I wrote this article as a homework for English class, but this topic is still important for me and from my point of view also important for our whole society and its values.
Hopefully the following information give you the sufficient background to create a personal opinion and the interest to discuss this topic with friends and members of the family.
In the following article the question will be dealt if it is correct to clone human beings or do stem cell research in general concerning moral standards.
There a few arguments, which support stem cell scientists, but the most significant argument is the cure of diseases like Parkinson or Alzheimer.
At the moment medicines and scientists are not able to cure these kinds of diseases, but throw the change of the DNA and the transplantation of embryonic stem cells, which do not have the ill feature they could solve these awful problems.
A further reason is the advantage of scientist from the US and the UK. The German government has to change the laws to give the opportunity for medicines to achieve the same aims and to create a health care, which is as good as in foreign countries.
Additionally the argument or reason of the Christian right can be seen very critical, that scientists play God. From the Christians´ point of view God creates everything and is almighty. Thus he should be able avoid stem cell research if he did not agree with this development.
Furthermore “Over 100 million Americans suffer from diseases that eventually may be treated more effectively or even cured with embryonic stem cell therapy.” One fourth of the Germans, who wait for heart transplantation die, because not enough hearts are offered. The embryonic creations of organs could be a solution for this problem.
A further positive consequence could be that Third World nation and especially African countries could develop more efficient, when there citizens do not suffer from terrible diseases, like cancer or AIDS.
But if you agree with stem cell research, you have to define, when human life begins.
There two main opinions or definitions, which try to describe the discussion.
The first definition says that life begins in a mother´s womb. The fetus starts to develop and starts to live just in a womb and not in a tube. Even liberal Christians agree with that statement because they refer to Genesis. The bible says that the creation of human beings is divided in two steps. At first “God formed man from the dust” and after that man gains the spirit of live. From the Liberal´s point of view the embryo has to be placed in a womb to achieve the spirit of live.
The second definition says life begins after two weeks. The reason of this opinion is that embryos can be divided into two until 14 days. That means automatically that an embryo, which is 14 days old, must be seen as an individual being. British representatives and some small groups of the Catholic Church agree with that definition, because one soul cannot be given by God for two human beings.
But on the other hand there also theological and scientific reasons against stem cell research. First of all the religious aspects will be analyzed.
The Christian right in the US says that every type of stem cell research is murder. From their point of view scientists do not give the embryos the right to live. Especially Methodists and Catholics in the US agree with that definition and opinion. US President Bush and Vice President Cheney are members of the Methodist church, which is politically one of the most powerful churches in the country.
A different view on this opinion can be seen at Jerry R. Thill´s article in the “LA Times” on August 6, 2001. Thill says that you do not have to be religious to not agree with stem cell research. The DNA is used by the police to convict us of a crime, so embryos with individual DNAs must be seen as human beings as well.
The last religious argument describes the behavior of Craig Venter, who is Scientists in California.
“For the first time in history God has a competitor.”
This is a quotation by Pat Mooney, CEO of the Canadian Organization “ETC”, which fights against stem cell research.
This quotation describes the self-view of Venter and the attitude towards life. The most significant effort of Venter was the detailed description of the DNA in the 1990s. Because of inventions like this he became a millionaire with huge houses and boats in California. He earns 150 Million Dollars, just because of the selling of his company in 2000.
Additionally he is described by journalists as an extremely ambitious and extravert person, who has to be the best in his métier. The question you have to analyze now is: Can we support an extravert and ambitious stem cell scientist, whose main aim is to increase the profit of his company?
In the following part the scientific reasons will be discussed, which do not agree with stem cell research.
The main reasons are the problems during the transplantation of stem cells. 15 % of all Americans became even more ill, through the wrong use of embryonic cells.
A further disaster could be seen after the transplantation of stem cells in a mouse by the Max-Planck Institute in Cologne. The mouse got a huge tumor in his head, thus it died few days later. This shows the fact, that scientist are not able to rule over the nature completely.
Furthermore it can be criticized that companies are able to get patents by the national governments or institutions, like the EU. These laws give the companies the possibility to increase their profit by manipulating the nature. Thus you have to ask yourself, how the future can be created? I do not want a country or a health care system, where the fortune decides, if somebody has the right to live, because the companies try to increase their profit.
A further very important aspect is my personal believe in God and the Catholic religion. One main part of the faith is that you have to accept God´s decisions and take them as a test in your life. One kinds of test can be diseases and death of relatives and friends.
All of these fact lead me to the conclusion that scientist should try to improve the medicine and the health care, without using stem cell research, because of religious and scientific reasons.
