There still seems to be lack of interest in precise terminology within the Christian community when it comes to matters scientific. "Rowland Croucher" <> writes: >28 February 2002 >EMBRYONIC RESEARCH IS DEEPLY UNETHICAL DECLARES EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE AND >CARE IN JOINT STATEMENT >Using cloned human embryos for stem cell research is deeply unethical and >opens up a "dangerous pathway" to reproductive cloning, warns the >Evangelical Alliance and CARE in a joint statement today. >Permitting research on human embryos also flies in the face of world opinion >and could isolate the UK as an international pariah on cloning issues. >"It would appear that commercial self-interest has succeeded in the face of >widespread disquiet" said Don Horrocks, Alliance Head of Public Affairs, >commenting on the report by the House of Lords Stem Cell Research Committee >which gives the green light to embryonic research. "A dangerous pathway now >opens up before us." >Roger Smith, Head of Public Policy at CARE, said: "This is a triumph for >utilitarian ethics when there is so much evidence that using adult stem >cells in the treatment of some diseases will bring at least as much, and >possibly even more, benefit than research using human embryos. >I am saddened for the number of human lives that will be sacrificed in the >name of medical research," he added. Fisrt, let me say that I understand the concerns many people have about this type of research. But we must be sure of our facts before jumping in to support one side or the other. If we're not careful we'll fall into the trap Augustine mentioned in his commentary on Genesis, about Christians whose witness about salvation is laughed at because their statements about the natural world are laughable. I don't know about other people, but I am not convinced that describing a clump of cells at the stage of development we are talking about as a "human life". This is, essentially, before the clump has implanted in the wall of the uterus. Once it has implanted the cells have differentiated so much that most of them can no longer be regarded as stem cells. We have the same confusion when people talk about the need to "protect human life from the moment of conception", failing to recognise that conception is a process spread out over a number of days. Wjhen we read in the Bible words like "XXX knew his wife YYY and she conceived", the background ide is that YYY missed a menstrual period which, even then, was known to indicate pregnancy. But this happens about two weeks after fertilization, and it is this two week interval that is of interest here. Most committees which have a prdominance of Christian scientists on then (please note the small "s" of "scientist") have concluded that at this stage of development the group of cells cannot be described as a "human being", with all that phrase entails. I'll dig out an Australian Web site address people can look at. >Ends >Media enquiries: [stuff on history of EA deleted] >Shalom! Rowland Croucher Salaam, Ken Smith -- Dr Ken Smith - Christian, husband, unpaid mathematician, skeptic, ... `Lord, you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.' Augustine of Hippo, in "Confessions"
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