Religion & Law

In an indirect way I am responding to Rick?s last post. Mind you, I am not disagreeing with him because I believe he is quite correct in his assertions. What I am disagreeing with is that compromise is the only way out of many of the bioethical dilemmas that we now face and have been facing for some years. Concrete evidence of moral scientific development is. And there is some new promising evidence that will reinforce the argument that embryonic stem cell research ought to be abandoned in favor of concentrating resources on the use of adult stem cells.

This morning The New York Times  and other media announced a remarkable new discovery solidifying the known track record that adult stem cells, i.e., stem cells from existing tissue, not stem cells removed from embryos (which causes the embryo to die), have been successful in treating yet another illness. While the final verdict must yet be made, the initial results of the adult stem cell therapy are most promising.

This news is important not only to legal regimes dealing with the codification and enforcement of laws dealing with biotechnological advances and the treatment of illnesses but of laws concerning the right to life of all, not just some, humans. This news, I pray, will grant the incoming administration the great opportunity to take stock of its objective to ?change? the current administration?s view regarding public funding of embryonic stem cell research. As the current administration has held, public funding should go into adult stem cell research but not embryonic stem cell research.

For those of us interested in stem cell therapy but who object to the use of embryonic stem cells being harvested from another human thereby destroying him or her, today?s announcement is good news indeed!

RJA sj