|
Stem cell research offers vast
scientific potential, and it has given hope for a cure for many
who suffer from presently incurable maladies. However, this
issue is surrounded in controversy on all sides, as many people
object to stem cell research for various reasons. Some say that
stem cell research is merely a pawn used in political debates,
while others claim that the research is necessary for the
advancement of our country’s scientific prowess. Still others
object to stem cell research, especially with embryonic stem
cells, based on ethical opinions to which they adhere
vehemently. The most well known opposition to embryonic stem
cell research comes from Christians, with the Catholic Church
being at the forefront of the opposition. Although I do not
consider myself to be a very religious individual, I tend to
side with my faith in opposing this type of research. I do this
because I agree with the Catholic Church’s ethical position,
which forbids the taking of any human life, even if it may
potential help others in the future. I hope that this essay
might serve to provide a brief background of the scientific
aspects of embryonic stem cells and an overview of the Catholic
Church’s ethical and moral opposition to the research.
Nonetheless, before I can effectively discuss the underlying
ethical issues of embryonic stem cells, it is necessary to give
a brief overview of what stem cells are, how they can be
obtained, and what treatments they have already made possible.
According to the National Institute of Health, “stem cells are
cells that have the remarkable potential to develop into many
different cell types in the body.” [1] Stem
cells can, under the right conditions, be used to grow new
tissues or even a whole organ that can be used for transplant
procedures. There are two main types of stem cells, each with a
different source and a different amount of potential.
Pluripotent stem cells are the ones that are taken from human
embryos that are a few days old, and they can become any cell
type other than those needed to originally grow the embryo;
however, the process of obtaining the pluripotent stem cells
destroys the embryo. Embryonic stem cells can sometimes also be
isolated from blood from the spinal chord, but this process is
more difficult. [2] The other type of stem
cells, known as adult stem cells, are multipotent, which means
that they can only develop into a number of different cell
types. These cells are often obtained from adult human bone
marrow (although there are other sources, such as fat tissues),
and the process of extracting them does no permanent harm to the
patient.
It is a
common misconception of many that we are on the verge of using
the vast potential of embryonic stem cells to treat a number of
deadly diseases. Although they offer more potential than adult
stem cells, embryonic stem cells present a greater challenge for
scientists, as they have the ability to multiply out of control
and become cancerous if not handled properly. [3]
Furthermore, recent discoveries have shown that adult stem cells
can be made to transform into more varied types of cells than
previously thought possible, and consequently many treatments
have already been developed that utilize these multipotent
cells. The website of Do No Harm (The Coalition of Americans for
Research Ethics), a group strongly opposed to embryonic stem
cell research, lists fifty-six diseases that are currently
treatable with adult stem cells, including Parkinson’s disease,
Crohn’s disease, arthritis, and numerous types of cancer. Some
of these diseases have already begun to be treated with adult
stem cells. [4] Therefore, at least for the
present, adult stem cells present a more readily available and
safer method of treatment than their counterparts obtained from
embryos.
But
all of this is just background information, details that must be
known to understand the Catholic position against the
destruction of embryos to obtain pluripotent stem cells. The
Church objects to the use research of embryonic stem cells on
the sole basis of how they must be obtained: through the
destruction of a human embryo. Many of the supporters of
embryonic stem cell research claim that this is no problem, as
they do not regard an embryo as human life, since it cannot
survive on its own. Thomas Shannon, a professor of religion and
social ethics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a
contributor to the Catholic Update, claims that those who
support the destruction of embryos to obtain stem cells justify
this because, “while the [embryo] is a living organism,
possessing the human genetic code, such an organism is indeed
valuable, but its value is not yet that accorded to a person.”
[5] Whether or not a few days old human
embryo is a human being or not is a subject of great debate, and
is the source of the disagreements on the controversial issue of
embryonic stem cell research.
Even strong opponents to embryonic stem cell research such as
Shannon admit that, if it were true that an embryo is not
tantamount to a fully human individual, he and no other members
of the Church would object to using embryos for obtaining stem
cells. However, it is the opinion of the Catholic Church, and
that of other Christian denominations as well, that life begins
at the moment of conception, and therefore an embryo is just as
much a human being as are you and I. This view is established in
the 1987 Church document Donum Vitae (“Gift of Life”), which
states that the “human being is to be respected and treated as a
person from the moment of conception and therefore from that
same moment his rights as a person must be recognized” (I, 1).
This issue also pertains to the “Culture of Life” philosophy
espoused by Pope John Paul II, who rightfully claims that our
modern culture is beginning to value the sanctity of life much
less than we should. The eagerness of many to destroy embryos
that he, I, and most members of the Catholic Church oppose is
just one example of this phenomenon. However, there are many who
are quick to point out that the embryos that can be used in
research are those that would be discarded anyway by fertility
clinics. Although this is a very good objection,  the
Church’s opinion is that the embryos in clinics should not be
destroyed routinely to begin with. [6]
Given the
Catholic perspective on embryonic stem cell research, I believe
it is interesting to note the opinions of other religions, which
are almost unanimously in support of the research. Although
Judaism is the religious root of Catholicism and all of
Christianity, the official interpretation of the Jewish law
allows for the destruction of embryos to obtain stem cells, as
Judaism does not consider an embryo to be fully human until it
has developed for forty days. A majority of Jews support
embryonic stem cell research, because it entails providing
medical aid for other human beings, even though it comes at the
price of destroying not-quite-human embryos. [7] Similar
opinions are found in the Muslim faith, which does not consider
a developing human to be fully human or to have a soul until the
120th day after conception, and therefore destroying embryos for
scientific research is ethically justified. [8] However, I still
believe that the Catholic position is correct: due to the
sanctity of all human life, beginning with conception and ending
in death, innocent embryos may not be destroyed to obtain stem
cells, regardless of the vast potential these cells may have in
helping us find cures for terrible diseases and advance our
scientific knowledge.
References
1. National Institute of Health. “Stem Cell
Information.” 4 Nov. 2004. 15 Nov. 2004. <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/faqs.asp>.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics.
14 Nov. 2004 <http://www.stemcellresearch.org/>.
5. Shannon, Thomas A. "Stem-Cell Research: How Catholic Ethics
Guide Us." Catholic Update. 2002. 14 Nov. 2004 <http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0102.asp>.
6. Ibid.
7. Eisenberg, Daniel. “Stem Cell Research in Jewish Law.” Jewish
Law. 2001. 16 Nov. 2004 <http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/stemcellres.html>.
8. Weckerly, Michele. “The Islamic View on Stem Cell Research.”
17 Nov. 2004 <http://www-camlaw.rutgers.edu/publications/law-religion/new_devs/RJLR_ND_56.pdf>.
|
