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ReligiousTolerance.org offers great resources on the ethical aspects of human cloning and stem cell research.

See the transcript of President Bush's Aug. 9 speech on embryo stem cell funding (video). He took a middle ground position by offering federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research—but only where the "life and death decision has already been made."

A CNN-USA Today-Gallup found that 60 percent of Americans approved of the president's decision.

As part of the decision, Bush created a president's council of leading scientists, doctors, ethicists, lawyers, and theologians. Dr. Leon Kass, a biomedical ethicist from the University of Chicago, will lead the council.

The New York Times , the BBC, and Reuters found that Bush's decision seemed to fall right in the middle of the debate with advocates on both sides finding something to like and hate. Weblog found that to be true in its own opinion roundup of the story.

Opinion pages had ready-made fodder for a while after the decision. A few of the editorials on Bush's decision included those by: Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, Orlando Sentinel, The Christian Science Monitor, San Diego Union-Tribune, USA Today, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Washington Post.

Not a week after the decision, Reuters reported on progress in the study of adult stem cells.

The National Insitutes of Health offers a Primer on Stem Cells.

The stem -cell debate has re-ignited questions over the exact moment when life begins.

For more on the stem-cell debate, see CNN's In-Depth Special and Yahoo Full Coverage.

The House passed a bill in July banning human cloning.

Not long after, a team of scientists stirred everything up by saying they would do it anyway. Three scientists addressed a National Academies of Science conference on Aug. 7 and reveled their plans to possibly clone humans by the end of the year.

For explanations on how cloning is accomplished, see Conceiving a Clone, Science Matters, and How Cloning Works.

For news articles and opinion pieces on the cloning debate, see Yahoo's Full Coverage.

In 1997, Christianity Today's sister publication Christian Reader took a "High Dive into the Gene Pool."

David Gushee's previous articles for Christianity Today include:

Forgive and Remember | A year after the Clinton impeachment, can we get some perspective? (Jan. 10, 2000)

How Immortality Almost Killed Me | My quest for immortality and lasting significance reflects the fact that God has put eternity in the human heart. (March 3, 1997)

The Speck in Mickey's Eye | We live in a wildly pluralistic society (Aug. 11, 1997)

Previous Christianity Today coverage of bioethics includes:

Two Cheers | President Bush's stem-cell decision is better than the fatal cure many sought. (August 10, 2001)

House Backs Human Cloning Ban | Scientists say they'll go ahead anyway. (August 27, 2001)

Embryos Split Prolifers | Bush decision pleases some, keeps door open for disputed research. (August 27, 2001)

House of Lords Legalizes Human Embryo Cloning | Religious leaders' protests go unheeded by lawmakers. (Feb. 2, 2001)

Britain Debates Cloning of Human Embryos | Scientists want steady stream of stem cells for "therapeutic" purposes. (Nov. 22, 2000)

Tissue of Lies? | Latest stem-cell research shows no urgent need to destroy human embryos for the cause of science. (Sept. 28, 2000)

Beyond the Impasse to What? | Stem-cell research may not need human embryos after all. But why are we researching in the first place? (Aug. 18, 2000)

Thus Spoke Superman | Troubling language frames the stem-cell debate. (June 13, 2000)

New Stem-Cell Research Guidelines Criticized | NIH guidelines skirt ethical issues about embryo destruction, charge bioethicists. (Feb. 7, 2000)

Human Embryo Research Resisted (August 9, 1999)

Editorial: The Biotech Temptation (July 12, 1999)

Embryo Research Contested (May 24, 1999)

Stop Cloning Around (April 27, 1997)

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October 1 2001, Vol. 45, No. 12