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Quote 171 of 521

But absolutism is also a great weakness, because it puts you at the
mercy of your own logic. Opposition to stem-cell research is the
reductio ad absurdum of the right-to-life argument. A goldfish
resembles a human being more than an embryo does. An embryo feels
nothing, thinks nothing, cannot suffer, is not aware of its own
existence. Embryos are destroyed routinely by the millions in the
natural process of human reproduction. Yet opponents of stem-cell
research would allow real people, who can suffer, to do so in service
of the abstract principle that embryos are people too. If faith takes
you there, fine. Reason can't.

http://slate.msn.com/Readme/00-08-28/Readme.asp

Tags: processofhumanreproduction reductioadabsurdum opponentsofstemcellresearch oppositiontostemcellresearch absolutism embryos righttolife goldfish embryo realpeople principle existence logic faith