Embryonic Stem Cells Catholic Church Essay

Stem cells are tiny little balls of cells which are undifferentiated cells that can separate into particular cell sorts. Scientists and researchers focus on two main types of stem cells; Adult stem cells which come from the brain, spinal cord and most parts of the body and embryonic stem cells which are cells that are extracted from embryos. Researching on stem cells show that they could potentially save millions of lives by enabling scientists to develop ways to treat and cure some of the most degenerative conditions. So why not use them?

Most people are against Embryonic Stem Cell research mainly because they consider it unethical to use aborted fetuses for research. The two main issues concerning the research are the ethics (Cons) and the benefits (Pros). In any scientific case, ethics must always be considered. But the use of fetuses is something that is of the utmost importance. The costs are generally measured based off of people’s feelings, morals, and knowledge about the subject up for debate. The use of aborted fetuses for stem cell research may have many positive outcomes that can come of it, but many negative outcomes as well; If using aborted fetuses for research can, in the near future, save lives, then it is a research that should be supported, even though some

Embryonic cells should be allowed to be used because of the medical benefits they provide. They can be used to cure diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, traumatic spinal cord injury, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and even vision and hearing loss (nih.gov 2009). There is no problem using them for medical purposes and it is not immoral to use them for this reason. Embryonic cells have the potential to save lives. Therefore, the usage of embryonic cells outweighs the ethical issues.

Embryonic stem cell research is important for further development in the medical field. It strongly supports the idea that every life has value, an idea known as human dignity. Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, and thus, are all equal. The idea of radical equality before God leads us to think no less of someone regardless of their physical appearance, religious beliefs, cultural background, or anything else. It is through virtues such as charity, mercy, and justice that our human dignity is preserved. By living through these virtues and realizing how to effectively instill them within us, we are able to live a virtuous life. This paper argues that although issues involving embryonic stem cell research are controversial, research in this area is typically permissible for further development in the medical field when looking to preserve human dignity. In order to defend this thesis, this paper will be structured into three sections as followed: the description of embryonic stem cell research, the development of a moral lens, and the moral argument and analysis of this case.

The embryonic stem cells can be used for various medical cure. It can help treat diseases including Parkinson's, stroke, heart disease and diabetes. The embryonic stem cells are cells that can easily be transformed into any cell. This can help treat many diseases but this may also increase the number of women selling their eggs and undergo dangerous procedure to do. We don’t agree with the use of the embryonic stem cells for research.

This proposal is immoral because it violates a central tenet of all civilized codes on human experimentation beginning with the Nuremberg Code: It approves doing deadly harm to a member of the human species solely for the sake of potential benefit to others. The embryos to be destroyed by researchers in this campaign are at the same stage of development as embryos in the womb who have been protected as human subjects in federally funded research since 1975.(4) President Clinton's National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) and its 1994 predecessor, the NIH Human Embryo Research Panel, conceded that the early human embryo is a form of developing human life that deserves our respect(5). Treating human life as mere research material is no way to show respect.

Embryonic stem cell research is a controversial topic nationwide, because of its clash of ethical and moral values. Many people, including those suffering from diseases that this research is seeking to cure, do not believe in killing a living embryo in order to advance research and science.

Through change and uttermost struggle, the people who care about a subject always seem to push through for what they believe in. For the sake of Embryonic Stem Cell research, the advocates tried their best to show the advancements stem cells may withhold, and for the people who disagree with the research, always seemed to put a new light on the subject, simply humanizing the research. Although the destruction of a human embryo is not something many people would view as ethical, it is something that could hold much promise for those who suffer from terminal illnesses (Sherley). When the miracle of assisting those who could not reproduce children through In Vitro Fertilization transpired the world of stem cell research was acquired (Tauer 924).

The members of the Catholic Church and many Catholics, oppose the use of embryonic stem cells because it means destroying an innocent human being at any stage in its life. Although they do not oppose the research as a whole, they believe this can further humankind and can save millions of lives. The Catholic Church does encourage scientists and other researchers to continue their experimentations with the use of other sources of stem cells, like adult stem cells, for example.

The stem cell of the embryo can divide for long periods of time and still have the ability to produce all cell type in an organism. Their ability to do so is why scientists are trying to find ways to use them to cure or treat diseases. They think that they can programed to repair or replace the disease ridden cells of an infected patient Some diseases that they think can be

Stem cells are used in treating different diseases because embryonic cells can form into the cell type needed, then those cells replace the ones that were damaged by the disease. They can be used in a bone marrow transplant.

Stem cell research is currently being conducted in numerous countries around the world. There are two main types of stem cells currently in use for research, adult and embryonic. This report will discuss the theological aspects of embryonic stem cell research in the United States. As the name implies an embryonic stem cell is harvested from a human embryo. Embryonic stem cells are obtained in two separate ways. One way is to use discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization, where fertilized eggs are donated for research. The second way is when embryos are created specifically for stem cell research. As a Christian it is my view that obtaining stem cells for research from discarded embryos should be encouraged and continue, whereas

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

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

In addition to research, these types of stem cells are used to restore and repair damaged tissue in all kinds of diseases. Embryonic stem cells are so useful because they have pluripotency, which means that they can differentiate into any human cell type. The cell types that they are commonly induced in are brain, heart, liver and insulin pumping beta cells that are similar to the pancreas. Since these embryonic stem cells can be differentiated into so many types of cells, they are able to treat diseases like: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes and many more.