Media acknowledges “artificial life.” Why not unborn life?

Yesterday, scientists announced the creation of artificial life. The microscopic organism, dubbed “Synthia” (below), was developed by transplanting syntheic DNA into a host cell.

The emerging technology quickly generated ethical concerns, mostly from environmental groups who oppose it for much the same reasons they oppose genetically modified crops. We aren’t anywhere close to being able to create humans through synthetic biology; if it ever gets to that point, it’s safe to assume that the burden of protecting their rights will fall on pro-lifers.

I want to talk about the impact this story has on current life issues. Virtually all mainstream media outlets covered this story, and most had no problem calling this “life.” And scientifically speaking, it is. So why do these same outlets have such a hard time acknowledging human life in the womb? With this story, they have shown that they understand the scientific criteria for life. Now, they need the courage to apply them even when doing so is politically unpopular.