > Arising from conscience or the sense of right and wrong: a > moral obligation. > Having psychological rather than physical or tangible > effects: a moral victory; moral support. > Based on strong likelihood or firm conviction, rather than > on the actual evidence: a moral certainty. > noun. > The lesson or principle contained in or taught by a fable, a > story, or an event. > A concisely expressed precept or general truth; a maxim. > morals. Rules or habits of conduct, especially of sexual > conduct, with reference to standards of right and wrong: a > person of loose morals; a decline in the public morals. > > morally adverb > Synonyms: moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous. > These adjectives mean in accord with principles or rules of > right or good conduct. Moral applies to personal character > and behavior, especially sexual conduct, measured against > prevailing standards of rectitude: "The fact that man knows > right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the > other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves > his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot" (Mark > Twain). Ethical stresses conformity with idealistic > standards of right and wrong, as those applicable to the > practices of lawyers and doctors: "The world has achieved > brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear > giants and ethical infants" (Omar N. Bradley). Virtuous > implies moral excellence and loftiness of character; in a > narrower sense it refers to sexual chastity: "The life of > the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, > truthful, and virtuous" (Frederick Douglass). Righteous > emphasizes moral uprightness and especially the absence of > guilt or sin; when it is applied to actions, reactions, or > impulses, it often implies justifiable outrage: "The > effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" > (James 5:16). "He was . . . stirred by righteous wrath" > (John Galsworthy). > ------------------------------------------ > Science > The observation, identification, description, experimental > investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. > Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena. > Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study. > Methodological activity, discipline, or study: I've got > packing a suitcase down to a science. > An activity that appears to require study and method: the > science of purchasing. > Knowledge, especially that gained through experience. > ---------------------------------------- >