wfn.org | Church exec seeks extended ban on embryonic cell research

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 19, 2001      News media contact: Joretta Purdue ·(202)
546-8722·Washington    10-21-71B{323}

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - The top staff executive of the United Methodist social
witness and advocacy agency is urging President George W. Bush to extend the
moratorium on human embryo stem cell research.

In a letter dated July 17, Jim Winkler reminded Bush, who is also a United
Methodist, of the denomination's policy calling for a complete and total ban
on human cloning, including embryo cloning for any purpose, and "procedures
that intentionally generate 'waste [human] embryos' which will knowingly be
destroyed." The statement is found in the denomination's 2000 Book of
Resolutions, which includes all current policy statements passed by the
church's highest legislative assembly.

"The moral and ethical issues surrounding the beginning of life demand
enormous caution in proceeding with activities that result in the
destruction of human embryos," said Winkler, top staff executive of the
United Methodist Board of Church and Society.
 
The church has been engaged in focused study of issues related to genetics
and biotechnology since 1988, he said.

"As United Methodists, we have called for support of appropriate somatic
cell research and treatment that respects human dignity," Winkler wrote.

Adult stem cell research and other genetically based research appear to hold
promise in the search for cures to some, if not all, of the diseases that
could be addressed by research using stem cells from embryos, he wrote.

"Finally," he concluded, "such practices seem to be destructive of human
dignity and speed us further down the path that ignores the sacred
dimensions of life and personhood and turns life into a commodity to be
manipulated, controlled, patented and sold."

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United Methodist News Service
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