If stem cell use is a sin, or terrible as some say, what about the use of other body parts such as the recent partial face transplant or others? What do you think will be resolved about stem cell use? Will it become common as some transplants? I read the other day about a man who was given stem cells after 2 corneal transplants, and the 3rd transplant, after the stem cell therapy, was the one that worked.

I don't think that the issue is stem cells themselves but where they come from and what we might do to keep getting them. Organ transplants have a similar though less extreme comparision - giving up an organ is rather more obvious and sometimes giving the organ means one is dead, a very obvious condition indeed. But if one can give up an invisible clump of cells, and do it monthly, then one might pass up having children.

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But stem cells can and are gathered from placenta no longer needed....why do people assume the extreme of aborting, etc to get them? Why don't they make that same extreme assumption about transplant organs, that we will hasten a death to "harvest" the organs?

Exactly. I think those against stem cell use and research tend to think in terms of extremes. Kinda like we're going to start cloning people just to use their organs. Obviously, if that were the case, I'd be dead against it.

But if it's taken from areas where no death is involved, then why not? Even in a case where a child was being aborted, I don't really have a problem with it. Now, if people start getting pregnant JUST to abort the baby and use the stems cells, then yes, I'd be against that.

I think there are definitely good uses for the stem cells, and under the right guidelines, could be very successfull.

I'm not saying that we should not have stem cell research. I am saying that figuring out where the lines are, and which ones we feel as a society comformtable with, isn't something we should let someone else decide for reasons of their own.

We developed nuclear technology, and then spent a very great deal of money and time trying to use it and prevent others from using it, and others might very well use cloning technology, admittedly very close to stem cell technology, to do things we would find simply unacceptable.

__________________
Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart!
They that believe in vain thoughts forsake their own mercy.