In Mississippi, citizens will vote today on Amendment 26. This amendment “would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word “person” or “persons,” as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.” The key issue is “should the term “person” be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the equivalent thereof?” According to www.sos.ms.gov.
This means it would pretty much make embryo stem-cell research, in vitro fertilization, human cloning and abortion illegal. Although they don’t mention the word abortion in the amendment, “personhood” is the chosen term, so we can conclude this entire amendment is about abortion. Just check out the Vote Yes on 26 webpage.
Now I understand Mississippi is the ultimate Bible-belt state. Trust me, I am a Christian and understand wanting to do the will of God. I can live with abortions being illegal. But, seriously: embryo stem-cell research, in vitro fertilization, classified as illegal? Come on now.
For those who don’t know what embryo stem cell and in vitro fertilization is, the National Institutes of Health defines it as: “Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro—in an in vitro fertilization clinic—and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body.”
What many may not know is embryo stem cell research could possibly treat and eradicate diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, because stem cells have the potential to create any cells, whether it is brain, tissue and muscle cells.
This is ludicrous. What happens when a woman and her husband are having trouble conceiving a child?
Shouldn’t they have the option to receive in vitro fertilization? I understand Hannah, Samuel’s momma in the Bible, was barren and she prayed to the Lord to bless her with a child. But if you ask me, God has done more than bless just barren women. He has have blessed men who can’t who have low sperm count. He blessed us with the knowledge to discover this technology.
Now I will be the first to say I disapprove of abortions. Yes, I understand if it is detrimental to a woman’s health or a young lady was raped and can’t bear the agony of carrying the child of her rapist.
I vividly remember a relative saying to me when I was in high school, “Kristin, I think about this. I had an abortion when I was younger. I think about what I did everyday, and that was more than 30 years ago.”
This is what she told me when I asked her how she felt about abortions so I could prepare for a class debate.
At that time, I did not care what the circumstances were. No woman should have an abortion. Of course, I am a little older now, and I understand all of the problems that can arise when trying to bear a child.
I know the people who are behind this amendment want to repeal Roe vs. Wade, and I know they are good Christian folk-their website says so. However, sometimes we Christian folk just go a little too far. Seriously, embryonic stem cells are paving the way in re-building children’s bones. That is an amazing scientific advance. Adult stem cells are not “pluripotent,” like embryo stem cells. Meaning they can’t become any type of cell, like embryonic cells can.
Listen my good folk; this is not a good idea. Science and religion don’t always have to clash. God made both.