Society

Right to Life Blast Victoria Position on Therapeutic Cloning

On the 3rd October 2005 the Age has reported that the Right to Life has blasted the Victorian state government position regarding its support for therapeutic cloning as the Lockhart Inquiry is continuing in Melbourne.

The President of the Right to Life group Margaret Tighe said: “Therapeutic cloning is morally unjustifiable and will inevitably lead to the birth of cloned babies.” She further went on saying: “Researchers had no right to experiment on human embryos, even for worthwhile medical purpose.”

Currently therapeutic cloning involving growing and destroying week old human embryos to extract stem cells is banned in Australia but the federal government is looking at lifting the ban which may come down to a conscience vote in parliament where the inquiry will be completed at the end of the year.

Ms Tighe said: “I deplore the comments of politicians who say, how can we benefit commercially (from cloning), I ask you to stop and reflect upon the desirability of developing a trade in human life.”

Ms. Tighe stated: “Right to Life believed human life began at conception. Even though therapeutic cloning involved destroying embryos only a week or two old, it was nevertheless a human being that was being destroyed.”

Conceding that embryonic stem cells could be used in medical research such as Parkinson’s disease and cystic fibrosis Margaret Tighe said: “It is most praiseworthy for medical science to continue in pursuit of the above, however we have to ask ourselves is it right to use small human beings for this purpose?”

Warning of a similar slippery slope which follow the introduction of IVF technology in 1980 she stated: “Reproductive cloning was inevitable if therapeutic cloning was allowed, despite assurance it would remain banned. No experiments on human embryos said the scientist. No freezing and stockpiling of embryos. No selection and discarding of embryos, to name but a few excesses. Yet one by one these promises have been broken.”

The federal minister for health Tony Abbott indicating he was commenting as an ordinary member of parliament said he opposed any further permission for embryo experiments.

Advertisement

• Richard Dawkins supports distribution of Bibles to every public school
• Church office reportedly closed down in Sudan
• Casting Crown's Mark Hall auctioning his Avengers desk for World Vision's cause
• SA lawyers say same-sex marriage bills are unconstitutional
• Christian pregnancy support centre opening in Surry Hills

• A letter to my 19 year old self - Part 1
• Will Graham's Sydney breakfast: “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, Oi, Oi"
• Churches called to prayer during Olympic torch relay
• Christian pregnancy support centre opening in Surry Hills

Vogue says goodbye to too young, too thin models

Vogue magazine has promised not to use models that are underage or underweight on its front covers. The decision is..