Good points from John which I think conclusively answer beliefs some (not myself) Christians may have that moral ideas and equality were absent pre 30-33AD.I've appreciate both standpoints in this Blog! I think the source of Jesus' & Paul's beliefs has to be founded in OT theology due to their context which was most certainly Jewish?

(James Thompson, on "Atheism and the Good Life")

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Personhood

I think it is worth pausing here to look a bit closer at the idea of ‘personhood’.  The dictionary defines person as a living human being.

Fletcher’s definition was driven less by scientific discovery and more by the political debate around abortion. If the embryo was not fully human then it would be much easier to justify abortion.

He argued that what sets humans apart from other animals is their possession of reason. This is what grounds human dignity and, he said, is signified by the term ‘person’.

He goes on to argue that if the human embryo is not a human person then it does not merit legal protection. His approach is based on the work of the English philosopher John Locke.

Fletcher’s definition focused on the actual powers that someone could display, explicitly excluding even newborn infants from personhood. For his definition, the possession of human nature, with the latent ability to reason, was insufficient. Therefore, along with newborns, he excluded human embryos and foetuses, but you would also have to exclude a mentally disabled adult and, technically, a perfectly normal adult who was asleep or unconscious - because their reasoning is also latent.
  those who are vulnerable are in more need of protection rather than less
 
 

So in response to this argument regarding personhood, many people, and Christians especially would suggest that surely this is an unacceptable way to decide which humans deserve protection in our legal system. Traditionally those who are vulnerable are seen to be in more need of protection rather than less. Which suggests that it is important that we stay with the standard definition of person - ie a living human being - if we are discussing personhood. Christians are concerned that arguments about personhood are merely a foil aimed at political expediency - in this case, to allow destruction of human embryos for research.

Other ethical concerns

As in many of our public debates, community discussion regarding the benefits or dangers of ES cell research has been superficial and ill-informed. Exaggerated claims from scientists and the media regarding the state of ES cell research has led to unrealistic expectations on the part of many citizens. While this is a perennial problem in medicine, where any break-through in a lab becomes a headline for a cure, even some stem cell scientists admitted that in their enthusiasm they may have overestimated what could be done. ‘Dumbing down’ of the debate by newspapers, so that it was presented as a simple choice between benefits for the disabled versus unwanted embryos, meant that the distinction between adult and embryonic stem cells was completely lost for many Australian citizens.

Summary of legislation in Australia

The initial legislation passed in 2002 allowed frozen excess ART embryos to be used in destructive research, under licence (some stem cells lines have been produced). The original legislation required a review within three years, which led to the Lockhart Report in 2005. Legislation passed in 2006 allowed, among other things, human cloning for research (therapeutic cloning) but not for reproduction. Once again, a review will be completed within three years to consider whether the legislation should be altered again.

The Christian approach

For all ethical dilemmas, Christians have a moral compass derived from the Bible. There is no key verse that tells us when personhood begins. The Christian argument for personhood commencing at conception is put together by combining a number of themes running through the Bible.

The Bible makes the link between conception and birth in many places. Jesus’ presence on the earth is described as beginning when the virgin conceived through the Holy Spirit, and the incarnation is a powerful reminder of the status embryos hold in the eyes of God.

Scripture describes the relationship people have with God when still in the womb, such as during our formation. Psalm 139:13 – 16 ‘for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb’.
  
  'made in God’s image' has profound implications for human life
 

The Bible recognises that all human beings bear the image of God and therefore deserve to be treated with respect. It is this ‘image of God’ status that suggests humans have unique value - value that is inherent, and not therefore dependent on any particular capacity such as the ability to reason. There is no doubt that the unborn human is recognised in the Bible as capable of a relationship with God in a way that no other creature can claim. At the very least, the concept of being made in God’s image has profound implications for the value to be placed on human life; the protection and care it deserves, and the gravity of interfering with it. This might do nothing to convince those who don’t believe in God, but it should help them to understand where Christians are coming from in this debate.   

The Bible also teaches that the end does not justify the means. It refutes the notion that we should do evil that good may result. And throughout the Bible is the consistent thought that a person’s actions do count, they have meaning. What a person does, matters in itself. Christian ethics recognise some biblical rules, to be observed in the context of Christian virtue (a modified virtue ethic). The sixth commandment says we should not kill innocent human beings, regardless of the consequences.

Conclusion

The basic issue at the heart of this debate remains the moral status of the embryo. What are our options?

It is now known that it is possible for ES cell-type research to proceed without the destruction of human embryos, through use of IPS cells. This discovery is not completely unexpected, because in the history of western science, ethical limits have led to imaginative solutions rather than remaining barriers to discovery. However, many scientists have recoiled from suggestions that legislation allowing destructive human embryo research be overturned. So how do we find consensus as a community? I would suggest that it is not possible. In the end, the moral status of the embryo is not a fact, but a value.  We will each of us decide that which is valuable to us on the basis of our worldview.

Those who would pursue destructive embryo research are considering consequences only, those opposed are concerned with the act itself - there are some things you should just never do. The two parties are passing like ships in the night. They will never meet because they are talking about different things. In a pluralistic society we cannot just ignore the people we disagree with, we need to consider all the different views in our community when we are making decisions. Where there is no consensus, we take a vote.  He with the most votes wins. Personally I am happy with this, on one condition - that those who vote are fully informed regarding all the facts, not just some of them.

Dr Megan Best is a medical practitioner and a bioethicist.

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