The support for stem cell research cuts across political, religious and socio-economic lines as clearly shown in a survey of 2,212 people conducted by the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University in US.

The survey found that a clear majority (67%) either approve or strongly approve of stem cell research, and 40% would expand government support for embryonic stem cell research, including federal financing to create new stem cell lines.

In contrast, only 16% of respondents would ban all research using embryonic stem cells, and only 22% support the U.S. administration’s restrictive policy on stem cell research. The 95% confidence interval on the survey results is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

“One thing that does seem to come out is that no matter how you cut it — by religion, by age, by education, by underlying views about the embryo — by and large there is support for liberalizing the government’s policy in this area,” said Alta Charo, J.D., associate dean of the law school of the University of Wisconsin.

The survey found:

• A clear majority in all religion groups — with the exception of fundamentalist and evangelical Christians — approve of embryonic stem cell research.
• More than two-thirds of Catholics approve or strongly approve of embryonic stem cell research.
• Fundamentalist and evangelical Christians were divided, with 50% approving or strongly approving and 48% disapproving or strongly disapproving.
• Women were more likely than men to disapprove or strongly disapprove — 35% versus 27%.
• 75% of Democrats approved or strongly approved, compared with 55% of Republicans. Independents fell in between, with 66% approving or strongly approving.

This is as clear a mandate as you can get. American conscience has spoken loud and clear.
Will Bush government finally listen and start funding embryonic stem cell research or continue to allow fundamentalist religious forces to control national politics and jeopardize people’s life?

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