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August 10, 2001/Av 21, 5761, Vol. 53, No.44
Medicine and moralityEditorialThe issue of stem-cell research is raging in Washington, and across the country, as President Bush wrestles with both its moral implications and political imprecations. Support a Clinton loophole that would allow federal funding and alienate conservative pro-life forces? Or beg off and close off potentially life-saving medical advances? It's a tough dilemma for a president conscious of his precious political currency.Nor is it an easy call for any American both dazzled by the possibilities stem-cell research holds and awed by its likely power. Medical researchers say stem cells, harvested from human embryos, hold the potential for cures for medical scourges such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease and multiple sclerosis. But the fact that the cells are extracted from human embryos raises sticky sanctity of life questions. Some regard all embryos as nascent life; others hold that cells from blastocysts, which are embryos created for use during fertility procedures, are not. Jewish ethicists from across the denominational spectrum have spoken out in support of federal funding for the controversial research. Not only would such funding advance its tantalizing possibilities, but also government funding and oversight would provide for needed safeguards and regulation. It would help control abuse and limit the influence of private-sector researchers and corporations motivated as much by financial gain as scientific inquiry. Rabbi Moshe Tendler, professor of medical ethics at Yeshiva University, calls stem-cell research "the hope of mankind." Some Jewish scholars have gone so far as to suggest that destroying embryos with life-saving potential is tantamount to destroying life. It's clear that this is a case where science and religion converge. The incipient dialogue needs to continue, providing religious and moral context for sorting out very complex issues. The potential is tremendous. How we use it requires careful study and consideration not only by physicians and scientists but also by our foremost religious scholars. |
