What are Stem Cells? Are there ethical problems when we use embryonic stem cells?

Stem cells are “unspecialized human or animal cells that can produce mature specialized body cells and at the same time replicate themselves.”

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells are obtained by killing a human embryo. The removal process of embryonic stem cells is usually done during the first 4-5 days of an embryos life consisting of 200-250 cells. They remove the inner cell mass of the embryo to retrieve the stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are very unstable, produce cancerous tumors and have an inherent incompatibility to the tissues of the patient.

http://www.cmdahome.org/index.cgi?BISKIT=1713341892&CONTEXT=art&art=2702

Many embryonic stem cell proponents attempt to get their local and federal governments to fund their research because that kind of research does not have enough investment into it by venture capitalists.  In other words, who wants to invest in something that may not be able to benefit others for decades to come?

http://www.technologyreview.com/BioTech/13715/

The media takes a great deal of their cues by being loyal within their own political spheres as well as predominantly focusing on the arguments of pro embryonic stem cell proponents, rather than taking the whole picture of stem cell research into consideration.

http://www.nrlc.org/Killing_Embryos/Fumento052404.html

I almost believe the only reason that the media loves the embryonic stem cell industry is that they feel compelled to go against anything that smacks of pro life or conservative values. They somehow consider themselves to be progressive or enlightened because they think they know the whole scientific story, but I think they are listening to only one side of it. And perhaps they think that the cures have to be where conservative Christians have refused to go, because we are somehow backward or enslaved to our religion. Being slaves to being prejudiced against Christians comes with a high price. There are wasted billions of dollars being spent on research that may not see any benefit, when it should go into adult stem cell therapies that already work.

But the amazing cures to come from the ethical use of Adult and Cord blood stem cells paint a much different story and it is those who are following the so called backward religion who are actually using much more solid science on the matter of stem cell research. Our methods are far more compassionate as we can nearly expect some kind of adult or cord blood stem cell cure or treatment every month. Sadly, as I said before, the ESCR folk are relegated to probably waiting decades from helping those with terrible diseases with ESCR.

Adult Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cells can be derived from the patient and thus there is no issue of tissue rejection. Adult stem cells can develop into any kind of tissue that are needed, they are only limited in the sense that you have to go to different parts of the body to obtain certain kinds of stem cells based on what the patient needs. Adult and cord blood stem cells have already been responsible for at least 70 cures of disease.

http://family.org/socialissues/A000000608.cfm

http://family.org/socialissues/A000000609.cfm

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/index.html

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=489953

http://www.lifenews.com/bio979.html

Adult stem cells are capable of producing nearly 200 types of tissue. The hope is to produce new tissues such as new kidneys or hearts or even brain material and cures and treatments for many diseases like spinal cord injury and diabetes. 

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/

In California, Proposition 71 and Missouri’s Amendment 2 attempted to get over the ethical hurdles of cloning and killing by trying to mask the reality of the research being funded.  In both of these State Constitutional initiatives they sold the voters on the promise that there would be no cloning, as they know very well that the general public is uncomfortable with that kind of science. They told us that they would not do any cloning and then turned around and advocated for getting embryos from IVF clinics and using “Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, (SCNT) to obtain embryonic stem cells.  Most are unaware that SCNT, is a fancy term for Therapeutic CLONING.

The clear difference between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning is that with reproductive cloning you intend to allow the cloned person to live, whereas therapeutic cloning kills someone for spare parts. Once again, many have used the language that the embryos in the IVF clinics were “extra” as though that makes it more moral to kill someone because they are “extra.” 

What if we heard that kind of rhetoric from people who want to depopulate the earth? Are we comfortable with giving someone the authority of life or death by allowing them to say who can live?  Are we comfortable with someone killing others because they do not believe that these “undesirables or extras” have a “quality of life” even if we will benefit from their death? Somehow I think I have just described the euphemism called “choice”. The ability to have an arbitrary decision whether one lives or dies.

As I said before, there are arguments that are made from well meaning self described pro life folk that if the embryos did not implant on the uterine wall, but are grown in a Petri dish, they are not human.  They believe that your location makes you human, rather than the obvious statement that being made in God’s image makes you human. And what does this say about children who were conceived through IVF?  Are they less human than those conceived in the womb?  This mentality brings me to another point regarding the unwanted children in an IVF clinic.  Are children somehow less human because they are unwanted?

http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke

Does the fact that one is unwanted make their DNA change so that they are less human?  What does that say about those in our society who are unwanted?  Are they somehow less human because they are not wanted?  The elderly, the disabled and the homeless are considered by some to be unwanted.  Is that what kind of world we want to live in where one group decides who is wanted and who is not?  I think the world has already experienced that with Pol Pot, Stalin and Hitler.  They simply decided who was wanted and who was not and the result was millions of deaths.  Some find it easy to ignore, until it is you who are being led away to a concentration camp or killing field.

I believe that the problem is that people have lost their ability to be compassionate and respectful to those who are their fellow humans.  Just because we can justify our selfish needs by disposing of someone, does that make it right in the eyes of God?  Embryos in IVF clinics and ESCR facilities fall into that category.  The legislating of killing and plundering what is another’s is against the very foundations of the Judeo-Christian ethic. Even the book of Psalms and Isaiah the prophet spoke about unjust laws being made that plundered or mistreated the orphans. And those words written thousands of years ago still hold true that we should pursue rescuing those who are being exploited

“Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive  the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights, so that widows may be their spoil, and that they may plunder the orphans.” (Isaiah 10:1-2)

How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.   Psalm 82:2-4

For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood,
Your tongue mutters wickedness. No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly.
They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.
They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth. Their webs will not become clothing,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works Their works are works of iniquity, 

And an act of violence is in their hands. Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways.” Isaiah 59:3-7

(This passage seems to describe the very nature of the pro abortion and pro embryonic mentality which bases their policies on lies and confusion, that ends up shedding the blood of the unborn)