RCRC Board Position, Adopted August
24, 2000
INTRODUCTION
Contemporary medical research and technologies have presented
humankind with complex ethical and moral realities never before
envisioned. These realities bear careful review and consideration
as new therapies are developed to cure diseases and illness.
We understand that as people of faith, we are called to be
partners with God in healing and in the alleviation of human
pain and suffering.
Human pluripotent stem cells, more commonly known as “stem
cells,” are derived through two different methods. One
method uses early stage embryos in excess of clinical need
and donated by women undergoing in vitro fertilization. The
other method isolates stem cells from aborted fetuses.
Stem cells have the ability to divide for an indefinite period
in culture and can develop into most of the specialized cells
and tissues of the body such as muscle cells, nerve cells,
liver cells and blood cells. The use of stem cells has far-reaching
possibilities including “cell therapies.” Stem
cells stimulated to develop into specialized cells could be
used to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s,
spinal cord injuries, stroke, burns, heart disease and diabetes.
Using stem cells could reduce the dependency on organ donation
and transplantation.
The moral issues raised by stem cell research differ, depending
on whether the cells come from aborted fetuses or embryos
resulting from in vitro fertilization that are no longer needed
for infertility treatment.
SECTION I. RESEARCH ON TISSUE RESULTING FROM ABORTION
The ethical acceptability of deriving stem cells from the
tissue of aborted fetuses is closely connected to the morality
of abortion. Those who oppose using stem cells derived from
aborted fetuses argue that the fetus is a person from the
moment of conception and therefore, abortion for any reason
is wrong. Those who hold such beliefs also fear that the possibility
of donating the fetus for stem cell research will encourage
women to have more abortions or justify the abortions that
otherwise could not be justified. They believe that the researchers
would be complicit in an immoral act. In addition, they would
claim that a woman seeking an abortion should not have the
right to give consent to the use of the tissue because she
has forfeited her maternal trusteeship by aborting the fetus.
We, the Board of the Directors of the Religious Coalition
for Reproductive Choice, support women’s right to choose
an abortion based on conscience and religious beliefs. We
believe that a woman’s right to evaluate her life situation
and the impact of her pregnancy on her own health and on her
obligations to other family members, is an essential element
of her personhood and her status as a moral being. We view
abortion as not only protected under U.S. law but as morally
justifiable.
We believe in the morality of the use of tissue derived from
fetuses when the procurement of that tissue is carefully regulated.
Regulation of donations needs to assure that the decision
to have an abortion is separated from the decision to donate
fetal tissue. We also believe that fetal tissue donation is
moral when the decision to use the tissue is made separately
from the decision to abort. Women who have made informed decisions
to donate fetal tissue for research deserve the respect and
gratitude of society.
SECTION II. RESEARCH WITH STEM CELLS DERIVED FROM
EMBRYOS
Research with stem cells obtained from human embryos poses
moral difficulties that do not exist in the case of fetal
tissue. The life of the fetus has already been terminated
when the researcher receives the tissue while the life of
embryonic tissue resulting from infertility treatment must
be terminated. The morality of ending the life of embryos
rests on how one views the moral status of the embryos. We
believe, as do most authorities and commissions that have
addressed the issue, that human embryos do have the potential
of personhood and as such, they deserve respect. That respect
must be shown by requiring that the interests or goals to
be accomplished by using human embryos be compelling and unreachable
by other means. Indications are that human embryonic stem
cell research has the potential to lead to life-saving breakthroughs
in major diseases. Currently, this knowledge cannot readily
be obtained from cells derived from other sources such as
adult stem cells and cadaveric fetal tissue. Prohibition of
the derivation of stem cells from embryos would elevate the
showing of respect to human embryos above that of helping
persons whose pain and suffering might be alleviated due to
the knowledge gained from studying embryonic cells. The embryos,
resulting from infertility treatment, that will be used for
such research would be only those which would not have a chance
of growing into personhood because the woman has decided to
discontinue further treatments.
POSITION
We, the members of the Board of Directors of the Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice, an organization comprising
members of over forty faiths groups, affirm the use of fetal
tissue and embryonic tissue for vital research. We honor the
faiths of our members and the faiths of those in our society.
Although we differ in our faith affirmations, we agree the
human life deserves deep respect. Our respect for life includes
respect for the embryo and fetus. Decisions made about embryos
and fetuses need to be made with responsibility. Therefore,
we believe that it is the responsibility of our faith groups
to educate their members in making ethical decisions. With
careful regulation, we affirm the use of human stem cell tissue
for research that may result in the restoring of health to
those suffering from such illnesses as Parkinson’s Disease,
diabetes, brain injury, stroke, and heart disease. We affirm
our support for stem cell research, recognizing that this
research moves toward a new and challenging frontier.
In our diversity of faiths, we share a commitment to the
creation of a just society. Therefore, we recognize the need
for continuing, informed public dialogue and equitable sharing
of information of the results of stem cell research. It is
only with such public dialogue and information sharing that
our diverse society can build a foundation for responsible
movement toward this frontier that offers enormous hope and
challenge.
Contact
your senators today and urge them to support life-saving research.
Learn More
Human
Stem Cells: Research and Respect
Stem
Cell Research: Unprecedented Hope
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