Embryonic stem cell dilemma

[nantiope]

A friend of mine who likes to flaunt his Cathlic faith has participated in a medical study where he was given embryonic stem cells from an aborted fetus. Because of this study he has gained some lost function, he did so well that the story is getting A ton of attention. I am happy that he has some function back, but I am very uncomfortable talking about it because I kind of feel that it just shouldn’t be done, maybe I would feel differently if the stem cells weren’t frOm aborted fetuses. I don’t judge him because I have no idea what I would have done in his shoes. He has children, so I am grateful they will have him healthier. I am grumpy because as a Catholic who holds himself in such high regard I don’t understand how he could justify it. Because of our closeness, I am sure people will want to talk to me about it. What do I say? How do I handle the whole situation?
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thank you and God bless!

 

[1ke]

Simply state the truth in charity.

Embryonic stem cell treatments are immoral. We can never do evil so that good may cone from it.

 

[Dorothy]

A friend of mine who likes to flaunt his Cathlic faith has participated in a medical study where he was given embryonic stem cells from an aborted fetus. Because of this study he has gained some lost function, he did so well that the story is getting A ton of attention. I am happy that he has some function back, but I am very uncomfortable talking about it because I kind of feel that it just shouldn’t be done, maybe I would feel differently if the stem cells weren’t frOm aborted fetuses. I don’t judge him because I have no idea what I would have done in his shoes. He has children, so I am grateful they will have him healthier. I am grumpy because as a Catholic who holds himself in such high regard I don’t understand how he could justify it. Because of our closeness, I am sure people will want to talk to me about it. What do I say? How do I handle the whole situation?
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thank you and God bless!

If he or others want to bring up about the success of that therapy, you can then discuss the fact that there are adult stem cells being used that also improve the health of people.

Here is one site about that:

lifeissues.org/cloningstemcell/adultstemsuccess.htm

If you would like more information just google “adult stem cell successes”

 

[St_Francis]

Are you quite sure they were embryonic? Because a lot of people don’t really know there are differences and just use the terms interchangeably.

 

[GEddie]

There’s no dilemma here, IMO. The thing’s been done; no further opinions are required. And none of us, as we sit before our computer screens in our healthy bodies, can know what choices we would make if faced with grevious physical suffering or limitations.

Just be glad that he seems to be doing better physically. Should he have questions later on about the spirituality of the whole situation, be ready to explain it. And whatever you do, pray for him.

ICXC NIKA

 

[nantiope]

Thank you for the (name removed by moderator)ut. I read the report and it was embryonic.(to be honest I had been lead to believe it was cord cells, but the report said it was aborted fetus cells) I pray for him and his family constantly. I pray that God has mercy on him. As I said in my post I don’t judge him because I am not in his shoes, I don’t know what I would have done, I still don’t know what I would do in that position. I just know the whole thing makes me terribly uncomfortable and it seems to be picking up steam and getting national attention. I love the family, just unsure of how to handle any questions or comments that come my way. Just looking for help on how to handle questions and how to deal with the uneasiness that it creates inside.
Thank you all and God bless you.

 

[1ke]

And none of us, as we sit before our computer screens in our healthy bodies, can know what choices we would make if faced with grevious physical suffering or limitations.

Certainly we can. Moreover we are required to properly form our conscience.

 

[Newbie2]

There’s no dilemma here, IMO. ***The thing’s been done; no further opinions are required. *** And none of us, as we sit before our computer screens in our healthy bodies, can know what choices we would make if faced with grevious physical suffering or limitations.

Just be glad that he seems to be doing better physically. Should he have questions later on about the spirituality of the whole situation, be ready to explain it. And whatever you do, pray for him.

ICXC NIKA

I would have put it that no judgments are required.

Certainly we can. Moreover we are required to properly form our conscience.

Agreed.

Methinks the best thing to talk about is the positive side of the discussion; how adult stem cells are the best to use (only ones to use in a moral sense).

It would seem that the recipient of such cells could be morally more or less culpable if he knew or did not know in advance that the cells were from an aborted fetus. It’s not a stretch to think that the abortionist or the staff at the abortion clinic might have helped talk someone into an abortion with the “addeded benefit of being able to help someone with a such-and-such disease with the discarded tissue/cells”

 

[nantiope]

Thank you I am still feeling uneasy about the whole thing but hope to be able to focus in on something positive.

 

[thistle]

A friend of mine who likes to flaunt his Cathlic faith has participated in a medical study where he was given embryonic stem cells from an aborted fetus. Because of this study he has gained some lost function, he did so well that the story is getting A ton of attention. I am happy that he has some function back, but I am very uncomfortable talking about it because I kind of feel that it just shouldn’t be done, maybe I would feel differently if the stem cells weren’t frOm aborted fetuses. I don’t judge him because I have no idea what I would have done in his shoes. He has children, so I am grateful they will have him healthier. I am grumpy because as a Catholic who holds himself in such high regard I don’t understand how he could justify it. Because of our closeness, I am sure people will want to talk to me about it. What do I say? How do I handle the whole situation?
Any thoughts would be helpful. Thank you and God bless!

I don’t understand the logic and persistence of those pushing embyonic stem cell research when its clear that almost all medical advances made by using stem cells are from ADULT stem cells.

 

[Newbie2]

I don’t understand the logic and persistence of those pushing embyonic stem cell research when its clear that almost all medical advances made by using stem cells are from ADULT stem cells.

Follow the money…