Hmm…this is less encouraging than the abortion article…
God bless.

There seems to be great potential here for healing sick people, but a lot more research is needed to see how to best realize that potential. That research will be performed in other countries if not in the US and whoever does it successfully will be rewarded richly. Fighting such research is like trying to hold back the wind.

It will be interesting to hear how science and medicine come together on this new horizon. I read about a man in NJ who is going to another state for removal of his own stem-cells, and they will be held for him, while he undergoes chemotherapy over a two mo. period, then have his own stem-cells replaced. They are trying to save him from being crippled by the scholarderma he has. I hope and pray it works for him. More and more stories will increase like this, some will work and some won’t, but at least our scientists and doctors are trying.

This research is still very new, but has great potential for helping people with horrible diseases, and I think evenutally will help treat or cure some of them. My mom died as a result of Parkinson’s. If this research works, perhaps someone won’t have to spend the last 2 years of their life bedridden, getting more helpless by the day!

You’ve got to be kidding if you think this is about healing the sick.

“You’ve got to be kidding if you think this is about healing the sick.”
You probably mean: You’ve got to be kidding if you claim this is about healing the sick.
Anyway, it’s about healing the sick and making money and becoming famous. Several powerful motives. But on average, better than those of a TV preacher.

Here’s an article that will give some of you the creeps and makes me worry about getting onto a slippery slope, but makes my point that if research isn’t done one place it will be done another. World government, anyone?

Honestly cknuck, is there anything positive in the world that you don’t consider an affront to god or a conspiracy by “The Corporations?”

Wasn’t able to bring up your article Nnmns.

Some folks seem to think that since corporations are conducting the research, that there will be no good outcome, and that the only reason this is being done is to make money. Of course, money is a big part of it, but without money, no research would be done at all. The end results hopefully will help many folks with all kinds of diseases.

Thanks nnmns, I’m not surprised by the article being an ex-fan of sci-fi and know that much sci-fi has come to life I can imagine some outcomes. I don’t think anyone is moral enough to go down this road, and if they are they will allow the rain to rain on the just and unjust. The advances will be across the board and what is meant for good will also be available to evil.
Thelemite if you look at the world from the distance it’s a beautiful blue marvel, but as you get close to it you will notice the stench. If you think there is a lot of good in the world you are probably stuck in your suburban existence the fact is most folk are hungry and poor tonight. I’m not sorry I don’t think like you so save the guilt trip attempt.

Cknuck you should be invited to speak before a scientists’ group that are trying to help humanity and tell them to their faces what a crumby group of professionals they are. Don’t forget to tell them how perfect your understanding of the Bible is and how we should all just follow what they did thousands of years ago, and all our troubles would just fall away if we all just got on our knees, and did nothing but pray and wait for them to disappear. You make it so simple they have probably been waiting for you to come along and set them straight.
There are a lot of us poor uninformed posters who really think our world hasn’t got a stench attached to it, like you do.

H22, I’ve never grouped a people and assumed anything about them; I have addressed behaviors and sins. So I couldn’t use the word “crumby” to address any group. And yes, there is a simple way to care for the world, its just that we humans seem to not be able to figure it out, and it’s not about trying to live longer, changing our sexes, trying to breed a smarter stronger humans, or SS affairs.
If you don’t think the world has a stench attached to it then you must be confined to a very small part of it. As for most people on the planet it’s not that way, it stinks, the water, the food, and the very air. You’ve got to get out sometime, not to the privilege places of the few, but to where the larger populations dwells “poverty”

Quote: You’ve got to get out sometime, not to the privilege places of the few, but to where the larger populations dwells “poverty”.
Why do you think you are qualified to tell me where I should go for anything Cknuck? How do you know I haven’t seen abject poverty in our own country? You assume many wrong ideas about the glbt, politicians, scientists in your postings on their behaviors and sins, so you do group them. I used the word crumby to describe some of the things you infer about Scientists. To say their work is just for money, and not to be challenged to help humanity is a crumby thing to say. My reason for saying crumby.

H22 I’ve been to places where science just does not reach or serve, although poverty in America is shameful it doesn’t hold a candle to the poverty stricken people I have served. So no one can convince me that science is for and always will be for the few, and that most of the developed takes away from the undeveloped. I can’t tell anyone what to do but may I suggest that you become aware of the populous of the world particularly the poor which is the majority. And if you are saying crummy please say it, you confuse me with crumby I’ve never heard it used in the context. And I don’t assume wrong ideas, I’m stating my observations.

Sorry should be; “no one can convince me that science is not for and always will be for the few who can afford it.” If science was half as benevolent it should be there the world would be in a lot better shape.

Regardless of what cknuck’s extensive life experience has taught us, I still feel that this research will ultimately benefit us all, just like most scientific advancements have.
I also find it ironic that cknuck would accuse me of being the idealist, yet I’m not the one complaining about how life isn’t fair and how people don’t all have the same advantages. Yes, science and the benefits of science cost money, but that’s what you get with a free enterprise system where the private sector is funding the research. Unless you’d prefer some form of communism, that’s life. Either way, holding some kind of grudge against science for the state of affairs is just misguided.

The only thing that is misguided is that you would accuse me of holding a grudge for stating facts. I’m sorry we have reached this roadblock not so much for my sake but for your. You wish to hold a personal resentment rather than consider the facts. As for free enterprise systems there are obviously not enough checks and balances or healthy, fair results in it’s history to conclude it is a good system.

