Dispatches from the religious left by Frederick Clarkson

Author:Frederick Clarkson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Conservatism & Liberalism, Religion and politics - United States, Christian Life, General, United States, Religion, Religion and politics, Political Ideologies, Political Science, Denominations, Politics & State, United States - Religion, Christianity, History
ISBN: 9780978843182
Publisher: Brooklyn, N.Y. : Ig Pub., c2009.
Published: 2008-10-01T05:00:00+00:00

TAKE IT FROM A

STEM CELL CATHOLIC

FRANK COCOZZELLI

Getting the issue of stem cell research right is vital for any prospective Religious Left. The good news, however, is that there are ways to navigate this tricky issue through the concerns of those across the religious and political spectrum.

Most people-left, right and center-are concerned about the ethics of inventing and patenting life, but also want medical science to use every means to try and cure serious and debilitating health problems. Reflecting these conflicting attitudes, most religious institutions are not of a single mind when it comes to the issue of stem cell research. Some are in favor of all or most forms of stem cell research while others, especially my own Catholic Church, are opposed. Organizing members of various religious traditions into a coherent Religious Left in which stem cell research is part of, and not peripheral to the agenda is a key to not only advancing this promising avenue of research, but also making treatments broadly accessible, unleashing hope for those who are afflicted by conditions that could benefit from stem cell generated treatments, such as myself.

January 21, 2008 was a good day from me. That day, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern made a significant breakthrough in the treatment of muscular dystrophy. Using genetic manipulation techniques in mice, they were able to transform embryonic stem cells into muscle cells. Most importantly, they were able to do so without the appearance of tumors, a problem that plagues stem cell research.

Why was this good news for me? Because I have a form of LMG muscular dystrophy. When I was first diagnosed in 1985, I walked with a slight limp. Today, my condition has deteriorated to the point where I am bound to a wheelchair, a virtual quadriplegic. Yet this disability has not kept me from living my life and continuing my work as an attorney, and, for the last seven years, fighting an uphill battle for federal funding and oversight for embryonic stem cell research.

It was through the window of research into my illness that I first learned about the threats to religious pluralism and to liberal democracy from a small group of "intellectuals" commonly known as neoconservatives, and their religious allies.' he political power of this alliance quickly became apparent after I received the real first bit of hopeful news on my condition from the world of medical science.

One morning during the summer of 2000, while my wife was getting me dressed for court, we heard a report on the Today Show that President Bill Clinton was going to allow for the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. In December 1998, my neurologist had told us of this then-recent discovery and how it offered so much hope not just for me, but for countless others suffering from different diseases and disabilities. He told us that the research was not a guarantee, but at least offered real hope for possible treatment.

However, this hope was dashed by the neoconservative-influenced presidency of George W.

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