Jane Maienschein is a professor of history and philosophy of science at Arizona State University in Tempe. She wrote Whose View of Life?: Embryos, Cloning, and Stem Cells (Harvard University Press, 2003).

Lawrence Hinman is philosophy professor emeritus and former co-director of the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology at the University of San Diego. His research focuses on emerging ethical issues in science and technology, including the issues raised by stem cell research.

Josephine Johnston is a research scholar and director of research operations at the Hastings Center in Garrison, N.Y. Her writings include “Judging Octomon” in the Hastings Review and “Reproductive Health: Control and Use of Gametes and Embryos” and “Reproductive Health: Storage and Disposal of Gametes and Embryos” for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (London, UK) […]

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, an organization of physicians, has issued reports and statements by its ethics committee on various beginning-of-life issues.

In February 2009, the Religious Institute published an “Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Assisted Reproductive Technologies,” calling on the nation’s religious leaders to “engage the ethical considerations of assisted reproductive technologies and to become stronger counselors and advocates for the safety, effectiveness and accessibility of these technologies.”

The Religious Institute, a multifaith organization based in Westport, Conn., in September 2009 published “A Time to be Born: A Faith-Based Guide to Assisted Reproductive Technologies.” The guide is descibed as “the first multifaith resource to address the scientific and ethical complexities of reproductive technologies from a religious perspective.”

In November 2009, the Catholic bishops of the United States approved a document called “Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology,” which explains the Catholic Church’s opposition to a range of infertility treatments and addresses certain developments in biotechnology in light of church teaching. Among other things, the document notes that while the church regards frozen embryos […]

Many religion reporters also write about spiritual movements and ethical concerns. What sorts of stories like that should a religion writer do? By Richard Scheinin San Jose Mercury News To write stories about spiritual movements, look for the telltale “signs” of religion-the quest for transcendence we hear so much about these days, the attempt to […]

Dr. Bernard Lo is director of the program in medical ethics and a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco’s School of Medicine. He has written and taught on many topics in bioethics, including research with human beings, AIDS, neuroethics, stem cell policy, pain management and end-of-life care. He wrote Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: A […]