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Bishops warn against animal-human embryos
- By SCMO
- Published 13/09/2007
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Following their meeting at Scotus College in Glasgow yesterday, the Catholic Bishops of Scotland have released a statement urging MPs not to allow the creation of mixed animal – human embryos as proposed by the forthcoming ‘Human Tissue and Embryology Bill.’
The Bishops describe such a move as a “horrific prospect” which would see “a moral boundary being crossed”. They urge MPs “not to support such controversial and morally questionable techniques” adding that research with “non-controversial adult stem cell therapies have produced many successes.”
The full text is shown below:
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
07968 122291
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
"The Human Tissue and Embryology Bill which will be introduced in the Westminster Parliament in November will among other things allow for the creation of mixed animal – human embryos which would be known as “hybrids”.
Human beings are unique and distinct from all other creatures. Our natural distaste at the prospect of mixing species reflects a natural intuition that a moral boundary is being crossed. Like many people we are appalled and shocked by this horrific prospect.
It is alarming to imagine a new category of embryo being fashioned by scientists in order that they might have a further supply of raw genetic material upon which to experiment and then discard.
For many years unsubstantiated claims on the alleged benefits of research on stem cells from human embryos have been made without foundation. At the same time research using adult stem cells has proven to be clinically beneficial without being ethically contentious.
Creating hybrids between animals and humans would be a step too far. We urge our MPs not to support such controversial and morally questionable techniques, which have demonstrably failed to produce results when non-controversial adult stem cell therapies have produced many successes."
The Bishops describe such a move as a “horrific prospect” which would see “a moral boundary being crossed”. They urge MPs “not to support such controversial and morally questionable techniques” adding that research with “non-controversial adult stem cell therapies have produced many successes.”
The full text is shown below:
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
07968 122291
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
"The Human Tissue and Embryology Bill which will be introduced in the Westminster Parliament in November will among other things allow for the creation of mixed animal – human embryos which would be known as “hybrids”.
Human beings are unique and distinct from all other creatures. Our natural distaste at the prospect of mixing species reflects a natural intuition that a moral boundary is being crossed. Like many people we are appalled and shocked by this horrific prospect.
It is alarming to imagine a new category of embryo being fashioned by scientists in order that they might have a further supply of raw genetic material upon which to experiment and then discard.
For many years unsubstantiated claims on the alleged benefits of research on stem cells from human embryos have been made without foundation. At the same time research using adult stem cells has proven to be clinically beneficial without being ethically contentious.
Creating hybrids between animals and humans would be a step too far. We urge our MPs not to support such controversial and morally questionable techniques, which have demonstrably failed to produce results when non-controversial adult stem cell therapies have produced many successes."