Skip to comments.
Vatican attacks human hybrids as 'monstrous act against human dignity'
Daily Mail ^
| September 7, 2007
Posted on 09/07/2007 12:08:36 PM PDT by NYer
Britain's step towards the creation of human-animal hybrids has been condemned by the Vatican as a "monstrous act against human dignity".
Days after the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority agreed in principle to license experiments for research, the Vatican's Bishop Elio Sgreccia accused the quango of crumbling "when confronted by requests from a group of scientists", who, he said, were "absolutely against morality".
Two teams of scientists hope to be able to create stem cells from their work that could unlock the secrets of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
The so-called chimeras will be 99 per cent human and one per cent cow, and will be destroyed after 14 days.
A final decision from the HFEA is expected in November.
Bishop Sgreccia said the ruling crossed an important moral rubicon.
"That frontier, of the crossroads of distinct species, has been overstepped with the go-ahead of the British Government," he said.
Catholic leaders in England and Wales have also expressed grave concern.
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: bioethics; chimeras; vatican
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-28 next last
1
posted on
09/07/2007 12:08:40 PM PDT
by
NYer
To: Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; nickcarraway; Romulus; ...
Catholic Ping Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
2
posted on
09/07/2007 12:09:09 PM PDT
by
NYer
("Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" - Ignatius of Antioch)
To: NYer
3
posted on
09/07/2007 12:12:45 PM PDT
by
B-Chan
(Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
To: NYer
Where is the Primate of All England? He’s probably writing another book for his book club.
Where is the Defender of the Faith? She’s probably meeting with her PR staff.
4
posted on
09/07/2007 12:15:51 PM PDT
by
bobjam
To: NYer; B-Chan
IIRC, most of today's insulin is produced by bacteria that has had human DNA infused within them.
|
1. Isolate Gene
The gene for producing HUMAN insulin protein is isolated. The gene is part of the DNA in a human chromosome. The gene can be isolated and then copied so that many insulin genes are available to work with. |
|
2. Prepare Target DNA
In 1973, two scientists named Boyer and Cohen developed a way to take DNA from one organism and put it in the DNA of bacterium. This process is called recombinant DNA technology. First, a circular piece of DNA called a plasmid is removed from a bacterial cell. Special proteins are used to cut the plasmid ring open. |
|
3. Insert DNA into Plasmid
With the plasmid ring open, the gene for insulin is inserted into the plasmid ring and the ring is closed. The human insulin gene is now recombined with the bacterial DNA plasmid. |
|
4. Insert Plasmid back into cell
The bacterial DNA now contains the human insulin gene and is inserted into a bacteria. Scientists use very small needle syringes to move the recombined plasmid through the bacterial cell membrane. |
|
5. Plasmid multiply
Many plasmids with the insulin gene are inserted into many bacterial cells. The cells need nutrients in order to grow, divide, and live. While they live, the bacterial cell processes turn on the gene for human insulin and the insulin is produced in the cell. When the bacterial cells reproduce by dividing, the human insulin gene is also reproduced in the newly created cells. |
|
6. Target Cells Reproduce
Human insulin protein molecules produced by bacteria are gathered and purified. The process of purifying and producing cow and pig insulin has been greatly reduced or eliminated. |
|
7. Cells Produce Proteins
Millions of people with diabetes now take human insulin produced by bacteria or yeast (biosynthetic insulin) that is genetically compatible with their bodies, just like the perfect insulin produced naturally in your body. |
http://www3.iptv.org/exploremore/ge/what/insulin.cfm
5
posted on
09/07/2007 12:17:45 PM PDT
by
CarrotAndStick
(The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
To: CarrotAndStick
“Isolate Gene”, yet another personal attack. Come and get me.
6
posted on
09/07/2007 12:19:32 PM PDT
by
massgopguy
(I owe everything to George Bailey)
To: bobjam
"Where is the Primate of All England?" It looks like the geneticists already got to him...
7
posted on
09/07/2007 12:20:40 PM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
To: NYer
"The so-called chimeras will be 99 per cent human and one per cent cow, and will be destroyed after 14 days." Cordially,
8
posted on
09/07/2007 12:26:32 PM PDT
by
Diamond
To: NYer
And this is ok because 99.9% human isn’t quite human. Like a fetus should get special status before it is more than a dividing embryo. What an almost slippery slope.
9
posted on
09/07/2007 12:26:41 PM PDT
by
Steamburg
(Your wallet speaks the only language most politicians understand.)
To: NYer
You could cross Howard Dean with a jackass and no one would notice the difference.
To: NYer
You’d think that the Pope would show more tolerance for the Kennedy clan....
11
posted on
09/07/2007 12:34:47 PM PDT
by
tracer
To: NYer
You’d think that the Pope would show more tolerance for the Kennedy clan....
12
posted on
09/07/2007 12:34:53 PM PDT
by
tracer
To: NYer
'monstrous act against human dignity' And ugly, too.
To: Diamond
The organism will be destroyed because the 1% cow component will fart in a studenous and horrific manner that will dramatically increase Global Warming......
14
posted on
09/07/2007 12:38:04 PM PDT
by
tracer
I don’t believe this has ever been accomplished, or ever will. There is a difference between human cell division and all other mammals. As I remember it has to do with the “spindle” in the cell nucleus.
15
posted on
09/07/2007 12:38:05 PM PDT
by
webboy45
To: NYer
The so-called chimeras will be 99 per cent human and one per cent cow, and will be destroyed after 14 days.I believe the correct ratio would be 99.9% human and 0.1% cow.
To: All
'Dis is bullsh#t, man....
17
posted on
09/07/2007 12:40:02 PM PDT
by
avacado
To: 8mmMauser
18
posted on
09/07/2007 12:55:49 PM PDT
by
TheSarce
To: Zuben Elgenubi
I believe the correct ratio would be 99.9% human and 0.1% cow. Today, 0.1% cow, tomorrow - 0.5% pig, the next day - 0.8% monkey, etc. The point here, quite simply, is that this is nothing more than destruction of human life, regardless of the percentage, in favor of a blended life of human and animal.
HUMANAE VITAE
Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it (18)in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong.
HUMANAE VITAE
19
posted on
09/07/2007 4:52:44 PM PDT
by
NYer
("Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" - Ignatius of Antioch)
To: NYer
Just DISGUSTING!!!!! It’s a wonder that these “scientists” have any souls!
20
posted on
09/07/2007 5:49:30 PM PDT
by
diamond6
(Everyone who is for abortion has been born. Ronald Reagan)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-28 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson