Obama's war against the unborn continues apace, but at least he cares a lot about whales. While overturning a ban on federal funding of destructive embryonic stem cell research, he has announced that the US will firmly oppose whaling.
The former Bush administration was right to ban federal funding of embryonic stem cell research back in August 2001. Extracting stem cells from a human embryo of course kills this very young member of the human race. Hardly any human therapies or cures have come from these stem cells. Adult stem cells which are ethically non-problematic have had all the runs on the board, with over 70 known cures and benefits.
And the technology has moved beyond embryonic stem cell research anyway. For several years now a much more effective method – and one that does not involve destroying an embryo – has been in use. What is known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) has been on the table now since at least November 2007.
This new method allows a patient's skin cells to be genetically altered and reprogrammed to a pluripotent state. Pluripotent cells are those which have the ability to develop into any type of somatic cell. These iPS cells can basically do everything embryonic stem cells can, without the taking of human life.
Thus Obama is backing a dead horse here. His move was really one of ideology, not science. This is unethical politics at its worst. The way ahead is with ethical stem cell science, not the old, unethical, and unfruitful route using embryonic stem cells.
As Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List, noted, "Compassion can never be built upon callous disregard for human life. True scientific integrity is advancing successful science that respects moral standards and the inherent value of human life at all stages. Our country is facing an acute economic crisis, and it is shocking to learn that President Obama's first priority is promoting the idea that American taxpayers should fund the destruction of human life."
She continued, "There is no coincidence that this policy reversal was timed to secure the maximum amount of taxpayer funds. The National Institutes of Health received $10.4 billion dollars in the Obama Stimulus Package. Today's executive order reversing the Bush policy allows the President to fast-track billions of taxpayer dollars toward embryonic stem cell research - all without the benefit of public or Congressional debate."
Americans United for Life president Charmaine Yoest said, "Embryonic stem cell research is the research of the past. Millions of dollars have been spent on embryonic stem cell research and it has failed. To pour more money into it is simply a waste. If we're going to put tax dollars into research - particularly at a time of unprecedented federal deficits - it needs to be research that protects life and helps patients now. Even more, this research destroys lives at the very earliest stage of development. Adult stem cell research is helping people now."
Or as Operation Rescue President Troy Newman put it, "Obama's policy of forcing tax payers to fund lethal human experimentation is morally unethical and fiscally irresponsible. Destructive, human, embryonic stem cell research has produced no therapies that have benefitted people, and has only produced horrific side effects in preliminary test subjects. It would be more beneficial to the country to pour that money down a rat hole, than to fund such ghoulish experiments."
The sanctity of human life is a core biblical principle, yet pro-abortion Obama managed to dupe many evangelical Christians into voting for him. His calls for change and social justice must have resonated with many. But his change is all about killing babies, and his justice is only for abortionists and those in Big Biotech who stand to gain financially.
There is certainly no justice for the unborn. Indeed, the fundamental human right is the right to life. Killing unborn babies has nothing to do with social justice or human rights, but everything to do with a callous disregard for human life and an abysmal disrespect for those who are most vulnerable and most in need of protection.
This is not the first anti-life action of Obama, and it will not be his last. The only question is, how much more death and destruction will he unleash before it is too late to stem the tide.
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