Embryonic Stem Cell Research Debate

When the advancement of medical research begins to raise questions about the morality behind which that advancement is achieved, there is generally a major conflict. This is exactly what is happening in the heated debate involving stem cell research. The conflict behind stem cell research is that some people think it is immoral, and the other side think that it is moral as long as it has a purpose. The type of stem cell research that is most heavily debated has to due with the use of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are cells that can become any cell in the body, but they have to be taken from an embryo. This particular conflict is argued by two very distinct and credible sides: religious groups and medical researchers. Religious

In an article written by Nancy Frazier O’Brien, she points out the fact that during a United States Conference of Bishops meeting there was a 191-1 vote in favor of a document titled “On Embryonic Stem Cell Research: A Statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops”. This document basically stated that we, as a people, have crossed a certain line of morality that causes us to believe it is permissible to use a human being as a research specimen (O’Brien). This idea adds an entirely new level of difficulty when dealing with this particular conflict. If human embryos are thought of as human beings than the conflict deepens with the debate of the morality in killing one thing to save another. The conflict behind embryonic stem cell research is very difficult, and religious groups, such as the Catholic church, present a very firm stance. Likewise, many people in the scientific community have an equally firm but opposite stance on the conflict behind embryonic stem cell

With all conflicts, there are ways to settle the dispute, or help in some way. The easiest way to do this for this particular conflict is to sort out the facts from the false claims. Yes, adult stem cell research is a promising field, but it is not even close to the same level as embryonic stem cell research. So how do you compromise? Use the left over or unused embryos from in vitro processes to extract embryonic stem cells. This is a more ethical way of extracting embryonic stem cells seeing as these specific embryos would be destroyed anyways. Therefore, why not use them for science? Along with this, medical scientists can continue to do adult stem cell research in order to make more advances in that particular field. In a way religious beliefs are hindering medical advancement, but the religious beliefs have a very understandable moral basis. This is why I tend to sway more toward the scientist’s side of the conflict, though I also have an understanding of why the religious side is against it. Some conflicts are extremely hard to settle, and embryonic stem cell research is definitely one of those conflicts. Both sides have extremely strong beliefs, but at the end of the day there is always room to