Stem Cell Research

greenarmy1980

Active member
Since when did the Church run government? Limiting stem cell research and what is possible was all based on Religion.

Seems that when George W. Bush limited stem cell research and utilization he was taking into account what the religions of the world have been saying, and now they are actually thinking about returning to government funding of the research and lifting restrictions. Is this because he cannot be reelected?

What are your thoughts?
 
I don't agree with you. I believe it is a matter of different opinions about whether embryos are human life or not.
 
You do not have to agree with me, that is why this is under politics. Because everyone can have a different view on it.

I do not beilieve in growing a full body of a person, but developing the research to repair a spinal cord so that a quadropalegic can walk again would be great, or even someone that has been diagnosed with Spinae Bifida, would it not be nice to repair the spine of an infant using the science at our disposal?
 
Just because a philosophy stems from one's religion does not make it any less valid in the marketplace of ideas that is America. I agree with you that bans on stem cell research are wrong, but that is my opinion.

In America we have a line in the Bill of rights that says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Now if you want to force someone to not follow their religious beliefs by legalizing Stem Cell research then you're violating the 'free exercise' clause of the bill of rights. I'm an atheist but I am smart enough to know that the 1st ammendment is not a "freedom from religion" clause.
 
Valid point. I see your perspective. Is not the Constitution subject to interpretation though, which is why we have the Supreme Court. Right.
 
the problem with stem cell research is that it is hard to draw a line at where it will end. if its for a new heart or liver for someone, then go ahead. but if its for parents altering the genetics to have their kids turn out the way they want them, then no. The movie Gattaca is a good one about this subject. Its about how people who arent genetically altered are considered inferior and what not. I recommend it.
 
I agree with that reasoning too. I do however support fixing birth defects, such as Downs, Spinae Bifida, and sickle cell anemia. Those the world could do without, and it would save billions of dollars on medical expense a year.
 
i think if it can help people, we should at least give it a try, try to make a comprmise somewhere on the issue
 
I think as long as you don't get the stem cells from an embryo then go ahead. If you can get them from a place that wont make people mad, then use that. Why piss people off, just get stem cells from an umbilical cord or whatever else. Simple as that. :cowb:
 
greenarmy1980 said:
Since when did the Church run government? Limiting stem cell research and what is possible was all based on Religion.
quote]

i dont think its a matter of the church persuading anything. believing that a fetus is a living thing and that it should not be sacraficed in the name of research is just a natural feeling people have. just because the church takes the same stance does not make it some conspiracy against science.

IMO, the more science discovers, the closer it gets to the church.

"SHow me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes to look at the heavens, and tell me how there could not be a God!"
 
Why they don't shift their initial studies to a nation with lack of this kind of legislation. It's the third world advantages of international business, and only rich countries can success.
 
I think it should be brought back to its original pace and founding, as Stem cell research has taken several steps backwords (because of complications) it is good to presue it in a bigger scale to catch up to lost steps.
 
How many of you are old enough to remember the outcry there was when the first heart transplant took place. Nearly every one wanted to ban it as thought the heart was the soul of the body, yet we claimed to be modern and forward looking people, my did the Clergy and papers have a field day over that, but now with the passage of time it has become quite the norm.
 
Tough subject

This is a very tough subject.
I think I would pull slightly to the side of doing more research to save peoples lives.
 
Well Swedish doctors managed to grow brain cells from stem cells taken from the brain. This might be a good step towards helping people with Alzimers, its anticipated to be ready for alzimers patiants in about 7 - 10 years :)

Long time but you can't rush these things, has to take its time to see its full potential and to discover any potentional risks with it :)
 
stem cell research in theory is a great thing. if we could develop lungs, kidneys, hearts, and so on for transplants, great. if it's to alter genetic make-up to prevent a birth defect, great, too. but if it's to alter such things as eye color or other dna, not so great. if it's to clone full bodies, really not great.

the problem is, i dont think we're ready for this yet. before we decide to go forward with this, we need to set down some serious regulations with serious penalties, because this is opening pandoras box.
 
I fully support embryotic stem cell research. One must remember that this is not a baby or a fetus, or even a full embreyo. Its a mass of cells from an embreyo. If you rub your hands together you are killing thousands and thousands of skin cells. The only difference is that stem cells unlike regular ones have the ability to self repair. So whats the big deal? A women has approximatly 450 embryoes in her life. Almost all of them never become a fetus, and since the body is going to flush them out anyway why not use them for research?

I have an uncle who dying of a cancer of the kidneys, why not help those who are already born and are suffering, instead of obsessing over those that will never be born?
 
Three of my close relatives are disabled. My mother has stroke related dementia, my brother has had a failed brain aneurysm operation that caused much of his brain to be removed, and my nephew has cerebral palsy. I think you can guess that I am all in favor of stem cell research. If just one of my relatives can be brought to a better life, it is worth it all to me.

Life is not without risk, neither so is science and progress. We must risk the possibilities that technologies might be misused if we are to advance and here in the US, we must wake up to the fact that the rest of the world has already made its choice and we are falling behind.
 
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