The idea of cloning another human being is repulsive to almost every person, and yet that is exactly what embryonic stem cell research involves. No one is advocating that clones should be allowed to be born—at least not now—but scientists are advocating the creation and destruction of cloned human embryos before they are born!

Legislation advocating this type of “clone and kill” research is slowly spreading from state to state and is being promoted federally. Pro-life citizens must understand the facts behind the cloning debate so that we can successfully encourage policies and practices that reflect the value of human life in stem cell research

Embryonic Stem Cell Research always leads to cloning!

• Cloning is an integral part of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR).
• Cloning enables scientists to create embryonic stem cells that are a later killed as their stem cells are extracted.
  
• Cloning requires human eggs and the process of gathering them is
  dangerous to women.
  

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) is cloning!

• SCNT is the acronym for Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer / Transplantation.
• It is the generally recognized scientific term for cloning. SCNT is used instead of the word “cloning” in discussions to mislead the average person.
• Dolly the Sheep was created through the SCNT process.
• SCNT is used for both therapeutic and reproductive cloning.
• Don’t be fooled. Any piece of legislation that includes SCNT includes cloning.

There are two uses for clones—both are unethical

• There are two uses for clones created through the SCNT cloning process.
• Reproductive cloning occurs when a copy of another human being is created through SCNT, allowed to grow up to 14 days in a petri dish, and then transplanted into a woman's womb to grow to birth.
• So-called "therapeutic" cloning occurs when embryos created through SCNT are allowed to grow for a few days and then killed for stem cells.
• Scientists and advocates of embryonic stem cell research do not want the general public to understand that "therapeutic" cloning is in fact cloning, so they call it somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Thus far the media has done a good job obscuring the fact that SCNT is cloning and that it is vital to ESCR, but do not be fooled.

Cloning exploits women and dehumanizes the human person

• SCNT trivializes the creation of new human life by denigrating it to a scientific process to create human embryos simply for research material.
• SCNT requires a large quantity of unfertilized human eggs.
• Egg donation is painful and potentially life threatening for women.
• Not enough women are stepping forward to donate their eggs.
• Because there is a shortage of human eggs, scientists around the world are using animal eggs to create cloned human embryonic stem cells. Known as "chimeras," these clones are 99% human and 1% animal—typically produced with rabbit, cow or sheep eggs. Animal/human hybrids are no longer a thing of fiction!
• Should medical treatments using these clones ever become a reality, it is unknown what side effects may occur.
  

Human cloning is being attempted in Minnesota

• Scientists at the University of Minnesota are pursuing SCNT and therapeutic cloning with human embryos.
• In May 2009, the Minnesota Legislature passed language prohibiting the U of M from using taxpayer dollars for human cloning.