Stem Cell from Christian Perspective - Assignment Example

STEM CELL RESEARCH Stem Cell Research from Christian Perspective Scientists vigorously fight for the right to research stem cells and their potential, while Christians oppose any experiments on the embryos, even those who are to die because of natural causes. It is hard to say which party is right and which one is wrong, however, the evidence collected from the articles, surveys and statistical data indicates that benefits of stem cell research are not able to justify the experiments on the embryos. The potential benefits are not proved and refer to the future while the embryos die immediately once the stem cells are taken. This is the valid cause to state that stem cell research is ethically and morally wrong. Stem cell research is relatively new topic for discussion among the public, the scientists and believers. Stem cell research's eligibility and necessity is doubted through moral and ethical arguments, while the scientific approach tries to convince the humans that the primary goal is to make them healthier, to find the cure to cancer and many other benefits. The main reason why stem cell research causes such a controversy is because, in the stage in which the blastocyst is extracted, the embryo dies. Since it is impossible to remove the blastocyst without killing the embryo, certain religions believe that stem cell research is evil. This is because there is an uncertainty as to when life begins, and whether it begins from the time of conception, or it begins only after the fetus has begun to develop. This is where society is distinctly split, between the scientists and the religious ethicists. One of the positive aspects of stem cell research that goes in favor of the scientists is the fact that they can do a great deal to help scientific studies, especially in finding the cures for diseases. Scientists have found that, by experimenting with stem cells, they can possibly find cures for chronic and fatal diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and many more. By performing stem cell research, scientists will be able to help hundreds of thousands of people who are affected by diseases such as these. This can be done by taking the unspecialized stem cells and removing certain protein coats, and therefore turning it into a certain type of cell (such as a cardiac cell or brain cell). These cells can then are transplanted into the needed areas and replace the existing, non-working cells to cure the person of that illness. During the process through which a stem cell is removed from an embryo, and the embryo is sacrificed. The argument many people make about this issue is that it is morally wrong. Many Catholics feel that it is not right to kill the embryos because they are human beings. Scientists believe it is not their part to judge whether it is morally right or wrong. Their job is to make the cures and this is one way to do it. Many people think it is wrong to kill humans to help other humans. This opinion is supported by four passages from Scriptures (Benson 2004): Genesis 1:26-27 - Humans are made in God's image Deuteronomy 5:17 - We are not to unjustly take human life Psalm 139:15, 16 - God knew us as individuals in our mother's womb and even before Matthew 1:20 - Our Savior was once a single cell embryo The debate over stem cell research is closely related to the cloning issue. As Dr. David Stevens has noted, the embryonic clone would be the patient's genetic twin displaced in time. It would be a human being because it has the chromosomes of a human perfectly formed for that stage of development. At that point in time, the embryo is self-directed and, if left in the proper environment, it will continue development through gestation, birth, maturity and eventually natural death, just like all humans (Benson 2004). The question here is when does the life begin according to the Creator Christians and the representatives of other religions are confident that the stem cell research destroys the sanctity of life. Believes think that human life starts at the moment of conception and their killing is totally immoral and unethical. It is important to note that even though the human embryo is totally dependent on his mother for nutrition and protection, but he is still a person (Hodges, "Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research"). The collection of the stem cells kills the embryo and despite of the hope that one day it will help people, the harm done in this process cannot be just ignored. Church opposes the stem cell research because there is no way to take the stem cells from human without killing the pre-born child. Physicians pledge not to do harm, in the first place, and the end result cannot justify the means. "Stem cell research's ultimate goal may be to heal, but countless human beings have to be killed first" (Hodges, "Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research"). President Bush aggress that the killing of humans for experimentation is wrong, but allowing it on the embryos that will die in any case, such as victims of abortion and embryos frozen in fertility clinics, is ok. This is not the right way to think because it is ethically wrong to benefit from the immoral act. The recent advances on the gene therapy give another promise - the identification of the problems through genetic modifications for unborn individuals as well as for the future generation. Defective cells can be identified and even corrected after the conception through removing them from fertilized egg and placing them into the test-tube culture - once the cells are corrected they are placed back into the egg within the mother (Feldman 2006). But do the scientists have the right to interfere into the life development or is it the prerogative of God only Each individual has to find his own answer to this question. While those in favor of embryonic stem- cell experimentation maintain that their approach involves no loss of life, just the opposite is true. Embryonic stem cells are, in fact, living cells, because life begins at the point of conception. Human embryonic stem - cell research is unnecessary, illegal and immoral. Because of other ethical alternatives, studying human embryonic stem cells is totally unnecessary. Adult stem cells, for example, have already shown much more promise than embryonic cells and they are already being used clinically. Besides that, it is also illegal, because Congress has stated that no funds should be used for research and it is immoral, because human beings are killed in the process. People should take action to support the government of forbidding embryonic stem- cell research by informing the public. References Benson, R. (2004, October). "What some scientists really hope to find in stem cell research." American Family Association Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www.afajournal.org/2004/october/1004stemcell.asp Feldman, R. (2006). Development Across the Life Span. Prentice Hall Publishing. Hodges, M. "Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research". Orthodox Research Institute. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ethics/hodges_stem_cell_research.htm Read More