Passion for Life

I admit this is a bit of a rant against a new Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill currently being debated in the UK Parliament. I had the privilege of attending a public meeting in Belfast on Thursday night, called the "Passion for Life" tour. The event was run by LIFE, CARE, and RTL and was well attended by local politicians and clergy. The bill is currently going through the House of Lords and will return to the House of Commons for some final amendments before the final vote to pass this as law. Although backed by the government, the bill originates from the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), an "independent regulator overseeing fertility treatments and embryo research". I have reservations about much of what the HFEA has recommended to government. It is seemingly (in my opinion) an organisation bereft of any ethical standards and with a distinct lack of respect for human life.

Let me start with what I believe: human life begins at conception. It has to! At that point it is alive by any definition and already completely unique to any other human ever created. There is no other milestone which I can point to where that life suddenly becomes a human being. And I have studied embryology and child development! In my current job I am involved in a lot of antenatal scanning and I recently became a parent. All of which makes this much more personal for me. Because an early embryo/fetus cannot survive without nutrients from its mother does not make it less of a person. Even when born, a baby is completely helpless and dependent on its parents to keep on living. It can't communicate yet but then neither can a person in a coma - that's not a reason to switch off their life support. And it certainly can't defend itself - which is why we must fight for it. Obviously I'm against abortion, but I'm also against experimenting on embryos (currently allowed in the UK up until 14 days).

The argument states that further experimentation on embryos (including creating hybrids and eventually cloning) is "vital" in mankind's fight against disease. Obviously disease causes suffering and alleviating suffering is a good thing. But at what cost? Utilitarian ethics are championed where the end justifies the means. Really? Where does that stop? Human dignity must impose certain moral constraints on medical research. What about performing painful experiments on children or the vulnerable to find a cure for cancer? What about ending someones life to stop their perceived suffering? Would the ghoulish experiments of Nazi doctors be morally justified if they ultimately resulted in discoveries that alleviated human suffering? Is suffering a benchmark of human dignity? Or can suffering ever be good for us?

The holy grail of these experiments has always been the creation of stem cells. Simply put, these are special "source" or "starter" cells which have the ability to grow into different types of adult tissue. The hope is that these will one day be used to treat/ cure diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's disease (although progress on this has been slow). And while an embryo is full of stem cells, it is not the only source. Scientists have recently shown that they can create stem cells from other body cells with out the need to create or destroy embryos. Problem solved! We can now potentially get the same cures from the stem cells but without the ethical dilemmas.

Let me outline a number of new (worrying) elements in this bill as it stands. It will allow:

* The increased use of embryos in stem cell research, despite available alternatives.

* The creation of animal/ human hybrid (up to 50%) embryos . These have recently been promoted in the media to try and change public opinion. Again they are unnecessary and in my opinion, unethical. No one knows where this will lead or what we can create. Are these still human? Are they created in the image of God? As Mark Durkan MLA said this week, this is 'scientific joyriding'!

* Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis allowing created embryos to be screened for any unwanted traits and if not perfect, destroyed prior to implantation. This is an extension of the current discrimination which allows handicapped babies (including minor problems like cleft palate and club foot) in the UK to be aborted up until birth. If it is wrong to discriminate against a disabled person then it is still wrong before they are born.

* The creation of saviour siblings. These are human beings, no longer seen as someone but as something. They are designed with the purpose of harvesting their cells and organs for another child. Where is their human dignity? How will they be affected? What does the future hold for 'designer babies'?

* The removal of "the need for a Father" from law and birth certificates. Already a father has no legal rights over his unborn child but this further undermines fatherhood. Legally this would mean, for example, that if a lesbian couple has a child together by IVF (already possible) that the child can never know who his/her biological father was. While sadly many children grow up without fathers, for the state to make it as if they are unnecessary and never existed will only serve to further undermine the family.

* The liberalisation of the abortion law in the UK includes certification of abortion by only one doctor and allowing abortions to be carried out more easily (eg. in GP surgeries). Another amendment seeks to remove the conscientious objection rights which would bar professionals who do not support abortion from providing information, support, and counselling to women considering whether or not to have an abortion in case they bias a woman's decision.

* Finally, the last and most worrying of all for me is an amendment to the bill which would legally extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. This is against the wishes of the majority and all four main political parties here yet would still be legal if this is added to the bill.

So, if you're still reading, please join me in writing to your MP (I've got postcards!) to oppose this bill. And also write to Gordon Brown to ask him to allow MPs a free vote on this ethical issue (rather than a whipped vote with a strong government majority).

Essential links:
* The HFE Bill in full
* A summary of the ethics of this bill (CMF)
* The 'Passion for Life' Campaign
* Lord Alton of Liverpool