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Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

Posted October 08, 2010 8:28 AM

From Yahoo! News: Science News:

Americans overwhelmingly support embryonic stem cell research, and that backing stretches across a broad range of demographic groups, including Republicans, Catholics and born-again Christians, according to a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll.

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stevem
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#1

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/08/2010 4:20 PM

Christopher Hitchens, who is battling stage 4 esophageal cancer, correctly labels opponents to this research as "religious maniacs".

It is truly disheartening that such a vocal minority has so much sway with the judiciary here in the US.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/11/hitchens-201011?currentPage=all

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Anonymous Poster
#2
In reply to #1

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/08/2010 11:28 PM

Republicans must appease their loonatic base regardless. It goes with their climate change denial based on fabricated misinformation.
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Ed Weldon
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/09/2010 12:14 AM

Long as we have Republicans on the block I'd like to mention the recent discovery of an earthlike planet in orbit around a star 20 light years away. I've always wondered what planet the GOP politicians live on and why their logic is so different from mine. Perhaps we now have an answer. I wonder where their spaceship lands to take them back to "their constituents" after each session of Congress.

Ed Weldon
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Brave Sir Robin
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#6
In reply to #2

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/09/2010 7:47 PM

Ever since the last ice age, we have been warming. What gives?
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goosemydog
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#4

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/09/2010 12:09 PM

What's the point when they've found that skin cells work even better?

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/09/2010 7:46 PM

Accepting for the moment your claim (sources please?) about skin cells, I would argue that we should pursue many lines of research in the event we learn something critical along the way.

The oft-touted notion that embryonic stem cell research will somehow cause doctors to become enraptured into performing scores of otherwise unplanned abortions or other procedures is the height of idiocy.

How curious that those who (mistakenly) hold the adamant belief that abortion doctors will be lured by money etc. into deliberately committing a horrible moral wrong are the very same people who forcefully reject the very concept that businessmen might follow suit and decry "unnecessary" legal regulations at every opportunity.
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DrMoose
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#7

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/10/2010 12:14 PM

The thing I find disturbing here is the name-calling and stereotyping that's going on in this thread. Somehow, I thought we were above that sort of thing.

I am a conservative. I am not a Republican, per se, but I will be voting Republican this fall. I am also a fundamentalist Christian. When prompted, I have declaimed on both points at length in this forum. What of it? Am I to consider myself unwelcome here because of those facts?

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a place for ideas, not ideologies! Yes, I am a conservative, yes I am a Christian, but I've observed that liberals and non-believers are also careful thinkers with well thought out ideas on most matters. Just because people disagree with you does not make them irrational, knee-jerk fools!

So, on to the actual subject matter.

The major issue that believers have with embryonic stem cell research is where the stem cells come from. They come from actual human embryos. You see, most of us (conservatives and Christians) believe that life begins at conception, making abortion nothing less than murder, and that of the most innocent of all persons. Which makes this a profound moral issue.

So yes, I object to abortion, on what I believe to be strong moral grounds. Though on the other hand, I'd much rather see a woman get a safe, legal abortion than to die in a back alley, thus giving her the opportunity to regret it at her leisure. The point being that you cannot legislate morality, a thing that was first noted by Saint Augustine. Oh, you can try but, liberal or conservative, that very quickly becomes tyranny.

As for the research itself? I admit I'd like it a lot better if there were a way to create these stem cells that did not involve abortion. Perhaps in vitro fertilized cells? But, there is no wrong in the research itself, and it is wrong to try to make science a moral issue. There is in fact a scripture in the Bible which says "Prove all things", which sounds to me rather like a blessing upon science.

My point in all of this? Try to see both sides of the question, and don't descend into name-calling because people don't agree with you.

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Ed Weldon
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#8
In reply to #7

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/10/2010 3:39 PM

DrMoose -- Good answer from one who is opposite you on this issue. Your views are couched in a tone of reason that deserves respect from everyone.

About my post above ........ I did score it as off topic.

The topic? It clearly invites inflammatory rhetoric. Logically all there is to debate are the statistics in the survey and its methodology.

Although I didn't make a point of it I was referring to the congressional Republicans. I only referred to them as Republicans. I have every reason to suspect them of having discovered a way to travel 20 light years and return in the space of two Earth weeks. But again that is off topic in and of itself.

By the way, your comment about scripture in the Bible....... Can you relate where that is located?

I realize I am asking you to contribute resources to the other side of the great debate. But I've formed the opinion that the foundation religious texts contain priceless collected wisdom of humanity; both that with which we agree and that which we don't. If only the human mind had the bandwidth to view and understand it all.

Ed Weldon
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DrMoose
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#9
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Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/10/2010 5:51 PM

Sir, in fact there are several relevant biblical scriptures. First, the one which you specifically requested. This would be 1st Thessalonians 5:21. "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is right." King James Version (KJV)

A few other relevant scriptures are Genesis 1:26-27, "Then God said, 'Let US make man in our own image, according to Our own likeness...", which tells the believer that man is something more and other than the animals. And Psalms 139:13-14, which is a bit too long to quote here, but which indicates that the individual does in fact come into existence at conception, or at least when the blastocyst implants in the uterus.

Hope you find these helpful.

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#10
In reply to #7

Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/11/2010 2:56 PM

There are several studies that show that stem cell from embryos are not needed. They can be manufactured from adult cells. The media has done a poor job of saying this because of their agendas.

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Anonymous Poster
#11
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Re: Most Americans Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Poll

10/12/2010 7:04 AM

If by "agenda" you mean their infuriating and unfailing tendency to poorly research, communicate or even understand the science news items on which they report then I agree.

But if you mean that as a whole they're colluding to distort the news in furtherance of an insatiable desire to see more abortions performed, then please join our mailing list to receive your copy of our Fall/Winter catalog containing this season's most stylish and festive tin foil head wear.
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Anonymous Poster (3); Brave Sir Robin (1); DrMoose (2); Ed Weldon (2); goosemydog (1); silvCrow (1); stevem (1)

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