UK nod to human cloning for research

[Donut]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: quote: Originally posted by Donut: I take it that you are using befuddled as a euphemism for ignorant in this case. As far as I know the US is the only country in the world that executes murderers. 1. No, I meant befuddled as in "unable to understand such a morally STUPID conundrum and hypocricy." 2. Nothing wrong with being the only one that's right. Sorry, in no mood to mince words today.

1. Your failure to understand merely underlines your ignorance. If I had time I could educate you.

2. As Yorick pointed out you are not alone. You line up with China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq. Nice club you guys have. Excuse me whilst the civilised world disagrees.

[Timber Loftis]

If I had time I could educate you.

No, you couldn't. I've heard all the arguments. We study those things in law school, you know. If I know that a loaf of bread costs $1, then it is a price I chose to pay when I buy it. Where a life is at stake, the only thing that is as valuable as a life is another life. Thus, the only valid price you can pay for taking a life is the forfeiture of your own. You know the price, you chose to pay it. To allow otherwise would be allowing you to reap an inequitable benefit at society's price.

Now, the erstwhile conundrum I referenced is that while you cannot execute a murderer over there, your government has sanctioned the creation of an embryo only to be used for research which will destroy it. I see hypocricy therein. Kill the fetuses and let the murderers loll about in prison, you see. Both our societies may be suffering a moral degradation, but yours can't even pick a logical set of rules to follow in its descent.

Look, I'm not wanting to insult, here. I mean, you called me ignorant twice now, I think. You and others also keep referencing the list of countries that allow execution, as if I should be ashamed to be a part of that group (You might want to note that one reply to that is "finally, a list of countries without any pussies in it"). Let's not let this become that. You may think your stance is the only absolutely right one, but you need to realize I feel the same about mine.

And, I will note and admit that the DP in practice is currently flawed due to the wrongful conviction problem.

Okay, I explained or at least summarized my stance on the DP. [img]graemlins/offtopic.gif[/img] as it is. Now, back to stem cell research and cloning. My fear is that you must be careful because once you go creating a human life, you must give it the rights other humans have. Otherwise, you have created a class of humans that have no rights. I'm not keen enough on the science to know or foresee exactly how far this can go at present, but I do know we are planning on using the technology to grow new organs and (we hope) limbs for people. Now, can I grow an arm in a vat, or do I need to grow a person and then take the arm? Are there medical uses of cloning where we will need to let a human develop for a few months, and then kill the fetus and take the biotic material we need? All of these things need to be very carefully considered.

Sorry to drag this thread offtopic, guys.

[ 08-17-2004, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[Har'oloth]

what kind of medical research is involved with the killing of little baby's
that murder in the first degree!!!!