Embryonic Stem Cells In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Since 1973, millions of innocent and helpless unborn humans have been murdered, ripped apart limb by limb. Their dead bodies are turned over to be dissected and tested on, only to discover more about embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are cells in an unborn child’s body that can become any cell in the human body. In a lab, these cells can be reproduced and- if further research is conducted- can be used to create body parts. Having been read in class, the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley relates to embryonic stem cells, for both Frankenstein’s creature and embryonic stem cells cause the destruction of many people. In Frankenstein, a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein discovers how to create life and creates a creature that he
James Thomson first derived human embryonic stem cells from a human embryo. (Top 50) Soon after this discovery, the Bush administration restricted embryonic stem cell research and withdrew all federal funding from it because it required killing unborn children. (Stadelmann, Magnus) For many research facilities, this slowed their research considerably, but over a few years, funding from private owners and even states renewed stem-cell research, causing the United States to lead embryonic stem cell research. (Stadelmann) Although there has been controversy about embryonic stem cell research throughout the government, a vast amount of controversy is between everyday people. According to a survey taken to pass an embryonic stem cell research bill in Switzerland, voters who attended church were more likely to vote against the bill. (Stadelmann) In addition, some groups, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or conservative churches, believe that the embryo should not be used for researched at all. (Amandito) Judaism and Islam, however, believe that the embryo can be used before it is 40 days old. (Amandito) During the survey, they also found liberal and social democrat parties were 24.1 percent more likely to support embryonic stem cell research compared to Christian democrats. (Stadelmann) When faced with embryonic stem cell
To obtain embryonic stem cells, some researchers fertilize an egg and sperm cell in a laboratory; after having grown for a few days, they destroy the embryo to extract the stem cells from the center of the embryo. Essentially, this creates a potential human being and destroys it. Creating human life only to destroy it is morally wrong because “just as an infant is a human being in the infant stage,” “a human embryo is a human in the embryonic stage.” (Amandito) This is not just a collection of human cells, but a stage in a person's life, which every human was once at. “If an embryo will later become a human being, then it should be given the respect of a human being.” (Amandito) Moreover, some researchers take embryonic stem cells from aborted fetuses and use their dead bodies to extract stem cells. Though this is still a human embryo, it is much more complex than a fertilized embryo. “An early embryo that has still not yet been implanted into the uterus does not have the psychological, emotional, or physical properties [of a grown human]” (Embryonic Stem) However, with aborted fetuses, they all have these properties. The average week for an abortion is 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, the fetus can breathe, has a heartbeat, and has measurable brain waves. Furthermore, the human fetus has fingers, toes, a nose, and all its appendages, resembling an adult human.