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Stem Cells - The Hope and the Hype
zer0skill writes to mention a CNN summary of a Time cover story. The Truth about Stem Cells deals with an increasingly politicized area of scientific inquiry, and likens the fight to those over global warming and evolution. From the article: "Five years after Bush announced that federal money could go to researchers only working on embryonic stem cell lines that scientists had already developed, Democrats hope to leverage the issue as evidence that they represent the reality-based community, running against the theocrats. States from Connecticut to California have tried to step in with enough funding to keep the labs going and slow the exodus of U.S. talent to countries like Singapore, Britain and Taiwan."
Sheesh. This is old stuff, not news- and its got flambait-y aroma to boot.
Get ready for the Bushitler and Moonbat namecalling contests.
Reposting CNN and Time magazine articles - hardly "news" nor "tech" saavy.
Whatever happened to Slashdot? Sigh.
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With all the prayers that everyone keeps asking for the troops, I wouldn't think it would be needed to find a way for medicine to restore a lost limb.
Oh wait maybe they should look for a way to fix that.
Burn Karma Burn.
On the topic of the fertility clinics that are providing the stem cells, do women actually volunteer for abortions, or do they have to be forced by others?
Holy shit what the fuck are you talking about? The idiocy has reached new and incredible heights!
What's worse than not just understanding the moral point of view is the complete lack of action that you still can take.
What do you mean by "the moral point of view"? What you fail to understand is that both sides are arguing for the moral point of view (yes, even the scientists.) Republican Christians (or the "moral wrong", as I like to call them) have their moral point of view, and the more rational people have their moral point of view. The difference is this, while the moral wrong are concerned with what actions they must perform to ensure they go to the magical land of their preference when they die, the rest of us are concerning ourselves with ending the suffering of others.
CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
...
INSTRUCTION ON RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE IN ITS ORIGIN AND ON THE DIGNITY OF PROCREATION
REPLIES TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF THE DAY
INTRODUCTION
1. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND THE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH
The gift of life which God the Creator and Father has entrusted to man calls him to appreciate the inestimable value of what he has been given and to take responsibility for it: this fundamental principle must be placed at the centre of one's reflection in order to clarify and solve the moral problems raised by artificial interventions on life as it originates and on the processes of procreation. Thanks to the progress of the biological and medical sciences, man has at his disposal ever more effective therapeutic resources; but he can also acquire new powers, with unforeseeable consequences, over human life at its very beginning and in its first stages. Various procedures now make it possible to intervene not only in order to assist but also to dominate the processes of procreation. These techniques can enable man to "take in hand his own destiny", but they also expose him "to the temptation to go beyond the limits of a reasonable dominion over nature".(1) They might constitute progress in the service of man, but they also involve serious risks. Many people are therefore expressing an urgent appeal that in interventions on procreation the values and rights of the human person be safeguarded. Requests for clarification and guidance are coming not only from the faithful but also from those who recognize the Church as "an expert in humanity " (2) with a mission to serve the "civilization of love" (3) and of life.
The Church's Magisterium does not intervene on the basis of a particular competence in the area of the experimental sciences; but having taken account of the data of research and technology, it intends to put forward, by virtue of its evangelical mission and apostolic duty, the moral teaching corresponding to the dignity of the person and to his or her integral vocation. It intends to do so by expounding the criteria of moral judgment as regards the applications of scientific research and technology, especially in relation to human life and its beginnings. These criteria are the respect, defence and promotion of man, his "primary and fundamental right" to life,(4) his dignity as a person who is endowed with a spiritual soul and with moral responsibility (5) and who is called to beatific communion with God. The Church's intervention in this field is inspired also by the Love which she owes to man, helping him to recognize and respect his rights and duties. This love draws from the fount of Christ's love: as she contemplates the mystery of the Incarnate Word, the Church also comes to understand the "mystery of man"; (6) by proclaiming the Gospel of salvation, she reveals to man his dignity and invites him to discover fully the truth of his own being. Thus the Church once more puts forward the divine law in order to accomplish the work of truth and liberation. For it is out of goodness - in order to indicate the path of life - that God gives human beings his commandments and the grace to observe them: and it is likewise out of goodness - in order to help them persevere along the same path - that God always offers to everyone his forgiveness. Christ has compassion on our weaknesses: he is our Creator and Redeemer. May his spirit open men's hearts to the gift of God's peace and to an understanding of his precepts
Read more of this teaching document of the Catholic Church
IC XC NIKA
Your argument might have some credibility IF there was any consistency to the notion that humanity acts in a moral manner. History hasn't demonstrated this is the case. Present government hasn't demonstrated that is the case. Religion hasn't demonstrated that is the case. So what exactly is your point? Are you suggesting you are the guide by which morality and ethics should be judged? Are you suggesting that there are no bad precedents in play right now and this stem cell issue would tarnish a perfect record of ethics?
With all due respect, fuck you and your hypocritical ethical line. Helping people at no expense of anyone else is not an ethical or moral issue, no matter how much you want to twist it.
If you want to turn this into an issue of ethics, you can exercise it on a personal level by refusing treatment that was the result of stem cell research, then you can die and there will be one less self-righteous dweeb hell bent on fucking up society in the process of promoting his perverted sense of morality.
Sad as it may seem, this is what many in the pro-life camp believe. Also what many in the "embryonic stem cell research is evil" camp believe.
Hey, these people thought dancing to Rock and Roll encouraged devil worship. Don't expect logic here.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
And my own mother has Alzheimer's~
which I can assure you will NOT be cured by slaughtering people, no matter how MANY people have to die for this thing that never quite works, is always just around the corner, etc.
Is it possible that if the proponents of ESCR did not claim that all diseases would be cured, somebody might actually believe them?
When are the "breakthroughs" coming that all these other nations that have no limits in any form going to manifest? If money was what they were concerned about losing to other countries then California should be the richest state in the nation instead of 10s of BILLIONS of dollars in DEBT!!!
I'll tell you when the breakthroughs will come, never. Its like asking an evolutionist for scientific proof that life creates itself.
Don't expect the popular press to ask any real questions about any of this. They KNOW there are no answerable questions by any proponent out there.
I just wish someone would inform Michael J. Fox that this "research" is ongoing by California and many other countries. THEN they need to inform him that they will use him as a test subject for their latest "theory". Wonder how fast he would change his tune on this wonderful "science" under those conditions?