Media ignoring diversity of religious views on stem cell research
Numerous news reports about the Obama administration’s reversal of the Bush White House’s restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research have painted a misleading picture of the faith community’s position on the issue. In fact there is not a singular position from the faith community on ESC research.
The Washington Post initially reported:
The move, long sought by scientists and patient advocates and opposed by religious groups, would enable the National Institutes of Health to consider requests from scientists to study hundreds of lines of cells that have been developed since the limitations were put in place — lines that scientists and patient advocate say hold great hope for leading to cures for a host of major ailments.
And their Saturday front page story quoted only one religious source — Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins.
Politico, Newsday and the San Francisco Chronicle also report that religious activists oppose embryonic stem cell research without noting that numerous faith groups support it.
To name a few, the United Methodist Church (America’s second largest protestant denomination), every major Jewish denomination (including Orthodox), the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association are all officially in favor of embryonic stem cell research.
Even the socially conservative LDS church is officially neutral on the topic, and church member Sen. Orin Hatch has been vocal in his support of embryonic stem cell research.
Just as the religious anti-ESC research arguments deserve fair representation in the media, so do the arguments of religious groups and leaders that believe ESC research is the most ethical, life-affirming use for embryos left over from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded.
This is often the case. “Religious people” or “Christians” get lumped together as one, usually under a conservative opinion. Mainline denominations are often overlooked.
Let’s think of how many Americans are suffering from ailments and what this research can do for them. I’m sure everyone reading this knows someone important to them that is affected by one of these maladies.Research in the U.S.has not progressed since earlier this decade, cures are a very long time away and lets not even discuss the approval requirement by the FDA. At least this can be seen as a huge step forward to join the rest of the world at bringing about cures that could help millions of people including you and I some day.