SAM HARRIS HOW RELIGION THREATENS MEDICAL CARE

[Joanne98]

Run time: 04:16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrzREHo7y8A   Posted on YouTube: October 05, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 05, 2009 By DU Member: Joanne98 Views on DU: 637

 

[snake in the grass]

1. Sam Harris makes a great argument.

These theocrats are only interested in control. Human lives mean nothing to them, when they can't help them further their goals.

[pundaint]

2. That blastocyst splitting is a strong argument

Thanks for another angle from which to argue for reason.

[Juche]

3. I don't know how much I agree

So I'll start by saying I am agnostic, and that I do think religion is a giant threat to health when reproduction is involved (abortion, sexual education, contraceptives, etc).

I support embryonic stem cells but I don't think religion's impact on this area is as big as Harris makes it out to be.

1. Embryonic stem cells obtained from other sources (pluripotent, baby teeth, umbilical cords, etc) are still available and I don't think religious people oppose them.

2. Adult stem cells can still be used.

3. States and private industry can still fund embryonic stem cell research. California has tried to put billions into it, and so has MA.

4. Other nations can and are investigating treatments with embryonic stem cells. Southeast asian nations like China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc. are all investigating these issues. New and great cures using embryonic stem cells will likely come from these nations.

5. There are other potential treatments or preventions for diseases treated with stem cells that are not stem cell based. There are mechanical neurons for parkinsons disease, we know more and more about how to prevent alzheimers.

6. Obama overturned the funding ban

So I do think he is right that right wing fundamentalist religion is a assault on medicine and survival. When you have 1/3 of the nation who thinks jesus is going to come back within 50 years, there is no incentive to practice sustainability. Plus there seems to be a strong overlap between religious fundamentalism and anti-science attitudes on climate change or evolution.

But on the issue of stem cells I think the destruction right wing religious fundamentalists wreak is fairly minor. They are still a destructive force, but I don't see them doing massive damage on this front.