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Stem cell research has polarized the political community in much the same
way that abortion does.  Much heat and very little light are generated on
the question of ‘the sanctity of human life'.  I look at the question in the
following manner.

The acts usually called miracles in the Bible were not cures of things like
the common cold.  Rather, they were intractable problems or diseases that
would not go away.  An example is Christ  curing those afflicted with ‘the
palsy' (Matthew 4:24) which may have been PD as it was in those times.
Compassion and love was shown.  Applying the same standard to our times, it
seems to me that the broad standard of compassion and love would override a
narrow prohibition based on a particular dogma.  William Temple, the great
modern Archbishop of Canterbury said: "It is a mistake to suppose that God
is only, or even chiefly, concerned with religon."  I take that to mean that
God is concerned with humanity, not with how we organize ourselves to relate
to him.

I think that stem cell research is acceptable.

But it would be a mistake to pin all our hopes on it.  When we say that if
we solve this problem or that problem, we will have solved the PD riddle, we
are closing our minds to other possibilities, thus restricting research into
other promising areas.

A second reason it would be a mistake is that PWPs and their CGs have seen
hope rekindled like a phoenix to rise from its ashes too many times.

Lets say that stem cell research is acceptable and promising, but needs
further investigation.