This dissertation presents three separate studies designed to provide structure and evidence-based insight into the impact of religious beliefs on public perceptions and U.S. government policies regarding embryonic stem cell research. First, a systematic literature review of nine (n=9) empirical studies that examined individuals' religious beliefs and perceptions/utilization of genetic technologies/services will be presented. Based on the finding from the review, there was an equal balance between studies that found that religion was a factor positively affecting intention to submit to genetic testing and those that illustrated a negative association. Secondly, a qualitative examination of college students' from various racial/ethnic and religious backgrounds exploring the definition, interpretation, and conceptualization of the influence of religious beliefs on perceptions regarding embryonic stem cell research will be offered. Employing an emergent design, the data collection process encompassed thirty-seven in-depth interviews. The majority of participants in this study believed that ESCR should be conducted and federally funding in the United States, regardless of their religious beliefs. Lastly, the findings from the analysis of congressional records from the U.S. Congress for areas of convergence and divergence between discussions, voting, and legislation regarding stem cell research with the official stances of the major religious groups in the United States accessing the influence of religious rhetoric on political discourse regarding embryonic stem cell research will be discussed. Findings from this study suggest that religious rhetoric has a substantial influence on political rhetoric regarding ESCR.

This thesis addresses the puzzle of variation in first-generation regulatory policies for controversial science and technology, as demonstrated in the cases of agricultural genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and human embryonic stem cell research in the United Kingdom and the United States. Why did policy outcomes vary in each technology case? This study answers this question by placing greater emphasis on institutional factors. Although works within institutional analysis, bureaucracy and regulation literatures make significant progress in revealing how existing institutions can shape outcomes, how far one can characterize bureaucratic behavior and whether interest groups capture regulation, they nevertheless create an opening for research that: describes a mechanism for path dependence to explain variation in policies; shows the degree to which bureaucratic behaviors can influence outcomes; and, highlights instances in which regulatory officials hold power. This thesis makes an original contribution by providing new historical details relating to these cases, and by providing an extensive elaboration of Pierson’s criteria for increasing returns and a so-called secondary test of path dependence to explain outcomes. The study recounts the biography of key policy documents in each case by tracing the process of decision-making through government and archival sources, secondary literature and more than 40 elite interviews. In doing so, it details the activities of key governmental bodies within the European Union, UK and US. Moreover, it shows how the Coordinated Framework (1986) and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 framework represented decision-making structures which triggered changes in actors and interests and shaped permissive outcomes for GMOs and stem cell research in the US and UK, respectively. Furthermore, lack of comparable structures may help account for restrictive policies for GMOs in Europe and the UK, and for stem cell research in the US.

Thesis (MA (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Moral questions arising from advances in science and technology are proliferating exponentially. Much controversy surrounds the ways in which biotechnology is used to eradicate a vast range of diseases and injuries. Stem cell research is one such way. Throughout the world stem cell research has been met with varying responses that range from opposition and criticism to approval and advocacy. As a result, it has attracted significant attention from the news media. The media have been accused of bias by focusing only on the controversial aspects of the research as opposed to reporting fully and fairly on the remarkable scientific advances. In this study I look at the patterns of media attention paid to stem cell research in the international weekly magazine Time between November 1998 and September 2005 inclusive. Contrary to the results expected on the basis of my literature study which pointed out the notion that the media tend to focus on sensational news more than non-controversial issues, I found that Time did a fair job in reporting on the scientific aspects of stem cell research. The percentage content of articles by year, focusing on scientific information of stem cells, dominated other news frames. The two years following the 2000 and 2004 American presidential elections, are however marked by the dominance of policy frames. This study found that Time covered controversial issues like embryonic stem cell research, public funding debates and political policy development in direct relation to their rise and fall on the political agenda in the United States.

