In this video, the reporters detail the newest genetic research being conducted in Iran--documenting pieces of a conference about stem cell research. This seems normal enough, but it makes me wonder a bit--nowhere in the video do they mention any sort of controversy over this study. I know that here in the U.S., we've made a big stink about stem cell research in terms of the values of human life and even stretching into the debates over abortion--but is that problem just as prevalent in other countries, such as Iran? Our government and press have always been nagged about stem cell research, to the point where, in 2009, president Obama made a public announcement about the research ban. If we are making such a huge deal over this potentially life-saving research here, what about other countries with other religions and creeds?
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On many other videos about stem cell research, there have been comments that openly bash all religion as a rule--claiming that, if we didn't have religion, then we could move forward in science. While this may or may not be true on some level, I have to question if religion is really the source of the madness. Perhaps we should look at other, outside sources for examples before we become so quick to accuse.
Wow, this is a good point. That does make me wonder if the far-right wing religious fanatics are more reactionary in the U.S., than their ultra-conservative counterparts in places we think are really out there, like Iran. Perhaps some of the medical scientists in those countries are really thinking through the ethics that maybe existing human lives are more valuable than a clump of cells.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about the idea that we can't go about blaming the religious fanatics about everything. I would hazard the guess that personal moral values factor in, no matter what religious affiliations the person has. For example, I am an atheist, but I think stealing from someone's wallet is just as wrong as what a devoted Catholic would think; but I don't think I'd go to hell if I did steal, I just think it's wrong. That's a bit of a convoluted explanation, but it's the best I can come up with right now.
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