Stem Cell Research

[gghornet]

There was a program on ABC last night about the progress Chris Reeves(actor who played superman)last night.He was one of the first people who had recieved stem cell treatment,and because of it he has made remarkable improvements in his health.He was not able to move a muscle from his neck down,breathing on a respirator 24 hours a day,and having no feeling in most of his body.Now he can move his legs under water,has 75% of the feeling back in his body,and can breathe for 90 minutes at a time without the respirator and rapidly improving.I personally don't see why this has been turned into such a moral issue.The embryos are unfertilized,and otherwise are just going to be thrown in a medical waste container,because they are no longer useful to impregnate anyone,because they've been sitting for to long.Put yourself in the place of the embryo(Yes I realize they have no thought process at that stage,but bear with me anyway)Would you rather be used to save the lives of countless others,or thrown away?I personally would take the first option.This could lead to countless cures for many diseases and cases of severe trauma.I think it's been blown way out of proportion by some people saying that this will lead to immoral and grotesque experiments with humans in later stages of development and such.How does everyone feel on the subject,and why???

[Zorolord]

gghornet I totally agree with you. The problem is you get all these pathetic pro-life people who complain. I think scientists should be allowed to research any type of treatment to increase the standard of life for people with injurys etc.

My opinion is that a embryo is just a clump of cells with no degree of consciousness.
Sorry to seem like a cold hearted bastard but why give a **** over a embryo

Like you say the embryo(s) would simply be thrown away.

[rcgreen]

I personally don't see why this has been turned into such a moral issue.

Go to your local book store and buy a copy of a book called
Dracula and read it.

[4MidgetHitmen]

I am with you Hornet that the embryos should be used to help peopel where they can... But you made one mistake in your post... to become an embryo the egg has to be fertilized... The development is stoped by the freezing... It doesn't make any differance in the long run but that is a big reason why a lot of people are outraged by their use... They are potential human beings... And one of the concerns I have heard tossed around by Pro-Lifers is that if you use the stem cells what is to stop doctors from growing a complete human and using it's organs...

[gghornet]

Sorry all I stand corrected.Here's the academic press dictionary of science and technology's definition of embryo.And the link to where I got the info.
http://www.academicpress.com/inscigh...9/embryos3.htm
1. the stage of a multicellular organism that develops from a zygote before it becomes free-living. 2. specifically, in vertebrates, the period from after the long axis appears until all major structures are represented. In humans, this is from about two weeks after fertilization to the end of the seventh or eighth week.
O before I forget.I have read Dracula and have the entire Anne Rice collection too,and this is nothing like vampirism.I feel it's more disgusting that these embryos are just thrown away than the fact that people want to use them for research.Do you also have a problem with people donating their organs to science?That's no less disgusting in my mind.I also really doubt that any scientist that values his career would ever attampt to develop a whole human out of stem cells.I imagine if something like that were to be tried cloning would be the bigger threat.Scientists have already cloned relatively complex animals,but nothing short of maybe a few extremely small simple organisms have been formed from stem cells(by scientists anyway)

[silentstalker]

I don't give a **** if I'm the only person with a small thing called morality.


If you're destroying an embryo that would have been a life, you're killing something. Look up the word Homicide. I would not kill a life to save five thousand. My opinions are:

Listen. Scientists can do whatever the hell they want to do, until they start playing God. Scientists are not God. God created life and He's the only one who can destroy it. End of conversation. You don't give a **** about an embryo? Fine. It's the same as saying you wouldn't care to go to the slammer for murderer.


Silentstalker
Silentstalker@nitesecurity.com

[th3>kLuTz]

Ok, this is a big can of worms, but im going to go fishing Ok, i am a pro lifer. However, I like what has been done as far as being able to heal people. Now, I personally don't see what is wrong with using what we have to heal people. The moral issues fall like this, in my opinion. (I am using an example here) In World War II, it was discovered that the Germans practiced cruel experiments on the Jews. Many good things came out of those experiments that now will help people survive sickness. Should we not use that because of the way the info was gotten? No. Neither should we not use the technology available to us. However, I believe the point of going to far is when we clone humans so that we can harvest organs. I believe live begins later than the point of conception. If I can be healed by a fertilized egg, I feel that it would be beneficial. I see nothing wrong with that, however, if a woman is pregnant with the fertilized egg, then I feel that that is abortion (which i am personally against) Some may neg me for the difference I see, however, I feel that the line is whether the embryo is in a woman or in a test tube. Also, I do see something wrong with taking this too far and cloning humans to harvest organs. *nuff of my ideas....Hope it makes sense

[aeallison]

This is an issue I can't resist passing up. First off, gghornet, I am with you, I believe we should all take steps to advance the efforts to help the severly traumitized. I do not believe that babys should be aborted in the name of it. I do believe that a woman who has been raped...ie, traumitized should be given the choice to abort. I also can't see any reason to throw away anything that can be used. These are my views, and I do not support any fanatic groups on either side.

[vanman]

Well gghornet,I agree with you because my wife has a terminal illness called SLE(Systemic Lupus Erythmatosis).I can tell you now that there is no cure for it yet and I would certainly consider everything possible to be able to extend her wellbeing and lifespan.

Believe me when I tell you that it breaks you physically and mentally to see them in such pain and frustration and yet you can't do a thing to improve the situation.

This is my personal opinion and I am 100% with you on this one.I think mankind has suffered enough as it is.

Regards
v/man

[[WebCarnage]]

By: SilentStalker

Listen. Scientists can do whatever the hell they want to do, until they start playing God. Scientists are not God. God created life and He's the only one who can destroy it. End of conversation. You don't give a **** about an embryo? Fine. It's the same as saying you wouldn't care to go to the slammer for murderer.

What if this particular embryo happens to be athiest?

And, imo, morals and ethics have no buisness in this area of science. You say murder was bad? If you were in the same room as Hitler with a pistol, what would you do? If you were in the same room as Stalin, with a shotgun, would you pull the trigger?

But you said that one life isn't even worth 5 thousand... are you insane man!?! What if you were one of the 5 thousand...and Hitler was that one emybro? What if your child, father, mother, or sibling was one of the 5 thousand, and Stalin was the embryo... What would you choose?

And prove to me there is a god in the first place for scientists to imitate or "play". Hell, I'd give them a good 'ole pat on the back the day they play god perfectly. For the sake of the human race, I think this research should be continued without any boundaries - just like any other form of medial/scientific research.


just food for thought...

[P.S. - My views may be a bit harsh, since I believe in scientific research withouth any boundaries regardless of lost life. I'm not one for mindless tourture however. But... mistakes are made, it's fact; lives have to be lost to succeed sometimes, it's fact; we just need to learn to accept that - life was never meant to be fair.]