Majorities Oppose Therapeutic Cloning

This poll taken by the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) demonstrates that most people still oppose human cloning for biomedical research (and, of course, as a means of reproduction).

While majorities support embryonic stem cell research, which was sold successfully to the public as only involving the use of leftover IVF embryos due to be tossed out anyway. About therapeutic cloning, however, people are opposed. Even when the question is asked inaccurately, (leaving out the creation of a human embryo through cloning), a small majority opposes. “Do you favor or oppose using human cloning technology IF it is used ONLY to help medical research develop new treatments for disease?” The results were 43% support, 51% opposed.

Notably, when the question is asked accurately, to wit: “Do you favor or oppose using human cloning technology IF it is used to create human embryos that will provide stem cells for human therapeutic purposes?” The support diminished and opposition increased: Thirty-four percent favored cloning under these conditions and 59 percent were opposed.

This poll demonstrates vividly why pro cloners are engaged in a campaign of obfuscation to convince people that therapeutic cloning isn’t cloning and that somatic cell nuclear transfer creates stem cells rather than embryos.