I wonder how many of the really poor countries are following the Pope’s degree on NO Birth control? It seems that has always been a factor in the over population of some countries.
However, I don’t see how cloning is a factor at all in their lives.
Except for perhaps making it better.
Oh and Cknuck, you believe all things come from God…doesn’t the intelligence and insight that these scientists have come from God as well?? How do you know that this isn’t the time frame that God setup for this knowledge to be gained?

I never said I believe all things come from God. I am concerned when someone does both sides of the argument Ruairi.

So defensive, cknuck! I’m only anayzing the facts you are giving us. Clearly you have a problem with the fact that stem cell research is funded by people hoping for a return on their investment, and that some disadvantaged people won’t benefit from any advancements that come from it right away. I just don’t see why you have such a negative outlook on the research itself.
Your point seems to be that if a cure for AIDS was found but it was very expensive at first, the discovery would be worthless (nevermind that in short order a more affordable version would be available- thanks to free enterprise). While I understand your sympathy for the less fortunate, there are still millions who could immediately benefit from these advances, and I don’t see why their lives are somehow worth less simply because they aren’t destitute.
Tell me – is radiation therapy a bad thing because someone who has cancer but no health insurance can’t afford it? That appears to be what your facts are driving at.

You’re close but first let me state that I have never stood on the position that God created everything or that all things come from God, actually if you know anything about me I believe just the opposite.
I hate to do this but I’ll make an exception and answer your question with a question: to the poor person (If you can put yourself in their shoes for a moment) with no coverage or no way to receive treatment and for them death without treatment is eminent what would you think it would seem like. Here’s the twist especially if their cancer is cause by some big business industry and there is a possibility that their kids will suffer the same fate, after the free enterprise big business has made money enough to afford the best for their families and I could go on but its too painful. What is your answer? Who has science served?
Both poles are melting, kids are being born victimized by big business/free enterprise and yes science. Some scientists are making a stand but far too few. The government and big business tell the scientist what to tell us.

cknuck:
Your point of view comes from working with the poor, and that is an admirable job, volunteer job or whatever you do. I think it has clouded your perspective on things. Big business and the government really isn’t out to get you or everyone else. Are they perfect, are there crooks in our government and big business? Sure, but there are the Bill Gates’s in the world, and other big business folks who use their wealth to help. There would be no scientific research if the scientists didn’t have funding…gov’t or business or from where ever. There would have been no advances in vaccines (polio in my generation), birth defect prevention, heart surgery, MRI machines, and I could go on and on. Would you rather return to the world without these advances? Do all the folks in this country receive medical care and other things equally? No, and that isn’t right. But to say that the gov’t and big business tells the scientist what to say?
Hey, we could all go back 2000 years and see if JC’s time was much better….with the illness’s and death that prevailed, the low life expectancy, kids having kids at 13 or 14 because they lived to maybe 20, if they didn’t die in childbirth etc., or of now preventable diseases….so that may be a better solution to your distrust of big business, and gov’t helping scientific research to help cure awful diseases…which were probably around in JC’s time.

To answer your question, it would certainly seem like an unfair situation, but I believe I would be more inclined to be bitter toward the pharmacuetical companies setting the prices than the researchers or the field of medical science itself. As for the cancers caused by big businesses (I’ll assume you mean a combination of pollution & cancer-causing products), I would say the fault lies with the companies themselves, not the science that brought out the breakthrough. It is the misuse of the results and not the inquiry that is to blame.
It still sounds like you would prefer if scientific study came to a complete halt rather than benefit only a few. Like everything in life, science needs money to move forward (including religion- churches & missonary supplies aren’t free, after all) & we can’t control who is funding what. That is the nature of the entire world, not just the product of one corrupt government.
I still don’t believe you’ve given a good reason why science is somehow to blame for our economic situation. The legal system doesn’t always serve the less fortunate, but that’s no reason to condemn justice itself.

If you are hearing me say science should come to a halt then you are hearing wrong. I am saying that the system is corrupt and serves the rich with little regard to the poor and to the future of the earth. And thank you Thelemite for the civil response and at least trying to understand what I’m saying.
There is a scientist who is monitoring the global warming situation and he did his report but before it was released the White House lawyers edited and revised it and they are lawyers not scientist so that what got released was from lawyers and not scientist. big business does the same thing that’s why 5 years later people find out that they are sick from the very medicine that was supposed to help them, and the scientist are forced to silence; black market organs come from murdered poor people. And we would not be able to murder nearly as many people if not from some scientist; they’ve invented stuff that could wipe out the world ten times over.
On the other hand there are scientist that work to heal and help but that is marketed too. It’s the whole way that those in charge do things that is not earth friendly or people friendly. And yes free enterprise has become the root of most evil.

I agreed with you that things weren’t perfect with the government and the things you sited above I have read about also. As to King George aka “W” and the global warming editing by his folks, not surprising as “W” never signed the Keyoto (spelling is wrong, I’m sure) treaty because he is an idiot and the drug company waiting to tell us about the uselessness of their med., not surprising…not good, but not surprising, so I’m not ignorant of what you know. As to black market organs? Not privy to that information, as you seem to be.
What is your solution to free enterprise, the root of all evil?? Are other countries doing better than we are…the grass is greener bit? No, every country has it’s governmental problems,and corruption and business problems…even China who controls everything or Russia, who is returning to it’s USSR days, or England, Ireland or any other country. No country or government or drug company is perfect…because they are all run by humans…fallible humans. I live in a state where corruption is an everyday activity. I have lived in 7 states and there were no perfect governments there either. So I guess this “Christian” country hasn’t listened to it’s divine leader. Heck, even religion has it’s corrupt people…Robertson, the late not so great Jerry Falwell and many more.

Yes, the system is corrupt, but all of it isn’t. No money, no medical advances.