The Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cell Controversy

In recent years, stem cell research has become a prominent way of treating: heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, spinal problems, and much more ; moreover, in recent years as Stem cell research became more popular, it has sparked controversy over the religion aspect of stem cell research. Stem cell research begins with culturing an embryonic cell and then injecting the stem cell into the area of concern(Robertson). Pluripotent stem cells are gathered and used to treat the areas, pluripotent stem cells are those that are in the earliest stages of development ; in addition, at this stage, cells can learn the jobs and take shape of cells that did the job once before (Robertson).

Those in support of embryonic stem cell research claim that the week-old blastocysts from which embryonic stem cells are derived are merely a cluster of cells and thus do not constitute a human being. Because these cells are “not human,” the embryos should not be afforded the same human rights as are granted to other more advanced stages of cell growth. Many liberals and conservatives alike argue that the potential benefits far outweigh the moral concerns, and for this reason, embryonic stem cell research should be pursued. President Obama issued an executive order revoking President Bush’s previous order that limited funding of research involving human embryonic stem cells for its violation of human rights:

Embryonic stem cells have the ability to grow into any type of cell that your body contains and can potentially aid in curing diseases and or repair many essential things in your body such as a kidney or a lung. This sounds like an extremely favorable advantage to medical advancements but this subject does summon some intense debates on where the stem cells come from. Embryonic meaning that it comes from the embryo veers many people’s opinion to totally protest any use of embryonic stem cells. Opposing abortions and the use of embryonic stem cells go hand in hand. Many people are just not ready for the responsibility of having a child so they take matters into their own hands and many consider having an abortion. In the end everyone takes their own decision and they fit it to what they feel is best for their lives. Many people may see an abortion as killing an innocent life but people make their own decisions and no one can stop them. Abortions are a solution to unprepared individuals that can not handle the responsibility of having a child; why not use the cells from the procedure to save a life. Children are wonderful gifts but some people are just not ready to take up the responsibility of raising that gift so they can use that gift to help another needy life.

Unfortunately, embryonic stem cell research involves extracting stem cells from embryos, thus killing them in the process. According to Stanford.edu, “Opponents of HESC [Human Embryonic Stem Cell] research argue that the research is morally impermissible because it involves the unjust killing of innocent human beings.” Yes, these embryos are dying from the extraction of their stem cells, but the fact of whether or not this is killing innocent human beings solely depends on point of view. If you consider a five-day old embryo to be a human being, then perhaps you would consider this to be wrong, but you believe otherwise, then maybe you would agree with the sacrificing of these embryos for beneficial research. This is how embryonic stem cell research has been very controversial in prior years and even

There are many benefits that come from stem cell research; the government should be more open to obtaining stem cell research in other manners because it can be used to regenerate brain cells, it promotes nerve repair, and insulin secreting cells. If the government was to be more open to obtaining stem cell lines in other ways than just donations from fertility clinics, there would be much more stem cells available to be cultured. Since there have been so many limitations set on stem cell research, it has been difficult for scientist to find the many benefits of stem cell therapy. As far as we know, stem cells could be used for the possible cure of incurable diseases such as, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, and paralyzed human beings. Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease are caused primarily due to the loss of brain cells, which our body does not regenerate. With other common diseases such as diabetes, stem cell therapy can play a role if they promote insulin secreting cells, which are the cells that humans with diabetes are lacking. It is very likely that these incurable diseases can be cured by stem cell therapy if it became easier to obtain such stem cells.

One of the non-supporting stakeholders are the Catholic church. Along with the catholic church Pope John Paul the 2 does not support this research because he believes that by" kill an embryonic it taking a life and that it should not be done from we do not get to choose who dies …... Embryonic stem cells are obtained from prenatal at a point very early in development. Obtaining these cells typically results in the destruction of the prenatal. The direct and voluntary killing of a prenatal is always a serious sin against God because prenatal life is developing human life." the catholic church says “Experience is already showing how a tragic coarsening of consciences accompanies the assault on innocent human life in the womb, leading to accommodation and acquiescence in the face of other related evils, such as euthanasia, infanticide, and most recently, proposals for the creation for research purposes of human embryos, destined to destruction in the process. A free and virtuous society, which America aspires to be, must reject practices that devalue and violate human life at any stage from conception until natural death." one of the people in the catholic church said this about their thoughts on this research” to humanity begins with respect for each human life. Because life is our first and most basic gift from an infinitely loving God, it deserves our utmost respect and protection.

Embryonic stem cell research could one day hold the key to many new scientific discoveries if it is continuously funded in the years to come. I chose to base my research around the question, Should embryonic stem cell research be government funded? When I finish highschool I hope to pursue a career in the medical field. Although I wish to become a doctor and may not be directly researching stem cells, they may one day be a treatment that I will have to administer to patients. To answer this question I first had to understand why embryonic stem cells are a topic for such heated debates. This is another thing that interested me greatly. I had known about how stem cells were produced, but I had not known about the ethics and great amount of

Embryonic Stem cells have led to a very long line of discussion. Whether to see it as immoral not to pursue research or immoral to pursue research, it is nonetheless very difficult to discuss. Questions are uncovered during this debate, for example, Is killing possible life (Embryos) lesser or greater than saving the already living, such as people with incurable diseases? The debate goes deeper and deeper into moral judgment and it doesn't matter whether you are religious or not in this argument because in both cases it is a life. But what if it didn't have to be a life? Further forms of research may be used to help save lives both from people who have incurable diseases and the embryos. If such research can be formed without a moral block, performance of such research should not be delayed. The possibility to save loved ones is incredible, to do so without victimizing women for embryos and killing those embryos, which could possibly behold life, only to maybe

