Insert Fat Joke Here

Cow and human DNA has been mixed to create an embryo that survived for three days.

Why do would-be Dr. Frankensteins do this?

The embryos survived for three days and are intended to provide a limitless supply of stem cells to develop therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal cord injuries, overcoming a worldwide shortfall in human embryos.

Now it begins to make more sense.

However, let’s look at a statement that I find particularly…disturbing in that quote. Apparently there is ”a worldwide shortfall in human embryos.” Could it be that these same embryos are, you know, being carried to full term? I’m just thinking out loud, here.

If you’ve followed the site for a while, you know that I’m lukewarm on the whole “abortion issue,” which ties in directly to the use of human embryos as stem cell factories. I find that the claim that life begins at conception to be both scientifically and philosophically dubious; however, I do believe there are moral lines that we should not cross when it comes to mucking around in our genetic material. Where do those lines reside? I can’t give you a concrete answer at this point. Most of my moral compass in this arena is driven by my own personal discomfort with such activities.

What makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention is the attitude implied in the article–that human embryos are a commodity to be traded in the open market. Wherever you fall in this debate, this attitude should be stopped. If we cease to hold human life (or even the potential for it) in the highest esteem, we are starting down the path envisioned in the darkest of science fiction dystopias. Stem cell research should be conducted with the utmost care (and respect!), not just because of the potential benefits, but also because we are experimenting with the very things that make us human.