Facing Massive Opposition, British Government Halts Three-Parent Embryos

Life News ^ | November 5, 2013 | PETER SAUNDERS

[NYer]

The legalisation of three parent embryos for mitochondrial disease in Britain has been facing massive opposition all over the world with so little response from Westminster.

But an answer to a parliamentary question this week gives the first sign that the government may be pausing to draw breath before implementing the new technique.

Apparently they are not going to proceed with three parent children regulations for now but rather have opted for yet another consultation.

In response to a Parliamentary question asked this week by Lord Alton Government minster Earl Howe said that the Government will publish draft regulations as part of a public consultation shortly:

‘The Government is currently developing draft regulations, which will describe in more detail the proposed approach for regulating mitochondria donation treatment. The Government is planning to publish these, as part of a public consultation, shortly.’

I recently highlighted an article in Nature arguing that the UK’s decision to trial the technique is ‘both premature and ill-conceived’.

Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley, California had argued in an piece titled ‘A slippery slope to germline modification’ that were the United Kingdom to grant a regulatory go-ahead, it would unilaterally cross ‘a legal and ethical line’ observed by the entire international community that ‘genetic-engineering tools’ should not be used ‘to modify gametes or early embryos and so manipulate the characteristics of future children’.

Christian Medical Fellowship has recently published a paper on ‘three parent embryos for mitochondrial disease’ which was strongly critical of this new technology on both theological and scientific grounds.

This followed submissions that CMF made on the issue to both the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the Nuffield Council. We have more recently made similar points to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

I have also argued on this blog that the technique involved is unsafe, unethical and unnecessary (see here, here, here and here).

Genuine concerns about this new mitochondrial technology have been swept aside in Britain in the headlong rush to push the scientific boundaries.

But in many countries around and the world, and by commentators from both secular and faith based scientific backgrounds, Britain is viewed as rogue state in this area of research.

Let’s hope that this hesitation means that the government is at last beginning to listen.

[NYer]

LifeNews.com Note: Dr. Peter Saunders is a doctor and the CEO of Christian Medical Fellowship, a British organization with 4,500 doctors and 1,000 medical students as members. This article originally appeared on his blog. He is also associated with the Care Not Killing Alliance in the UK.

[NYer]

We all know who would benefit from this procedure, ping!

[fwdude]

If they find that another species, a dog maybe, can successfully contribute some cell components to an embryo, could that creature be considered a “parent?”

Scary, Brave-New-World stuff.

[a fool in paradise]

Brothers from another mother???

[Crucial]

What would this accomplish and why bother anyway. Is this supposed to give parental rights over a child to two women equally?

[NYer]

What would this accomplish and why bother anyway.

Ah, dear friend, the Brits have legalized gay marriage. No matter how desirous, two men (or women, for that matter) simply cannot reproduce. A 3rd party is required. Translation: 1+1+1=3

[ZULU]

England deeply needs an invasion of virile virtuous men, like, say, the Vikings, Normans or Romans to clean out all the sick SOBs who have over over there and eliminate all the mad Muslim invaders.

When they are done over there we can use them over here.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It’s simpler than you’d think and it can be done in place.

Preach an actual gospel.

Not our polite “churchy” gospels.

A tough, strong, dug in, yeehawing, ready to fight and sacrifice for what’s right, manly man gospel.

The same spirit as the One who “for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame.”

You’ll get panned for it at first, even possibly called a bully, but if you persist you’ll grow your number of “stout hearted men” exponentially.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And here’s what might blow your mind.

Get enough saved gays (homosexual practice often represents virtues put to misuse because our wimpy modern churchy gospel makes no place for them) and you can very likely get it to happen. A real in-your-face, in the power of God, to Satan. The gospel message is not kidding. Jesus was not kidding.

Call me crazy if you want. But watch what happens in this world. The Lord is lining His ducks up and you are going to see things that will leave you incredulous. Because you were thinking on the world’s level, not God’s.

[MUDDOG]

Why can’t we go on as three?

[Army Air Corps]

Preach it.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well, I’m sure trying.

Sometimes it ends up blowing people over that I never intended to blow over. I don’t know my own spiritual strength sometimes.

I’m trying to get this gospel on the airwaves through a set of gutsy gospel country songs that I’ve been writing, or rather that the Holy Spirit has been writing through me. Two of my earlier (and weaker) attempts are on my Freep page. This is almost weird. Haunted by the Holy Spirit! I can’t brag on me, I never did anything to craft this direction in my life. Although a nominal believer for 24 years, I never quite thought or felt like this until a few months ago. Then bam. It kicked in, as I rested myself more on God’s love and less on my own pride. I began to see more blessings than curses.

[NYer]

[ZULU]

YEAH!!!