Is it 1984 Yet? (On Stem Cell Research)

By The Rev. Canon Kathleen Kelly, Canon Evangelist
Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, California

Written for the Sacramento News and Review

In 1949, George Orwell wrote a book that described a scary totalitarian state in which The Party controls every part of life, including what people think and who mates with whom. Big Brother engineers all of life. Orwell placed this story in 1984. Obviously, that year has come and gone. Have Orwell’s fears been realized? Some people think humankind is dabbling in technologies that could lead us to the reality of Orwell’s 1984.

Have you figured out what the “stem cell” debate is all about? Couples that are having trouble becoming pregnant can sometimes be helped if harvested sperm and eggs are fertilized outside the womb and then implanted in the mother. The process requires producing more fertilized eggs than will ultimately become implanted. Most people don’t want their fertilized eggs being implanted in another, and say so. Medical researchers have discovered that if this nascent life is briefly developed, it offers cells with amazing properties. Embyonic stem cells have “pluripotency;” they can issue healthy cells for almost any part of the body. Apparently, this is not true for cells from a developed human. Scientists see tremendous potential for stem cell research in addressing a wide range of conditions. Supporters of this process point out that the fertilized eggs at issue would be destroyed per donor directive if not used in this way.

Opponents see a dangerous interference with human life. Some argue that such excess fertilized eggs should not be created. Ironically, this would undermine a life-giving therapy that has allowed many couples to give birth and nurture their own offspring. Other opponents express more concern about the “slippery slope.” If it is OK to do research with this human life because it is marked for destruction, then why not start experimenting on death row prisoners, or the terminally ill? Stem cells can also be taken from an aborted fetus. If the process is allowed in the case of miscarriage, will it lead to poor mothers volunteering for abortion just so they can sell the fetus for research?

The National Bioethics Advisory Commission published a study in which religious leaders expressed a wide range of opinions about stem cell research. In the face of this disagreement, you might think religion offers no help. But the purpose of religion is not to tell anyone what to think, à la Orwell’s 1984. At Trinity Cathedral, we come together to learn from one another and all the other faithful people who have struggled with how to honor the sacredness of life. A lively mind is one vital way to honor the gift of life.

The Rev. Canon Kathleen Kelly
Canon Evangelist
October, 2006