British Scientist Wants Parts From Babies Killed in Abortion for Organ Donation
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 12, 2009
London, DC (LifeNews.com) — A British scientist wants body parts from babies killed in abortions for use in organ donations. Professor Sir Richard Gardner of Oxford University says kidneys and livers from unborn children victimized by abortions would help the organ donor shortage in Britain.
The proposal has upset pro-life groups who call the idea horrific and say there is no promotion of human life by destroying one person to help another.
Gardner is calling for new studies to inquire about the feasibility of transplanting fetal organs and the Royal Society advisor told the London Daily Mail he is surprised none have been carried out.
"It is probably a more realistic technique in dealing with the shortage of kidney donors than others," he said. The use of body parts from babies killed in abortions is "something that could be done but it’s not something that’s talked about much."
"It is at least a temporary solution," he added.
But Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, told the Daily Mail the idea is "absolutely horrifying."
"At what stage do you say to the woman who is to have an abortion, ‘Can we have some organs for transplant?’" she asked.
American bioethics watchdog Wesley J. Smith also said he is upset by the idea.
"Tell me we aren’t on the path to using human beings as mere produce," Smith worried. "Realize this would require later term abortions. But that’s okay, according to [Gardner]."
"Hey, I know: When a woman wants an early term abortion, we can pay her to gestate a couple of extra months so her fetus can be of societal use! And imagine the possibilities when artificial wombs are created: We can gestate fetuses to order," Smith concluded. "The road to fetal farming is already being paved."
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