Posted on 03/09/2009 8:00:45 PM PDT by kellynla
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Jewish groups applauded President Obama's decision to lift the executive order restricting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
"We wholeheartedly thank President Obama for his action on this important issue," Hadassah national president Nancy Falchuk said of Monday's decision. "Those suffering from debilitating diseases and disorders for which stem cell research holds great promise now have a renewed sense of hope, and we are optimistic for the future of embyronic stem cell research."
Falchuk also urged Congress to "continue working on this issue" so that federal funds are "completely accessible" for such research.
The Orthodox Union and B'nai B'rith International also praised Obama. Nathan Diament, the OU's public policy director, said that "the traditional Jewish perspective" emphasizes that "the potential to save and heal human lives is an integral part of valuing human life. Stem cell research is consistent with and serves these moral and noble goals.
"We urge the president and the leadership of the National Institutes of Health to ensure that robust ethical guidelines and oversight bodies are put in place to ensure this important research is conducted in the most appropriate fashion, balancing science with ethics," he said.
"Scientists have had to devote much of their time to figuring out how to do their research while complying with the restrictions,” said Rachel Goldberg, B'nai B'rith’s director of aging policy. “Unlocking federal dollars for research will knock down critical barriers our top researchers have faced and allow them to go back to what they do best -- making discoveries.”
In 2001, President George W. Bush said federal funding for embryonic stem cell research could be used only on a small number of stem cell lines in existence at the time. In 2007 he vetoed a bill that would have allowed frozen embryos to be used for research.
Proponents of embryonic stem cell research believe it can be used to find cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, among other illnesses. Critics believe that destroying embryos while performing such research is equivalent to destroying human life.
Unproven tech which has failed 100% of the time. Adult stem cells work just fine.
It's ALL about the money. Money, money, money.
I wonder if these folks realize that aborted fetuses will be used to harvest these stem cells. I would think that the Jews, of all people would be screaming for the government to stop the slaughter of the most innocent lives.
I’ve woke up in Crazy World.
Let me correct this: "We wholeheartedly thank President Obama for his pointless action on this important issue," Hadassah national president and anti human ethics Nancy Falchuk said of Monday's decision.
Is this the 70% Obama supporting Jewish groups? They haven’t learned yet! How long O Lord, how long?????
These same groups would be screaming holy hades if it was Jewish embryos selected for the job.
The Bible says in the end times 2/3rds of Israel’s people will perish, and 1/3rd will be spared. It could be interpeted as the 1/3rd being those who kept to God’s word.
Boo! Hiss!
There are plenty of natural ways to cause cancer without spending money to find new ways.
It’s all a sham. Only taxpayer money was prohibited from supporting fetal stem cell research; private money was not prohibited. Money, public and private, was accessible for other than fetal stem cell research. In all this time there has been very little of value that has been discovered from fetal stem cells. There has been a lot of usable results from other types of stem cell research. All in all a breakthrough that would enable the disabled to walk or alzheimers patients to regain their minds is a long ways off, certainly not within BO Plenty’s time left in office and not within 8 years if God forbid he has a second term. They are using it as an excuse for promoting abortion pure and simple.
Leftist Jews for Communism. What a shock.
“I would think that the Jews, of all people would be screaming for the government to stop the slaughter of the most innocent lives.”
It appears to me that not only do they not recognize it when it happens to other groups of people, they get insulted when you make the comparison.
Trurer words were never spoken!
How anyone, who believes in God, could not have a problem with this, baffles me.
Sacrificed to Moloch? That is an abomination.
The Orthodox Jews have debated this issue pretty extensively, and they are anti-abortion and take the issue of life very seriously.
Regardless of what you think of their conclusions, it’s an interesting read.
http://www.aish.com/societyWork/sciencenature/Is_Stem_Cell_Research_Ethical$.asp
It appears like they see a differentiation between an embryo which has been implanted in a woman and one which has not.
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