With all due respect to Gilbert Meilaender, his opinion piece “Arguing honestly about stem cells” (Commentary, June 8) primarily attempts to support his personal bias. He is a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics and a Christian ethics professor, and it is apparent he is unduly influenced by a religious right-leaning viewpoint. His simplistic arguments tend to overlook and ignore the horrible suffering that might be alleviated if true scientific inquiry were to be allowed.
This is a religious issue. Yes, it is possible to “look upon the embryo with an awe and respect,” but it is also possible to see beyond this micro-organism into a kinder world where pain and suffering can be controlled because of the wonder of this tiny organism.
