Is all stem cell research wrong, or is some of it wrong? How far is too far? Will the benefit of the research outweigh the sacrifice in the end? Do you think stem cell research is like trying to "play God"? Do you know what cell stem research is exactly and why some people are for it and some against it? If you need more info about stem cell research before answering, have a look at these sites:
http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem.htm
15 comments:
i dont think that all stem research is wrong because if it wasnt for the experiments and things, we wouldnt know half the things we know today. In a way it is playing God but it is not like the scientist is trying to change the way the plant function. I think that scientist are just trying to understand how they work and live and they are helping us out by finding out stuff like if it cures sicknesses and diseases.
that last comment was by Edwidge Philizaire. Sorry i didnt sign my name.
Hi blake...this is from Jan Baker
I have heard a lot of discussion about stem cell research, especially again since the Michael J. Fox commercial. Anyway stem cells have been used successfully in bone marrow transplants for years and they are working on curing diabetes and parkinsons diseased, blindness, and many other things. I have watched two perfectly healthy relatives of mine be suddenly attacked by parkinsons disease and I know from watching this quickly destructive disease that it would be awesome to have a cure.
Is stem cell research playing God? Well, I think that in the Bible God encourages us to see a physician and also to pray for his direct healing - so I don't know how finding a positive cure for something is playing God. However, you do have to realize that there are two kinds of stem cell researches going on....
using Embryonic and Non Embryonic Stem Cells
Non-embryonic stem cells come from umbilical cord blood, placenta, bone marrow and skin, blood, brain, and body fat cells. Succesfull therapies have been done using these stem cells for treating various diseases and disorders. I think that is great!!
I do question the use of human embryos. A human embryo has to be killed to isolate and culture embryonic stem cells. I don't agree with taking one life in the name of research. It seems rediculous to me - even more so when scientist are succesfully able to acquire stem cells from human tissue with out harming a human's life.
I think if stem cell reasearch is for a goal to help other then yes I find it okay. I would be against it though if they were using Stem cell research to make clone's. If the person is just using it as almost an immune to something I have no problem with it. Once you create another lfie form that is playing God and I dont' want us to have any part of that. I love to see them be able to cure a lot of these life threatening diseases but once you cross the ethical line I say no more!
Dan Berger
From Debra Porter
I dont think stem cell research is wrong. I didnt know much about this subject and didnt care to find out until this question was asked. I went to the links to read up, and have concluded that I dont think its wrong. According to the 2nd website you provided, it says that if the embryos are donated to other couples there is a low chance of starting a pregnancy. I say, if that chance is so low, then its just a waste to try and get someone pregnant with the embryos, and they should just be donanted to research. I know this sounds harsh, but it does make sense to me. (im also woozy from a cold, so bare with me.) I do agree with Jan, though, it does seem silly to need to use human embryos when it is possible to take stem cell from living adults. Other than the fact that there are only a certain number of cells that the stem cells taken from an adult can produce into, as opposed to the human embryos stem cell can produce into any cell. I dont really understand the "playing God" thing, but I'd have to say no to that.
I do not believe that stem cell research is wrong because it is research with a purpose. There are a lot of benefits for this research. I don't think that it is trying to play God. It isn't any different than trying to find cures for other sicknesses.
Most people have their surplus embryos discarded after they have reached their desired amount children during the IN Vitro process. In most cases it is not looked at as murder, so why not take advantage of another person's "trash" if it's going to bebnfit in the long run.
That last blog was from Richauna Williams. sorry!
Sometimes there is a very fine drawn on what is ethical and what is not in the scientific world. I think, from a philosophical point of view, that we are supposed to figure out ways to repair and fix ourselves. Are we supposed to play God, as some people put it? No. Man could try, but if you really think about it, in all our attempts, we have NEVER been successful at creating anything even close to the perfectness and complexity of things that are not man-made. Look at the human brain -- could mankind recreate this kind of technology? Look at trees -- could man ever imagine something this complex, let alone create it, from his own mind without having seen it before? All lifeforms are very complex and I do not think we should try to create it ourselves, other than through procreation. But should we repair or fix it if we are able? I think so.
