Irrelevant Institution Alert: Vatican Condemns All Embryonic Stem Cell Research, In-Vitro......

[marmar]

Vatican Condemns Embryo Research, Cloning, Fertility Techniques
By Flavia Krause-Jackson and John Lauerman


Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- The Roman Catholic Church condemned embryonic stem cell research and artificial fertilization in a sweeping bioethics document that puts Pope Benedict XVI at odds with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.

The Vatican today released “Dignitas Personae,” Latin for “The Dignity of a Person,” a 32-page document starting with the principle that “the human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception.” The statement said it was “expressly approved” by the pope.

In 2001, President George W. Bush said U.S. research funds could be used to support embryonic stem cell research only if the cells existed at that time. “Dignitas” appears to oppose any embryonic stem cell research, even under the Bush limitations.

Obtaining embryonic stem cells “invariably causes the death of the embryo and is consequently illicit,” the Vatican said in the statement. Using them from any source “presents serious problems from the standpoint of cooperation in evil and scandal.”

Stem cells taken from embryos are self-starters with the power to make virtually any tissue or organ in the body, from blood vessels to the brain. While research from Japan has shown that skin cells can be provoked to behave the same way, scientists have said research on embryonic stem cells is vital to understanding the potential, and the risks, of using the cells medically.

Currently, the government funds research on a limited number of embryonic stem cell colonies, or “lines,” all of which date from 2001 or earlier. Scientists, saying many of those cells are difficult to grow and manipulate, are using private funds to pursue research on newer lines of embryonic stem cells grown at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in other laboratories. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aRiYVo7_Z.mc&refer=home

[FLAprogressive]

1. Thank goodness the Vatican is becoming increasingly and increasingly irrelevant every day....nt

[roody]

2. They also excommunicated Father Roy Bourgeois for

publishing an open letter supporting women's ordination. He is the founder of School of the Americas Watch.

[tcfrogs]

3. I'm sure the millions of Catholics around the world don't consider it an irrelevant institution

I don't disagree with your post. Just saying.

[davidthegnome]

4. Actually, you might be surprised

By the millions that do. I know very few Catholics who consider the Vatican of today to be relevant. Even fewer who consider his high stupidness (AKA, the pope) to be relevant.

[salguine]

5. What's the Catholic Church's position on institutional child rape?