ukmale28 wrote:As a Christian living in the UK. I would ask everybody to back the Proposition 71. I feel that it is an important part of being a Christian to stand up for those who can not...
So I can see that by being being opposed to Proposition 71 would be un Christian like.
I can see how Prop 71 would be elitist and egocentric. That is, a human life with all its human chromosomes and own unique DNA, should be used and destroyed for the benefit of those who have reached a more developed stage. I can see how supporting Prop 71 can be seen as un-Christian.
Bioethics aside... there are just too many things wrong with Prop 71 including fiscal, bureaucratic, scientific. Pro-life people aren't the only ones opposing the "initiative," but so are pro-choice (
http://www.allianceagainstprop71.org/). There's more to this extremely poor initiative than bioethical matters. Adding 6 billion dollars on top of California's existing huge budget deficit is simply ridiculous. The large amount of money being sought for embryonic cell research would be better saved or spent elsewhere, in what would be more productive fields of medical research. Rich has written more about the issues involved at
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/stemcell.html.
However, to quote a
Downloadable Facts Sheet developed by
http://www.noon71.us/which outlines arguments against the proposal:
<blockquote>Venture capitalist and biotech companies have paid millions of dollars to put Prop 71 on the ballot to obtain taxpayer money to do research that private companies are unwilling to fund because of the low probability of success. This [following] describes the numerous bad provisions created by this constitutional amendment.
Costs
Prop 71 will take 6 billion dollars from the State's general fund—money that would have gone to fund vital state services like schools and roads.
Limited research funding
Prop 71 funds research only for human cloning and embryo destruction. If this measure were really about finding cures, it would fund adult and cord stem cell research, which is currently used to treat over 70 different diseases.
Who gets the royalties?
Prop 71 does not require that one single penny of patent and royalty revenues from future research be returned to California taxpayers. The “Institute” established by Proposition 71 may, at its discretion, have taxpayers pay 100% of the costs, and award venture capitalists with 100% of the profits.
Healthcare cost savings?
Supporters of Prop 71 claim that the measure will reduce healthcare costs. However, the costs to obtain the human eggs to clone one cell line are greater than $200,000! Factoring in the other medical costs would result in a cost of $500,000 to treat just one patient! This will promote healthcare for the rich and famous, but not those of us on limited healthcare plans.
Exploitation of women
The need to obtain hundreds of thousands of human eggs for research will jeopardize the lives of thousands of women, who will be given powerful and dangerous drugs to obtain their eggs. Dozens have died already and hundreds have been hospitalized through the use of these drugs.
Patient rights modifications
Prop 71 changes standards for patient informed consent and rights (required for all medical research studies and procedures). There is no medical treatment that should require compromise of patient safeguards and rights.
Hiding the purpose of Prop 71
Proposition 71 funds research to clone human embryos. Curiously, if you examine the text, you won't find any mention of human embryos. All the words are coded in scientific or vague terms to keep this information away from the California voter:
[Code words = Real meaning]
pluripotent stem cells = stem cells grown by destroying human embryos
products of in vitro fertilization treatments = human embryos
somatic cell nuclear transfer = cloning human embryos</blockquote>
To anyone who is able to vote for this, I see no great reason to vote in the affirmative. I would vote "No".
A Christian in Australia.
Kurieuo.