To Fund or Not to Fund:
Main Arguments Both For and Against Governmental Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
For Governmental Funding:
-- Research thus far has taught us that Embryonic Stem Cells can differentiate into more cell types and proliferate at a faster rate than can Adult stem cells. This makes it much easier to work with this type of stem cell.
-- Strictly funding Adult Stem Cell Research may not suffice. Embryonic Stem Cell Research could yield results that Adult Stem Cell Research may not be able to. It is important to understand what both types can do.
-- Embryos used in Embryonic Stem Cell Research are generally taken from In-vitro Fertilization Clinics. If not used for stem cell research, these embryos would be simply discarded--literally thrown in the garbage. Those embryos will never know human life. Which is more wrong: Throwing away these embryos, or using these embryos that will never know human life for research that could potentially save or improve millions of lives--allowing them to live on in those people, to serve a purpose.
Against Governmental Funding:
-- Adult Stem Cell Research can likely yield the same results as can Embryonic, it will simply take more patience.
-- The Government has the responsibility to represent the views of society. Many people are opposed to Embryonic Stem Cell Research, therefore it is the government's obligation to respect that view and legislate based on it.
-- Embryonic Stem Cells are forms of human life and we should not tamper with that-- "Don't play God"
-- Taking an embryo, a human life, and destroying it for the purpose of scientific research is wrong both ethically and morally.
Groups Generally for and against Embryonic Stem Cell Research:
For: Most scientists, people with ailments such as Alzheimer's, people with loved ones who have such ailments
Against: Most evangelical Christian groups, Catholic Church, much of the Religious Right
*This site was created for a Monmouth College honors course*