Without question, embryonic stem cells possess the potential to provide cures for some of the deadliest human diseases. Many scientists say research involving these cells may even lead to the repair of a wide variety of diseased organs and tissues that seriously threaten patients' lives.
The unprecedented promise of stem cells, however, is blinding the world's most intelligent researchers and scientists from the horrifying consequences of their actions.
Society needs to look beyond the grandiose visions of a few stem cell research fanatics and should not reject all that is morally right and socially ethical.
Supporting this kind of research is equivalent to supporting the exploitation and murder of defenseless embryos.
It is true that stem cell research may yield the next miracle treatment for huge numbers of suffering patients.
These overwhelming prospects undoubtedly are exciting, but they do not justify abandoning moral principles.
Medical professionals presently are scrambling to obtain the rights that no human deserves - the opportunity to sacrifice the lives of unborn human beings in an effort to save those who already are ill.
A full human being, possessing a soul, is created at conception. The debate over the point at which human life begins should revolve around this moment of creation.
Society must recognize that at fertilization, whether in a test tube or in a female's body, a human being has been created and killing embryos should be considered nothing short of murder.
Grace Christian Fellowship President Chris Scott supports this principle.
"We value human life and believe that life begins with conception. Although embryonic stem cells may save the lives of many, we cannot disregard the life of one," Scott said.
Raising embryos for the sole purpose of killing them is unacceptable ethically, no matter how many lives it may save.
A group of ethicists and scientists now is asking Congress for enough federal funds to grow and kill embryos for two years in order to meet United States demand for stem cells.
Yet scientists have failed to produce in animal models proof that embryonic stem cells will treat the diseases plaguing humans.
To take one human life is to take too many, so how can a board of "experts" justify slaughtering thousands of humans without proof it will benefit others?
Many argue that excess frozen embryos from fertility clinics are an acceptable and ethical source of stem cells. State laws now allow couples to donate their excess embryos for scientific research.
"It would be ethically acceptable for the federal government to go beyond President Bush's policy and provide funds for research on stem cells from embryos that couples want to donate," said James Childress, professor of religious studies and medical education.
Many others share Childress' view and see frozen embryos as an excellent source of stem cells.
Just because couples have created excess embyros, however, does not make it morally acceptable to exterminate these humans even for research purposes.
If fertility clinics create too many of these embryos, then the embryos must remain responsibly preserved until they can be implanted into a surrogate mother and given a fair chance at life.
In America's fertility clinics, 100,000 frozen embryos await implantation and are fully capable of developing into healthy humans.
Enormous waiting lists burst with the names of sterile couples who eagerly wish to adopt these embryos and raise them as their own, giving them the chance they deserve at a full life.
To slow the growth of the frozen embryo population, the federal government must regulate artificial fertilization.
Such regulation might include stricter screening guidelines or limiting the number of embryos created for each implantation. This measure will insure embryos will not wrongfully be killed.
John Fletcher, professor emeritus of biomedical ethics, suggests that removing stem cells from frozen embryos is morally acceptable if the donating couple has given informed consent.
It would be ill-advised, however, for the government to grant citizens permission to make such a decision. No human being should receive such a sacred power. No person should have the right to play God.
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