Human Beings Material

Christianity Today has a long article on stem cell research that contains some quotes from the vice president of embryonic stem cell/cloning proponent Geron, that truly display the ridiculous lengths some of those in favor of killing human embryos in the vague hope of curing diseases will go. David Greenwood was asked if Geron considers the embryos to be human. Here's his answer:

"I can't put labels … on these materials," Greenwood says. "The materials are what they are medically and scientifically, and that's what we describe. It's IVF material.

"As a company, obviously, it would be grossly inappropriate for us to make theological pronouncements of any kind."

While shying away from "theological pronouncements," ESC researchers prize stem cells because they are pluripotent, having an almost mystical ability to grow into other kinds of tissue. ESCs also have the ability to reproduce themselves indefinitely.

"Quite simply, [ESC research] may redefine medicine," Greenwood says. "Its potential is that extraordinary."

That's right. Not only are embryonic stem cell proponents treating human embryos as mere materials (like wood or ore) - they're calling them that.

Since when did the question of whether an organism is human or not became a "theological pronouncement?" Sounds more like a question of biology to me.

I do enjoy how the author, Stan Guthrie, quietly points out how ESC researchers (who shy away from supposedly religious positions) put an extraordinary large amount of faith on embryonic stem cell research despite their relative lack of success.