Why are Christians so opposed to stem cell research?

Question

I can't understand why anyone would be against this.

Answer 1

(to clarify. THE **USA** IS NOT allowing the harvesting of human embryonic stem cells. we can use rats stem cells only)

they disapprove of using materials near, in or around a fetus.

stem cells where only pulled from aborted fetuses basically, and the Christians stood their ground on that aspect (and I support them)

but now, it doesn't include killing a fetus to harvest the cells. we can use a severed umbilical cord, which is cut and thrown in the trash basically, BUT

bush denied ALL use of baby related material to support his christian campaign backers.

I think MOST Christians STILL relate stem cells to abortion.

some companies are buying up children's "baby" teeth. They claim there are stem cells somewhere inside of them, and don't actually involve fetuses

Answer 2

Most stem cells are gathered from fertilized eggs that would otherwise be discarded. When a woman is using in vitro fertilization to get pregnant, multiple eggs are used in order to ensure that at least one becomes fertilized. Any extras are often thrown away. Rather than simply dumping them in the trash, some scientists would prefer to grow these embryos for a few days in order to use the resulting stem cells for research and development of treatments. This I can understand; so long as the embryos are going to be killed anyway, it would make more sense to use them for good. As with many Christians, however, I believe that a fertilized egg is a life, and I thus I would prefer to see no embryos ever being killed.

There are other methods of harvesting stem cells. Some can be found in adult organs, and others can be gotten from umbilical cords. These are generally not as useful as embryonic stem cells, but they also have the advantage of not being controversial either. I naturally have no objection to their use.

Answer 3

Because they want to pretend that an embryo is a baby. Really, it is probably about insecurity and having an edge over others. A lot of times, people who were born healthy feel superior to those who need medical procedures to be healthy. If they get the procedures, those born healthy no longer have that edge over others.

Just like the Pharisees of old, a lot of modern Christians want to use their beliefs as a means to keep from helping others. The Rabbi and the Levite who passed by the Jewish man who was robbed were to afraid of becoming "unclean" and violating their traditions to actually help their wounded brother.

This stem cell research has the capacity to save lives, and even better than the adult stem cell research. It makes no sense to culture defective stem cells to replace defective stem cells, so if the cells come from the same person, that is likely what will happen. If a person is born with a genetic degenerative disease, then replacing their cells with their own cells would be of no help, and replacing them with cells from another person could likely cause rejection. So in that case, embryonic stem cells make much more sense. Embryonic cells are less likely to be rejected than adult stem cells from other persons. It has to be when you really think about it. How else could an embryo implant into the womb and not be rejected by the mother?

This takes no more lives than what is already lost during abortion and artificial insemination. Should the leftover tissue from those procedures be used for cures, or should it just be incinerated and sacrificed for no reason? This won't lead to an increase in terminations. Just take advantage of the terminations that have already been done for unrelated reasons. There is no use in compounding the damage has has already been done. I think it is selfish to throw all this unused tissue away and keep others from it when it could really help others.

Answer 4

All of the breakthroughs in stem cell research have been accomplished using Adult stem cells, Catholics do not oppose Adult stem cell research. Life begins at the moment of conception so just because one is a more vulnerable human than another does not constitute grounds for one to be murdered even to possibly help someone else. I believe that Christ abhors the murder of the innocents in the womb and hopes those older will defend them. The Catholic position is based on reason and compassion. These are not hallmarks of the evil one, who manipulates these qualities in people so they will do evil things that only lead to greater suffering and death for all involved. Defending life is hardly satan's mission. It is definitely a mission of the Catholic Church so it is illogical to call the Catholic Church satan's followers.

