'Christian Medical Association': Senate Stem Cell Bill Exploits Women

[Bluebear]

Contact: Margie Shealy, Christian Medical Association, 423-844-1047, [e-mail]

WASHINGTON, April 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Christian Medical Association (CMA), the nation's largest faith-based association of physicians, today urged the U.S. Senate to reject the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S.5), scheduled for debate tomorrow, because the bill is scientifically impractical and assaults human dignity.

CMA CEO Dr. David Stevens urged senators to vote against the bill, saying, "By exploiting the relatively few stored human embryos currently considered eligible for research, this bill would result in just a tiny fraction of the stem cell lines from embryos that researchers demand. It's clear that the ultimate utility of the bill is to further erode respect and protections for human embryos and thus pave the way for creating embryos purely for experiments--including through sperm and egg donation and human cloning.

"Creating human embryos and harvesting their stem cells, ostensibly for disease treatments, is a highly speculative, impractical and unethical proposition. Human cloning and egg donation would exploit poor and vulnerable women and subject them to potential harm through the superovulation and egg harvesting process.

"So while reducing human embryos to a commodity now, embryonic stem cell research would eventually exploit women as a commodity as well.

"Besides the moral wrongs of killing embryos and exploiting women, this bill would also divert precious healthcare funds away from ethical and effective research using stem cells found in the patient's own body, and also in cord blood, amniotic fluid and placenta. Such non-embryonic stem cell research does not harm a human embryo and is already producing real therapies for real patients in over 70 different diseases and injuries."

CMA Senior Vice President Gene Rudd noted, "Instead of killing through research the few stored embryos whose parents do not intend to implant them, we should instead promote adoption by childless couples. Agencies such as the National Embryo Donation Center stand ready to help couples accomplish this life-honoring dream."

Dr. Rudd said, "Instead of paving the way for human cloning with this bill, the Senate should instead pass a real ban on human cloning, such as the bipartisan Human Cloning Prohibition Act (S.1036) introduced by Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.)."

To schedule an interview, please contact Margie Shealy at [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail]. The Christian Medical Association is equipped with Ku Band Digital Uplink satellite and ISDN lines.

http://www.earnedmedia.org/cma0409.htm

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Christian Medical Association?

I can only think of one out of those three words that might be apt.

[KansDem]

2. Yeah, it's "the nation's largest faith-based association of physicians"

Jeepers! I wonder how many there are? :crazy:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. It's alternative alternative medicine.

[ThomCat]

4. It scares the hell out of me

that a group that defines their position based on an ancient book of mythology might be influencing modern medical research.

Should the Oracle of Delphi be determining economic policy next? x(

[rurallib]

5. I believe the Oracle could do as well as these clowns.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. Um... the American electorate is such a group.

I'm not terribly happy about that, either, but there's nothing unusual about these guys...

[ThomCat]

12. The american electorate

is not a christian association of any kind. Christians make up a part of the electorate, but all of us are included too.

[unpossibles]

6. "relatively few"

so it's better to destroy these "relatively few" human embryos than to use them for good. But every life is sacred. or something.

And on the other hand, were we to bring these "relatively few" embryos to term - and keep in mind that several embryos are attempted for every IVF pregnancy, how would that affect the population?

I'm sorry. i am getting so f-ing sick of these Religious people not respecting the separation of church and state. Although I try to tolerate everyone, I am about to suggest they just leave. If they want a Theocracy so badly, they should go join the power struggle civil war in Iraq and duke it out with them over who gets to use which ancient text to f*ck up its children.

[Warpy]

9. IVF of frozen embryos has a worse success rate than that.

especially when they've been frozen for several years. The viability rate keeps dropping. Then there's the possibility that implantation won't occur, a very large possibility. There is the possibility of miscarriage if one is implanted, usually due either to a misplaced implantation or a hidden genetic defect impeding development.

A pro IVF site has a few charts of success rates: http://www.ivf.havingbabies.com/ivf-success-rates2.html

A somewhat less optimistic one is at http://www.damansarafertility.com/success/fet_success.html

The CDC compares several different procedures http://www.cdc.gov/ART/ART02/section2c.htm

Although some couples may still opt to "adopt" for one reason or another, it's self deception to ASSume all these frozen, unwanted blastocysts can be brought to term as perfect infants.

[IsisDawn]

7. My Email to Margie Shealy...

I am a female who believes in science and the potential of stem-cell research. I would happily donate my eggs to advance this important life saving research for free. I am sure there are plenty of other females who would be willing to do the same.

I certainly understand your belief that life begins at conception, but I personally believe that the "soul" enters the body with the 1st breath. I think it is wrong for your organization to lobby for legislation based on your personal beliefs when there are many people who do not share those beliefs.

You have the right to refuse treatment in the future that may come about from stem-cell research but you do not have a right to deny my family the right to those treatments.

Please reconsider your selfish position. If you believe in God allow him to pass judgement without your interference.

[Bluebear]

8. WOW what an email!! And welcome to DU! nt

[newyawker99]

10. Hi IsisDawn!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[coffeenap]

13. See if there is one near you!

http://www.cmda.org/index.cgi?BISKIT=2759452528&CONTEXT=cat&cat=100008

Someone I used to see here in Illinois is on the list--no wonder I never wanted to go back there....