Neoconservatism, the Catholic Church And Stem Cells

Guest post by Frank Cocozzelli.

I originally posted this piece at Talk to Action back in October 2006, and then cross-posted it at Kos.

With Tuesday's debate in the US Senate regarding S. 5, The Stem Cell Enhancement Act, I felt that it merited a second reposting (with minor revisions) just so folks could fully understand the neoconservative opposition's larger agenda in trying to defeat this vital piece of legislation.

And as many of you know, I am a Catholic who disagrees with my Church's position on embryonic stem cell research. But perhaps more importantly I am an American citizen who resents the ivory-towered detachments of neoconservatives, self-described "philosopher-kings" who would let the rest of us to suffer with disease and disability just to satisfy their Classical Greek obsession with fostering inequality.

As I have written before embryonic stem cell research ("hESC") is compatible to Christian thought. Objective opinion poll after opinion poll indicates that a clear majority of Americans want this research to go forward with federal funding and federal oversight. As a person afflicted with muscular dystrophy, this is research that could conceivably help me walk again. My neurologist recently told me that while science is now closing in on curing the defect that causes my muscle atrophy via gene therapy, if I am to rebuild enough muscle mass to be ambulatory, stem cell research seems to be my best hope.

Over the past few weeks two significant events concerning the research have occurred; the first being required reading for those who want to understand the stem cell debate. Coming on the heels of President Bush's veto of the bi-partisan supported ...