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“Clone and Kill”

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Illinois

The Senate may vote on Sen. Jeff Schoenberg’s stem cell research bill this week, and opponents have been gearing up for days.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 /U.S. Newswire/ — The nation’s largest faith-based association of doctors today labeled the Stem Cell Research Act (HB3589) currently before the Illinois House “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” noting that it condones human cloning, encourages abortion for research, and betrays an ignorance of stem cell science.

“This bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing–a blatant attempt to foist human cloning on the good people of Illinois,” explained David Stevens, M.D., M.A. (Ethics), executive director of the 17,000-member Christian Medical Association. “The bill clearly states ‘that research involving the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells…from any source, including somatic cell nuclear transplantation, shall be permitted.’

“That’s human cloning. That’s the exact same cloning process that produced Dolly the sheep. And when Dolly was cloned, an overwhelming majority of Americans and legislators vowed that cloning would never be used on human beings.” [Snip]

Dr. Stevens, who is a physician and bioethicist noted, “Besides encouraging embryo-destroying human cloning for research, this outrageous bill actually encourages abortions for research. The bill states that ‘Embryonic or cadaveric fetal tissue may be donated for research purposes…’ “

The problem with the opposition so far is that it ignores the amendments that Schoenberg is working on. The Senate does not publish amendments until they are passed by a committee, so Dr. Stevens’ comments are based on the original draft, which has long since been abandoned.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 12, 04 @ 1:43 pm

Comments

What I don’t understand is what the wing nuts are trying to do? Do they really think that stem cell research is going to be halted? The genie is out of the bottle. If they continue to fight Government funding for this new frontier of science they will only succeed in making sure that only the very wealthy will be able to benefit from this research. Clinton knew that would happen when the human genome project was the thing they railed against. Bush isn’t doing this to be a man of faith he’s doing this cause there’s untold fortune to be had.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 12, 04 @ 1:17 pm