PM’s decision wins Anglican Praise: Opinion

This opinion article from Dr Jensen was published on page 4 of “The Australian,” Friday 5th April.

I am disappointed that the Prime Minister is not proposing a ban on embryonic stem cell research to the COAG meeting today. I am also heartened that Mr Howard intends to regulate strictly the use of unwanted human embryos from the IVF program, and especially that he will require donor consent for this embryonic research.

Above all we must make sure that embryos are not created simply for research purposes, for if this is ever permitted we will have fallen into an ethical minefield in that we will be commodifying and exploiting human life. We must ensure that individuals and corporations are totally inhibited from using human embryos as a source of financial gain.

I will continue to argue and to teach that these embryos are human life. Every one of us began our life journey as an embryo. Do we ever think of ourselves as having been either not human or sub- human? Human existence is a continuum that begins at the embryonic stage and continues until life’s end is reached. At all points on this continuum of existence human life must be treated with the dignity and respect that belongs to life created in the image of God.

I commend John Howard for his careful and conscientious exploration of this matter. He has spoken to scientists, ethicists and church leaders, myself among them. I am pleased that he is planning to encourage adult stem cell research, for this is ethically sustainable. The advice I have received convinces me that this research holds the most promise for positive therapeutic outcomes for people suffering debilitating and incurable diseases.

I especially applaud the PM’s decision to ban human therapeutic cloning. This is a must. From now on we have opened a door to dangerous possibilities. Our politicians will continued to be pressured by some scientists to agree to human cloning.

We must never lose sight of the fact that this is an ethical matter, not just a scientific one. Far too often our scientists leap ahead of community understanding. The ethical outcomes should always be the prior discussion before a scientific leap forward, not a minor sideshow limping slowly behind the scientific rush.

Dr Peter Jensen is the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney

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