Posted on 07/17/2002 2:32:10 PM PDT by Salvation
CLONING-REACT Jul-15-2002 (560 words) xxxn
U.S. bishops' official asks Senate action to ban human cloning
By Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A U.S. bishops' pro-life official has asked the Senate to follow the majority recommendation of the President's Council on Bioethics by favoring at least a temporary legal ban on all human cloning.
Without federal legislation, "the most irresponsible of researchers will create our national policy by default," said Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.
A majority of the bioethics council recommended outlawing human cloning for reproduction and favored a four-year moratorium on human cloning for biomedical research.
The moratorium would provide time to debate and review the state of human embryo research with the goal of proposing "an ethically acceptable public policy to govern these scientifically and medically promising but morally challenging activities," said the majority recommendation in the July 11 council report.
A minority recommendation agreed with the ban on reproductive human cloning but supported federally regulated use of cloned embryos for biomedical research.
A July 12 statement by Doerflinger rejected human cloning for research, saying it involves the destruction of human embryos.
"No one has succeeded in crafting a feasible, enforceable and morally sound ban that covers only 'cloning to produce children' but does not give government endorsement to the destruction of cloned embryos," he said.
"Without further delay, the U.S. Senate should join President Bush, the House of Representatives, and the President's Council on Bioethics in supporting at least a temporary ban on all human cloning," said Doerflinger.
He called "morally unacceptable" any proposal that creates cloned human embryos but prohibits their survival.
The bishops' official said any four-year moratorium should be used for public discussion on forming public policy.
Vatican and U.S. church officials have opposed all human cloning because it involves reproduction outside of sexual intercourse by a married couple. But church leaders have added that, if cloning occurs, the human embryos or babies formed have the rights and dignity of human beings.
Supporters of human cloning for research say it could open the door to cures for a variety of diseases.
Several pro-life groups support a temporary moratorium as a better-than-nothing policy.
"We strongly favor a permanent ban on all human cloning," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee. "However, we could support legislation to temporarily ban human cloning."
Ken Connor, president of the Family Research Council, said that, "in an environment where that which is not prohibited is permitted, a temporary moratorium on human cloning is better than no ban at all."
Connor favored funding of "alternative and ethical avenues of research" which could lead to medical cures.
The bioethics council report highlights the political divisions on the human cloning issue. President Bush favors a ban on all human cloning and said he would veto legislation that does not include a total ban. The House has passed a total ban bill. The Senate is considering rival bills ranging from a total ban to limited bans that would allow research cloning.
Currently, researchers cannot use federal funding for human embryo research. Any further legislation would apply to privately funded research.
Ten members of the 18-member bioethics council favored the majority recommendation and seven members supported the minority position. One member did not vote. The council was appointed by Bush to advise him on bioethical issues.
This is an evil act and should not be supported, condoned, funded privately or publicly. It should be a crime. To create a human life and then kill it for medical research is simply morally and ethically wrong. It's right up there with abortion in my book. Once a life is created, that life should have all the dignity of a human being, born or unborn.
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