Thursday, November 06, 2003

BABY OR 'GENETICALLY NOVEL KIND OF CELL'?

When does life begin? Well Australia's Anglican Primate Peter Carnley has settled the issue; just ask him:
Life does not begin when sperm meets egg, but 14 days after, according to the head of the Anglican Church in Australia.

Primate Peter Carnley told the Fertility Society of Australia in Perth yesterday this meant objections to IVF, genetic testing and stem cell research should fall away.

Archbishop Carnley said that until it was implanted in a womb lining, a fertilised egg was not a human life but rather a genetically novel kind of cell.

The fertilised egg must also pass the point that it could split to become an identical twin, which was at about 14 days. After that, the embryo should be accorded the status of an individual human with rights to care, protection and life.

If only we'd had the good Primate to speak on this earlier it would have save a lot of trouble.

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