Controversial Stem Cell Poetry Winner Acknowledges Loss of Embryonic Life

The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is the body that regulates the $6 billion tax payer funding for mostly embryonic stem cell research in California.  Recently they had a poetry contest to promote Stem Cell Awareness Day and they picked this gem:

Stem C.

By Tyson Anderson

This is my body

which is given for you.
But I am not great.

I have neither wealth,

nor fame, nor grace.

I cannot comfort with words,

nor inspire to march.

I am small and simple,
so leave me this.
Let me heal you.
This is my body
which is given for you.

Take this

in remembrance of me.

There has been much to do about the sacrilegious nature of this poem because it is a direct literary allusion to the words that Christ spoke at the Last Supper.  CIRM has since apologized for its religious insensitivity.

I do not want to discuss CIRM's apparent lack of foresight. (I think they should commiserate with the people at the 10:10 Project.)  I want to talk about this poem and why I am scratching my head that they picked it to win.

This poem clearly acknowledges the sacrifice of the life of a human embryo in embryonic stem cell research.  It acknowledges that this life is "small and simple" but a life nonetheless.  It also assumes that the embryo would WANT to be sacrificed as Jesus willfully sacrificed his life.

And that is precisely what is dangerous about embryo destructive research: the ASSUMPTION that a human life wants and should be sacrificed for the greater good whether it can communicate that or not.

Who are they to decide that this embryo would have chosen to sacrifice its life instead of living its life?  And if they can do if for an embryo can they do it for you as well?

A human embryo is a human subject that cannot give informed consent to give its life in experimentation.  This was a clear mandate in the Nuremberg Code to prevent science and scientists from going beyond certain moral boundaries. We disregard the Code at our own peril.

It is telling that CIRM picked this poem.  It tells me they know exactly what they are doing: ending human life "for the greater good."  And more importantly, they are fine with it.

Hat Tip: Wesley J. Smith