Washington D.C., Oct 19, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The United States’ largest association of faith-based physicians says two recently reported developments in embryonic stem-cell research, purportedly designed to allay ethical concerns, “do not circumvent the moral dilemmas of destroying living human beings or exposing them to harm.” Both methods were reported in the October 17 online edition of Nature.
While applauding the search for ethical alternatives, the Christian Medical Association’s leaders note that one procedure involves programming an embryo genetically so that it cannot successfully implant and develop in the uterus.
"Just because scientists have created a genetic time bomb in the embryo does not change its essential human nature,” said CMA executive director Dr. David Stevens.
Another procedure involves removing a cell from an eight-cell embryo, then developing that removed cell in order to harvest embryonic stem cells.