Gudrun Schultz
DOVER, Delaware, February 9, 2006 (LifeSiteNew.com) – A Delaware bill authorizing human stem cell research was stripped of all anti-life components before passing in the house, thanks to the efforts of a concerted group of Christians.
Senate Bill 80 was passed in the Delaware House of Representatives this week after all references to human embryonic stem cell research were removed from the bill. Supporters of Bill 80 were not able to gather sufficient votes for the bill to pass in its original form.
The victory is being attributed to a campaign called “A Rose and a Prayer” undertaken by a coalition of Christians, who received an overwhelming response to calls for participation in opposing the bill.
“This is a huge win against tremendous odds for human life and for the people of Delaware. We are very pleased that our state representatives recognized Delawareans’ overwhelming opposition to Senate Bill 80 and, specifically, to human embryonic stem cell research and human cloning,” said Ellen L. Barrosse, of A Rose & A Prayer, in a press release Tuesday.
More than 2,400 people signed up for prayer hours in opposition to the bill, totaling more than 1,500. Over 10,000 people contacted their representatives and asked them to vote against the bill. State legislators received 1,500 roses last week, with cards from individual voters asking them to vote against the bill.
Bishop Michael Saltarelli of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, and Christian minister Bowen Matthews of Brandywine Valley Baptist Church were among supporters of the grassroots effort.
“We hope that other states will recognize Delaware’s decision to refuse to authorize embryonic stem cell research as an indication that Americans do not want or need research that destroys human embryos,” said Stephen Jenkins, a Wilmington attorney, also of A Rose and a Prayer. “Rather, we need research that focuses on adult stem cells, where scientists are increasingly finding real cures.”
Largely as a result of the campaign, legislators amended the bill to 1) remove all references to embryonic stem cell research and 2) clarify the definition of “human reproductive cloning” to clearly ban any cloning that results in a human fetus or child for any purposes, and to close a loophole that would have allowed fetal farming.