Posted on 09/05/2007 4:15:28 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A British pro-life group warns that a new type of embryo research, likely to be approved this week by a U.K. government panel, undermines human dignity.
Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority is expected to give a green light this week to U.K. laboratories seeking to create the first animal-human embryos for medical research using eggs taken from dead cows. British scientists want to use the hybrid embryos in order to research genetic diseases.
Anthony Ozimic, political secretary for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, opposes the embryo-destructive research. He says that an "a-nucleated" cow egg will only "form a minor role in the development of the embryo."
"Most of the genetic material of the embryo would be human and therefore we must presume that it is a human being," says Ozimic. "And human embryos from the point of creation are full human beings with human rights; but also we have very grave doubts about the benefits and the safety of human-animal hybrid embryos."
Ozimic says the potential benefits of hybrid embryos are being greatly exaggerated by scientists and wealthy companies who have vested financial interests in developing and "speculating" on new scientific advances.
"If we look at embryonic stem-cell research, the basic proof or principle work on animal models hasn't even been done yet," he explains. "And there are good alternative sources of disease-specific adult stem cells already existing -- and therefore, we believe that any sensible investor should be investing adult stem cells and not in this highly speculative of embryonic stem-cell research."
Ozimic believes Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority will approve the use of animal-human hybrid embryos because it has a "radical libertarian" view of scientific proposals and is facing pressure from wealthy companies with a vested interest in embryonic stem-cell research.
I noticed how this agency was characterized as "radical libertarian" in its outlook. Libertarian freepers, feel free to comment.
I'm sure that this will work out well.
May God have Mercy on us.
"What you have done to the least of these you have done unto me"
Not in the USA nor in most of the rest of the world. Perhaps the hybrids will have more rights than 100% humans.
Dr. Mengele would be proud.
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