The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia, has announced a $100,000 grant for research “to support and foster research on the therapeutic potential of adult stem cells”.

The project will investigate using transplanted adult stem cells in blood disorders like leukaemia.

It is the fourth time the Sydney Archdiocese has funded adult stem cell research.

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It could be argued that funding scientific research is the Government’s job.

Yes, but it is part of the Church’s job to teach the public that there are two distinct kinds of stem cell research:  

(1) that which uses embryonic stem cells and involves destroying a young (5-day) human embryo – and is murder.

(2)  that which uses stem cells from a patient’s own tissues – and therefore doesn’t involve killing (so-called “adult” stem cells).

Although this distinction is crystal clear, and could be taught in ten minutes to any ten-year old, our politicians, media and scientists deceive the public into failing to distinguish  the black and white difference.

Promotion of the positive alternative of adult stem cell research by Church funding might hopefully facilitate a better understanding.

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Dr James Sherley, Professor of Bio-Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, has said, “All scientists know that human embryos are alive and human — human beings. Killing them for research is moral trespass that a civilised society cannot allow.”

(Just as it was a trespass when Hitler allegedly killed Jewish families to make soap. No matter how good the soap may have been, that was not the point.)

(Yes, there are doubts about the historical accuracy of stories about Hitler’s soap-making – but they illustrate a point that urgently needs rescuing)

Professor Sherley has asked the International Society for Stem Cell Research to conduct anonymous on-line polls of its members regarding their views on human embryo research. But they haven’t.

Many scientists opposed to human embryo research won’t speak publicly for fear of reprisals — lost jobs and lost funding.