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PET Events

Is the Embryo Sacrosanct? Multi-Faith Perspectives

Supported by the Medical Research Council and Clifford Chance

9.30am-5pm, Wednesday 19 November 2008

Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank St, London, E14 5JJ (map)

Representatives of different faiths frequently intervene in debates around fertility and assisted reproduction, with religious perspectives cited in recent months both in support of and in opposition to the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill. But religious attitudes towards the human embryo are not always well understood, and can be counterintuitive. This is particularly true when views of the embryo differ not only between the world's major religions, but also according to different denominations and traditions within each religion.

This conference will focus on the impact of new fertility legislation on individuals of different faiths, and will examine and contrast the attitudes of different faiths towards assisted reproduction. The starting point for discussion will be the question of whether the embryo is sacrosanct - that is, whether and in what circumstances the embryo is considered sacred, inviolable or in any way protected by religious sanction. Implications for practice will be examined in relation to two specific areas - preimplantation genetic diagnosis and sperm and egg donation.

Speakers include:

Sheila Briggs (Board Member of Catholics for Choice, and Associate Professor of Religion and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California)

Lee Rayfield (Anglican Bishop of Swindon, and member of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee of the UK Department of Health)

Mufti Muhammed Zubair Butt (Senior Adviser on Islamic law at the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence, and Chair of the Al Qalam Shariah Scholar Panel)

Followed by questions from the floor

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