Answer 5

Because you have to start a human to extract the embryonic stem cells...like at one point you were an embryo and now you are a grown person...how would you like your worth deminished to the point that all you were good for was helping to reginerate some rich persons spinal cord so they could go skiing in Aspen. You think they're going to all that trouble for poor people in third world countries? Get a clue. Love in Christ, ~J~ Sorry to be so harsh but my two year old sons eyes started to cross a couple of months ago and we tried to get into see a doctor but I only just now went back to work full time and so my insurance didn't kick in yet so we had to wait because no eye specialist would even make an appointment with me unless I could pay the 550.00 out of pocket...and that's not even including a cat scan to make sure he didn't have a tumor. I'm so angry with the medical community.

Answer 6

Because they are idiots who don't understand that an embryo is not a person.

Not to mention the ones that actually think embryonic stem cells are useless despite the paper showing adult stem cells to have just as much promise being incorrect (and probably more than a mere honest mistake).

Answer 7

Not all Christians. Stem cell research was being conducted with the use of aborted fetuses and many people especially those apposed to abortion are against the use of them in this manner. There really isn't any more to it than that.

Answer 8

We are against stem cells from embryos - because they are harvested from living people.
And the work and progress in the use and research is absolutely unhindered by not using them. They are not needed to perform the medical applications that can be done by harvesting cells that have not cost a life.
Because abortion has become so accepted, secular research and media see no reason not use aborted fetuses. But it truly is a tragic disservice to a human life that should never be accepted.

Answer 9

Why do people that don't understand keep saying something good can come from it when most scientists disagree?

THERE IS NO PROHIBITION ON EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH. It is being done RIGHT NOW and HAS BEEN DONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH NO RESULTS.

Stem cells from OTHER SOURCES have produced MANY "CURES." EMBRYONIC stem cell research is a POLITICAL pawn. MOST OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY BELIEVES IT WILL NEVER WORK.

A bio-tech company would stand to make BILLION$ from a successful "cure" to any of the diseases touted in the PRESS as possibly being cured by stem cell research. WHY ARE THESE COMPANIES NOT HEAVILY INVESTED IN THE RESEARCH? THEY DON'T THINK IT STANDS ANY CHANCE OF SUCCESS AND DON'T WASTE THEIR STOCKHOLDERS' MONEY. WHY DOES THE PRESS NEVER REPORT ON RESEARCH NOW BEING DONE IN THE FIELD? If people knew about ongoing research would they lose their political "hot potato?"

Congressman Dave Weldon, FL-15 IS A PHYSICIAN. Here is an excerpt from his congressional web page on the stem cell research issue:

"In 2001, President Bush authorized the use of taxpayer dollars to fund embryonic stem cell research (ESC). At the time, more than 70 stem cell lines had been created for research from embryos that had already been destroyed. The President’s plan allowed federal funds to be used only for research using these lines to avoid creating an incentive for the further destruction of human embryos.

Since then, few issues have been so thoroughly misreported in the major media than the state of ESC research. Contrary to what some in Hollywood, the media, and Congress suggest, ESC is legal and well-funded. States and the private sector are pouring billions of dollars into additional research. The current debate surrounding the President’s policy centers solely on whether federal taxpayer dollars should be used to fund research that requires the destruction of additional human embryos. The answer, I believe, is clearly, “No.”

Consequently, I supported President Bush’s recent veto of HR 810, legislation passed by Congress that would have authorized taxpayer dollars to destroy additional human embryos and use their cells for experimental research.

Fortunately, science is increasingly moving us beyond the current debate. Research using adult stem cells, which can be taken from adult tissue, does not require the destruction of a human embryo and has been used to treat people suffering from 72 diseases, including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. IN CONTRAST, 25 YEARS OF ESC RESEARCH IN ANIMALS HAS PRODUCED ZERO MEDICAL TREATMENTS, CLINICAL TRIALS, OR EVEN A GOOD ANIMAL MODEL THAT HOLDS PROMISE FOR FUTURE HUMAN TREATMENTS."

... You are being hoodwinked by the Democrats and their allies in the media. ESC Research IS GOING ON AND HAS BEEN FOR 25 YEARS WITH NO VALID TREATMENTS PRODUCED.

Answer 10

To take a life in mere hopes of helping a life is patently absurd.

Sure - without taking innocent lives.