Will stem cell research lead to cloning?

US President Barack Obama signed an executive order Monday repealing a Bush-era policy that limited federal tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research. By doing so, President Obama gives a clear signal to the scientific community that his administration will be more “liberal” in issues dealing with science and faith.

This great debate about stem cell research has been raging for quite some time and both sides of the aisle have valid arguments in supporting or opposing it. Because stem cells have the potential to turn into any organ or tissue cell in the body (a lego comes to mind), research advocates say it’s possible to find cures to debilitating diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and spinal injuries. On the other hand, those who oppose it argue that because embryonic stem cells involve the destruction of human embryos, it is against the sanctity of human life itself. Moreover, critics are wary that this could be a slippery slope, meaning, after stem cell research, what will come next, cloning?


The topic of human cloning / stem cell research / genetic engineering has been subject of fancy for me for quite some time. It’s fascinating how science has evolved so rapidly especially in recent years (thanks to the Human Genome Project) and that the challenges confronting us now is no longer scientific but moral. Quite simply, it’s no longer whether we can do it but are we willing to do it?

It’s still too early to tell where this recent action from President Obama will lead. At this stage, I’m also not fully convinced which side to take on this one. What I know is that science and religion are set in a collision course. Or maybe it’s actually a convergence. I’m confused.