Controversial Topic Discussion

I have to admit now that I do not have the best understanding of this issue. The biggest problem being discussed is the fact that adult stem cells are too difficult to use because of rejection issues and therefore need to go through a cloning step from the same adult that is going to need whatever tissue is being grown in order to work which take time and a lot of work.

Embryonic Stem Cells have less risk for rejection and are therefore much more intriguing. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get enough cells from umbilical cords and the like so aborted fetuses and other cloned sources are used instead, hence the ethical problems for most people.

As I understand it, it is not building new arms and legs for people that scientists are most interested in these cells for, rather they want to study diseases like Alzheimer's for example with an inexhaustible supply of affected cells.

An article released today by the New York Times relates that a new discovery has been made which has allowed scientists to take a skin cell and effectively reprogram it backwards in its differentiation into a stem cell. They are still studying to find any differences but this advancement would put an end to this debate all together as I see it. There would be no issue of cloning, no issue of using cells from unethical local and it would provide scientists exactly what they are looking for to study. I am hoping and praying that as this science progresses it finds that it is capable of exactly what we hope it will be. Here is a link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/science/21stem.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

If, best case scenario, we have discovered how to reprogram skin cells into effective stem cells then the debate of the embryonic stem cell will be a thing of the past. However, then new ethical questions will emerge. What can we or should we do with stem cells? Should it be restricted to laboratories for disease research? It would definitely be useful there. Or can we use it ethically to grow livers, hearts and lungs for patients in the hospital who need these organs replaced? Sure why not, that would solve a lot of problems. If and when we can do that then all it would take is one underground scientist to reprogram a skin cell and differentiate it specifically into an entire human being. As you can read in the article, this could be possible and was done with a mouse...they would just have to get around that cancer problem, but that sounds pretty likely and I believe that part. How would we enforce a law prohibiting creating human life, a virtual clone of whoever the skin cells came from? How many people would support this kind of creation of life??? I'm sure some would. And as a Catholic, I can't say that any life created thusly wouldn't have a soul for every life is God's but God gave us procreation for a reason, it is the only right and natural way to create life. Unfortunately it looks like it might be eventually, not the only way.

This is all obviously very hypothetical but interesting none-the-less. I welcome your respectful thoughts, comments and opinions on my kind of rambling statements. Thanks!