#5

Hindus as well as catholics believe that life starts at conception. This creates a conflict with stem cell research, something that potentially can be very helpful, but allowing the research is against some religious beliefs. Our last president George W. Bush restricted government funding for stem cell research, appeasing conservative republicans but outraging some scientists and biotechnicians. Ultrasounds may help indian women abort female children, as a girl is still considered a burden to the family. Technology should not be the solution to India's ethical problems though, and many scientists are working on cloning endangered species such as the Indian cheetah. Some believe that an ancient story about an Indian mother putting the flesh of her pregnancy into 100 pots and having 100 sons thereafter is a sign that the cloning and research is okay, well others argue that the story always meant darkness and problems were ahead. The biggest argument in this case is wether or not religion should get in the way of something that could greatly help others and other diseases, such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, and Parkinson's.


Mishra, Pankaj. "How India Reconciles Hindu Values and Biotech". New York Times. 21 August 2005.