2004
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November 2004 |
Learn the Truth About Stem Cell Research
When we are in pain, suffering,
and have no medical treatment available that can cure our illness
or disability, we could welcome almost any treatment or research
as "hope" that some relief is coming in the future.
However, embryonic stem cell research is NOT an option according
to the Catholic Church! The Church, however, does not condemn
research using ADULT stem cells, because it does not harm or
destroy human life.
This is a very controversial, hot topic these days, especially
since the death of Christopher Reeve, a major supporter of this
type of research. But another highly visible Hollywood star, Mel
Gibson, a Catholic, has become very outspoken recently against
embryonic stem cell research. He said in a recent interview that
in laboratories' petri dishes are tiny little clusters of cells
created with human DNA. And, at some point in our own existence
and development, we were ALL a tiny little cluster of cells just
like that. Mr. Gibson has made a very valid point here.
Biological science supports that every single human being walking
this planet began when only two cells, an ovum and a spermatazoa,
joined together. Only two cells! They joined to become only one!
And at that very moment, the Church teaches that we became a
human being, with the right to life.
Why are stem cells so important anyway? Biological and genetic
research shows that these cells have the potential to become many
different kinds of cells--some become bone, others become muscle,
etc. They are the means by which cells in a body can be
replenished. In the very early embryo, these cells have the
capacity to become any kind of body cell. In adult stem cells,
the cells have the potential to become a variety of cells, but
not just any kind of cell. Scientists hope to obtain large
numbers of stem cells grown from a common source and trigger them
into becoming specific kinds of cells in order to use them for
repairing damaged cells/tissue in people who,in particular, have
degenerative illnesses. A degenerative condition is one that
involves the cells and tissues of certain organs or structures
deteriorating, thus creating the illness. An example of a
degenerative disease is Alzheimer's, where brain tissue has
deteriorated, forming plaques (lesions or scars). Scientists, in
the case of an Alzheimer's patient, would hope that introducing
stem cells coaxed into forming new brain cells could be
introduced into the patient and repair the damage.
It could be argued in favor of Stem Cell Research that many lives
could be saved or that the quality of life for those who are ill
or disabled could be improved. But there is no moral, ethical, or
spiritual rationale that can adequately argue that one life is
more important than another. The innocent, unborn lives created
in a lab or even in utero simply for the purpose of harvesting
stem cells is against God's laws. It is just as much a murder as
an abortion. It is a sin against the 5th commandment. Every
person on earth at some time was simply a cluster of cells in the
beginning. Yet we were allowed the precious gift of life. We
should all remember the Golden Rule. Remember that if you're
circumstances of conception had been different, it could very
well be your own life that would have been denied.
The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an
official document in 1987 known as "Donum Vitae" (The
Gift of Life), which addressed the morality of many modern
fertility procedures. This document specifically discusses the
immoral creation of human life for the purpose of experimentation
and destruction, as well as in vitro fertilization. I suggest you
read that document in its entirety, and a link is provided to it
on this page.
Mr. Richard M. Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the USCCB
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, says: "Catholic
morality regarding respect for human life, and any secular ethic
in agreement with its basic premises, rejects all deliberate
involvement with the direct killing of human embryos for research
or any other purpose. Such killing is gravely and intrinsically
wrong, and no promised beneficial consequences can lessen that
wrong. This conviction is also held by many American taxpayers,
who should not be forced by government to promote with their tax
dollars what they recognize as a direct killing of innocent human
persons."
The Pontifical Academy for Life has issued an official
proclamation on this subject in February of 2004. One excerpt:
"Among all the fundamental rights that every human being
possesses from the moment of conception, the right to life is
certainly the primary right because it is the pre-condition for
the existence of all other such rights. On the basis of this
right, every human being, especially if weak or not
self-sufficient, must receive adequate social defense against
every form of offense or substantial violation of his or her
physical and mental integrity."
"It is precisely this inalienable dignity of the person,
which belongs to every human being from the first moment of his
existence, which requires that his origins should be the direct
consequence of suitable personal human action; only the
reciprocal gift of the married love of a man and a woman,
expressed and realized in the conjugal act with respect for the
inseparable unity of its unitive and procreative meanings, is a
worthy context for the coming forth of a new human life."
You may read the entire proclamation by selecting the link.
In November of 2001, Pope John Paul II decreed: "There is no
person, no human authority, no science, and no medical, eugenic,
economic or moral indication that can exhibit or provide a
juridical right that allows the direct and deliberate disposal of
a human life."
Please read more about the Catholic Church's official stance on
Stem Cell Research. Several links follow that will explain in
detail why it is imperative that we stand up against this crime
perpetrated on innocent lives.
Please do not abandon your Catholic faith or morals simply
because you feel desperate for relief of your suffering. Before
supporting any research, you should get all the facts. Learn all
you can about the procedures involved, the lives that could be
discarded or sacrificed, and then you can make an informed, moral
decision about your own treatment and suffering. Check into as
many alternatives as you can locate to help you get relief, and
if you reach the point of desperation, pray and seek spiritual
counsel.
* Many of the stem cell research facts cited are from these online resources.
Recommended Reading:
Recommend this website to a friend!
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01/09/2006
