What do you think about the presence of God, the sacredness of life and stem cell research?
This has been such a "hot" topic in all parts of our society and world and on so many different levels! I am wondering what you are thinking about it? I have heard many opinions on it and just when I feel close to believing what is "right" another discovery is made that continues the moral dilemma. In the future, I really do think this area is going to be as life-changing (or more so) as the invention of the computer which I think as altered completely the heart, soul, mind and matter of each of us! It has been an incredible tool of conversion and perversion, though I personally believe more experiences of conversion have been the result. Is that not the plight and risk of every awesome discovery ever made? Log and on and let us know your thoughts and feelings!
posted by Pia's Pals @ 9:16 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Wow! What a question! I’m going to do my best to plant some thoughtful seeds to make this topic a little less huge and a little less scary. I encourage anyone who has questions about scientific words or concepts to ask. I will do my best to answer in as the most lay language I am able. I am not an expert, but I do have a number of resources at my disposal. We are living in an exciting time and it is important that we are part of the dialogue. If you have a “gut feeling” that the use of stem cells is right or wrong, or somewhere in between, try to explore that and put it into words. Do you think it’s cool or creepy? Weird, exciting, both?
First, I think that it’s important to figure out which “stem cell debate” we want to discuss. There are several different kinds of stem cells. We all have stem cells right now in our bodies. For instance, in our bone marrow we have blood forming stem cells. Adult stem cells help replace some types of damaged cells in our bodies throughout our lives. Adult stem cells have been used for over 40 years to treat diseases. There is research being conducted on adult stem cells now to attempt to find new uses for them. There are also stem cells in umbilical cord blood and other fetal tissues.
However, the current “hot” topic in stem cells is the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESC). This is because their use requires the destruction of embryos, which have the potential to become babies.
What are human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and why are they special?
Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) are special because they are undifferentiated cells. This means that they have the ability to make any kind of human cell. This is how an embryo, a clump of a few cells, can change and grow to develop organs, limbs, etc. and eventually become identifiable as a human fetus. Stem cells can be directed to become a particular type of cell, like a heart cell. This has great possible implication for patients suffering from certain illnesses. For example, when a person has a heart attack, part of the heart dies and the patient always has a weaker heart afterwards. Scientists believe that with stem cells, they might be able to help a patient create more heart cells to replace the dead ones. Now, that said, the use of stem cells for the treatment of disease may not be practical. We just don’t know for sure yet. What primarily interests scientists is the ability to observe human development from such an early stage. Many congenital defects and diseases begin from a problem somewhere early on in a pregnancy. The study of stem cells may shed light on why these diseases and defects occur.
How are stem cells obtained? When an egg (from a female) and a sperm (from a male) join together, they make one new cell. This cell then divides into more identical cells, forming an embryo. The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst. (In normal reproduction, where fertilization takes place inside the woman, this embryo might otherwise attach in a woman’s uterus and develop in the womb until birth.) The stem cells used for hESC, however, are made through a process called in vitro fertilization (IVF). It literally means “fertilization outside the body.” This is where a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm are mixed together in a Petri dish to form embryos (the term “test tube baby” comes from this process). Stem cells can be used to establish stem cell lines (this is a rigorous procedure which creates cell cultures that can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory). This allows researchers to use stem cells for experimentation. Currently, due to federal regulations, there are great limitations on the creation and use of stem cells and stem cell lines. California’s Prop 71 has made it possible to do some stem cell research in California.
When an infertile couple undergoes IVF, embryos are formed, and if it appears that they will develop normally, then they can be implanted in a woman’s uterus, in the hopes that at least one embryo will develop into a baby. However, one IVF procedure typically yields 10 embryos. Many women undergo the procedure more than once and, ultimately, only use a few of the embryos, creating a stockpile of leftovers, which need to be frozen for possible future use. Couples pay storage fees to keep their embryos available. In the United States, there are an estimated 400,000 embryos in storage.
