Madam, - I am outraged at the decision by my former college, UCC, to permit research on human embyros. A human embryo is a human being at the earliest stage of his or her existence. All the embryo needs to grow and flourish is time and the right environmental conditions - just like any human being at any stage of his or her development.
Experimenting on powerless human beings is simply the victory of the strong over the weak and defenceless, like the ghoulish experiments which took place during the Nazi regime. These, too, were justified on scientific grounds.
The most fundamental ethical principle known to mankind is the golden rule, found both in western and eastern traditions, which exhorts us to always treat others as we would have them treat us. Kant's categorical imperative, an internationally accepted ethical principle, states that we should never treat others as means, but always as ends.
Embryo experimentation violates these fundamental ethical principles. From a scientific point of view, embryo research is unnecessary and has so far been fruitless. Since the passing of Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 1990, more than 3 million human embryos have been destroyed in the course of research without a single cure resulting. UCC's disgraceful decision must be overturned without delay. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - In his letter lauding Germany's restrictive policy on embryonic stem cell research (October 30th) James Lawless says that "Germany's response to the excesses of the past - when individual human life was at the service of the national interest - serves as a moving example of the need for us to carefully examine the moral implications of our decisions".
He is correct that Germans generally do not believe that individual human life should be at the service of the national interest. Hence, despite the conservative stance on the protection of human life in Germany basic law, Germany allows abortion on demand in the first trimester, subject to counselling and a three-day waiting period.
I suspect that Mr Lawless would not cite this aspect of German law as an example for Ireland. I do. - Yours, etc.
DAMIEN LYNCH,
Schwalbach am Taunus,
Germany.