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Embryos, Religon, Science - and government

abracad, · Categories: in the news, spiritual politics

Recent days have seen intense debate in the UK concerning the proposed Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Among other things, the Bill will allow the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos for purpose of scientific research, and also sanction the artificial creation of babies without need for a named father. I believe it also provides for the creation of babies to act as donors for sick siblings.

It does however offer a glimmer of hope that the abortion time limit will be reduced, though it stops short of criminalizing the slaughter of unborn children on anything but the strongest justification.

The Catholic Church has strongly condemned the Bill (BBC: Brown criticised over embryo bill) and the surrounding furor has forced PM Brown into giving MPs a 'free' vote, rather than forcing them to toe the party line - but only so long as the legislation's passage is not threatened!

Looking at the world around us science has been amazingly successful in understanding and harnessing the forces of the universe, not least in the field of medicine where many diseases can be cured or controlled by its advances.

There is no doubt that stem cell research offers hope of a significant breakthrough in the treatment of all kinds of diseases. My father passed away as a result of a serious illness, and there is nothing I would not have given for a cure for him.

Scientists are characterized by an insatiable curiosity, but their thirst for knowledge is often without a moral dimension. The science that created the atom bomb was formulated by Albert Einstein, a lifelong pacifist. This is why it is essential for the common good for society (ie the state) to place restrictions on what scientists are permitted to do.

Every embryo that is experimented on is a potential human being, and maybe the human being that discovers a cure for cancer, or an end to war or whatever... But even one who doesn't achieve such heights is just as special in his/her own way. Of course it's true that the very vast majority of embryos don't get to be human beings at all.

God / Spirit / whatever the universe emanates from has given mankind a capable and enquiring mind. It might be argued that if we are capable of doing something, then it must be God's will. Against this backdrop the definitions of good and evil, righteousness and sin, become indistinct.

Many kids are successfully raised in single-parent families where this situation has been brought about by circumstances beyond their control. But surely the state must acknowledge the optimal way to raise kids is in a loving family with both mother and father and thus require artificially-created babies to have both mother and father.

It's a sad state of affairs that these days I automatically assume that if the government supports something it must be bad, and of course I need to rise above this instinct and judge each issue on its merits.

Organized religion is not without blame. Vast quantities of blood have been shed over the centuries in the name of religion, and the pattern continues to this day. The teachings of the enlightened ones become corrupted in the hands of men, and we must always question the motives behind the words and actions of religious leaders.

For this reason the business of government ought to be independent of any particular faith or branch of faith. But it should not be without a Spiritual dimension.

In England it's fashionable to condemn religious leaders who stray into the area of politics. But do we really want the clerics to stand in pulpits uttering meaningless platitudes. Jesus, creator of the world's largest (albeit fragmented) faith certainly wasn't afraid to voice his views on worldly affairs, however controversial. Of course religions should vocalize their point of view.

And so to the proposed Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill...

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