Ideology? “The unexamined ideology in the stem-cell debate is the promise of scientific progress.” This statement from the editors of America (Current Comment, March 30, 2009) bounces the “ideology” ball into the scienctific court. The above statement was triggered by the ambiguity of the recent Obama statement that the stem cell discussion must be based on “…science not ideology.”
The editors go on to remind the readers that because pluripotent stem cells can now be produced from adult cells, it is not at all clear what embrionic stem cell research can offer us beyond hopes supported by guesses (See Fetal Stem Cells Trigger Tumors… Associated Press, February 17, 2009). The bottom line
is a caution against hype. Embryonic stem cells can be the latest in a series of super-cures being hyped to the American public.
Faith bases its conviction on the accumulated experience of a community. It is not ideology as long as it remains open to truth. Science bases its hypotheses upon empirically observed data. It too must always remain open to truth to avoid ideology.
Mr. President, you are right in trying to correct the politicization of science under the Bush administration. But you are wrong to present the lifting of the restriction on stem-cell research of your predecessor as freeing science from politics. Both the Bush and Clinton policies were arbitrary political compromises, say the editors, for which there was no coherent moral defense.
Recent events prod us into thought. We’ve sharpened our awareness of the complexities of these issues. For us truth is always in, ideology is out.
