In the Stem Cell Debate

RSam Brownback, Kansas Republican Senator, commenting on President Obama's decision to rescind the Bush ban on federal funding of expanded research on new lines of embryonic stem cell research, as reported in the KC Star (3/10/09) said, "If an embryo is a life-- and I believe strongly that it is life-- then no government has the right to sanction their destruction for research purposes."

First, what does Brownback mean when he says, "If an embryo is a life...", and then in the same sentence changes his reference to the degree of animation of an embryo by saying, "... I believe ... it is life."?

The presence or absence of an article gives the word 'life' two different meanings. 'Life' preceded by an article suggests a defined existence. 'Life' without the preceding article suggests a general condition. So, which is it? Is the embryo, possessing 'a life', a human being in the fullest sense or is the embryo with 'life' a group of undifferentiated human cells, which, being capable of cell division, is considered as living. Life is the subject of biological studies. Study of 'a life' is the subject of psychology, sociology, anthropology, psychiatry, and other similar disciplines, none of which deal with the behavior of human embryos, if such even exists.

If an embryo is a human being, why doesn't it appear on the family tree? Why wouldn't any compensation for reproductive purposes received on its behalf be considered as taxable personal income? Why wouldn't disposing of an embryo be considered as an unlawful taking of a life? The answer to the preceding questions is evident: a human embryo, while alive, does not have a life. An embryo is not a human person.

Second, since embryos are not people, when the stem cells that constitute the early embryo, technically referred to as a blastocyst, are used in research, destruction of 'a life' does not occur.

The use of inflammatory language is a characteristic of religious zealots. Violent themes are the stock in trade of religious zealots in the self-styled 'right-to-life' movement, because they intend to appeal to the emotions of persons who are uninformed about embryonic stem-cell research.