For Christians, what are the ethical/moral stakes of stem cell research?
Hanson: We’re looking at two obligations: To end suffering and to respect early human life. If you believe the embryo is merely biological tissue with potential, then you are free — in fact, obligated — to go ahead with stem cell research. If you believe the embryo is fully equivalent to an adult human being, then you would be absolutely prohibited from doing this. If you view the embryo as worthy of some moral respect, then you have an ethical balancing act. There may be some good that would make the destruction of that embryo justifiable, but it would have to be a very important good. What are the potential benefits and risks of stem cell research? We might learn more about how cells develop and how they become different kinds of cells. One could direct these cells to become tissues, and even potentially whole organs to be available for transplants, or to help repair certain kinds of tissues that don’t easily regenerate, such as neural cells for people with spinal cord or brain injur
