X-Message-Number: 18608 Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 03:49:10 -0800 From: "John Grigg" <> Subject: Re: "Don't ban therapeutic cloning" letter, PLUS a small rant! Rudi Hoffman wrote: Friends, the long awaited WAR has begun! I am referring to the oft discussed tension between the forces of science, knowledge, technology, and rationality Vs the forces of mythology, renouncement, "God did not intend for man to do this," and the attitude that "I am not comfortable with the possible ramifications of this, so I am going to lobby to criminalize your even considering or researching possibilities." (end) Does this mean I can't trust the Southern Baptist family which lives down the street? Should I strike first just to be sure I win? Seriously, I hope we can find viable scientific alternatives to using "very early stage potential human beings." This would really calm the nerves of Evangelicals. The research into using umbilical cord cells/adult human cells will hopefully bear fruit. One thing is for sure, if the U.S. does not perfect this biotechnology, foreign powers will. And their profits will be huge. Wealthy Americans will be making pilgrimages to England, or any other nation which can offer advanced therapeutic stem cell medicine to cure what ails them. you continue: The religious right has massive funding, television stations, and the tremendous blind faith of the religiously deluded. This is a society where it is considered a positive if you believe something just BECAUSE there is NO evidence of it! This flawed but surprising effective epistemology has engendered societies ruled by religious zealots throughout most of recorded history. (end) The religious right organizations organized by Falwell and Robertson do have massive funding and pretty dang big numbers, too. But some evangelical Christians do have "minds of their own." Stereotyping and religion bashing is not the right way. Maybe we can build bridges with the moderates that also exist. There are religious organizations which realize the value of stem cell research. http://lds.org/media2/newsrelease/0,5637,666-1-6035,00.html you continue: But back to the task at hand. YOUR task. If you value the possibility of therapeutic cloning research improving YOUR life in the next 3 or 5 or 10 years. Instead of the 15 or 20 or more which it could take if we allow the U. S. government to CRIMINALIZE RESEARCH! (end) Today I sent my letter off to the Alaska senator Ted Stevens. He is one of the powerhouses in the U.S. senate. Just doing my part! : ) best wishes, John Check out Cupid School where you will learn from Matchmaker's best and brightest. Good Luck! http://ecard.matchmaker.com/cupid0202/cupid0202.html Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=18608