![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Jul. 19th, 2006 07:16 pmPresident Bush signed his first veto today: he vetoed a bill funding stem cell research.
Why is it even a debate? We have these microscopic clumps of undifferentiated cells, and we are supposed to buy that some people's interpretation of ancient mythology means that the "sanctity" of these cells comes before research that could stave off or end the suffering of hundreds of millions of people from cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, spinal cord injury, and so on.
If these clumps of cells have "souls," then they can join in heaven the souls of millions of other clumps of cells that never make it to birth -- the 50-80% of all fertilized human eggs which are naturally aborted before they even become fetuses. The way i figure it, heaven will be primarily populated by the souls of clumps of cells. Should we rail against a god who sees fit to throw away so many 'babies'?
On one side of this "debate" we have science, medicine, reason, and compassion, and on the other side, we have... fundamentalist ancient mythology. This is so utterly absurd, so completely unreal, that i can only conclude that the powers that be, the rulers of our empire, are using this absurdity to drive home the absolute nature of their power. It is an arrogant capriciousness, like Roman Emperor Caligula ordering his assembled armies to collect seashells instead of invading Brittain.
In the meantime, you or someone you know or have known, are ill, are suffering, are maybe dying, and are praying for a cure which just became more distant.
Why is it even a debate? We have these microscopic clumps of undifferentiated cells, and we are supposed to buy that some people's interpretation of ancient mythology means that the "sanctity" of these cells comes before research that could stave off or end the suffering of hundreds of millions of people from cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, spinal cord injury, and so on.
If these clumps of cells have "souls," then they can join in heaven the souls of millions of other clumps of cells that never make it to birth -- the 50-80% of all fertilized human eggs which are naturally aborted before they even become fetuses. The way i figure it, heaven will be primarily populated by the souls of clumps of cells. Should we rail against a god who sees fit to throw away so many 'babies'?
On one side of this "debate" we have science, medicine, reason, and compassion, and on the other side, we have... fundamentalist ancient mythology. This is so utterly absurd, so completely unreal, that i can only conclude that the powers that be, the rulers of our empire, are using this absurdity to drive home the absolute nature of their power. It is an arrogant capriciousness, like Roman Emperor Caligula ordering his assembled armies to collect seashells instead of invading Brittain.
In the meantime, you or someone you know or have known, are ill, are suffering, are maybe dying, and are praying for a cure which just became more distant.
