Dr. Roy Eappen is a conservative, Christian, endocrinologist living in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). He writes a blog called Dr. Roy's Thoughts. The blog is richly decorated with all of the stereotypical symbols of the Blogging Tory that Canadian Cynic is so fond of (see example on left).One of the thoughts Dr. Roy had recently concerns "Ethical" stem cells. This is a reference to recent work developing stem cell lines from somatic cells [see OK. Everyone take a deep breath ....].
Here's what Dr. Roy says,
This is an interesting article about Dr James A. Thomson. I have spoken to scientists on these matters before and all of them have been uneasy about using embryos for stem cells. They have said that they wanted to help the sick. While healing the sick is an admirable goal, one has to think of the moral cost as well.Dr. Roy must hang out with a different class of scientists than the ones I see. Most of the scientists I know have few qualms about creating human stem cell lines from discarded human embryos.
This doesn't mean that there are no scientists in Canada who don't share Dr. Roy's opinions about abortion. It just means that Dr. Roy is very likely not telling the truth when he says that "all of them" are uneasy. Why is it that truthiness and Christianity don't often go together?
[Hat Tip: Canadian Cynic ( Stem cells and reality. Because we're NOT morons.)]
Why is it that truthiness and Christianity don't often go together?
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate rhetorical question!
There's clearly no ethical comparison between performing an abortion and working with artificially created embryos, and why aren't those who think there is ethical equivalency campaigning against the fertility treatments that produce these embryos in the first place?
I wonder if the scientists Roy has been citing are "uneasy" because they are afraid of being prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that truthiness and Christianity don't often go together?
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult for me to parse that sentence, phrased as it is as a question.
Truthiness is a property of information that seems like the truth, without actually being true.
From Dictionary.com: the state of wishing things to be true; also, conformity to beliefs one feels or wishes to be true
So... if I rephrase your question as a statement:
Truthiness and Christianity often go together
Is that accurate?
I guess you don't actually read. I said the scientists I spoke to not all scientists. Also read the comment who mad many of the breakthroughs in stem cell research. Dr Thompson
ReplyDelete“If human embryonic stem cell research does not make you at least a little bit uncomfortable, you have not thought about it enough,” he said. “I thought long and hard about whether I would do it.”