The Destruction of Embryos

Destruction of Embryos

To listen to this in mp3 format click here

Aside from contradiction the Catholic Church’s teaching on the generation of new human life, one of the problems with invetro fertilization is that is usually leaves excess embryos to be discarded, that is to say, killed. One argument that we often hear, therefore, is that even those who are pro life should have no problem with using the extra embryos from invetro fertilization for scientific stem cell research. Why? The answer is given is very blunt:Because those embryos are going to die anyway, so we might as well us them for something.

Now, granted, it is true that the excess embryos from InVetro Fertilization are doomed whether or not they are killed for their stem cells. But, this does not mean that it is somehow right to kill them. People who make this argument have not understood a very important principle – it is never morally justified to kill an innocent human being, regardless of the beneficial consequences that may follow. It does not matter if we somehow know they will be killed anyway. It can never be a morally good choice to excuse one’s own sin on the expected future sins of others.