New Order Allows for Destruction of Human Embryos


On March 9, 2009, President Obama issued an executive order for the removal of “barriers to responsible scientific research involving human stem cells.”  This order allows for human embryos to be used in stem cell research.

For the past 8 years, the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to fund and conduct human embryonic stem cell research has been limited.  President George W. Bush limited funding to embryonic stem cell research by allowing the use of only 21 stem cell lines already created before August 2001.  This decision was based on his belief that there were "fundamental questions about the beginnings of life and the ends of science."  President Bush chose not to provide funding to researchers who destroyed live human embryos.

The new executive order removes this previous limitation and now allows scientists to extract stem cells from live human embryos that are discarded at fertility clinics.  The full impact of this executive order remains to be seen as the National Institute of Health (NIH) has 120 days from the time the executive order was issued to review their guidelines and issue new NIH guidelines that are consistent with this order. 

Many states across the nation have already begun to oppose the executive order.  States such as Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Montana, Mississippi, Texas, North Dakota and South Carolina, are all moving to block the expanded funding for embryonic stem cell research.  Many of these states have proposed their own state legislation, which would prohibit state money from being used to fund stem cell research on human embryos.

Some states are even proposing Legislation which would grant fertilized embryos "personhood" status under the law giving the embryos legal rights.  Montana and North Dakota’s "personhood" measures have each cleared one chamber of the Legislature. 

While President Obama may believe that that our government created a problem by establishing “a false choice between sound science and moral values”, states opposing this executive order recognize the true problem.  It is immoral to create life and destroy it in the name of science."

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.