I think that stem cell research is perfectly fine, IF WE ARE ONLY USING IT FOR CURES OF DISEASES! I have also heard about them being able to grow organs to do transplants and if they are able to do that without hurting anyone, that would be a great advancement and then we could supply all the people on the waiting lists for organs.
Yes, you would be playing God if you are creating life out of these stem cells and I believe that is wrong. I also couldnt agree with Jan more about it being wrong to take a life just to be able to do research on it.
Bridgette Overmyer
I believe that stem cell research is a good thing to do. I can see where many people think it is very wrong to do, but all in all it will help the futures of medical research. With stem cell research, scientisits are trying to find cures for cancer and other diseases that arn't curable at this time. We need this research to prolong the life of humans that may have one of these terminal diseases. Even though some parts of stem cell research are wrong, the benefits will greatly outweigh the negatives. Stem cell research is kinda like "playing god", but not much more than any of the other medical research going on. Stem cell research has been in the news enough, that I do know what it is completely, and why people are against it.
Jeremy Lamb
From Barb Beals:
No all stem cell research isn't wrong. Cloning is too far. It is like playing God, we are messing with genes and chromosomes that the scientists have no idea how this will effect what ever the stem cell is transferred into. It's an interesting concept, and I like the idea of progressive treatment and cures for diseases. However, there is no money in the cure, only in the treatment. I'm sure there are cures out there but they can charge an arm and a leg for the medication, but the cure is maybe a one time thing that they can only charge for once. So why would they cure anyone? It's greed that motivates the scientists, either political or monitarial. So with the promise of curing diabetes, or parkinsons disease we stand behind the researchers. Maybe we would not be so gung-ho if we knew that it would not lead to a cure, only an expensive treatment. With all of the years of research already gone into this project what have they found? What have they cured so far? And how much has it cost to get nowhere? In my opinion it's a pipe dream that will short fall societies hopes of a cure-all. I don't put my faith in any of it.
I think it is wrong if used in the wrong way, but its alright if used in order to help people. I thinnk embryonic stem cell research is wrong because it is taking a human life and i think a embryo is a human life even if it is not born. I think umbilicla stem cell research is a good idea because you are using the cord and your not harming anyone. I think too far is when they are taking the embroy becasue i consider it a human life. Im not sure if i think it is playing God, in a way yes and in a way no. I thinnk God wants everyone to be healthy, but he doesnt want to put someone elses life in danger. I know that the church is against embroyinc stem cell research. I do know what stem cell research is because i wrtoe a paper on it during my senior year at high school. People are for it becasue they believe that saving a life is more important than another. People are against it because it is what they believe in their religion and because some of the stem cells used are taken from places and people who are either unborn or are living.
From Stephanie Einck
I don't believe you they should ever use a naturally concieved embryo for stem cell research, but other than that I think it will eventually outweigh the risk. The first disease that is cured because of stem cell research will save millions of lives. Now what if one of these people that are completely against stem cell research and they end up with on of these diseases--but then stem cell research creates a cure? I'm pretty sure their minds would change. I don't think stem cell research is trying to play God. Trying to find a cure for a disease is a perfectly noble reason for stem cell research. But if it is used for some crazy thing like cloning, then it is borderline ridiculous.
Caitin Parker
I think stem cell research, is a good thing. I dont buy the entire 'playing god thing', sometimes a life must be sacraficed into order to save a life, and if the life lost can save countless others then I think the risk is worth it. I do piggy back on Jans comment that Non-embryonic stem cells should be used for the most part, but if there is a time when thats unavoidable then I go with 'do what we gotta do', in order to find a cure.
Ben Rogers
I think stem cell is okay. I think that if they have the opportunity to make someone have an arm then yes go head and do it. If you try to make someone a new heart...stay away. That isn't safe and I think that that is going too far. I don't think that stem cell research is trying to play God, but i think that they are trying to make miracles and that simply just doesn't work. I don't exactly know what stem cell research is, but i think some people are for it because they have the chance to save a body part or make a new one and i think some people are against it because if something happens to you they think that it was suppose to happen for a reason.
Sonja Paul
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