UpTight said:
I have to be honest, human embryo research disturbs me. I'm not a religious nut, it just seems wrong to tinker with human lives in this way. It also has that cold, detached, mechanical eugenics feel to it.
Of course, I understand the potential benefits. I am not fully against research involving genes. I just feel funny about breeding humans specifically for research. I'm not against the use of stem cells in research, it's just about how they get them.
I'm sure I'd feel differently if a member of my family had Parkinson's. I'd feel differently about capital punishment if a member of my family had been murdered. Emotional responses don't make things right any more than they make things wrong. We all have opinions and, well, that's mine.
In a move so arrogant, twisted and self-deifying that it could only have come out of the medical profession, British scientists are seeking legal sanction to grow human/animal crossbreed embryos.
Yes - you read it correctly. Doctors want to make half human/ half animal mutant embryos and the British government are backing them. Sick fuckers. Well intentioned sick fuckers, but still...
Of course, crossbreed, half human embryos are just step one. If this bill is passed, how long before scientists want their "creations" go to term and become viable life forms?
ew.....Seth Brundle is quivering in his grave(s)
Dr Mephisto's probably chuffed though.
Do we even need to go further than this original post? UpTight has already established:
1- he uses religion as a metric for government action (read first paragraph)
2- he later acknowledges his complete hypocrisy about this action (read 3rd paragraph)
3- he doesn't understand the separation of church and state (read link; and first paragraph again)
4- he doesn't even understand the science he is criticizing (that is obvious) but yet we should feel COMPELLED by his PJ O'Rourke AVATAR that he is a SERIOUS person whose UNINFORMED VIEWS should be RESPECTED
This thread should have been ended within 3 or 4 posts.
johnnyvento said:
3- he doesn't understand the separation of church and state
Although the UK is largely a secular state, it is not entirely accurate to apply the notion of separation of Church and State to our law making apparatus.
The House of Lords is comprised of not only the Lords Temporal but also the Lords Spiritual. Hence, the nation's bishops and archbishops theoretically have some influence within the apparatus by which we create our laws. However, the Lords Spiritual are very much outnumbered by the Lords Temporal and they don't tend to vote on laws anyway.
In addition to this the Queen as Sovereign Head of State is not only the head of government but also the head of the Church of England. As such the authority of Church and State are vested in one individual.
In practice, of course, the Queen has no real power and the power of the House of Lords is also somewhat limited. The real power these days lies with the House of Commons. Hence, although Church and State are not constitutionally separated, in practice the law making process is a largely secular one.
UpTight said:
Point 2.
I don't have to be acquainted with all the finer points of biotechnology to find the idea of a human/animal embryos deeply, deeply disturbing.
Indeed, a person may quite easily maintain strong feelings concerning a subject while being thoroughly ill-informed concerning that subject.
However, it is unclear to me why such an ill-informed opinion should be afforded anything more than the merest desultory consideration promptly followed by perfunctory dismissal.
UpTight said:
Point 3.
There IS NEWS HERE. This relates to the article I linked to. The British government is currently using political bullying to force MPs to pass a law sanctioning this creepy shit.
I was under the impression that Gordon Brown has now agreed to allow MPs a free vote on account of the threat of resignations from Roman Catholic frontbenchers.
Hooraydiation said:
I'm beginning to wonder if we're going to one day reach a point where, having found a way to keep people safe in every possible way and delay natural death for a ludicrous number of years, death becomes a necessity, and later a mandate.
But of course, I doubt that'll happen in the near future, if ever.
abbazappa
Sacramento, CA
June 2006
MAR 24, 2008 02:15 PM