In considering both biological and biblical perspectives, Dr Megan Best contends that destructive research on human embryos means there are more lives at stake than may be initially apparent.

During the public debate in Australia preceding the passing of Federal legislation allowing destructive research on human embryos in 2002, I remember reading newspaper reports that the frozen excess embryos in question were (a) dead, (b) merely human cells and (c) not human at all. (Note these are all incorrect, though (a) involves an interesting metaphysical question.) Thankfully those days are over, and we no longer need to argue in informed circles that human embryos are humans. The question we now have to face in public policy is: At what stage of development does the nascent human deserve protection?

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File: Embryo liberation