Events

Is the Embryo Sacrosanct? Multi-Faith Perspectives

Progress Educational Trust
Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank Street, London E14 5JJ, UK
19 November 2008 -

The 2008 annual conference of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), supported by the Medical Research Council and Clifford Chance.

Representatives of different faiths frequently intervene in debates around fertility and assisted reproduction, with religious perspectives cited both in support of and in opposition to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. 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 focused upon the impact of new fertility legislation on individuals of different faiths, and examined and contrasted the attitudes of different faiths towards assisted reproduction. The starting point for discussion was 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 were examined in relation to two specific areas - preimplantation genetic diagnosis and sperm and egg donation.

The conference was discussed on the website of the Guardian newspaper by Andrew Brown and Jackie Leach Scully.

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Session 1

Is the Embryo Sacrosanct?

Speakers

• Anil Bhanot
  Cofounder and General Secretary of the Hindu Council UK and Chair of the Council of Ethnic and Minority Voluntary Organisations

• Ivan Binstock
  Dayan of the United Synagogue's London Beth Din and Rabbi at St John's Wood Synagogue

• John Harris
  Lord David Alliance Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester

• David Jones
  Professor of Bioethics and Director of the Centre for Bioethics and Emerging Technologies at St Mary's University College

• Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield
  Bishop Suffragan of Swindon in the Diocese of Bristol and Member of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee at the UK Government's Department of Health

• Mufti Muhammed Zubair Butt
  Chair of the Al Qalam Shariah Scholar Panel and Senior Adviser on Islamic law at the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence in Bradford

Chair

• Baroness Haleh Afshar
  Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords, and Professor of Politics and Women's Studies at the University of York

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Session 2

Faith in Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

Speakers

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

• Peter Harvey
  Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Sunderland and Cofounder of the UK Association for Buddhist Studies

• Yakoub Khalaf
  Director and Person Responsible of Guy's Hospital's Assisted Conception Unit

Chair

• Dr Alan Thornhill
  Adviser to PET and Member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

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Session 3

Gamete Donation and Doctrine

Speakers

• Anil Bhanot
  Cofounder and General Secretary of the Hindu Council UK and Chair of the Council of Ethnic and Minority Voluntary Organisations

• Dr Jagbir Jhutti-Johal
  Lecturer in Sikh Studies at the University of Birmingham's School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion

• Stuart Lavery
  Adviser to PET and Director and Person Responsible of IVF Hammersmith

• Mufti Muhammed Zubair Butt
  Chair of the Al Qalam Shariah Scholar Panel and Senior Adviser on Islamic law at the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence in Bradford

Chair

• Dr Jonathan Romain
  Chair of the Accord Coalition and Rabbi at Maidenhead Synagogue

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