Thanks for the response Jack. It was a bit general, but this is not the space to hash it all out.
Sorry about your grandfather’s death. However the science on embryonic stems cells has not shown any real progress. It bothers me morally and philosophically to use our own offspring as parts to experiment on. That seems just wrong to give my fertilized proto child to be torn apart for experiments to promote life therapies for those who are already living.
I do recognize that many of these embryos are discarded in reality. The misinformation is that Bush’s decision to restrict experiments only to existing cell lines funded by federal money is actually a principled position. In that it does not take money from those morally opposed to taking life and spending ending potential lives. There is no restriction on private funding on embryonic research and most of the positive news has been from adult stem cells research.
I think the stem cell issue will be a non-issue as adult stem cell therapies take off and the lack of positive therapies from embryonic research shows that as a failed direction. Believe me I am all for stem cell therapies. If wee can adapt the persons own tem cells to make new tissue and rebuild hearts and repair neural networks that has great promise and has been successful in some tests.
Anyway, I doubt that I will be able to persuade you but it is nice to have a discussion with someone who doesn’t share my own ideas because the give and take is interesting. Even though are not a supporter of the GOP you have enough common ideals that we have more in common than different.
I common theme running through these comments is that the libertarian secularist will not tolerate the religious right, but the religious right never seems to talk about kicking the secular libertarian to the curb. I find that interesting and shows a lack of tolerance among libertarians.
I agree will most libertarian idea, though not all but it is ironic that they also attack the religious right. I mean if the FLDS wants to live their strange ways in Texas with inbreeding and multiple wives and the women want it, and then fine. They are not imposing their ways on others or me. The Amish has managed to keep their unusual lifestyle and religious lives and even integrate with selling services and food to the rest of the communities. They can live their lives their way since that is religious freedom and I can live my life differently.
I have never felt threatened by the religious right since mostly they want to be able to raise their children with their values without interference. Doctors want the ability to refuse treatments that are against their conscience and Obama is talking about taking away that exemption. Funny but over 35 years I have seen the religious been attacked in culture, media, print and by the judicial system and I have more sympathy for them even though I have been an agnostic all this time. I agree with a lot of their values since they have been the traditional values that have withstood the test of time.
