report | Jul 17, 2008

Stem Cells Research Package

A Pew Forum research package provides an overview of the debate over embryonic stem cell research, exploring public opinion on the issue, religious groups’ views on it, the science behind it and the status of stem cell research in other countries. ANALYSIS July 2008 Overview: Stem Cell Research at the Crossroads of Religion and Politics […]

report | Jul 17, 2008

The Science Behind Stem Cell Research

For decades, stem cells have attracted the attention of medical researchers and others because they have the capacity to develop into specialized cells that make up a variety of organ and other tissues. These so-called “building blocks of nature” can literally transform into any other type of cell in the body, making them potentially invaluable […]

report | Jul 17, 2008

Stem Cell Research at the Crossroads of Religion and Politics

Embryonic stem cell research, which uses special cells found in three- to five-day-old human embryos to seek cures for a host of chronic diseases, has sparked a major moral and political debate in the United States. In the 10 years since University of Wisconsin scientists announced they had harvested potentially life-saving cells from surplus embryos […]

report | Oct 10, 2007

End-of-Life Issues

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has assembled a variety of resources on end-of-life issues, including reports, event transcripts, polling data and news clips. Pew Forum and Pew Research Center Resources | Recent News | Other Resources Pew Forum and Pew Research Center Resources Oregon’s ‘Death with Dignity’ Law: 10 Years Later The […]

report | Oct 10, 2007

Oregon’s ’Death with Dignity’ Law: 10 Years Later

Washington, D.C. Ten years have passed since Oregon became the first state in the nation to authorize doctors to assist terminally ill patients in voluntarily ending their lives. Although some predicted the legalization of physician-assisted suicide (also called physician aid in dying) in other states, similar measures have since been defeated in California, Hawaii and […]

report | Oct 9, 2007

The Right-to-Die Debate and the Tenth Anniversary of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act

Ten years ago this month, Oregon enacted a law permitting physicians to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to certain terminally ill patients, a practice often called physician-assisted suicide. The Death with Dignity Act, which took effect on Oct. 27, 1997, is the only law of its kind in the United States, making it an […]

report | Oct 3, 2007

A Progressive Argument Against the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide

The debate over physician-assisted suicide is often portrayed as a battle between social or religious conservatives who oppose the practice and liberals or progressives who support it. But not everyone fits neatly into this paradigm. For instance, Dr. Robert P. Jones, who calls himself a progressive, has just written a book urging liberal supporters of […]

report | Apr 11, 2007

The Culture War and the Coming Election

April 11, 2007 by David Masci, Senior Research Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life The 2008 presidential election is still more than a year-and-a-half away, but some issues, such as the war in Iraq and health care, have already begun to define the contest. Others will emerge in the months ahead to catch […]

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