Imagine living in a world without cancer, Parkinson 's, or even diabetes. While everyone may wish this is true, people are against a way that researchers can make this possible, which would be by the use of stem cells. There is major controversy on whether or not stem cell research should be allowed, especially when it comes to embryonic stem cell research. Although many consider it to be killing a potential life form, embryonic stem cell research may eventually be acceptable to use because there is consent and a lengthy process to make sure the donor understands what their embryonic stem cells will be used for. That may be viewed as a much better

The controversy over stem cell research’s use in the medical field is almost two decades old. So why the sudden intense return of fierce political debates over an old issue? It’s because President Obama recently revoked the ban on stem cell research, as he believes it holds the potential to revolutionize the medical industry in the years to come. As USA Today quoted him saying in March, after he stopped restricting federal funding for stem cell research, "At this moment, the full promise of stem cell research remains unknown and should not be overstated. Scientists believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand, and possibly cure, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions."

Scientists and researchers believe that Human Embryonic Stem Cells hold potential cures for numerous diseases in today's society, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Lou Gehrig's disease, Hodgkin's disease, hundreds of immune system and genetic disorders, spinal cord injuries, heart disease and just about every type of cancer. In today's world there's over a million Americans who suffer from deadly diseases, not only adults but innocent children that deserve to live a healthy life. These deadly diseases can be cured or treated in a more effective way than they are treated now with the help of the human embryonic stem cells. According to the Poll on "American views on stem cell research in the wake of the death of Ronald Reagan" which was prepared for results of America, shows that a sum of 73% highly supports and somewhat support this controversial process (Results of America, 2004). Even though this topic has brought continuous political attacks and very limited funding, Human Embryonic Stem cell research has made considerable contribution to the battle against disabilities and incurable diseases. A great example of success by using human embryonic stem cells was made by Dr. Hans Keirstead in the Roman Laboratory at UC Irvine; he restored myelin insulation around damaged nerves, returning motion to partially paralyzed rats. (Journal of Neuroscience, 2005) .

A large percentage of religiously inclined people protest the use of embryonic stem cells in research. They believe all life is sacred — even the life of a seven-day old blastocyst. The Bible states in Psalm 127:3-5,” Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.” Life is sacred, especially the life of a child. Copious amount of people do not agree with using a life — especially the life of an unborn child — to save another life. Studies have predicted that in order to cure seventeen million people who suffer from diabetes, it would require between eight-hundred to one point seven billion blastocysts. On top of the immense amount of blastocysts required to perform surgery, an astronomical amount of money is also required to perform any operation. The price of fifty to one-hundred eggs ranges from one-hundred thousand to two-hundred thousand dollars. Many people question whether or not the results are worth the lives of so many blastocysts. Thousands of embryonic stem cells will be harvested, and only the lives of a select few will be

Have you ever wondered what stem cells are and why they are important? Have you heard that stem cells are controversial but do not know why? Scientists have been studying stem cells and their ability to regenerate tissues in the body for years. Having the body regenerate itself is not as crazy as it once sounded. Stem cells are very small, immature cells in the human body that are capable of becoming many types of cells. Researchers have been able to find different applications in treating the human body using these powerful cells as well as the ability to test new drugs on them. This is a huge advancement in medicine, but with it comes debate and controversy over the ethical aspect of obtaining these cells. Questions like, “is this life we are killing?” and “should we be messing with God’s work?” come up in the debate over the research of stem cells. We first need to understand that not all stem cells are the same and reevaluate our position once we are truly educated on the benefits of stem cells. Researchers must have the ability to continue studying stem cells in order to save human lives. Ethical issues aside, this may be the greatest advancement in medicine to date.

As stated previously, stem cells can replace damaged, lost, or diseased cells with new cells. During a heart attack, a coronary artery is blocked preventing any blood flow to the heart muscle which causes damage. After a heart attack, stem cells are inserted into the heart where they migrate to the spot of the attack. Here, they regenerate and transform into heart muscle cells, repairing the caused damaged. Dr. David A. Steenblock, who has had many years of experience with treating patients with stem cells, accounts specific treatments, “With my participation, we also carried out an open-label pilot study in Mexico during 2004 in which 8 children with cerebral palsy were treated with a subcutaneous injection of 1.5 million CD34+/AC133 umbilical cord stem cells” (Steenblock). From this study, “we also documented a partial resolution of cortical blindness in a 5-year-old boy with optic nerve hypoplasia” (Steenblock). This shows that stem cells have the potential to cure certain blindness. Stem cells have been used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Stem cells can be placed in the brain of a patient who has this disease and differentiate into new healthy neurons. Also, these neural specific stem cells can destroy cancer cells growing in brain tumors. Michael J. Fox, a famous actor who suffers from this disease, has fought hard to promote stem cell research to help the

Although this research could theoretically cure life long diseases, ethical concerns have been brought to the attention to many religions that are against embryonic stem cell research. As I took a closer look at the religion aspect, such as Catholicism and Christianity, the research of ESC is ostracized because the process involves the destruction of a human in its early stages of life. For many religions this study has been compared to abortions in that researchers are not giving the embryo the right to its life (Robertson). From my personal view as a catholic, I do believe that conception declares the start of a human life. Embryos are not just an assortment of cells that can be researched without limitations, they are a person and should be held with respect, and have the same rights as a born child or elder. Along with Christianity and Catholicism, Mormons trust it would be wrong to destroy the embryo no matter what the gestational age is (Dawson). However, I do not believe religions are gazing at the scientific prospective of embryotic stem cell research. Religions that are against ESC research oppose it because they believe scientists are harming healthy embryos but I do not consider that to be the case. There are cases in which an embryo does fail to develop whether it is from miscarriage, abortion, or infertility. Only in