Ideas on what to say to the following

[elfrangel]

Was sent the following by a friend of mine, obviously a repub, and need some help enlightening him...any info appreciated. Thanks!

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U.S. Scientist Pulls Out of South Korea Stem Cell Project

Dr. Gerald P. Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh has pulled out of a South Korean project involving stem cells taken from embryonic humans. Dr. Schatten cites his grave concerns over ethics. The leading South Korean researcher, Dr. Woo Suk Hwang, had repeatedly assured Dr. Schatten that human eggs obtained for his experiments were obtained ethically. Now, it seems, Schatten believes he was misled by Woo. Rumors have circulated for months in scientific circles that the eggs for these stem cell experiments were actually obtained from one of Dr. Woo's female subordinates. If this junior scientist was the actual donor, was she coerced? Or was she given improper incentives? When Dr. Schatten could not get satisfactory answers to those questions, he announced he was leaving the joint U.S.-South Korean program.

Question: If it's unethical to offer a junior scientist career advancement or cash inducements, why is it ethical to offer an entire scientific community billions of dollars in research grants and dangle Nobel prizes for the first ones who successfully clone human beings? Just asking. Regardless of where the human eggs come from, embryonic stem cell research results in the destruction of human embryos. We commend Dr. Schatten for leaving the program. Now, we hope he and other American scientists will follow the ethical path and look to adult stem cells for needed cures.

Additional Resources
U.S. Scientist Leaves Joint Stem Cell Project
<http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=LK05K148&f=WA05K57>

[elfrangel]

1. Okay here is my response...

Stem cells are inherent to newborns/fetuses. They cannot be found in the adult, so harvesting them from one is ludicrous at least. Stem cells, however, can be found in cord blood. Research on these cells is vital to preventing and curing some of the most horrible diseases we now face as a global community. For that reason, I am completely behind funding of that research. Aborted fetuses are someimes also used for harvesting of stem cells. To quote someone I know, "Why not use something that they are going to incenerate anyway for harvesting of those cells?" Regardless of your stance on abortion, it's a good question, don't you think? Even Nancy Reagan supports stem cell research now...what does that tell you?

I can't think of another way to say it. I definitely think differently than most Christians. I have an obligation to show a better way, not to force it upon another human being. The best I can do is show them that they do have options. We still have free will...maybe some forget that.

[obxhead]

2. I hate this argument more than any other...

The 'life' of 1,000's of unborn cellular structures (stem cells) are worth millions of suffering children and adults.

[ThatsMyBarack]

3. Now *that* kind of life....

....is a beautiful choice! ;)

[Orsino]

4. Well, one possible response is:

...who the hell cares if an embryo is destroyed? The female body destroys and expels an egg every month, and men toss around sperm like it's salad dressing. There's nothing magical about the moment when the sperm and egg meet, either, or even many days later when the cells have divided many times. A human embryo is indistiguishable under a microscope from that of any other mammal--for quite a while.

Ascribing paranormal powers only to human embryos is superstition. Exactly what is your friend objecting to?