The blood of the innocent cries out from the earth. We ought to cry out too. The Roman Catholic Church and the opposition Conservative Party also spoke against the Aug. 16 recommendation. It is neither right nor just that the science of healing should be stained with innocent blood. The recommendation was spurred by the hopes of researchers that stem cells extracted from embryos can be used for transplant purposes to provide healing for a variety of ailments, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, strokes and burns.
Stem cells are primitive cells from which a wide variety of tissue in the human body develops.
The extraction of stem cells results in the killing of the embryo, however. The panel's report did not recommend a change in a law barring the transfer of a cloned embryo to a woman's womb, according to The Post. After reports surfaced last year of private groups in the United States seeking to clone embryos for research, Mitchell called for Congress to prohibit human cloning in this country. Federal funds may not be used for human cloning, but Congress has not enacted an overall ban. Ill. Baptist Press Used with permission.