Faye
05-04-2004, 08:58 AM
Now that the Catholic Church is increasing it's opposition, it might be good to know where other religions stand on stem cell research, including SCNT:
Muslim Stem Cell Laws Could Be Most Permissive
By Simon Smith, Betterhumans Staff
6/13/2002 • Hits: 561 • Comments: 0
While many Western countries seek to ban therapeutic human cloning and embryonic stem cell research, Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia have drafted cloning and stem cell religious edicts that are comparatively permissive.
At the BIO 2002 conference in Toronto yesterday, Saudi Arabian hematologist Dr. Hamad Al-Omar presented draft fatwas (religious edicts) from the Fiqh Council on ethics that approve embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning in life-saving situations.
View of when life begins important
The approval of embryonic stem cell harvesting and therapeutic cloning is largely based on when Muslim religious teachings say life begins. Most teachings say life starts 120 days after pregnancy, not at conception, although some say it's 40 days.
This means that Muslim scientists can extract stem cells -- cells that can grow into any tissue -- from miscarried or aborted fetuses without violating their beliefs, as long as the abortion occurred for medical reasons before 120 days.
Source (http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2002-06-13-2)
"Together we stand, divided we fall..."
Muslim Stem Cell Laws Could Be Most Permissive
By Simon Smith, Betterhumans Staff
6/13/2002 • Hits: 561 • Comments: 0
While many Western countries seek to ban therapeutic human cloning and embryonic stem cell research, Islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia have drafted cloning and stem cell religious edicts that are comparatively permissive.
At the BIO 2002 conference in Toronto yesterday, Saudi Arabian hematologist Dr. Hamad Al-Omar presented draft fatwas (religious edicts) from the Fiqh Council on ethics that approve embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning in life-saving situations.
View of when life begins important
The approval of embryonic stem cell harvesting and therapeutic cloning is largely based on when Muslim religious teachings say life begins. Most teachings say life starts 120 days after pregnancy, not at conception, although some say it's 40 days.
This means that Muslim scientists can extract stem cells -- cells that can grow into any tissue -- from miscarried or aborted fetuses without violating their beliefs, as long as the abortion occurred for medical reasons before 120 days.
Source (http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2002-06-13-2)
"Together we stand, divided we fall..."