Last week, I blogged on Ian Wilmut’s proposal to conduct embryonic stem cell research on people dying of ALS and perhaps, other neurological diseases. (Wilmut cloned Dolly the sheep and is now the head of a university regenerative medical institute.) He hopes to gain the approval of UK authorities even though embryonic stem cells haven’t yet proved efficacious in treating neurological illnesses in animal studies and could cause tumors.
It stuck in my craw. Why should stem cell research be exempted from the ethical standards that apply in other areas of medical inquiries? And, it seemed to me, here was just another way this research seems to lead to dehumanization. I expanded on my concerns for the Daily Standard, which can instantly be accessed here.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
