President Obama overturned March 9 a prohibition on federal funding of stem cell research that destroys embryos, drawing protests from supporters of the previous policy who said his action is both unethical and unnecessary.
Signed at a White House ceremony, Obama’s executive order rescinded a policy instituted by President Bush in August 2001. Bush’s rule barred the use of federal funds for stem cell research that results in the destruction of human embryos. Bush permitted, however, grants for experiments on stem cell lines, or colonies, already in existence.
Four prominent South Carolina Baptists – Jim Austin, South Carolina Baptist Convention executive director-treasurer; Rudy Gray, SCBC president; Hal Lane, a trustee of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; and Joe Mack, director of the SCBC’s Office of Public Policy Issues – responded to a request from the Courier for their reactions to the president’s order. Here are their statements:
Jim Austin
SCBC Executive Director
Jim AustinI am very disappointed that the president made this decision to overturn President Bush’s ban on using federal funds for embryonic stem cell research beyond pre-existing stem cell lines. I think this is a further indication that America is moving away from its faith and using the Bible as our guide for morality and ethics.
We should not be creating life for the purpose of destroying life, regardless of what the incentive is. This calls to mind some of George Orwell’s ominous predictions in his book, “1984.” I am also reminded of C.S. Lewis’ reference to “men without chests” who have lost their conscience. This decision is one more indication that we’re losing our conscience.
There are many other areas of stem cell research besides embryonic that have been proven promising, such as the use of placenta cells and adult skin cells.
It seems nonsensical to be delving into an issue that violates not only Christian ethics but what should also be human ethics. When we as a culture allowed for abortion – and there have been about 40 million abortions in America since 1973 – the value and dignity of human life diminished dramatically. Once we have headed down the road of losing the dignity of human life, then other dominoes will fall. Creating life to destroy life is yet another domino. Who knows what’s coming next? We already have sex-selection abortion and designer babies, ominous developments that stem from a society that has embraced abortion on demand.
Life is becoming cheap. To quote Mother Teresa, “We have become a culture of death.”
Rudy Gray
SCBC President
Rudy GrayThe problem with embryonic stem cell research is that when the cells are harvested from an embryo, the result is the destruction of human life. It is not simply a scientific procedure that will cure diseases. It is a moral choice to destroy life with the possible hope of maybe someday finding something that will help in the treatment of diseases.
Thus far, adult stem cell research in which no life is destroyed has proven to be much more successful and promising.
This executive order issued by President Obama opens the door to even more immoral activities like so-called therapeutic cloning, in which an embryo is cloned in order to create more stem cells to be harvested.
Potentially, this decision could increase the number of abortions in this country. Practically, it most likely will. As a Christian who pays taxes, it is a sad burden to know that tax dollars will be used to fund this activity.
I do not agree with our president’s decision. It is a moral issue, and we cannot be silent on the great moral issues of our day. Scripture exhorts us to pray for our leaders. We need to prayerfully and humbly ask our great God to move this man’s heart to a position of greater respect for human life – at whatever stage of development.
Hal Lane
Trustee, ERLC
Hal LanePresident Obama’s removal of the ban on federal funding for stem cell research was political, unnecessary, and immoral.
Politically, it was a terrible promise kept to the most radical elements of the culture of death in our society.
It was unnecessary because during the ban more promising adult stem cell discoveries have eclipsed its potential.
It was immoral because it is the destruction of a genetically complete human being who only needs time and nurture to grow. Scientifically, everything that can be done should not be done. We must be guided by the sanctity of human life rather than reckless pursuits of expediency.
Joe Mack
Director, SCBC Public Policy Issues
Joe MackPresident Obama signed an order that sealed the fate of untold numbers of future Americans. He gave an executive order to federally fund the destruction of viable human embryos for the sake of scientific research. History has shown that wholesale human medical experiments are extremely dangerous and never purely objective.
I believe the combination of every life experience leads us to make the decisions on which we choose to act. Understanding this philosophy tells us that President Obama’s order is underwritten by his personal code of values. He said as much when he said, “We will harness the power of science to achieve our goals.” How credible are his assurances that cloning will be off-limits? Scientists are already trying to create stem cells from custom-made embryos that are genetic copies of patients (clones).
I believe this order will create a market and a demand for lab-created embryos that could be filled by crass recruitment of high-school and college-aged young women. When this happens, human embryos will be added to the shopping list for those who deal in human trafficking.
Southern Baptists are on record in our support of the sanctity of life. In 2005, our convention passed a resolution encouraging our elected officials to sustain a ban on embryonic stem cell research. It reminded them that well-established national and international legal and ethical norms do not support misusing any human being for research purposes. It reminded our leaders that laws against funding for research in which human embryos are destroyed or harmed were based on universally accepted principles governing experiments on human subjects contained in the Nuremberg Code, the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki.
Destroying human embryos for stem cell research is unethical, unreliable and unnecessary.