This week we'll be discussing some of the ethics of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, recently passed in Parliament. This includes the creation of human/animal hybrid embryos, and selecting IVF embryos to grow into children for the express purpose of being a tissue donor for en existing poorly child. Discussion will be led by our medical correspondent, Andrea.
15 June 2008
Hybrid embryos and Saviour siblings
This week we'll be discussing some of the ethics of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, recently passed in Parliament. This includes the creation of human/animal hybrid embryos, and selecting IVF embryos to grow into children for the express purpose of being a tissue donor for en existing poorly child. Discussion will be led by our medical correspondent, Andrea.
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4 comments:
This one sounds fascinating. Isn't SofaChurch varied? From Borat to babies. Think I'll try and get Andy to record Andrea's bit for me to listen to at home.
I watched a programme on the BBC i-player yesterday about abortion. It really affected me and made me question what I think about it. They showed the tiny mass of cells from a very early termination, then described the process for a more developed foetus. (Quite frankly horrific)
I still can't make up my mind whether very early terminations are somehow better. Though they said even at this very early stage, the cell mass had a heartbeat.
It struck me too, that the girls on the programme had had their decisions to go ahead with the terminations influenced by how easy and 'acceptable' it is.
It was heartbreaking to see them trying to cope with their decisions afterwards; they were clearly being very tough on the surface, but you got the impression that underneath it they were devastated and full of grief.
Can't help but wonder if the decision isn't something that's incredibly hard to live with. I found myself hurting with the girls for what they'd been through and what had clearly damaged them deep inside. I wondered if it's fair on them that abortion has become known as an easy thing to do that won't have any lasting consequences.
And who knows if having a baby after getting pregnant accidentally might have turned out to be the best mistake they ever made?
Thoroughly enjoyed the philosophical discussion this evening. Thank you so much, Andrea.
Couldn't help thinking about Psalm 139 on the way home though, particularly these verses:
"For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body."
Jo
So what was the conclusion of the discussion?
(I'll update the stuff for next week hopefully tonight, if not by weekend's end)
Hmmm... tricky! We covered a lot of ground and Andrea did an excellent job at summarising the Bill. We had a vote at the end though... most were for generating stemcells from hybrid embryos (though would still prefer it if they were created from umbillical blood) and unanimously agreed for the need of a 'father-figure'. Also voted against the idea of 'saviour siblings' due to the resultant psychological implications. Generally felt though that this last part of the Bill was extremely sketchy and needed refining eg.naming specific genetically-related diseases etc.
But what do other people think?
JO
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