Thursday, July 28, 2005

Stem Cell Funding

The issue of stem cell funding has been wrongly framed. This is not a moral issue per se. Certainly it bothers me that embryonic stem cells are being destroyed, but to classify this matter as a religious issue is missing the greater point.

The crux of the argument is summed up by Jefferson nicely. "To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

It is in this vein that I am greatly disappointed at the prospect of Bill Frist breaking with Bush--who has the right idea for once, albeit for the wrong reasons. Conservatives should not be about the business of funding stem cell research in the least. Ignore the moral issues, and ask: Should the government fund research, or is it best to leave it to the private sector?

If the research is a good idea, that is, it provides with it an economic incentive, corporations will engage in it on their own. If not, then subsidizing is the epitome of foolishness. The issue that we should be dealing with is whether or not stem cell experimentation is moral. The Congress decided that they should deal with funding issues instead. On funding such a practice, the answer should be a resounding no.

We'll see what happens. Very few Jeffersonian Republicans in Washington these days.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

See "dominicanes.blogspot.com" for a moral syllogism.

guglielermo