Washington D.C., Jul 31, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Numerous pro-life and Christian organizations are still shocked by Friday’s announcement by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, that he thinks more federal funding should be spent on embryonic stem cell research.
The Tennessee Senator announced on the Senate floor, Friday that he believes President Bush’s stem cell policy should be “modified” to allow for expanded federal funding for stem cell research. He noted that while “I believe human life begins at conception”, he said, “I also believe that embryonic stem cell research should be encouraged and supported.''
Lanier Swann, director of government relations for Concerned Women for America said that, "It is mystery to us how the senator could claim that he believes life begins at conception and then immediately contradict that statement by adding, 'I also believe embryonic stem-cell research should be encouraged and supported.' It certainly gives one pause in trusting his commitment to the sanctity of life."
"While we respect the senator's desire to support a science that offers hope to ailing patients,” she said, “we want to respectfully remind him that that hope already exists through the numerous advancements in adult stem-cell research (ASCR). While ESCR has yet to yield one result, more than 65 diseases have already been successfully treated through the safe and morally unquestionable research of adult stem cells.”