Jay from LTI Blog did a stinging review this opinion piece in the Michigan Daily that makes outrageous yet typical arguments in favor of embryonic stem research. For example:
Article: Despite its medical benefits, embryonic stem cell research remains controversial because of the feeling that it destroys a human life. However, the pro-life argument regarding stem cell research is fraught with complications and contradictions.You'll want to read the entire post and add your comments at the end. The actual substance of the opinion piece is weak, which apparently enticed the author to enlist the help of very common (and fallacious) emotive arguments to motivate federal funding in favor of ESC research. In doing so it unjustly accuses the pro-life community and exploits the compassion of society and hopes of the sick.Jay: It is not the "feeling" that we destroy human life that makes it controversial. It is the actual destruction of life that no one seems to be able to identify as anything other than "human" that is problematic.
Article: How, then, is it more pro-life to save an embryo that will ultimately be thrown away than to use that embryo to improve and save lives? It's counterintuitive to protect something that will never have a fully developed life over a person who already has a life but suffers from a permanent, debilitating disease.
Jay: Why will it never have a fully developed life? Oh yeah, we intend to kill it. So since we are going to be killing the life anyway, we might as well exploit it. It would be wasteful not to. How could anyone discern an ethical issue there?
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