Interfaith and Stakeholder Perspectives
Students posts the views of their stakeholder and enter into debate with other perspectives.
25 Replies
Considering the morals of stem cell research, we believe that embryotic stem cells should be used for cloning of organs and the use of embryotic stem cells are morally sound. Commercialization of stem cells and organs produced by stem cells, however, benefit the individual or the business and not the common good. stem cell research should be placed entirely on the hands of medical officials and not those of the government or any other organization that places interest in selling and distributing stem cells for that matter.
Daniela,
Those are some great insights. Here are some additionals points to consider:
Certainly, those with expertise should be primary stakeholders in stem cell research. But scientists and medical researchers are also persons with faiths and they can be influenced by their beliefs. Further, numerous news reports of scientific fraud and plaigarism show that scientists are not immune to fame and fortune.
The role of government is a difficult issue, as they are a main funding arm for many health researchers. While the government is often not well regarded and untrustworthy, elected government officials need to be accountable to the tax paying public to remain in office. Thus, politicians have some incentive to invest in the public good. Government has been devised in a manner (especially in the USA) to ensure an equal balance of power with a series of checks and balances so that no one in government is too powerful.
Involving members of the public is important because applications developed from stem cell research ultimately are meant for all members of society. The public voice (ie. special interest groups) needs to be heard to guide the direction of stem cell research. Fundraisers like Run for the Cure and The Terry Fox Run are some examples of activities organized by these groups. The advantage is that the public decides where they want to invest their money.
Telford
What is preventing governments from having unified international regulations on stem cell research/ regulations?
What's the difference between using stem cell lines and harvesting new embryos? Why is it less controversial?
An embryo does have the potential for life, yet it remains unconscious of this life. It is merely living life, but not experiencing it. Should it really be given the same rights as human?
There's a variety of reasons that governments can't reach a unified stance on stem cell research policy.
Within countries, using the United States being an example, the issue of unified policy is often prevented by the political nature of the issue. For example, in California, political currents strongly favor removing restrictions on stem cell research and funding. In Louisiana or Nebraska, the same move would be political suicide.
The differences are even greater between countries. For instance, in some European countries (or New York/New Jersey), there is some consensus that you can donate reproductive material for money. In Germany or Austria, this would probably been regarded as an abberation.
Why these divisions occur is more complex, but I think it largely boils down to cultural, religious, and societal differences. On the uncontroversial issues, these may not matter. However, the more controversial areas will probably never be amenable to consensus. If we can't agree on the moral status of the embryo or the danger of therapeutic cloning, how could we ever be expected to design compatible laws?
One other danger is that there may be a lack of political will. Unles there is a compelling reason to legislate, many countries and states will simply prefer not to legislate, or stay away from the controversy. Indeed, the USA is a good example of this: some states are permissive, some are restrictive, but most are avoiding finalizing legislation. Passing laws that make a definite statement takes political courage, and sometimes that may simply not be there.
Embryionic stem cell lines have been limited since the 1990's, so there has been no proliferation of new lines.
Collecting new embryionic stem cell lines would be against the law in Canada and most of the USA.
Creation of new embryionic lines would be of interest to researchers, but not at the expense of non ethical behaviour.
As proven by our video conference, a spectrum of beliefs within each faith is present. There will always be extremists and those that are more relaxed. As such, overgeneralizations are created and used for arguments for and against respective parties. Given diversity within each faith, is it fair to create regulations that are based on such overgeneralizations of the religions?
An embryo is a potential life. It is not a human life, yet, but every human came from one of these. Think about it being your own life. I think that the medical professionals should not be the only ones with a say in the matter of researching or not researching. I agree with Telford Yeung. These medical professionals have their own opinions and many people may not agree with another person's views.
I believe that it is wrong to to do vitro fertilization, that creates embryos from which the stem cells can be extracted. Whether the embryo is implated sucessfully or used only for reasearch. Its a human life, and it is stopping the life of the unborn to reaching the full potential.
I think whats stopping the goverment is peoples moral beliefs. There is simple to many different opinions on stem cell research that coinsides with religon. Also, religion is another thing, it's already a touchy subject and adding stem cells in to it just makes it more heated.
I believe that it is morally wrong to do in vitro fertalization to create embryos from which the stem cells are harvested. Human life is created but not allowed to reach it's full potential. It is immoral to created to produce a human life just to be exploited this way.
I totally agree with Ellen and Telford Yeung and how they both said that each medical professional has their own opinion and a lot of people might disagree with that person. People always have differnet ideas and opinions and not everyone in the world is going to agree with that one person.
embryos are potential life. It is not a human life, yet, but every human came from one of these. Think about it being your own life. the medical professionals should not be the only ones with a say in the matter of researching or not researching. i think that everyone should have a say in to what we should resurch because it could probley help us later on in life.
