Rationale: Revisions enhanced current content by shortening it through deletions of language

Transcription

1 Total Number of Pages: 1 of 4 Rationale: Revisions enhanced current content by shortening it through deletions of language that occurs in other resolutions, such as 3182 Human Cloning. Amend Delete last sentence in Preamble We reaffirm our theological grounding on these issues as found in Section II of the 2004 Book of Resolutions, Resolution #102 New Developments in Genetic Science. Amend first paragraph under Concerns A human embryo, even at its earliest stages, commands our reverence and makes a serious moral claim on us, although not a claim identical to that of a more developed human life. For this reason we should not create embryos with the sole intention of destroying them, as in the creation of embryos for research purposes. Neither should we, even for reproductive purposes, produce more embryos than we can expect to introduce into the womb in the hope of implantation. Amend second paragraph under Concerns

2 Total Number of Pages: 2 of 4 We recommend the following guidelines for clinicians and couples considering IVF to minimize the overproduction of embryos: Insert new subparagraph before current first subparagraph We call for rigorous standards of informed consent regarding the procedures, the physical and emotional risks, and the associated ethical issues be applied to all reproductive technologies. Delete the following subparagraphs: Only enough embryos should be produced to achieve one pregnancy at a time. We insist that rigorous standards of informed consent regarding the procedures, the physical and emotional risks, and the associated ethical issues be applied to all reproductive technologies. This is especially important regarding the disposition of excess embryos and should be the norm of practice around the world. Amend first paragraph, fourth sentence under Judgments

3 Total Number of Pages: 3 of 4 The use of adult stem cells and stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood raises few moral questions. Amend second paragraph first sentence under Judgments Given the reality that most, if not all, of these excess embryos will be discarded, we believe that it is morally tolerable to use existing embryos for stem-cell research purposes. Delete first paragraph under Cloning In consideration of the potential therapeutic benefits that might eventually arise from research on embryonic stem cells, particular concerns are raised by a proposed practice called therapeutic cloning. This involves taking a donated human egg, extracting its nucleus, and replacing it with a nucleus taken from another body cell. This newly formed cell would then be electrically or chemically stimulated to develop into an embryo. This embryo would contain most of the same genes as the person whose body cell was used to obtain the nucleus. The cloned embryo would then be used as a source of stem cells, which would be a closer genetic match for that donor, although they would contain some genes from the egg cell used for the cloning. This procedure might overcome the problem of immune system rejection of cellular treatments that might be developed for an individual from embryonic stem cells. As of March 2007, no human embryos

4 Total Number of Pages: 4 of 4 have been successfully cloned. However, we still believe that human embryos should not be created purely for the sake of research, or created with the advance intention of destroying them, or cloned for harvesting stem cells. Amend second paragraph under Cloning The United Methodist Church supports persons who wish to enhance medical research by donating their early embryos remaining after in vitro fertilization procedures have ended, and urges the United States Congress national governments to pass legislation that would authorize federal funding for derivation of and medical research on human embryonic stem cells that were generated for from IVF embryos and remain after fertilization procedures have been concluded, provided that: Amend last paragraph: The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is National health agencies are urged to establish an interdisciplinary oversight body for all research in both the public and private sectors that involves stem cells from human embryos, adult stem cells that have been made pluripotent, parthenotes, sperm cells, or egg cells, and cells that produce sperm or eggs.

5 Bishop Robert Hoshibata, President The Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary (202)