Statement on President Bush’s Decision to Allow Federal Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics, is greatly disappointed in President Bush’s misguided decision to allow federal funding of existing stem cell lines derived from the destruction of human embryos. Science should not, and need not, depend on the deliberate destruction of human life, no matter when that destruction of life occurred.
The National Bioethics Advisory Commission rationalized human embryonic stem cell research only if “no less morally problematic alternatives” were available. Morally acceptable alternatives are available. Advances with adult stem cells and other therapies have shown as much, if not more, promise than embryonic stem cell research, and have already provided effective and dramatic breakthroughs for treating patients. No such claim can be made for embryonic stem cell research.
Throughout this debate, Do No Harm has insisted that human embryonic stem cell research is unethical and unnecessary, and shall continue to publicly promote morally acceptable and scientifically promising alternatives to the destructive research, which Bush has opened to federal funding.
Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics is a national coalition of researchers, health care professionals, bioethicists, legal professionals, and others dedicated to the promotion of scientific research and health care which does not harm human life. For more information, visit www.stemcellresearch.org.