Moral beliefs mean a lot to people. I believe that once the sperm meets the egg, its a life. There is no dount in my mind that there is a life. I don't believe that researchers should be able to create a life and then destroy it just for research.
I do believe in the whole "people shouldn't try and be god" thing, but if it's going to successfully help another person than we should help. On the other hand i don't totally agree with the whole just throwing them away. If the life is born than it shouldn't be wrong to go ahead and take the stem cells from the umbilical cord and use them.
I think, no matter how small one life is, IT's STILL SOMEONES LIFE. Why should it matter of the size of the living thing? The umbilical cord blood is totally different than stem cells. The blood from the cord is going to be thrown away anyway. I think they should just use the umbilical cord blood, instead of stem cells. Because they still have the potential of life.
I think that you should be able to believe in whatever you want. Some people think it's Stem cell research is a horrible thing to do, while others believe that stem cell research is the answer to a lot of peopl's problem. I agree more with the people that think it's a bad thing. I don't agree with killing a baby to take some of it's cells to do some more research on it. But i do not mind when woman donates their umbilical cord. So, whatever you think is right is what you believe, everyone has thier opinions.
I beleive everyone should have there own beleive and own faith in this. catholics say that it should be okay to use the umblical stem cell because it's already after the baby is born. It doesn't really effect anything when using the umblical but not okay to be using actually aborted fetuses. because that is a life that has been basically murdered.
Michaelb posted a question asking if embryos should be given the same rights as a human. That is a good questions because like he said, they are unconscious of their life. So, I feel like since they are not develped into a human, they are completely oblivious to what is happening. They have not developed into a person with feelings or any sense of pain. Therefore, I do not believe it is wrong to do in vitro fertilization. However, when a brain has developed and a embryo is becoming a real baby, nothing should ever be done to hurt that baby for any selfish or scientific studies.
Stem cell research is against my religion but that is not my reason for not supporting it. Though many find comfort in hiding there opinions behind there religion i think people should voice there opinions according to there what they really believe not according to what the church believes. And as for the stakeholders of the companies doing this its really up to them whether or not to continue. I would never want to be in that business though because i dont think i could live otu my days knowing that i am a major contridutor to millions and millions of murders of innocent babies. But i do believe it is okay to use the things left behind. When a baby is born the umbilical cord is snipped the placenta comes out and it is either thrown out or asked to be used in research. I believe that if the mother of the baby gives permission to use these things then it is okay. The placenta and the umbilical cord are severed when the baby is born;therefore the baby is healthy and living. To me the only unethical thing about stem cell research is the fact that they take millions of lives in the hope to be able to save others. People are ment to die and people are ment top live those who are supposed to die will. But those who are supposed to live are struck down before they have the chance to offer the world anything. I think God made people the way we are for a very distinct purpose, he wants us to live and do the best we can and be the best we can and then he brings new life into the world to offer things past generations couldn't. So really scientists believe they are furthering the benefits that could be offered to people, but they are only stunting the plan of growth and advances God as set out for us.
I do believe in saving the placenta when a baby is born and using that in stem cell reaserch. What I don't believe in is using left over fertilized eggs from IVF to do stem cell research. When a egg is fertilized I consider that to be the start of a new life. If the eggs are fertilized and not used it's murder to the potential baby.
Catholics believe that the only way to get stem cells is from the umbilical cord because gaining the embryonic stem cells from left over IV fertilization or from aborted fetuses is ethically wrong. IV fertilization is something that a women does when they want to get pregnant and can't. The woman's eggs and a man's sperm are joined in a petri dish to create a zygote in which they implant in the woman. After the zygotes are created they freeze them or discard them. Taking these eggs and extracting the stem cells is morally wrong. These eggs have the potential of being a baby and being a life. Aborted fetuses have the same issue, they were going to be a life and a human being and now they are being used for science? How can that possibly be right?
Yes everyone has their own opinions about in vitro fertilization which create embryos from the stem cells and are then harvested. I personally feel it’s morally wrong for scientists to use the stem cells from the embryos for research. Life was already created rather it’s in a Petri dish or not, it’s a life your willing to practically end all over a research they haven’t fully discovered the best information about.
In the world of stem cell research, Catholics are against IVP which is taking the unused fertilized eggs and taking the stem cells out of them. They are against this because they believe that once a sperm and egg are joined together then right then a life is formed. So by using them for stem cell research, the scientist are killing an unborn child. They are however for taking the stem cells from the placenta and the umbilical cord which are thingss that will be thrown out and arent living.
daniela
Mar 17, 2010 at 11:30 AM