One
of the major organizations opposed to stem cell research is the Catholic
Church. Pope John Paul, II, personally urged President Bush to oppose
funding for the resear
ch.
This is an important fact considering that a large majority of Bush's
swing voters are Catholic. Although public opinion
polls indicate that over half of all American Catholics are actually
in favor of stem cell research, the influence of the Catholic Church over
its followers should not be underestimated.
Not surprisingly anti-abortion groups,
like the American Life League, are in
agreement with the Church and are strongly opposed to stem cell research.
However, a few of these organizations have taken the argument a step further.
Instead
of just insisting that the research, which involves the destruction of
embryos, is a form of murder, they are attempting to battle it in the
scientific/medical forum by asserting that stem cell research using embryonic
cells is in fact unnecessary. By asserting that there is very little difference
between the extent of research which can be conducted with adult stem
cells and that which could be accomplished with embryonic stem cells,
these anti-abortion groups are attempting to convince the pro-research
public to oppose the latter technique and support the former one instead.
