:>MEDIA RELEASE

:>The NSW Council of Churches

:>ADVANCING A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

:>

:>March 19, 2002

:>

:>CHURCHES SAY: “PUT BRAKES ON EMBRYO STEM CELL RESEARCH”

:>

:>The NSW Council of Churches has expressed concern at Premier Bob Car’s

:>apparent desire to rush into approving embryonic stem cell research. The

:>Churches urge the Premier to exercise restraint and not rush through

:>legislation which will allow – even encourage the harvesting of stem cells

:>from human embryos for research purposes.

:>

:>”A human embryo has the potential of developing into a person and needs to

:>be respected,” said Mr Ray Hoekzema, President of the NSW Council of

:>Churches.

:>

Snip… for the sake of brevity

:>

:>Validation of such finding would prove that the destruction of human

embryos

:>in order to harvest stem cells is unnecessary. No reasonable person could

:>justify violating ethical barriers to clone and harvest human embryos for

:>their stem cells.

:>

:>”We need to pursue and encourage research of the alternatives. Then we

need

:>to examine and re-examine the scientific facts with a fully informed moral

:>conscience,” said Mr Hoekzema.

I think that this article does not reflect general Christian values but

rather

one of the more extreme views.

While an embryo has the potential to be part of a human being – it is not as

such a human being even though it is alive. It has yet to develope before

it

gains a consciousness and becomes a human being.

Stem cells are much less of a problem, but are a very useful aid in curing

some diseases. Research in this area is I bel;ieve gouing to provide

humankind with valuable medical advances that will be of assistance to

future

generations.

I think that we would be failing in our duty not do do the research and make

the best use of what God has given us! The parable of the talents in which

the servant with only one talen who hid it instead of doing his best, came

to

a sticky end! So might we of we put opur heads into the sand!

We owe that much to our future generations. Where would we be now if the

research of the past two centuries had not be completed?

Regards to you all

John Fulton

~~~

John, your view is surprisingly liberal. The usual Christian principle is

that life starts at conception. The Roman Catholic Church believes God

inserts a soul at conception so the use of embryo cells is wrong. That leads

them to reject even test tube conception to help infertile couples.

Like you I think that while an early stage embryo has the potential to be a

human being it is nothing more than a bunch of cells. There is a feeling we

are playing with life but I don’t think it matters at such an early stage.

As long as it is done for the right reasons I see no problem in cultivating

cells for body parts or for the cure of disease.

The Christian principle is that life belongs to God but even if you believe

that we have stewardship of life.

Bob Howard.