Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's decision to support a bill to expand federal financing for embryonic stem cell research is all over today's news. Frist professes to be pro-life and says that it's a "fact of science" that an embryo is "nascent human life." From the other side of his mouth, however, he says, "I also believe that embryonic stem cell research should be encouraged and supported."
Mr. Frist insists that the bill provides an ethical framework because federal monies would only be used to fund research on embryos that would otherwise be discarded. It seems to me that if the senator were consistent with his stated belief that conception marks the beginning of a distinct human life, he'd be opposed to all forms of embryonic destruction. It shouldn't matter whether they're thrown out like yesterday's trash or experimented on for the noble cause of seeking cures for terrible diseases. In either case, a defenseless human life is being terminated unnecessarily.
Mr. Frist would have us believe that it's ethical to kill an innocent person who was going to be killed anyway as long as it's for the greater good. I'm sure he wouldn't want to state it that plainly but when you excise the euphemistic rhetoric that's what you're left with.
4 comments:
Hey KP,
I read the newspaper article on Bill Frist this morning and could hardly believe it. I actually came to your blog today expecting for you to be commenting on it. I also felt that his comments completely destroy logic as well as neglect to uphold the value of God-given life.
I did a quick check on 'nascent'. I found this:
Coming or having recently come into existence
It seems that the distinction between 'coming into' and 'recently come into' is important here. If one thinks that an embryo is nascent human life only in that it is coming to be a human life but is not yet there, perhaps one can justify embryonic stem cell research. But if one thinks that an embryo is nascent human life in the sense that it is already a human being, the justification becomes much more difficult.
'Nascent' is a weasel-word in this context. It is conveniently ambiguous.
Brent, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad I didn't dissapoint you. ;-)
Franklin, I agree with you about the ambiguity of the word taken by itself. Steve Wagner at STR provides the context in his excerpt of the Senator's speech. It indicates that Mr. Frist had the latter of the two definitions you mentioned in mind. Thanks for your input.
Frist is a politician first and foremost. His concern is protecting his job. You have to remember that power is not a means to these people. It is the end, the goal.
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