The bishops rejected research proponents’ argument that any harm done in embryonic stem cell research is outweighed by the potential benefits, saying the idea that a good end can justify direct killing “has been the source of much evil in our world.” The statement argued that the same ethic that justifies taking some lives to help a sick patient today can be used to sacrifice the same patient tomorrow.
The bishops’ statement defended the humanity of the embryonic human being, saying “the human embryo, from conception onward, is as much a living member of the human species as any of us.” The statement said that those who do acknowledge the humanity of the embryo but insist it is too undeveloped to have full human rights actually deny that “we have inherent value simply by being members of the human family” and by implication deny that there are any inherent human rights.
“As believers who recognize each human life as the gift of an infinitely loving God, we insist that every human being, however small or seemingly insignificant, matters to God—hence everyone, no matter how weak or small, is of concern to us,” the statement said, noting that this is not only a Catholic teaching, but a position taken for granted in the Declaration of Independence.
“In our nation’s proudest moments Americans have realized that we cannot dismiss or exclude any class of humanity—that basic human rights must belong to all members of the human race without distinction,” the statement continued.
The bishops also argued against the position that killing embryos to produce stem cells is not depriving someone of life because they are “spare” embryos “who will die anyway.” Their statement said, “This argument is simply invalid. Ultimately each of us will die, but that gives no one a right to kill us. Our society does not permit lethal experiments on terminally ill patients or condemned prisoners on the pretext that they will soon die anyway.”
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The bishops endorsed adult and umbilical cord blood stem cells, saying they are “now known to be much more versatile than first thought.”
“There is no moral objection to research and therapy of this kind, when it involves no harm to human beings at any stage of development and is conducted with appropriate informed consent. Catholic foundations and medical centers have been, and will continue to be, among the leading supporters of ethically responsible advances in the medical use of adult stem cells.”
The bishops’ statement closed by urging the rejection of all action that objectifies human beings.