OK, so that’s a little background. My goodness, where to begin with the actual issues? Well, at the beginning, I suppose.
It’s great to say that life is sacred, but where does life begin? This is the hinge of the stem cell debate. Is it when a sperm fertilizes and egg? Is it when the fertilized egg divides several times and becomes and embryo? Is it when implantation occurs, when the embryo becomes attached to the uterine lining? Is it when the fetus develops nerves, a brain, lungs, or a heart? Is it sometime after that? Is it when a woman figures out that she’s pregnant? Is it when a baby is born? Pregnancy is a process which often leads to the birth of a new person. (I see a correlation with death – although the point when death is final is often very concrete, a “natural death” is often the result of a long process of dying.) Is there a distinct moment when life begins? Is that also the moment when “life” should be controlled, preserved, protected, etc.?
The other critical question is “when does one attain personhood?” (not to mention, how do we define personhood?). When does a developing entity become a person? Is it at birth when a baby is no longer attached to its mother? Is it when one is able to feel, think, speak, breath? Is there a distinct moment when a thing, a potential person, becomes an actual person? Personhood seems to me be a status which is developed over time. (Again, we might see a reverse correlation in persons afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease – over time, the progressive terminal disease robs them of even their most automatic functions – like breathing.)
Do you feel like we are tampering with God’s role in development? What is that role?
The use of stem cells is clearly very controversial because it puts into question many beliefs that we have about who we are as human beings. There are many other technologies that were seen as ludicrous in their time, but are now commonly accepted practices (i.e., blood transfusion). We will see where stem cells end up. Will they redefine the way we see ourselves, life, death, etc.?
For now, I’m going to leave you with that. I look forward to hearing more from the group!
WOW! Souljourney, I never understood so much about stem cells as I do now, thank you for making it "clearly in my language".
I like the questions you leave us with, first, when does life begin...I guess, I always thought it begins before it begins, in other words, the mother's egg is aLIVE and the father's sperm is aLIVE when they join, so life just begets more life. I have always had trouble with people saying, "Oh, it's not a baby until it gets it's lungs or toes, or nose, or we see what it grows into." Like it's going to grow into a sunflower, maybe, like there is a chance it will change species? It begins a baby and ends a baby.
And is this life sacred?, Yes, because WE are sacred as we come forth from the love of God. The question of "personhood" and when is that obtained Again, I believe it is when the egg and sperm join (which ever way that happens) as that is when the personhood of the mom and dad are co-creating a unique personhood. Again, personhood begets personhood...not sunflowers.
Now the really the BIG question rises, "Do you feel like we are tampering with God’s role in development?" I would ask developing what? And the only thing I can see God ever developing IS life and more life and more life and more life.... God is the Creator of all LIFE! I love Meister Eckharts answer to who is God? "God is like a mother lying on a bed all day just birthing life!" (nice feminine image)
So God is the Creator of life and we believe as Catholics that we are his co-creators (that is what Jesus made possible by the resurrection). So, God has deemed us worthy and trusted to co-create with God..... life. That is kind of obvious, because that is how we all got here by the co-creation of our parents.
Or so it just used to be. Now we are co-creating in a petri dish and the result? Still it is life and still I believe it is the same life that comes from our God, our first Parent and Creator.
Can God continue to use us as co-creators in stem cell research to allow more life to unfold if used with the same reverence sacredness, and care we use with all forms of other co-creating...birthing, adopting, invetro, etc.?
I believe there is nothing our God cannot bring to more life if God's co-creators are one with God.
All is sacred to God, All is life to God, no matter where or how the egg or sperm are used for life, they are sacred and more life with unfold if we as co-creators are able to hold the sacredness in oneness with our God.
Of course, some will not see this awesome partnership that God gave us as co-creators and will bring great harm and destruction upon something so sacred. But, that seemingly does not detour God, he/she keeps making US!
