Posted on 05/19/2008 5:38:39 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Millenia of moral, religious and scientific belief were defied last night by MPs who voted to allow the creation of human/animal embryos.
In a landmark move which isolates Britain in the western world, they backed Government proposals which herald the dawn of a new era of experimentation.
Despite fierce objections, politicians placed the need for greater medical understanding above the dangers of tinkering with the essence of life - even though many leading scientists argue that hybrid embryos are unlikely to bring promised cures.
Opponents warned that the decision had made Britain a 'rogue state' and pointed to 21 other countries where such moves had been banned.
Catholic Church leaders have condemned the use of hybrid embryos as 'monstrous' and say tinkering in such a way is immoral.
Even fertility expert Lord Winston - who supports the Government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill - has said it would not greatly matter if scientists were not allowed to engineer human/animal embryos for medical experiments.
But Gordon Brown urged MPs to back the work, saying it is a 'moral endeavour' which could save thousands of lives by producing treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
An amendment to the Bill, attempting to block the creation of such embryos as a source of cells for research, was defeated by 336 to 176.
Last night MPs also rejected a proposal to outlaw the creation of saviour siblings, which are babies born from embryos selected because they are a tissue match for a brother or sister with a genetic condition.
They voted 163 in favour of the ban and 342 against - a healthy majority of 179 for the Government measure.
But a string of ministers either abstained or voted against the Government in the first of two days of debate which will determine the future of embryo research, IVF treatment and abortion. Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, Defence Secretary Des Browne and Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy, all Catholics, backed attempts to ban the creation of hybrid embryos.
Today up to seven ministers are expected to join about 200 MPs backing a lower time limit on abortions carried out for social rather than medical reasons.
The Government is increasingly nervous that MPs will reject the Government's position that no change to the current threshold of 24 weeks is justified.
The outcome is almost impossible to predict, since MPs have been given a free vote. But there is also concern among Labour whips that a plan to abolish the requirement for IVF clinics to take account of a child's need for a father might be defeated.
Scientists developing hybrid embryos say they will provide an alternative source of stem cells - basic cells which can develop into many different types of tissue - for use in medical research. Currently, they have to rely on donated human embryos.
Chinese scientists were the first to create human-animal embryos. In 2003 a team at the Shanghai Second Medical University fused human cells with rabbit eggs.
But many countries have banned such research, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy. Others, including Austria, Norway and Tunisia do not allow embryo research at all.
In yesterday's debate Tory MP Edward Leigh, leading the revolt against the Government's plans for hybrid embryo experiments, warned that they would 'tear down the ultimate boundary between human and animal'.
He said 21 other countries had specifically banned the creation of hybrid embryos.
'In many ways we are like children playing with landmines without any concept of the dangers of the technology that we are handling. In terms of embryology research, we will almost be like a rogue state. The reason the public have been misled, cruelly in many cases, into thinking that this type of research could lead to early cures is because of exaggeration, misleading information or hyperbole.'
But Labour backbencher Chris Bryant said that opponents' arguments were similar to those originally used by church leaders to oppose the smallpox vaccine. They argued that cows should not be used in medical research affecting humans.
MPs voted by 336 to 176, majority 160, against a ban on all hybrid embryos. The Commons then rejected an attempt to ban the use of so-called 'true hybrids', which would be 50 per cent human and 50 per cent animal. Voting was 286 to 223, majority 63.
The chief executive of the Medical Research Council, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, welcomed the result, saying it would keep the UK at the forefront of embryo research. 'The public can have confidence in the tight regulations that govern embryo and stem cell research,' he said.
As Parliament geared up for today's historic abortion vote, campaigners wrote to all MPs urging them to take note of opinion polls suggesting that a majority of voters - particularly women - back a reduction of the time limit. MPs could face an unprecedented U.S.-style campaign designed to make their views on abortion a crucial issue at the next election.
A powerful alliance of pro-life and religious groups is planning to target individual MPs who refuse to back moves to reduce the legal time limit for terminations.
Today's vote on abortion is the first in Parliament since 1990 and the first time many MPs have had to make a choice one way or another on the issue. Amendments have been tabled to the Bill seeking to bring the current 24-week deadline for abortion down to 20 or 22 weeks in the light of the latest scientific evidence.
Terminations would continue to be permitted right up to birth if an unborn child is thought to have a range of disabilities.
Pro-life MPs from all three main parties argue a reduction is necessary because medical advances mean premature babies born before 24 weeks now have a reasonable chance of surviving. They also want to introduce a five-day period of 'informed consent', during which women wanting a termination would be advised to reflect on their decision.
Pro-choice MPs, by contrast, are seeking to liberalise abortion laws with rival amendments. They would allow only one doctor to approve an abortion, rather than the two currently required.
Last night, the Alive and Kicking campaign group - an umbrella organisation which includes the Christian Medical Fellowship, Pro-Life Alliance, the Guild of Catholic Doctors, LIFE, the Evangelical Alliance, and the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship - wrote to MPs urging them to back a 20-week limit.
The group, which represents more than a million people, also gave them notice of a highly controversial campaign focusing on their views and voting records.
It has launched a website, www.aliveandkickingcampaign.org, to highlight how MPs vote today. This also details MPs' Parliamentary-majorities to indicate where pro-life voters might be able to influence the result at the next election. 'There are many marginal seats across the political divide and we will ensure that our membership's votes count positively,' the group told MPs.
The move will appal pro-choice campaigners, who will see it as little more than blackmail. But the alliance hopes that enough MPs who do not have strong views either way will be persuaded to skip today's Commons vote.
With between 150 and 200 MPs expected to back a reduction in the law in a free vote, turnout will be a key factor in whether it can succeed.
Conservative leader David Cameron and most of his shadow ministers have indicated their support for the legal time limit for abortion to be reduced by up to a month.
Pressure has mounted on the Government to review the law amid concern at a rise in the number of terminations. There are now more than 200,000 abortions a year in England and Wales, up from 175,000 in 2002.
This could open up a can of worms that the Human Race can’t even comprehend. There’s no telling what will emerge from this.
And everyone thought that the spirit of Josef Mengele was dead.
Evil never sleeps.
This could open up a can of worms that the Human Race can’t even comprehend. There’s no telling what will emerge from this.
Yes more DEMs... and I bet some group in California will sue to MARRY THEM!! LOL
Maybe they could clone some good teeth
LOL!
And everyone thought that the spirit of Josef Mengele was dead.
Evil never sleeps.
Is it of matter of..”just because we can”? What useable scientific data could come from this? (This aside from the immorality of the project.)
More and more we are living in a sci-fi movie. There was some old movie where human/animal “experiments” were allowed to live. The results were horrible.
The liberals who rant against “Frankenfoods” (genetically-engineered crops) have no problem supporting “Frankensteins”.
An unequivocal evil.
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