Comments on: “An Ethics Debate Over Embryos on the Cheap”: LA Times

By: John Howard

John Howard — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:36:15 +0000

Reta is right, we should shut this doctor down, it surely violates basic human rights.

Micha Elyl is right too, the media just sees a long easy storyline to right about, with lots of readers and advertisers, and they personally find it comforting. Their contradiction on soybeans genetic manipulation is very damning proof of bias. Or it’s just personal selfish concern, after all they have already been born but they still have to eat.

By: Micha Elyi

Micha Elyi — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:49:29 +0000

I notice that the LA Times failed (again) to warn its readers that IVF remains an experimental process and lacks any double-blind studies to demonstrate safety.

Compare and contrast media cheerleading for IVF practicioners with the ample airing of the opinions of the increasingly unscientific critics of well-tested farm GMOs. The Establishment Media’s message: human life can be treated carelessly but a soybean is precious!

By: Reta

Reta — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:54:03 +0000

Very sad what they are doing to human life and the commodification of human life. I would shut down this MD for tampering with human life. Human beings aren’t products or means to our ends. When that happens, we treat them like they are. I think it’s evil what he is doing. The babies aren’t evil, but he is, or at least what he is doing is wrong.

I don’t know how that can be okay with the Church because it certainly manipulates life ……..I realize it’s for a ‘good cause’ but if manipulating life with contraception is considered wrong – using a procedure to stop a life from forming……..wouldn’t in vitro essentially be doing the same thing even though for the object of promoting life? The Church can’t allow unnatural means in these cases.

I think this doctor wants to truly help with his process. But doctors being scientists like he is it’s more the scientist in him that’s at work
here……..he wants to see his idea be successful which it is. But I have problems with this as certainly any ‘thinking’ and ‘believing’ Catholic ought to be having as well.

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:49:02 +0000

Artaban,

You had said:

Embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) profits all the IVF clinics that can generate a new revenue stream by selling “the leftovers”.

This story has nothing whatsoever to do with embryonic stem cell research. Nor is Dr. Zeringue selling “leftovers” to those who come to him seeking IVF. I can see why his method is setting off alarm bells, but it has nothing to do with the points you raised in the other thread.

By: Artaban

Artaban — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:00:54 +0000

I seem to recall another article and debate fairly recently in which some supporters of embryonic stem-cell research (David Nickol, etc.) objected to the claim that it would naturally lead to sale of embryos. It certainly hasn’t taken long for the truth of the matter to reveal itself, as this article proves.

A link to that original discussion can be found below:

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2012/10/10/vindication-for-opponents-of-embryo-destructive-research/comment-page-1/#comment-76749