Untested/Nazi/Anti-Christian discovery?

[john70t]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4096165.stm

Hypothetically: If someone in the scientific community found the cure-all, proven to work, would you allow its use on your wife or daughter if she was pronounced with an incurable illness?

[AFJuvat]

Ahhh! stem cells!!!!

I'm all for it - but then again, I am a pro-choice (with reservations) republican.

I find it appalling that we have the means to cure some of the worst crippling diseases and we refuse to do so because of the "morality" of where the cure comes from.

AFJuvat

[A Quiet Boom]

Pro-choice conservative here as well, I haven't decided where I stand on stem cells though. As far as this story goes, I suppose if it was your only option left but from what I read many of the patients returned to being sick eventually and some saw no improvement. My problem is there is no peer testing to insure it's not a scam.

[techweenie]

Um... where does 'nazi' come into this?

[Hugh R]

Agree with all above. I actually like the fact that California is thumbing its nose at Bushy on the stem cell thing, Although I'm not sure we can afford it as a state.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Guys, to correct the wildly inaccurate media (and Kerry/DNC) message re: Bush and stem cells, he supports stem cell research, and has not "banned" it. The NIH is doing a broad range of adult stem cell research. What W is against is cloning embryos to use the clones for stem cell research (a position that passed the House w/ more than a 100-vote margin).

On August 9, 2001, President Bush stated that the Administration will support continued funding for research on stem cell lines which have already been extracted. He stated that 65 cell lines already exist which is sufficient for present research purposes.

W is against using aborted and/or cloned embryos for stem cells, but you can get stem cells from adults as well. It's a convenient misconception that you get stem cells only from fetuses or embryos.

Having said all that, I'm pro-abortion (which is "worse" than pro-choice ). There are too many g-ddamn morons on the planet already, and abortion helps keep the figure down. Plus, it gives us the Roe Effect, which I'm all in favor of. Hell, I think the father ought to be able to choose to abort, but I'm just weird about that "equality" thing.

Personally, I don't mind if cells from aborted fetuses are used for these purposes -- otherwise they're just cast away w/ the carcass. By definition, the aborted fetus is "unwanted", so it's not like anything other than destruction is its ultimate fate. It's like recycling, in a way.

And I'll add that, no, I don't think permissible use of aborted fetal stem cells is going to increase the rate of abortions. So it's not going to be an issue of "well, since they can use the stem cells I'll abort my child, but otherwise I'd have kept it." This is about the use of something that has already been discarded; not encouraging its discard in the first place.

I am against cloning embryos to harvest these cells.

JP