The religious and science communities have never exactly seen eye to eye on the stem cell debate. But that didn't stop them from having a substantive conversation about the issue last night at Penn.
Arthur Caplan, head of Penn's Center for Bioethics, was the guest speaker at the event, sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Fellowship.
But Eastern Orthodox Chaplain Alexander Webster also weighed in, voicing his disapproval of Caplan's support of stem cell research.
"Caplan has a view on stem cell research that I, frankly, find troubling and erroneous," Eastern Orthodox Chaplain Alexander Webster said. "The purpose of this discussion is to explore the issue ethically."
Caplan's talk at the Newman Center focused on the scientific definition of human life, explaining how difficult it is to pinpoint when, in fact, an embryo becomes a viable human being.
Webster then offered a brief retort, examining the stem cell issue from a religious point of view.
Stem cells, essentially the building blocks of fetuses, have become the subject of moral debate over the past three years. Scientists believe that stem cells are the keys to unlocking the cures to diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But because the valuable cells are derived from human embryos, the prospect of researching with them has become the center of national controversy.
"The old idea is that an embryo represents a miniature baby," Caplan explained. "There isn't an exact moment of conception, however. The process of genes combining is somewhat arbitrary."
Caplan pointed out that, in in-vitro fertilization centers across the country, inviable embryos are destroyed on a regular basis. In such clinics, couples who are having difficulties reproducing naturally produce both eggs and sperm, which then, in a laboratory, are combined. Only some of these embryos actually have the potential to become a baby once implanted in the uterus.
"If you're going to destroy [embryos] anyway, then why not use them for stem cell research?" Caplan asked.
Following Caplan's presentation, Webster offered his point of view in a short response. As a priest, his ideas about the definition of a human life and the morality of stem cell research differed from Caplan's.
"Each human embryo has full genetic content at fertilization, which creates a unique continuum of life," Webster contended. "We may not knowingly, willfully and directly destroy innocent, defenseless human life for any reason."
A lengthy question and answer session ensued, opening up discourse between Caplan and the audience. While many people questioned his moral reasoning, Caplan used scientific evidence to back his argument.
"Not all embryos are potential people," he said. "Science cannot define the constructs of `soul' and personhood.'"
The attendees of the lecture were pleased to be presented with Caplan's point of view, regardless of any ethical differences that surfaced over the course of the evening.
"It's encouraging to see someone in the scientific community speak about these issues with people in the religious community," said Walker Trimble, the graduate student contact for the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, which sponsored last night's event.
Added Alexis Decerbo, a Wharton junior and OCF student president, "Dr. Caplan is an eloquent speaker and an excellent resource to have at the University."
The speech was part of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship's Distinguished Lecture Series.
