What do you guys think about it? ---------- Personally, I think that banning government funding for it is stupid and close-minded. There are many other ways to acquire embryonic stem cells without harming embryos; stem cells are abundant in the blood of umbilical cords, and can be attained easily from dedifferentiation. Sure, the other methods aren't perfect, but the problems with them are easily fixed with enough time and money. Also, it is important to remember that cells can be obtained by using frozen embryos that are just slated to be thrown away. Also, they have the potential to cure a good deal of the diseases that plague us today, like diabetes and certain forms of cancer. Of course, there needs to be time to perfect treatment, and funding, but if worked on enough, it could be one of the most valuable forms of medicine.
obtaining stem cells even if its from an embryo its the same as getting an organ from an organ donor so technically if because of religious or personal beliefs you don't believe in stem cell research then you should also be against organ donation if your not then your a hypocrite
No, Deth... An organ doesn't have the potential for creating a separate life, and reproductive organs need other people and time to be considered life. You created an analogy between two things and then expected them to share all the same properties. That's the same fallacy used in the witch scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
No, Deth... An organ doesn't have the potential for creating a separate life, and reproductive organs need other people and time to be considered life. You created an analogy between two things and then expected them to share all the same properties. That's the same fallacy used in the witch scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I'll admit there are differences but for all intents and purposes it fits with my argument. Stem cells can cure a person's disease therefore giving them life the same with an organ if someone is dying because they need a heart or liver or whatever its the same the prolonging of life through death. A person dies and his organs go to people that need them and an embryo gives its stem cells to people that need them. If your dying of liver failure and a organ donor gets murdered by someone would you not let the doctors save your life by using his/her liver?
No, Deth, it really isn't the same. Your logic, as I understand it, is as follows: 1. Both stem cells and organs are donated and saves lives. They're also both parts of the human body. 2. Therefor, they're almost the same thing. 3. Therefor, they're looked at the same way by God and people. Using the same process, we could conclude the following: 1. Both computers and squirrels require energy, and they both generate heat. They are also both annoying. 2. Therefor, they're almost the same thing. 3. Therefor, computers can climb trees.
Christians aren't against harvesting stem cells because they're from people. If they were, then you would be correct. They're against harvesting stem cells from embryos because they view embryos as having a life and a soul. They do not view other organs as having a life and a soul. I'm stereotyping, I know.
I think stem cell research is very important... as said many times in this thread, there could be fantastic cures for a countless amount of diseases, which is exactly why I really hope it gets all the funding it needs.
Using embryos for this is obviously a different matter for a lot of people. I can understand why they are against it, but I suppose it all has to do with the question 'when is a lump of cells concidered to be sentient' - or something along those lines. Basically, you don't want to kill a human being. For me, I can't really say where that line is drawn, I'd suppose between embryo and foetus. (which would be somewhere between 8-10 weeks).
We are made up of a bunch of cells, and a stem"cell" is a cell just like the ones we are made up of kinda but it still is a cell. would you like to have never been born? just had your parents kill you because they thought you were only 1 cell. You are killing inocent people that are defenceless.
and a stem"cell" is a cell just like the ones we are made up of kinda but it still is a cell.
To clarify stem cells are characterized by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types.to give rise to any mature cell type,
You are killing inocent people that are defenceless.
They're not people their embyos fistly and most used would never have been people, would never have got the chance.
We are made up of a bunch of cells, and a stem"cell" is a cell just like the ones we are made up of kinda but it still is a cell. would you like to have never been born? just had your parents kill you because they thought you were only 1 cell. You are killing inocent people that are defenceless.
goddammit, I'm not even going to take the time to nom that post to shreds. Actually research the topic, as you seem to know absolutely nothing about it. You are not killing defenseless people, you are either A) using an already-aborted embryo for cells (people don't just get abortions specifically for stem cells. Also, would you rather kill a cluster of cells that may grow up into a human, OR SAVE THE LIFE OF A FULLY GROWN PERSON? B) Using the stem cells from the blood of umbilical cords, which is to no loss to ANYONE, or C) dedifferentiating your own cells into embryonic ones. Please *headbang* research *headbang* the *headbang* damn *headbang* topic *headbang* before *headbang* you *headbang* post? *epic headbang* *decides to demolish headbanging wall for my own safety*
goddammit, I'm not even going to take the time to nom that post to shreds. Actually research the topic, as you seem to know absolutely nothing about it. You are not killing defenseless people, you are either A) using an already-aborted embryo for cells (people don't just get abortions specifically for stem cells. Also, would you rather kill a cluster of cells that may grow up into a human, OR SAVE THE LIFE OF A FULLY GROWN PERSON? B) Using the stem cells from the blood of umbilical cords, which is to no loss to ANYONE, or C) dedifferentiating your own cells into embryonic ones. Please *headbang* research *headbang* the *headbang* **** *headbang* topic *headbang* before *headbang* you *headbang* post? *epic headbang* *decides to demolish headbanging wall for my own safety*
that was actually my point maybe i wasn't very clear i wasn't saying stem cells and organs are the same to god they're obviously different things but if some "blasphemous heathen" either kills a person or gets an abortion and they harvest stem cells from it would you say no to the organ or stem cells if they could save your life? the embryo is already dead its not like you killed it you couldn't have done anything to stop it why not benefit from it the same with organs?
With the idea that stem cell research involves killing babies, no wonder so many people get up in arms about it! Personally, I am a supporter of such research. I've noticed that oftentimes, people get misinformation on the issue. As has been stated before in the thread, the embryos used for the research being discussed here is coming from places that would normally just throw them away as medical waste. More often than not, they aren't viable embryos, they don't get implanted during fertility procedures because they have no chance of becoming viable.
I didn't notice it mentioned, but stem cells are simply cells that are undifferentiated. That is, they have the potential to turn into any type of cell in our body. This is why embryonic stem cells hold so much potential. Researchers are attempting to take those undifferentiated cells and coax them into becoming other cell types that can be used for medical treatment. Of course, all of this exciting potential doesn't nix the moral issue. I think, perhaps, this subject will always be riding the knife edge.
Hey i have also heard that Stem Cells are also related Atrtificial Inteligence.................
I suppose someone could make the argument that stem cells could theoretically be "rogrammed" to form new brain tissue and eventually an entire brain. While this is logically possible, I don't this it's realistically possible.
I honestly think our world isn't capable of creating an entire artificial brain out of stem cells. Yes, they can make a brain, but no researcher knows every single capability of the human mind. It will most likely wind up being a robot without something crucial... Individual thoughts. This is just my opinion though...
I honestly think our world isn't capable of creating an entire artificial brain out of stem cells. Yes, they can make a brain, but no researcher knows every single capability of the human mind. It will most likely wind up being a robot without something crucial... Individual thoughts. This is just my opinion though...
Your oh-so-uninformed opinion. It's not that we're creating it from scratch or anything, because it is in the coding of the stem cells to transform into the cells needed. So, if a person's brain is damaged, then inserting stem cells will potentially be able to cure their problem. Of course, before we're able to implement the treatment so well, the research needs more money.
Indeed, creating an entirely new and normally functioning brain with stem cells will not happen, at least not anywhere close to the near future. It may, perhaps, be impossible for such to happen in a lab. Brains are much more than a bunch of neurons. There are many nuances to brain form and function that cannot be recreated by simply growing a mass of brain cells. One example that comes to mind is the role that certain hormones play in fetal brain development that results in the difference between the male and female mind.
