Christians against stem cell research:?

Question

have you ever killed a fly? a fly has 1000x more "stem cells" in its brain alone than does a human zygote used for stem cell research.

Answer 1

The Catholic Church is not against stem cell research. What it objects to is the use of embryos.
Peace!

Answer 2

But the stem cells of a fly have no application to human beings.

The objection to stem cell research is two-fold. 1) embryonic stem cells - the worry is that embryos will be created or that unscrupulous people will perform unwanted abortions to get the cells. While the latter is a bit far-fetched, the ethical issues of the former are extremely complex. 2) Federal funding. No one is suggesting that all research on stem cells be stopped. However, the question is raised why tax dollars should be used to fund it. There is more than enough private money out there right now doing the research that placing it under the federal budgetary microscope would be counterproductive and a waste of time and money. If one thing has been proven time and again is that, with the exception of raising an army and certain national defense projects (and maybe some infrastructue), the federal government has been an abject failure in doing anything except wasting taxpayer money.

Answer 3

They are right, that fly will NEVER become a human! That "zygote" is what you and I once were. Destroying life to make life doesn't make sense. I am not against all stem cell research. They can get stem cells from umbilical cords and things like that. I am against creating human life (even in its smallest form) in an attempt to "perfect" mine. I don't want to kill a baby to cure cancer, for example. I don't care how great those stem cells are, it isn't worth taking lives for.
And in answer to "diogenese", I am ALSO against creating human embryos in a laboratory. The ability to create life should be between a man a woman and God.

Answer 4

So, you are equating the life of a fly to the life of a human being? I do not think even PETA would agree with you.

The Catholic Church is not against stem cell research, just stem cell research that involves the destruction of human embyos. St. Anthony Press has a very good artcle on this subject. You can read it online at http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0107.asp

Answer 5

So are you equating a human life to the life of a fly? Fact is, not only is embryonic stem cell research horribly ineffective, you're destroying a human life to do it. Adult stem cell research is more effective by a factor of 1000, and nobody dies.

Answer 6

This is a ridiculous argument. The embryos will be discarded, thrown out, tossed in the garbage, if they are not used for medical research. If Christians contend that using them for stem cell research is the same as killing a child then what is there excuse for the cells that are thrown out? Isn't it better to use these cells for the cure of disease rather than tossing them into the garbage? Where is the logic or, for that fact, moral integrity in that?

Answer 7

That is no excuse for using the stem cells from a human baby, YES BABY- who was created in the image of God. Humans are created to have a relationship with God.- not flies - Christ did not die for flies, he died to save us humans for our sin and for the choices that we make that are not of God- and stem cell research on a human fetus is WRONG-

Answer 8

Yes, but a fly doesn't even have potential to become a human being. A "human zygote" does. Who's more important; the flys or the humans?

Answer 9

oh, so you're basically saying that a fly's life is worth more than a HUMAN fetus?

Answer 10

Then couldn't you practice on the fly?