My Comments regarding EMBRYONIC stem cells

A Dog in the Fight:
Reflections of a Lutheran Pastor Suffering from Parkinson's


While it isn't Parkinson's Disease that I have (and I don't live in Missouri) I do INDEED have a dog in this fight!

I have Intermediate Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Also known as SMA Type 2), which started showing up when I was nine months old. I never walked, although I did sidle around the coffee table or the inside of those wooden playpens from SEVERAL years ago. This is a progressive disease sort of like Lou Gehrig's disease, and I definitely can see that. When I was 12, I could easily brush my hair -- now, at 48, I can't begin to tell you how much I would love to be able to hold and read books and magazines. Not everything I want to read is digitized or put on audiotape. (For example Dr. Scaer's "Discourses in Matthew - Jesus Teaches the Church" .)

Both the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Families of SMA do research on my disease, one of the approaches that they are absolutely convinced will work is using EMBRYONIC stem cell therapies.

I was having a discussion with my personal care of assistant about this very thing a couple of months ago. She would eagerly donate eggs to turn into embryos to be used for research and is absolutely and completely hurt that I would not use the treatment -- even if it was 100% guaranteed to work for me, guaranteeing my ability to climb Mount Everest next spring.

The thing is... once we start declaring ANY human beings to be marketable commodities for use for our benefits. We are in trouble. Using pre-born children in this way makes us no different than vampires -- feeding on our victims!

And there is a bigger issue at stake.

Did God promise that HIS strength is made perfect in our weakness, or not?