The debate surrounding human embryonic stem cell research in the USA

Despite its potential for reducing human suffering, the advancement of human embryonic stem cell research has not been given top priority by the US government, and the scientific community has been engaged in a debate on this issue in the USA and beyond. The central question in this debate is whether the promise of stem cells justifies the destruction of human embryos – mainly embryos that are surplus to the needs of patients undergoing infertility treatment. It is argued here that this debate belongs in the same category as the debates on global warming and evolution, because it has much in common with both. It is conducted with a heavy load of scientifically uninformed views and beliefs and framed largely by an implacable opposition with the aim of creating public confusion and doubt. It is primarily politically motivated and, as is true about the debate on evolution, it is rooted in religion. A human embryo is not a human being or person even if it is deserving of – and receives – respect and extraordinary care in the context of assisted human reproduction. Rather than engaging in a futile debate that clouds the way forward in a vital branch of biology, scientists ought to continue to emphasize the importance of human embryo research.