On Monday, Obama rolled back Bush's restrictions on on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. Upon announcing his plan, Obama made some interesting comments:
"The majority of Americans - from across the political spectrum, and of all backgrounds and beliefs - have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research, that the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight, the perils can be avoided."
Perils? What perils?
"...the use of cloning for human reproduction: it is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society."
Wow...strong words. I'm not accustomed to hearing Obama speak with such moral clarity. Obama did not explain how he has drawn his conclusions, but this is how it boils down:
Grinding up human embryos to harvest cells and make spare parts — Good
Using human embryos to make more babies — Bad
Does this make sense? If so, in what moral framework is this so obvious that it requires no explanation?
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"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." — Thomas Jefferson