We have been gifted with an unbounded trust and love by our God and I do believe we can approach this in the same manner and be true to that trust. We have never known a God to hold back because of fear or evil possibilities. In fact, that is usually when she/he moves forward!
And, I say that is what we need to do now, be the sacred people we were made to be, fearless and reverent, and move forward with our God as his/her loving co-creators who find themselves on a new frontier, ready to learn not cower!
Yes, life begets life. And it is God who put it all into motion and breathed the sacred into it. We will never be able to say we can create life, (as they say, "After the artist, only the copist".) that was already done. How more life comes from that capital L Life?...that is our trust as co-creators to grow into with each new dawning day!
Any other thoughts out there?
This article might be of interest to those reading this discussion.
American Jounral of Bioethics Blog: Using Soldiers to Win the Stem Cell Debate: Don't
Both of your comments sparked a number of thoughts and ideas while I read.
I don’t find the use of stem cells to be a sacrilegious use of life. After seeing videos and pictures of fertilization occurring, it seems that conception is the beginning of the beginning of life. It is the one defining moment when two incomplete pieces come together to make a new, unique cell. However, I do not feel that the status of one cell, or a bundle of cells with the potential to develop to be identical to that of a fully developed baby (or of an adult). Also, since the embryos that would be used for scientific research are unwanted, often because they are not appropriate for implantation and gestation, then I think that there should be an alternative to throwing them away. (There is also the concept of embryo adoption – which is where a couple transfers their ownership of the embryo to another couple who will attempt to get pregnant. This works for viable embryos – ones that appear healthy and “good” – but not for the embryos that do not appear that they will survive through a pregnancy. This can be very problematic, but I won’t get into it now.)
Embryos have a “shelf life.” It is believed that after 5-10 years, they are no longer good candidates for implantation. Embryos that will not be used by a couple should be available for donation to research so that some benefit might be found in their use. I am not suggesting however, that a couple should be required to donate them.
Elizabeth – I find it interesting that you have such strong opposition to abortion and yet, seem quite open to the use of stem cells. The primary objection of many people to the use of stem cells is because they see no moral difference between an embryo and a fetus, or a fetus and an infant. The “pro-life” movement, which fervently opposes stem cell research, sees these two issues as identical. Many infertile couples are upset by the destruction of embryos because they see every embryo that is thrown away as a baby they could have given birth to. I wonder if you can elaborate on how you see embryos and fetuses as different moral entities that may be treated in different ways. I also wonder how you feel about post-coital pills, or Plan B/ the “morning after pill.” That drug is taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex to effectively abort any potential pregnancy that may or may not be in the midst of occurring.
A word on my feelings and the Catholic Church: The Church opposes birth control, stem cell research, abortion, and active euthanasia based on the belief that all life must be protected, at all levels, at all costs. For text on the Church’s defining document regarding human life, see the full text of Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae. The Church teaches that birth control (except the rhythm method) prevents God from propagating life by interfering in the process of conception. Abortion, even if the mother’s life is in danger, is not permitted because the Church teaches that one life cannot be sacrificed to save another. One contradictory bible verse that comes to mind is John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.” Clearly this example is not a direct correlation with this issue, but I think it’s worth noting, especially when there aren’t many direct correlations with the bible and modern technology. Anyway, while I feel that Humanae Vitae is a well thought out and interesting document, I disagree with its teachings, and subsequent relative teachings, on a number of levels.
Elizabeth - In response to your starfish story: There is a Ziggy cartoon that I read years ago that has always stuck with me. Ziggy is standing outside looking up at the stars and says, “God, how can I make a difference in this world when I’m only one person?” The next frame shows the entire earth with dialogue bubbles coming from all over it asking the same question. I think that a lot of times, we feel that we are alone and the only ones who care, but we really just need to look a little harder.
Hey m^3! Good to have you on line. Welcome! I like your question. Feel free to kick off the conversation if you'd like. :)
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