A Letter to the National Institutes of Health Regarding Stem Cell Research

January 14, 2000

Stem Cell Guidelines
National Institutes of Health Science Policy
1 Center Drive, Building 1, Room 218
Bethesda, Maryland 28092

To Whom It May Concern:

I write today to comment on the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) "Draft Guidelines for Research Involving Human Pluripotent Stem Cells."

I commend NIH's draft guidelines for continuing to enforce the congressional prohibition against using federal funds for "research in which human embryos are created for research purposes," and for "the derivation of pluripotent stem cells from early human embryos." I reject, however, the position of the guidelines that concludes that current law would allow NIH to use federal funds for research on embryonic stem cells derived from early human embryos who were created for infertility treatment but ended-up not being needed for that treatment. The guidelines' requirement that parents would have to donate their embryos voluntarily, and would have to be fully informed that their "early human embryos will not be transferred to a woman's uterus, (and) will not survive the human pluripotent stem cell derivation process" would only make the donating parents fully culpable in the deaths of their unwanted children. To ensure parents that their "early human embryos will be handled respectfully, as is appropriate for all human tissue used in research" is to deny the very humanity of these tiniest of human beings. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod opposes human embryonic stem cell research, especially if it is paid for with federal funds, because it always ends in the destruction of human beings. Stem cell research ignores the scientific fact that life begins at conception, and the foundational moral principal of Western civilization that all human life, regardless of race or age or parental affection toward that life, is deserving of protection from the moment of conception to natural death.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is a national church body of more than 2.6 million members with more than 6,000 congregations in all 50 states. The Synod in convention has repeatedly spoken up in defense of the value of human life. As the derivation and use of embryonic stem cell research necessarily involves the deaths of innocent humans, The Lutheran Church —Missouri Synod must also oppose embryonic stem cell research.

I encourage NIH to withdraw its draft guidelines and to comply with Public Law 105-277 that prohibits the use of federal funds for research that destroys innocent human embryos. I urge NIH to always act to protect human lives, including those of embryonic human beingsfrom destructive procedures and experimentation.

In His Service,

The Rev. Dr. A.L. Barry
Jude 24-25