Medicine with Morality

We, the undersigned professionals in Australia other than medical graduates who are working or have worked in the fields of ancillary medicine, nursing, medical science, biology or ethics, affirm the following statement:

Medicine with Morality – a Manifesto of Human Life for the 21st Century.

We affirm that human life begins when a cell containing human chromosomes first has the ability to replicate and differentiate into individual tissues, as occurs at fertilisation. The genetic pattern of such a cell is uniquely human and determines its adult characteristics.

We deny that any other definition of the beginning of human life is acceptable. We believe this to be a line that must not be crossed.

We affirm that human life has intrinsic value at every stage of life and dependency from its beginning to its natural end and must be protected against experimentation or exploitation.

We deny that concepts of personhood and self-awareness, being arbitrary and capable of varying definition, are acceptable as indicators of the presence or absence of human life.

We affirm further that the human embryo, being human life in the truest sense, has intrinsic value and that the extraction of stem cells from it is unacceptable.

We deny that cloning technology is acceptable whether for so-called therapeutic or reproductive purposes. We also deny that fertilisation attempted between human and non-human cells (to create a ‘chimera’) is acceptable.

We affirm from the evidence of many scientists that stem-cell research on adult tissues and other non-embryonic tissues (e.g. umbilical cord) already has proven benefits and safety as well as increasing promise for the future and that research on embryos is not as necessary as other scientists make out.

We deny that it is acceptable to do harmful research on human life at any stage regardless of impairment or impending death or to terminate such life before its natural end. We further deny that it is acceptable to do destructive research on so-called 'spare embryos'.

We affirm our right – and indeed obligation – to speak for the future of our society. We hold that ‘natural’ Law is present in the heart of mankind; that this law exhorts us to protect the innocent and helpless and to uphold the sanctity, preciousness and intrinsic value of life at all stages. We further hold that these are eternal and immutable principles.

We assert our right and obligation to practice medicine according to our conscience. We will not engage in or facilitate procedures or practices that we believe are inconsistent with the above manifesto.

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