Why should Christian dogma prevent important stem cell research into curing diseases?

Question

Can anyone come up with any justification or are they just motivated by evil?

Answer 1

It has more to do with politics than religion. Embryonic stem cells have never been able to produce any positive results, but adult stem cells are a great success. We have paraplegics walking due to the advancements of adult stem cell research.

Where politics comes in is where some want laws put into place to harvest eggs and embryos from low income females with the pretense these will help cure Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Laws like these are dangerous and many people see them as immoral.

Thanks to Bush, billions have gone towards stem cell research, but most believe that the government shouldn't be involved in funding science. That the free market should pay for it, not the taxpayers.

You're falling for the political rhetoric. Look for the political agenda behind what they are saying. For example, the recent Michael J. Fox fiasco was portrayed as a stem cell research issue, but was really a way to legalize human cloning.

I know it's hard to understand, but just be suspicious of any agenda and try to read up on things and understand both sides. I try to be open minded and skeptical about anything on the news.

Answer 2

You know, I'm pretty sure that if you flipped through the Koran, or the Torah, or any other religious text, you will find passages regarding the sanctity of human life. So laying the blame for this solely at the feet of Christians is a little unfair, don't you think?

That said, the Bible is God's word, so it cannot be flawed. What can be flawed is our interpretation of it, because we are human and there is much that we do not understand. I don't think it is a case of who is right and who is wrong regarding the use of embryonic stem cells for research. What is important is that we realize that both the sanctity of human life and the cure and prevention of disease and illness are equally important and we spend less time arguing about how we are different and more time finding our common ground. Once we find our common ground (in this case, a love of life) then finding a solution that we all can live with cannot be far behind. Now I'm not a scientist, so I cannot say what this would be, but it is clear that bickering over two sides of what is essentially the same coin is clearly a waste of time and effort.

Answer 3

They are motivated by thinking that they can tell god what to do with it's universe.

If stem cell research comes up and can be managed in an honourable system then it should be allowed to be persued...

however

My main question with stem cell reserch is not the whole... oh, but they are tiny little babies argument... the right wing bible belters are all for destroying fully sentient animals and then eating them, Aria, so what is your point to that?

They even seem to support the killing of whole people - so long as they are black, gay, muslims, mexican, work in an abortion clinic, live on an island (soon to be swallowed by the sea coz they love their gas guzzling 4x4's and 'SUV's' and seem adamant in refusing to see the effects of global warming) .... or are getting in the way of american expansionism (aboriginal peoples who get in the way of oil/dam/forest clearance projects that either have american government aprroval and support or are directly financed by american business interests)

My main question with stem cell research is... what is it really for? Is it really necessary? Is it the best way forward to deal with long term health problems?

Set up some kind of officiating body and it will be corrupted by the government, or by the vast amounts of potential cash that could be offered... so we need to be certain that this will be honourable. That it will actually offer something of great value (as it has potentially shown) is without question. What remains to be seen is ~ can we be responsible with it?

If we can keep religion and politics out of it totally - then we could do and find amazing things.

Answer 4

There is too much religious influence in politics and ethics. Unfortunately our culture here in UK has been influenced by the decision of a single monarch (Henry VIII) some 500 years ago.
Politics should be independent of religion and could therefore be less prejudiced by the wishes of the church. We are in an age where less and less people attend church and follow mainstream religions. I am not saying that religious morals are unwelcome in society but I don't think they should figure in day to day political issues which directly control and license medical research.
I don't think they are being evil but I do think they are following morals and ethics from a bygone era, where medicine was seen as a black art, rather than the scientific processes we use today.

Answer 5

Motivated by ignorance, more like.

Many people believe the words of a few. For example, there is a group in Missouri trying to convince the voters to decline all benefits of stem cell research gained on a federal level. Never mind that it still makes cloning illegal, does not exploit women to fertilize eggs for money, and that it's all dependent on federal laws--this group has people convinced that by sharing in the benefit, there will be farms buying eggs from women, rich people buying clones, and that Missourians would have the right to violate federal laws regarding stem cell research.

And these people don't want to do their own research. When some charlatan claims to speak for God, then those people who prefer to wallow in ignorance will gladly listen to him. Why listen to a doctor? It's not like he does anything important, like a minister does.

Many Christians fully understand the ramifications of stem cell research. They also understand that the Bible shouldn't be taken literally and that someone claiming to be a pastor is not infallible. Those Christians are not the threat. It's the ignorant masses that try to usurp our good health.

If the Missourians vote to deny all benefits of stem cell research I wonder if they will hold a vote to return penicillin back to the mold.

Answer 6

An important thing to remember is that the current row is about Federal money being used in research. Many private firms researching stem cells, and the possible cures derived from them, using private money.

There is no real threat to stem cell research, yet.

Answer 7

I don't think it will. The problem really is about women who get pregnant and sell their fetus for science. Otherwise, I am glad it is helping to cure some diseases like Parkinsonism. As far as your remark about motivated by evil, I think that is the stupidist remark I have ever heard. Just an opinion, not considered to be abuse. I think your statement is more abusive since you are lumping Christians into one category.

Answer 8

Christian Dogma IS NOT trying to prevent the advance of science. What "Christian Dogma" is trying to lobby against is the use of petri-dish grown human fetuses who would then be murdered in an effort to extract stem cells. There are many other ways to get stem cells, my friend. We can get as many stem cells as we need without taking a human ova, fertilizing it with sperm and then killing it at the appropriate time. Otherwise, Christians aren't opposed to stem cell research. I am a Christian and life begins when blood begins to flow (Leviticus 17:11). That is around 18 days after gestation. Put yourself in that petri dish and prepare to be murdered. See? Not pleasant. And no, they use no anesthetic to make the transition from life to death any easier. After all, these live embryos are nothing to anybody, especially the scientists. Christopher Reeve was a Christian. His research did not support mudering fetuses in order to glean a few stem cells. And you need to bone up a bit on this research. To get a single strand means utilizing thousands of stem cells before you can get a single strand. In light of these statistics, is it logical to murder? No. When those fetuses are killed, they have circulatory systems, heartbeats and a central nervous system that is happy to tell them they are being slaughtered. We treat war criminals better than that.

Answer 9

Justification? Their politicians got the votes. That's the only justification I can think of, but it's also the only justification they need.

Hey, I don't like it any more than you do. Luckily, these things change. If the research isn't happening now, it'll happen in a few years - and if it doesn't happen here, it'll happen in other countries.

Answer 10

No they are not motivated by evil,they are motivated by faith.
No matter how logically a scientific answer approaches this subject faith can reject it out of hand.
No matter how hard we try we will probably,never really separate government from religion.
Logical answers may or may not be accepted.
Stem cell reserch is a necessity that should persued by scietists.
Intellegence is a requirement for objectivity,but intellegnce does not guaranty objectivity!