Speaker thinks debate is about human rights, what is a person

Dr. Robert Weise thinks that seeing is believing.

He wishes more people could see an actual embryo inside a petri dish because he believes it would change their perspective on issues of cloning and stem cell research.

Seeing the embryo would be similar to the reaction people have when they see an ultrasound of a baby, said Weise, a professor of life sciences and pastoral ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.

He spoke about bioethics and cloning issues Thursday at the University Center Ballroom on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. About 50 people, including both students and ministers, attended. The lecture was sponsored by the Lutheran Student Fellowship.

"I've seen an embryo in a petri dish and I can't say it's not a human being that doesn't warrant my care," Weise said.

Philosophers, scientists and theologians disagree about whether an embryo should be considered a human life or a human being. The difference is determined by sentience, being aware of one's surroundings. Human beings are aware of surroundings.

Stem cells are collected from unclaimed or remaining frozen embryos, which are used for in vitro fertilization. These cells can be used in research for disease prevention.

Research questions

Some scientists try to differentiate between reproductive research and therapeutic research, Weise said. Reproductive research has emotional qualities because it deals with pregnancies and newborns. Therapeutic research can lead to developments and disease cures.

"Emotions transcend over the word of God to a point where people don't want to see an embryo as a human being," Weise said.

"But if you lose respect for a zygote, the smallest of all human beings, then you lose respect for newborns, the middle-aged and older adults," he said.

At question is moral status. Some would grant moral status to embryos, while others believe them to be a mass of cells.

Whether you're being pragmatic or making emotional connections, the issue is whether you consider an embryo to be a life with potential or a potential life, said the Rev. David Dissen.

Society argues embryos are only potential lives, not granting any human status. Therefore, destroying embryos for research purposes is permissible.

Even popular science fiction movies like "Alien Resurrection" or "Cyborg" show that problems exist with cloning issues, Weise said.

He believes the debate about human cloning and stem cell extraction is really an issue of human rights. "We have to start talking about who or what is a person."

ljohnston@semissourian.com

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