The Roman Catholic Debate Aganist Stem Cell Research and Embryonic Cloning

Running Head : EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

The Catholic Debate against Stem Cell Research and Embryonic Cloning

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Date Stem cells have an ability of developing into different cell types Scientists ' beliefs that stem cell research may offer a renewable supply of replacement cells to be used in cell-based therapies to treat diseases , which are often referred to are generative or reparative medicine . There are two different types of stem cells developed from humans and animals , these are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells

. Most of the embryonic stem cells used by scientists are by-products of In-vitro fertilization (IVF .IVF involves surgically removing mature ova from a woman and then fertilizing it with a spermatozoon from a man . The fertilized egg is then implanted in the woman 's womb where it grows normally to either full term or evacuated to be used in research . In embryonic stem cell research these embryos are isolated into embryonic stem cells by dividing them again and again From each division a differentiated cell is obtained , these related cells (stem cells ) constitute a group of cells which share the same DNA and are known as line ' From these lines , scientists are optimistic they will be able to understand a variety of diseases and eventually treat illnesses that entail lost or damaged cells such as diabetes , some cancers , Alzheimer 's disease , spinal cord injury as well as Parkinson 's disease

The leaders of the Catholic Church are the major opponents of the stem cell research , they lead other opponents in arguing that the blastocyst is a human being and destroying it even in the attempt of curing someone from a disease is unethical (Benedict Ashley , 2001 . However , scientists argue that since the products of IVF legally belong to the family that created them , and very few agree to raise them on their own or for adoption but majority of them are destroyed . From this it is very clear that using the blastocyst in pursuit of a cure to a disease is more beneficial than just throwing them away

The Catholic Church also argues that if stem cell research is allowed there will be an increased rise in production of stem cells which will be a starting point for scientist to try creating human embryo by cloning . Cloning is defined as the process of creating an identical of something ' The clone does not go through the process of conception growth and birth , something that the Catholic Church strongly opposes The Catholic Church equates embryonic stem cell research with abortion since like abortion embryonic stem cell research involves the destruction of the life embryos . But unlike abortion the proponents argue that most stem cells originates from the process of IVF where most of these embryos are thrown away and that this research utilizes them to produce stem cells which will be used to treat the otherwise incurable disease

The Catholic Church has taken a stand against the use of tissue from aborted fetuses . This is...