Friday, December 4, 2009

Science and Morality

In the debate over embryonic stem cell research, frequently heard was the claim from the left that policy shouldn't get in the way of "science".  First, this relies on a faulty understanding of science.  Science is not a floating body of knowledge.  Science is not an entity.  Science is a method used by scientists.  As such, science should not have some ethereal, platonic, godlike existence that cannot be touched, something like the third rail on the subway train.  Science is man's tool, not his master.

Further, scientists are bound by God's laws every bit as much as other people, regardless of whether or not they are engaging in science.  A scientist who destroys a human embryo in order to extract stem cells is as guilty as the man who kills his 4 year old child.  The mere fact that a scientist is engaging in science does not excuse his behavior.  Also, man's laws must mirror God's objective truth to be just.  Science is no excuse to engage in barbarism.  For instance, capturing all of the homeless people (contributing nothing to society) and using them to test new drugs and treatments on is immoral.  It would be scientifically helpful, and perhaps a net utilitarian gain to society, but still immoral.  Purging society of all mentally challenged people would give a utilitarian gain to society, but it would be immoral.  As such, scientists are not authorized to do so.  Why is embryonic stem cell research any different?

The fact is, that as with abortion, the question of embryonic stem cell research comes down to 2 questions.  1: At what point does a baby become a human being?  2:  In what instances is it right to kill a human being?  Society has roughly come up with good answers for question 2.  It's not acceptable to kill an innocent human being.  So, the question rides on 1.  Therefore, embryonic stem cell research is not primarily a scientific question, it is a moral question.  I believe that public policy should reflect this morality.  If an embryo is a human, it's not moral to kill him and use his raw materials to help others any more than what the Nazis did was moral, or ordinary murder is moral.  A dogmatic adherence to "science" detached from morality will result in the reductions of human to slaves to a method, without regard to right and wrong. 

3 comments:

  1. Embryonic stem cell research, like abortion, stem from Nazi Eugenics programs that were originally carried out in the US. Planned Parenthood used to be called the Eugenics Society or Eugenics Center, something like that, but they changed the name to make it more "public friendly". All of this has led to the current healthcare debacle bill that is being pushed through the senate and its end of life language, its regulation of care, etc., Along with the global warming agenda hoax and the continuous pushing by global warming activists that somehow the human race is "bad for the enviornment" and the world needs to be depopulated. China's 1-child policy is now trying to be implemented here in America and elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What fascinates me is that we all have stem cells in our bodies, and I believe that all the breakthroughs have come through those lines. Also, cord blood which is discarded, has all the newborns stem cells without any destruction of a human being. Why are we killing embryos???

    ReplyDelete
  3. A nation that kills it's young to improve the life of it's elderly and sick will destroy itself.

    ReplyDelete