Posted on 06/20/2007 7:41:26 PM PDT by monomaniac
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While President Bush pleased pro-life advocates today by proving willing once again to defend human life by vetoing a bill that would have allowed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, he has also left them scratching their heads after he simultaneously issued an executive order in support of so-called "pluripotent" stem-cell research, which some argue is nothing more than embryonic stem cell research under a different name.
The scientifically complex--and consequently, seemingly morally muddy--source of stem-cells known as pluripotent stem-cells involves "reprogramming" adult cells to act like embryonic stem-cells through a process called "altered nuclear transfer" (ANT).
However, while many pro-life advocates have welcomed this type of research as a way to avoid the creation and destruction of embryos while still being able to reap the possible benefits that embryo-type cells could yield, other pro-life ethicists and scientists have argued that, as it is currently being practiced, pluripotent stem-cell research just amounts to the same thing as embryonic stem-cell research, except with a few more steps thrown in and a different name.
Judie Brown from American Life League told LifeSiteNews.com today that Bush is pursuing a course that is just as ethically fraught as embryonic stem cell research, which he just opposed by vetoing the funding bill. "Bush is doing what the national council for bioethics recommended," said Brown, "and that is supporting the research of Hurlbut and his allies, and that research has been shown to be questionable about whether a human embryo is present." Such stem cell research, concluded Brown, "is unethical and immoral and should not be supported by anybody."
Brown also said that it is her belief that it is simply a logical consequence of Bush's so-called "balanced" view on embryonic stem-cells that Congress was able to put another bill before Bush, attempting to lift the ban on federal funding. "The proponents of human embryonic research are going to continue to come back annually because they see a flaw in his position," said Brown. "He is only opposed to taxpayer funding. He is not opposed to private funding. The more pressure that is built up by Congress, the more likely that eventually there will be a veto proof bill. I find that tragic, because the president has the moral authority to say that embryonic stem cell research should be completely outlawed."
A report released last year by the American Life League took a strong stance against pluripotent stem-cell research, based upon the woeful lack of ethical discernment about the process, and the likelihood that pluripotent stem-cells are actually nothing other than embryonic human beings.
"Since ANT/OAR could be used to promote the creation and killing of disabled human embryos and could be complicit in harming women through egg harvesting," said Judie Brown in that report, "we urge senators to defend the sanctity and dignity of the human being by voting against the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act (S. 2754)."
The White House press release published today (the same press release that announced Bush's veto of the embryonic stem cell bill), said "Scientists have recently shown they have the ingenuity and skill to pursue the potential benefits of pluripotent stem cell research--research on cells that have the potential to develop into nearly all the cell types and tissues in the body--without endangering human life in the process. By expanding support for non-destructive research methods, this Executive Order will make it more likely that these exciting advances continue to unfold."
If, however--argue opponents of this type of research--these adult cells are reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem-cells--which are sometimes able to develop into full embryos again by a process known as "regulation" - then what is present is potentially a human being. Thus the destruction of such cells for the purpose of research is grossly unethical, and cannot be considered as research that does not endanger human life, as the White House press release stated.
Some scientists, however, have posited that it might be possible when, in the process of reprogramming the adult cells, to ensure that in some way the resultant cell is "disabled" and therefore cannot develop as a normal embryo would, thereby rendering the product of the process a "biological artifact." But that begs the question of whether or not the pluripotent cell is actually a "biological" artifact, or simply a severely disabled human embryo.
"Sadly," said Judie Brown in the ALL report, "the experimental testing of ANT so far has rendered this benign hypothesis beside the point. The current research in mouse models does not fit the original vision of creating non-embryo entities. Rather, it has created embryos that, like the 'replicant' characters of the science fiction thriller Blade Runner, come with a 'termination date.'"
Joe Scheidler, one of the pro-life movement's most prominent leaders, has also expressed his disapproval of attempts to pursue pluripotent research. "I don't want my tax money supporting something until it is absolutely clear that they are not harming life," Scheidler told LifeSiteNews.com last year.
Read the White House press release: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070620.htm...
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
American Life League Statement - Problems with Santorum-Specter Bill S. 2754 http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/060714a.html
This is idiotic. If it was even remotely possible for these cells to grow into embryos, it would be being seriously considered as a method of human cloning.
It’s crap like this which gives the pro-life cause a black eye time and time again.
More New Tone crapola...
I know nothing about it, but it doesn’t seem like reprogramming adult cells to act like embryonic cells is unethical. Anyone else?
It raises the question. A question is "begged" only when it is answered using redundant information, frustrating the asker.
monomaniac doesn’t post to his/her/it’s own threads. He/she/it is a post~n~runner...
Some people would have us treating tumors as sacred human flesh.
Very bad news.
Let’s stick to ADULT STEM CELLS and PLACENTA STEM CELLS.
Don’t go wobbly on us. You will lose the pro-life support and you won’t get a word of thanks from the Democrats. Not one word.
Don’t do it.
These are adult stem cells.
The process for obtaining stem cells that are actually removed from viable embryos after they have separated from the cells which will become the placenta does destroy a viable mature human being. A somatic (fully differentiated) cell taken from a mature human and coaxed to return to a more primitive stage so it can be redirected is still just a tiny fraction of the body it came from, not an interrupted life.
Some earlier research focused on creating non-viable fertilized eggs by manipulation, and designating them as acceptable because they could never develop properly. But that doesn’t sound like anything I would want transplanted into me.
I have no problem at all with this recent discovery, and I don’t think you should, either.
This movement is turning into "PETA for people".
“pluripotent stem-cell research just amounts to the same thing as embryonic stem-cell research,”
Well, yes, except that embryos are not used. I don’t know why Lifesite gets spammed so heavily onto FreeRepublic. It’s like we’re a repeater station for them. And, as this article shows, they have as much of an agenda as anyone else.
A deceptive move designed to fool all of us, because they figure we can’t understand these complicated processes.
Seems to me from all I’ve read of this process is that they’re cloning embryos and disabling them. Making them intentionally defective. Ghoulish.
Dangerous territory indeed.
Really? You call “reprogramming adult cells to act like embryonic stem-cells” cloning embryos? Maybe you should read some more ... starting with the article at the top of the thread.
Right! They are tweeked adult stem cells. The tweeking doesn't make them embryos.
No. They’re using the “Dolly the sheep” method to create embryos, using adult cells as a sperm substitute. It’s cloned. And they’re ghoulishly disabling the cloned embryo so that, theoretically, it supposedly cannot implant in the uterus. Somehow, that is supposed to make it alright.
Bush, and Romney for that matter, are pulling a fast one.
They’re embryos.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.