OVERVIEW
‘I Am’ is a pro-life organization. We believe that stem cell research is pro-life and respects the sanctity of life. ‘I Am’ was created because of the personal and spiritual convictions of our members.
‘I Am’ believes that all things are created by God, including a blastocyst. Our organization believes that one of God’s creations should never be dumped in a trashcan when it has the potential to bless us with cures and relieve people from suffering.
The argument isn’t over whether or not a blastocyst constitutes a form of life or not, only God knows where life begins. The argument is over what the morally responsible thing to do with a frozen embryo is, an entity that already exists from in vitro fertilization.
We believe God gives us tools to work with, natural mysteries to unravel, and a brain to learn with. We believe God blesses the acquisition of knowledge.
Prayer Challenge:
Some of us leave church feeling like support for stem cell research is immoral. Challenge yourself, think for yourself, pray about it personally, and don’t let anyone dictate to you what God wants. Pray with an open mind and a moldable heart.
THE FACTS
Stem cell research has sparked controversy and debate about ethics and morality. With accurate information and straightforward facts, most people find stem cell research well within their moral and ethical bounds.
*Please click here for a basic discussion of the morality surrounding stem cell research, and then return to this page for a more in-depth discussion.
Blastocysts
A blastocyst (an early embryo) is created during a process called embryogenesis, which is where the embryo is formed and develops.
The ONLY embryos used in stem cell research are from in vitro fertilization, NEVER from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body, and are donated with informed consent by couples who would otherwise throw them away.
Either way, the entity has already been created. The frozen blastocyst exists. Of all the fertilized blastocysts created for in vitro fertilization only a few are actually implanted. This leaves thousands of unused blastocysts.
There are only two options for an unused blastocyst:
- Throw it in a hazardous waste trashcan
- Use it for lifesaving research
If you find yourself struggling because you don’t like the idea of either option, that may mean you are against in vitro fertilization, NOT stem cell research. Stem cell research simply uses the “leftovers” from another procedure.
Whether or not you agree with in vitro fertilization, I think we can all agree that by throwing away a high-potential mini creation that already exists, no one gains.
Question: Can’t I adopt frozen embryos? Sure! And please do! (It’s the obvious best-case scenario.) But the fact will remain that thousands of unused embryos still exist.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
What is the link between stem cell research and abortion?
There is no link. Stem cell research does NOT involve termination of a pregnancy. The embryos used in stem cell research have never been implanted in a woman. As a sole entity, without being implanted in a woman, an embryo has the same chance a toothpick has of developing into a baby.
What is the link between stem cell research and human cloning?
People often fail to realize there is a difference between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. Stem cell research involves therapeutic cloning, called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), where the blastocyst is not transferred into a woman’s womb. This isn’t the same as reproductive cloning (like Dolly the sheep). Additionally, some careful rules and regulations are already in place to guide scientific progress, and of course, careful legislation will need to be implemented as science advances. “Cloning” in various capacities, is already used in some medical treatments.
What if women in poor socioeconomic situations sell their eggs for money?
They can’t. Under current legislation the only embryos used for stem cell research are from leftover and unwanted eggs from in vitro fertilization. Eggs are donated with informed consent.
Why is there so much controversy surrounding this if it is so simple?
Opposition to stem cell research is quick to fuel the debate with misinformation and scare tactics. Additionally, stem cell research raises some ambiguities where elements of the debate must rest on opinions, not facts. Some people are of the opinion that it is more morally correct to throw a frozen embryo away than to conduct research on it. Not all minds are open to education, not all hearts are open to individual interpretation.
CRITERIA FOR MAKING AN ETHICAL DECISION:
Interested in making an ethical decision?
‘I Am’ advocates educating individuals about stem cell research to allow them to make informed decisions about stem cell policy. Following is a list of questions to help you make an informed, ethically sound decision:
Four questions to ask to make ethical, informed decisions:
1. Who might be affected by the decision--positively or negatively--and how?
Positively: 125 million Americans are afflicted with diseases that might be benefited by stem cell research in the future. Stem cells offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat numerous diseases, conditions, and disabilities, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Advancements in stem cell research have the potential to save millions of lives and improve the quality of millions more.
Negatively: The debate surrounding stem cells generally pertains to one type of stem cell research, which uses embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cell research has generated a significant amount of public debate because the cells that have the potential to develop into many different types of cells are isolated from human embryos. Misinformation has fueled opponents of stem cell research and efforts have been falsely linked to cloning and abortion. Opposition rallies around the idea that the frozen embryos are “life,” despite the fact that they are derived from embryos created for reproductive purposes which are no longer wanted for such purposes and will be thrown away.
2. What are the research options and what is the likely outcome?
Stem cells show potential for many different areas of health and medical research. Supporting and funding stem cell research can help us to understand how stem cells transform into specialized cells that could lead to medical therapies for diseases and conditions that currently have no cure. A better understanding of normal cell development will allow us to understand and perhaps correct the errors that cause cancer and birth defects and develop medical therapies that could aid in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis.
Currently, adult stem cells are the only type of stem cell commonly used to treat human diseases. Adult stem cells are used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and several inherited blood disorders. An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ, which can renew itself, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. Adult stem cells offer limitations because they are predisposed to develop into specific cells such has heart cells or liver cells, while embryonic stem cells are more flexible in their development. Only embryonic stem cells have demonstrated potential to specialize to any cell in the body.
Embryonic cell lines and adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow are both promising areas of stem cell research that need to be investigated and explored further. Currently we know more about the possibilities of adult stem cell research, which has been studied for over 40 years. Embryonic stem cells have only been researched since 1998.
The President's Criteria
On August 9th, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that federal funds may be awarded for research using human embryonic stem cells if the following criteria are met:
- The derivation process (which begins with the destruction of the embryo) was initiated prior to 9:00 P.M. EDT on August 9, 2001.
- The stem cells must have been derived from an embryo that was created for reproductive purposes and was no longer needed.
- Informed consent must have been obtained for the donation of the embryo and that donation must not have involved financial inducements.
3. If my child or an investigative reporter were watching me, what would I do?
Is your child one of the 125 million Americans with one of the diseases stem cell research has the potential to help? How would you vote if it were your mother with Alzheimer’s disease, your spouse with osteoporosis, or you with a spinal cord injury?
4. Is everyone being treated as I would want to be treated? Is the decision “fair”?
Is it fair to limit research that has the potential to improve the lives of millions? Is it fair to throw away a frozen embryo that could be used for lifesaving research? Can our government refuse to fund research that could protect the lives of citizens? Would you seek treatment options for yourself or a loved one?
