Politics
Thursday August 26, 2004
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
New Poll: Americans Prefer Funding Stem Cell Research That Does Not Require Destroying Human Embryos
WASHINGTON, August 26, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Despite exaggerated recent claims about the benefits of embryonic stem cell research, Americans strongly prefer funding research that does not require destroying human embryos. They also strongly oppose human cloning for either reproductive or research purposes.
These are the chief findings of survey questions commissioned by the Pro-Life Secretariat of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The questions are part of a national survey conducted by International Communications Research, which polled over one thousand American adults by telephone in mid-August.
The poll suggests that Americans are closely divided on federal funding of stem cell research that requires destroying human embryos, with 43 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed. However, when given a choice between funding all stem cell research (both adult and embryonic), and funding only alternatives such as adult stem cell research to see if there is no need to destroy embryos for research, Americans clearly prefer funding only adult stem cell research by a margin of 61 percent to 23 percent. Opposition to funding embryonic stem cell research is stronger among women, low-income Americans, seniors, and regular churchgoers.
The survey also shows that Americans overwhelmingly oppose the use of human cloning to create embryos for medical research, 80 percent to 13 percent.
"Cloning embryos for their stem cells is the logical next step in the embryonic stem cell research agenda," says Richard Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the USCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. Americans also oppose cloning to provide children to infertile couples, 82 percent to 11 percent.
"Polls on embryonic stem cell research often fail to mention that the research requires destroying human embryos," says Doerflinger. "Yet this fact is essential to understanding the moral issue. Some polls also make exaggerated claims about the (hypothetical) medical benefits of embryonic cells, while ignoring the documented benefits of alternative research that poses no moral problem. No instrument for testing public opinion should mislead the public on these crucial aspects of the issue."
See the poll questions and results at:
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2004/04-163.htm
Jhw
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Toronto Archbishop Decries Morgentaler Order of Canada - Sets Sunday as Day of Prayer Against Abortion
- Boycott Successful: McDonald's Abandons Homosexual Activism
- Pro-life Efforts Redouble as U.K. Embryo Bill Goes Back to House of Commons
- Host Desecration Videos Back on YouTube
- Brampton Catholic High School To Host Pro-abort Liberal Leader Stephane Dion
- Barbara Kay - Poland's "preemie miracle" is an embarrassing postscript to Henry Morgentaler's Order of Canada
- Attempts to Impose Legal Abortion on Northern Ireland will Trigger Constitutional Crisis say MLAs
- Heartland Church Apologizes: Says Heartland is "Unequivocally Pro-Life," Affirms Lifechain
- Harper Ditches Plans to Pull Tax Credits for Extremely Offensive Films
- Irish Court Refuses Woman's Plea for Her Own Frozen Embryos
- Ottawa Crisis Pregnancy Centre Settles with Planned Parenthood Out of Court
- EU Declaration Tabled Demanding All Member States Recognize Same-sex "Marriage"
- UK's Largest Teachers' Union Lobbies to Legalise Sex with Students
- UN Issues Stern Warning to UK on "Homophobic Bullying"
- Phoenix Bishop Publishes "Catholics in the Public Square" in Time for the Election Season
- Pro-Abortion UN Petition Falters; Pro-Life Initiative Numbers Surging
- Amazing Stories Come out of 2008 Life Chain
- New UN Document Promotes Controversial "Right" to Health
Most Read this Week
- Canadian Artist and Catholic Novelist Michael O'Brien on Modesty in the Culture of Shamelessness
- Amazing Stories Come out of 2008 Life Chain
- Video Catches Planned Parenthood Covering Up Statutory Rape
- Heartland Christian Church Demands Peaceful Pro-Life LifeChain Participants Leave
- Franciscan University Board Member Backs Obama, School Distances Itself
- The Palin-Biden Debate and Where Things Stand Now
- Mandatory Homosexual Indoctrination in Grade School Survives after Supreme Court Turns Down Case
- The Silver Lining of an Obama Victory
- Harper Would Have to Personally Kill an Unborn Baby to Avoid the Hidden Agenda Charge
- Pro-life Hero Linda Gibbons Arrested Again, Only Days after Acquittal
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.