Why are Christian institutions like the Catholic Church and other Churches against Stem Cell Research?

Question

I mean, its not like the proponents are asking to kill more feti, just to use the ones that are already aborted, to which the damage is already done.

I'm Roman Catholic and I know I'd rather see these feti go to something good. You'd think a Catholic or Protestant would hate to see "an innocent little baby" be "murdered" in vain.

And no ADULT cells have not been shown to be more profitable than embryonic ones. Thats just not true. Double check your facts please before you present them to a Med student.

Answer 1

Life is a sacred gift from God and needs to be treated with all human dignity from the moment of conception to the point of natural death.

The Catholic Church is not just against embryonic stem cell research, it is pro-life in the widest sense. This is often called a "Consistent Ethic of Life."

This pro-life stance stresses the highest regard for dignity of human life including that of:
- All people in objecting to unjust war and nuclear arms.
- The unborn in objecting to to abortion, in fitro fertilization, frozen embryos, embryonic stem cell research, and cloning
- The elderly, sick and dying in objecting to assisted suicide and euthanazia
- Prisoners in objecting to the death penalty
- The poor and minorities in supporting social justice issues.

Your argument seems to be similar to the one used by Dr Josef Mengele in the Nazi concentration camps when he performed horrible experiments on Jewish prisoners who were going to be executed anyway. Mengele argued the knowledge gained would forever benefit mankind. Catholics would disagree.

We believe that the end never justifies the means.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Let me address the stem cell research issue first. We aren't against stem cell research. It is embryonic stem cell research we are against. This is because the life contained therein is destroyed. Further, there are therapies in place that successfully use adult or umbilical cord blood stem cells. There are no therapies that use embryonic stem cells, even though that research has gone on for years.

Next, you mention that the damage is already done. That may be true, but if you open the gates like that, fetuses will become just another commodity on the open market, and abortion will increase. Right now, in the US anyway, abortion is in decline. Why give an excuse to allow it to increase?

We love to excuse bad behavior by saying "at least some good will come out of __________." (insert troubling development here) This often brings about tragic results. Life is precious. It should not become just another marketable product. To do so, reduces humanity to a lowest common denominator, and blemishes the Imago Dei.

Answer 3

<> The Church is against embryonic stem cell research, but not adult stem cell research. Reason being, human beings are destroyed in embryonic stem cell research but not in adult stem cell research. <> Actually, whether or not stem cell research will actually help the sick and disabled is mere hypothesis at this time. Even if it is proven, it still does not justify the death of human beings. You cannot justify evil for the sake of good because it is evil's nature to beget more evil. Evil does not beget good.

Answer 4

Not all Christians are against Stem Cell Research.

They ARE however against **EMBRYONIC** Stem Cell Research, because this destroys embryos, which Christians and many believe to be human life.

Studies actually show that there are better results in adult stem cell research as well as amniotic stem cells, both of which do NOT destroy a human life in the form of an embryo.

Answer 5

The fertilized embryos of which you speak should never have been created in the first place.

Allowing them to be used for illicit purposes simply encourages more needless death and destruction.

As far as your adult stem cell comments ... I think you better hit the books some more, med student ... you've missed a lot of recent news.

Answer 6

A) It is possible that it would be a reason for peoples consciences to be wrongly "eased" thinking that their unwanted baby is still doing good... it is like they are murdering to do good.

B) Fetuses (Foeti or foetuses) can not give their free and informed consent, and since what is going on isn't in their best interests, ethically it is difficult to allow it, if you consider them human beings, and go with most health ethics codes.

C) We do support Stem Cell Research, but not stem cells coming from a fetus... those coming from umbilical cords for example, are great!

Answer 7

It's an extension of the general drive to control reproductive rights, based on the notion that sex is evil. The Catholic church and conservative protestants adhere to this notion, which is largely rejected by most others including this protestant.

Answer 8

But they are talking about killing more.
It is legal to clone embryos and kill them later just to harvest their stem cells.
Christians do not have a problem with adult stem cell research,or stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord,neither of which destroy life.But we are against deliberately destroying a baby to harvest something.

Answer 9

The Catholic Church is not against all stem cell research, only the kind that kills human beings.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070109/hl_nm/vatican_stemcells_dc_3
http://www.nccbuscc.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/stemcell/stemcath.htm
http://www.ncbcenter.org/10Myths.pdf

Answer 10

Lets specify, we are against killing babies for stem cells not stem cell research....

I support stem cell research as far as adult stem cells go and amniotic stem cells and umbilical cord blood stem cells as well...