“Stem Cell Therapy” is in the news these days. It seems that there were some treatments that seem to be quite successful, while some, disastrously disappointing. Despite these negative developments, there are real medical advantages for venturing into these researches like potential treatments for incurable diseases such as cancers, leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and others.

There are two ways to harvest stem cell for treatment: the first source is “adult stem cells” – the source is from the person’s bone marrow, umbilical cord blood of newborn baby, or various organs in a person’s body. This is uncontroversial but not too effective. The second source, and creating quite a controversy, is “human embryos” when it is at 3-5 day of development. These are created through “Therapeutic cloning” and stem cells produced are more viable to treat incurable diseases. The controversy arises because, when these stem cells are harvested, the human embryos producing them would be destroyed. The issue is: “when is the right time to harvest stem cell from human embryos so that they can be safely considered a non-human being yet?” Does the embryo’s start being a person at the time of birth? When the fetus is capable of living outside the womb, which is about 24 weeks after pregnancy? When there is already a decisive brain activity, which is 45 days of pregnancy? When it is able to experience pain? When the mother feels movements in her womb? Or, as long as they are still microscopically minute and existing outside the womb due to “in vitro fertilization”?

So…..  when is it alright to use a human embryo for harvesting stem cell that would in the process destroy it? Or, is there really a right time at all for doing this?

My position in this ethical issue is: at the point of conception, the fetus has the potential to be a mature person. So it is therefore unacceptable to kill the human embryos in order to harvest the stem cells no matter how badly they are needed by ailing patients. Life is sacred and only God has the right to take it.

What is your position regarding this?
   
Note: The above information are from "Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics" by Scott B. Rae, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1995. pp. 138-143