Uses of embryos

Question 1

Sanctity of life

Answer 1

Life is sacred and God-given therefore holy. Only God decides what happens to life (when it ends and begins)

Question 2

Psalm 135

Answer 2

“You knit me together in my mothers womb”

Question 3

IVF

Answer 3

In vitro fertilisation is where the egg and sperm join nuclei in a Petri dish then the zygote is inserted in the uterus. This is done for couples who can’t have a baby naturally or same-sex couples who want a baby.

Question 4

P.G.D

Answer 4

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis is done to eliminate inherited diseases, disabilities or even to choose what gender the baby will be.

Question 5

Moral issue around IVF

Answer 5

• is IVF ‘playing God’?
  -Should it be allowed to screen out disabilities?
  -Is the high cost of IVF justifiable?

Question 6

Therapeutic

Answer 6

To treat diseases like Parkinson’s, Burns, spinal injuries, Alzheimer’s. This uses embryonic stem cells because they are pluripotent.

Question 7

Therapeutic and reproductive

Answer 7

Saviour siblings. Having a baby by IVF so it can be made sure that the bay will be a match that can save the sick sibling. Mostly only umbilical cord cells will be taken.

Question 8

Moral issues from saviour siblings

Answer 8

• the sibling didn’t give consent to save their brother/sister.
  -Should the survival chances of the newborn be threatened in order to take care of the sick sibling (organ donation).

Question 9

Research

Answer 9

Stem cells can be researched without an aim in mind or with one.

Question 10

Moral issues around research uses

Answer 10

• Should pure research be allowed, the scientist don’t even know what they are looking for?
• Should a potential life be terminated for research?

Question 11

HFEA

Answer 11

All uses of embryos are monitored by the human fertilisation and embryology authority. After 14 days of the embryo hasn’t been implanted in an uterus it has to be destroyed.

Question 12

Moral issues arising from screening and selection

Answer 12

• Should we allowed to play God with future humans?
  -Should it be allowed for disabilities to be screened out?
  -Should we be allowed to have designer babies?

Question 13

Religious view (Church of Scotland)

Answer 13

-Life is sacred (God-given and holy) and only God decides when life ends.
- Church of Scotland recognises the benefits of using embryos for treatment.
-IVF and PGD are permissible only for good reasons.

Question 14

Religious view (Roman Catholic)

Answer 14

• an embryo deserves all the rights a full grown human has
• an embryo shouldn’t be used as a means to an end for any reason, not therapeutic or research.
• an embryo is not seen as a potential human being but as a human being with potential.

Question 15

Religious view (Islam)

Answer 15

• the soul enters the baby at 120 days after conception.
• Quran 5 “saving one person is like saving the whole of humanity, killing one person is like killing all of humanity.”

Question 16

Non religious view ( Utilitarian)

Answer 16

• there is no specific position for utilitarians for when an embryo becomes a human.
  -embryos before 14 days can be used for research/therapeutic purposes as there is no way the embryo can feel pain until then.

Question 17

Non religious views (humanists)

Answer 17

-embryos hold no moral status because they are missing a consciousness
- as long as treatments using embryos eliminate suffering it’s permissible.
-the position of ‘playing God’ when using embryos doesn’t make sense because humanists believe that humans ‘play God’ every time they make a medical intervention.

Question 18

Imago Dei

Answer 18

“God created man in His own image”