ageofreason2000

Thanks for an enlightening thread, I had an idea of what Stem cells where but I am now much the wiser.

Yet again the only voice against this potentially life saving research is that of Religion, as they would have earth at the centre of the universe, man as the superior species and now even cells have souls

Let god speak to us on this one, please lets hear the biblical quotes condemning Stem cell research or any references to cells at all.
If they exist then I will give you your god has an opinion, if not then as the bible is the "perfect" word of your god surely this means god does not care, he had no rule or saying on it therefore whats the problem??????

Stem Cell research may have unforseen effects, this is ground breaking stuff after all, but to ban it because it MIGHT be bad for us is ridiculous.

You only get progess with risks, care needs to be taken and perhaps a weary eye keep on the more "adventurous" members of the scientific community. But to stop research because of fear of the unknown is both myopic and cowardly.

Those Xians for all their supposed dreams and prophecys seem to have little vision.

Age

[ November 25, 2002: Message edited by: ageofreason2000 ]</p>

brighid

Yeap!

B

LordSnooty

Twaddle. You're arguing semantics. To your mind, it begins at conception. To my mind, it begins when the brain and nervous system are fully formed. You won't score points in that way - otherwise you could argue that sperm is equally valuable, since it's both a) alive and b) contains human DNA.

Naturally? How is that exactly?

And since the stem cells are 'harvested' from sources which would otherwise be destroyed, why are you so opposed to it?

Paul

[ November 25, 2002: Message edited by: LordSnooty ]</p>

Gallimore

Genetic engineering and embryonic stem rserach has widespread consequences. For example, I am deaf. My parents are deaf. I have countless deaf friends. I live in a deaf culture. I use American Sign Language. This research has potential to wipe out the whole deaf population in the future. Doctors will be able to detect genetic disability in advance, which in a sense, endangers me.

Jamie_L

WARNING: I know this has the potential for a total thread de-railment, but I need to ask this:

Are you actually saying it's a bad thing to prevent people from being born deaf?

Jamie

dangin

Endangers you, or endangers what makes you differently abled? Are you saying that the existence of a "deaf culture" is preferable to the ability to end this condition? I am nearly deaf in my left ear, and since total deafness would be the end of my viability in my career field, I am unable to lament the ending of deafness.

I really doubt that quad and paraplegics will lament the end of their "wheelchair" culture when spinal cord conditions are cured.

Although, when my wife is snoring, or someone is eating like an animal, or trying to preach blither-blather to me, I wish I had a deafness switch. But never permanently.

Jamie_L

People already have discovered the benefits of a destroyed human life - organ transplants. Admittedly, that's harvesting the organs of someone already dead, but the slippery slope arguement could still be applied: "Don't allow organ transplants. Soon people will be killing people to get their organs." Well, murder-for-organs is not much of a problem.

Furthermore, using the stem cells of blastocysts that will eventually be destroyed is almost exactly like organ transplanting.

Of course, I don't really have a problem with people creating blastocysts specifically for stem-cell harvesting. If people can create thousands of fertilized eggs for in-vitro fertiliztion, and then destroy the unused ones, then why can't they fertilze some eggs and destroy them by removing the stem-cells? I don't hear too many people out there decrying the horros of the IVF industry. Of course, maybe people are decrying IVF, and they just don't get media coverage.

Jamie

brighid

Gallimore,

I am sorry if eventually “deaf culture” would be reduced or eliminated through any potential medical advancements not just ESC Research, but I cannot see this as a terrible thing. The advancement in this research certainly won’t force you or anyone else to have their hearing status changed, but it should be available to the millions of deaf people around the world that DO want to hear.

It is my hope that ESC Research or something like it could eliminate my future need for hearing assistance in a mechanical sense. If you want to remain deaf, more power to you but you must understand that not every person who has either significant or total hearing loss shares your desire to remain so.

Brighid

ageofreason2000

Isn't Gallimore just being Ironic.

Showing one of the possible unknown "disasterous" (not) side effects of Stem cell research.

maybe I'm reading it wrong




Age

[ November 25, 2002: Message edited by: ageofreason2000 ]

[ November 25, 2002: Message edited by: ageofreason2000 ]</p>

winstonjen

In the future, ESC research might cure AIDS! But we shouldn't allow that because that would send the message to people with HIV/AIDS that they're better off without AIDS - which would be discrimination!