Following is the last in a five-part series highlighting issues that will impact the fall elections in Virginia.

Stem-Cell Research

"All human beings … belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the ‘book of life’" (cf. Ps 139: 1, 13-16), "Evangelium Vitae," No. 61 (1995).

This excerpt from John Paul II’s "Gospel of Life" encyclical reminds us that when we were embryos, God already had a unique plan for us. We were then, and are now, part of the human family. God calls us to treat all members of this family justly, including "tiny shapeless embryos."

Whether we are adults, adolescents, infants, fetuses or embryos, we share a common humanity and a fundamental right to life that must be protected. That is why our Church teaches, "The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception; and therefore from that same moment his rights as a person must be recognized, among which in the first place is the inviolable right of every innocent human being to life … . [S]ince the embryo must be treated as a person, it must also be defended in its integrity, tended and cared for, to the extent possible, in the same way as any other human being as far as medical assistance is concerned." "Donum Vitae, Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" (1987).

Within the last few years, contrary perspectives on the nature and value of human beings at the embryonic stage of development have garnered heightened attention. Some have said that embryonic human beings are nothing more than disposable sources of stem cells. To others, "spare" embryos in frozen storage are expendable for research because they might ultimately be "discarded" anyway. Still others even argue that new human embryos should be cloned and subsequently destroyed to enhance researchers’ stem cell supply. Each of these views reduces human life to a commodity and places usefulness above inherent dignity. Sadly, history has often demonstrated the grave consequences of exploiting some persons to help others. Even for frozen embryos who may soon be "discarded," the injustice of being deliberately killed for experimental purposes is quite clear; one needs only to consider how troubling such a practice would seem if applied to terminally ill patients, death-row inmates and others who are judged to be close to death.

Much of the political debate surrounding stem-cell research has focused on the scientific claim that research on stem cells derived by destroying human embryos will lead to the cure of many diseases. Even if this assertion were true, embryo-destructive research would not be morally justified. However, despite over 25 years of research, embryonic stem cells have not helped a single human patient or demonstrated any therapeutic benefit. On the other hand, stem cells from adult tissue and other sources (obtained without harming anyone) have already helped many thousands of patients. In fact, 65 conditions have already been treated successfully in human patients using adult stem cells.

Despite the clear evidence that adult stem-cell research is a more ethical and sensible investment of public money, many federal and state lawmakers across the country have instead, with the backing of prominent researchers and foundations, insisted that more government funds should be used for embryonic stem-cell research, which several states are already financing with taxpayers’ money. In Virginia, a bill introduced earlier this year would have forced the commonwealth’s taxpayers, for the first time in state history, to pay for it as well. Although the original proposal was approved by the Senate Education and Health Committee, it was amended by the full Senate to allow funding only for research using stem cells not obtained by destroying human embryos (e.g., from adult tissue, umbilical cord blood and other sources that pose no moral problem). The modified bill then passed the Senate by a unanimous vote and the House by an overwhelming majority. Hence, Virginia now has a beneficial new program that can use our tax dollars only for life-affirming research. During the 2006 General Assembly session, however, the matter is likely to resurface, with lawmakers likely to debate the merits of widely varying proposals, including:

• Appropriating taxpayer dollars for research on stem cells obtained by destroying human embryos.
• Increasing state funding earmarked exclusively for stem-cell research that poses no ethical problems and that has already demonstrated therapeutic benefit (i.e., on stem cells that were not obtained by destroying human embryos).

For more information go to www.vacatholic.org.