The aim of this dissertation is to examine and analyse the judicial framework with regard to embryonic stem cell research and cloning in South Africa. The examination is conducted within the framework of the South African and United Kingdom's legal systems. Focus is placed on aspects of medical law, human rights law as envisaged in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and the law of persons. The specific focus of this dissertation is to examine the intense debate on the moral and legal status of the embryo and fetus in South Africa. A comparative study is undertaken, with the United Kingdom as a background against which recommendations for the South African framework are made. The study firstly provides a clinical overview of stem cell research and cloning. Secondly, the concept of life, in particular human life; the protection of the embryo and fetus under the constitutional guarantee of the right to life, among other constitutionally protected rights, are examined. In this context, the most important finding is that although the fetus is not a bearer of constitutional rights the state has a constitutional duty to protect fetal life in terms of an objective value system. Thereby, the state is permitted to regulate abortion, fetal tissue research, and embryo research to protect fetal life. In particular, the aim of this dissertation is to present a critical summary of the major debates and policy responses relating to embryonic stem cell research and cloning techniques, drawing attention to some of the challenges posed by conflicting moral values in an era of global scientific endeavour, and to provide an analysis of the key ethical and regulatory implications for stem cell therapy. The most important findings are that current South African legislation remains fragmented and ineffective in the manner in which embryonic stem cell research and cloning are regulated. This finding leads to a summary of recommendations, which attempts to provide specific remedies in order to adapt the current regulatory framework in South Africa. / Dissertation (LLM (Public Law))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Public Law / LLM / unrestricted

Stem cell research offers hope to many people suffering from incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and spinal back injuries. However this poses a moral dilemma because embryos are destroyed during embryonic stem cell research. To determine whether embryonic stem cell research is morally justifiable, two views in respect of a human being were considered: i. a human has a dualistic nature in which his body and soul are two separate entities or ii. his body and soul forms a unity which can not be separated. If a human has a dualistic nature, it means that the embryo is not a human, it does not have a soul because the soul is added later to form a human. The implication of this is that it will be morally justifiable to kill an embryo during embryonic stem cell research. However if body and soul forms a unity which can not be separated, the embryo is a human which is already developing into a full grown human with several stages of development. It will thus not be morally justifiable to kill an embryo as this will violate the sixth commandment, i.e. “Thou shalt not kill.” To determine whether a human’s body and soul is an inseparable unity or whether they are two separate entities, the Pauline letters' view on the human being was investigated. The research method employed was to do a comparative literary study to highlight the different aspects of stem cell research and then exegesis was done in respect of body (σoμα / sōma); soul (ψυχὴ / psychē) and spirit (πνεῦμα / pneuma) in the Pauline letters according to the grammatical-historical method. An electronic Bible Concordance was used to determine the texts in which the above concepts appear. A semantic word analysis was also done to analyse these concepts. Then authoritative commentaries were used to check the findings. The analysis indicated that Paul refers to a human as unity in which body and soul can not be separated. The implication of this finding is that embryonic stem cell research should be dismissed because it will result in the destruction of embryos. Humans will thus be killed in violation of the sixth commandment. On the other hand adult stem cell research should be encouraged because it has the potential to cure diseases which has up to now been incurable. / Thesis (MTh (Ethics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Stem cell research offers hope to many people suffering from incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and spinal back injuries. However this poses a moral dilemma because embryos are destroyed during embryonic stem cell research. To determine whether embryonic stem cell research is morally justifiable, two views in respect of a human being were considered: i. a human has a dualistic nature in which his body and soul are two separate entities or ii. his body and soul forms a unity which can not be separated. If a human has a dualistic nature, it means that the embryo is not a human, it does not have a soul because the soul is added later to form a human. The implication of this is that it will be morally justifiable to kill an embryo during embryonic stem cell research. However if body and soul forms a unity which can not be separated, the embryo is a human which is already developing into a full grown human with several stages of development. It will thus not be morally justifiable to kill an embryo as this will violate the sixth commandment, i.e. “Thou shalt not kill.” To determine whether a human’s body and soul is an inseparable unity or whether they are two separate entities, the Pauline letters' view on the human being was investigated. The research method employed was to do a comparative literary study to highlight the different aspects of stem cell research and then exegesis was done in respect of body (σoμα / sōma); soul (ψυχὴ / psychē) and spirit (πνεῦμα / pneuma) in the Pauline letters according to the grammatical-historical method. An electronic Bible Concordance was used to determine the texts in which the above concepts appear. A semantic word analysis was also done to analyse these concepts. Then authoritative commentaries were used to check the findings. The analysis indicated that Paul refers to a human as unity in which body and soul can not be separated. The implication of this finding is that embryonic stem cell research should be dismissed because it will result in the destruction of embryos. Humans will thus be killed in violation of the sixth commandment. On the other hand adult stem cell research should be encouraged because it has the potential to cure diseases which has up to now been incurable. / Thesis (MTh (Ethics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.