Policy Position

Technology and progress are not bad in and of themselves. Morality is displayed in how we use technology as it progresses.

Stem Cell Research is subjected to the same criteria. The possibilities that this research has enabled the medical field to work towards have been remarkable and there is nothing inherently wrong with researching adult stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells however can only be obtained through the death of an embryo; the problem with this is that stem cells can only be harvested within a certain period of time following the death of the embryo in order for the stem cells to be used. This necessitates the killing of the embryo in order to harvest the stem cells within that available time-window, as a natural death through miscarriage would render the stem cells useless by the time the death was realized. Because abortion is murder (see policy position on Abortion for further details), I am completely opposed to embryonic stem cell research.

Recent strides in the scientific community have found that normal adult cells can be stimulated to the point of flexibility previously only found in embryonic stem cells, disproving the argument that harvesting embryonic stem cells are necessary further medical advancement. I fully support these efforts.

Supplemental Information

Articles:

October 13, 2006
Truth About Stem Cell Research
The truth about the technical challenges and scientific hurdles for embryonic stem-cell (ESC) therapies is finally getting out. The truth, of course, is that there are no human embryonic stem-cell therapies even in clinical trial, let alone ready for therapy, and there have been no major treatment models in animals, either.