Congress contemplates bill banning weird science

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to ban human-animal hybrid research.



Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) have introduced in Congress the Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act of 2009 (S. 1435). With 20 co-sponsors of the measure thus far, Landrieu is the only Democrat among that group.

Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council tells OneNewsNow many people will fight against the bill. "There are already scientists who are planning and starting experiments to combine human and animal hybrid embryos for experiment," he notes.

The bill does not affect use of animals or humans in legitimate research, but would ban creation in the laboratory of part-human, part-animal creatures that would blur the line between the species.
 
Dr. Prentice says scientists that favor hybrid research believe the experiments will cure disease and be important to medical research, but he says even some scientists involved in embryonic stem-cell research say it will result in nothing useful.
 
"There's one scientist who wants to make a mouse with a human brain, or others who want to grow human eggs or sperm in mice and rats for experiments," Prentice adds.
 David Prentice (FRC)
He fears the experiments will make humans less human and claims proponents are trying to "play God." "We need to channel science into valid and ethical research, and it's certainly not these human-animal hybrids," Prentice concludes.
 
Prentice still supports adult stem-cell research, which has proven useful in treating more than 70 diseases and medical conditions.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: July 14, 2009
Link to this article.  
Send this article to a friend.

Illinois Federation for Right to Life Blog  Visit the IFRL on Facebook  Bookmark and Share

The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection for the disabled and the elderly.   Click here to learn more about the IFRL.


 

Illinois Federation for Right to Life
IFRL Logo