Apology sought for stem-cell remark
Critics demanded an apology yesterday from the founder of the Christian ministry Focus on the Family after he compared the ethics of embryonic stem-cell research to Nazi experiments on Holocaust victims.
James Dobson made the comments Wednesday during his radio show, which reaches an estimated 220 million people worldwide. He was criticizing Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and others who support expanded stem-cell research in hopes that it may lead to cures for such conditions as diabetes, spinal cord injury or Parkinson’s disease. Dobson and other opponents object to the research because embryos are destroyed to harvest the cells.
“There is no legitimate comparison between stem-cell research, which seeks to find a cure for disease and to counter human suffering, and the perversion of science and morality represented by the actions of Nazi doctors who deliberately tortured their victims in medical ‘experiments,’ ” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Compiled from The Associated Press and Reuters
