Conservative Christians have proved that theirs is a faith with no doubt that seeks to impose their religious views upon pubic policy. Their latest target: stem cell research and the medical professionals striving to devise lifesaving cures for currently incurable diseases.
Conservative Christian politicians and activists n emboldened by recent victories and encouraged by national opponents of therapeutic cloning n are trying to pass legislation that would criminalize Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) stem cell research and cures in Missouri. They claim SCNT is “human cloning.” Not so. The process makes lifesaving stem cells n not babies.
The pending bills, SB 160 and HB 457, would ban and criminalize SCNT research and the use of SCNT stem cells to treat patients in Missouri. These drastic bills would make patients, doctors, hospitals and research facilities who “participate” in SCNT research and cures guilty of a Class B felony, subject to jail terms of up to 15 years.
What to do? Urge your state legislators to vote against these bills. (Find and contact them at HYPERLINK “http://www.moga.state.mo.us/”www.moga.state.mo.us/.) First, read the fact sheet posted at HYPERLINK “http://www.missouricures.com/facts.php”www.missouricures.com/facts.php. You might also join the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures (HYPERLINK “http://www.missouricures.com/”www.MissouriCures.com).
Act now. Don’t let irrelevant moralizing and bad science turn important, lifesaving research into a crime.