Reader Question: Avoiding the Culture of Death

A reader writes:

With all the news about stem-cell research, I have not seen any news about drugs or medical procedures developed from this method of research. If any drugs or medical procedures have come from stem-cell research, where would a Catholic look in order to avoid these?

Too often, when discussing life issues, we focus only on the initial act. But sometimes things that flow from that act have the potential to draw us in, often without our knowing it. For instance, many people do not realize that the chickenpox vaccine was initially cultured using tissue from an aborted child. All of the vaccine manufactured today still stems from that culture.

Thus, it's good to see a reader thinking about the implications of stem-cell research. Before answering the question, however, I should clarify one point: The Catholic Church is opposed only to embryonic stem-cell research, not to research on adult stem cells or those obtained from other sources, such as umbilical-cord blood. (I've discussed this in greater detail in The Catholic Church's Teaching on Stem-Cell Research.)

So a Catholic has no moral reason to avoid the fruits of non-embryonic stem-cell research. But how can we make certain that we aren't inadvertently benefiting from the destruction of embryos? The answer is surprisingly simple. Despite the massive hype surrounding embryonic stem-cell research and the significant public and private funding poured into it, not a single viable treatment has emerged from it.

In fact, every use of embryonic stem cells in other tissue has led to the creation of tumors. Adult stem-cell research, on the other hand, has proved quite fruitful: As many as 70 therapeutic uses have been discovered, and dozens have already been approved for use. (You can read about this in more detail in The Catholic Church's Teaching on Stem-Cell Research.)

Is it possible that viable therapeutic uses will be developed with embryonic stem cells in the future? Certainly. And, at that point, the reader's question will come back into play. Until then, though, Catholics who follow the Church's teaching can apply political pressure to get funding transferred from anti-life--and anti-productive--embryonic stem-cell research to pro-life forms of stem-cell research that have already proved their worth.

If you have a question that you would like to have featured in our Friday "Reader Questions" series, send me an e-mail at catholicism.guide@about.com. Be sure to put "QUESTION" in the subject line, and please note whether you'd like me to address it privately or on the Catholicism blog.