religion has always been a tool to control people. from its beginning to now.
you cant assume that stopped just because we live in modern times.
stem cells are being stuff on by religious nuts pretty hard right now. and there is nothing more helpful to our future then that would be.
But as soon as the struggling scientists start curing all sorts of things, our holy friends will start saying god allowed us, though stem cells, and take all the credit again to attempt to play the silly faithful.
I never said it stopped. But you did confirm my point, it is a means to control the masses. As to what effect one wishes to take it, is up to man, not the god or the religion itself. What people choose to do in the name of religion is also not the religion's fault. From what I read in most religions around the world, it all is simply a guideline on how to behave and to act in accordance to prolonging peaceful coexistence with everyone else. It's Humanity that decided to interpret the concept of going to hell for having a choice in your belief. It was also humanity who decided that death was a feasible punishment for a difference in belief.
As for the stem cells, I say go for it. I don't know why most religious people think it's a horrible thing. So a soul is put onto Earth to prematurely be sent back to heaven. That soul committed no wrong, just was placed in the wrong body. It doesn't mean it is forever barred from Earth. I think that a God who already knows everything that is to happen would know better than to be so petty to not just simply put them into a new body and let them actually live a life, if that's his plan. No one can say for sure, but to deny medical advancements in a false front of religion is not what I believe God is about, otherwise he would have blown us to brimstone the first time a kid was unnaturally aborted.
I may be faithful, but I also realize that if God really didn't want Humanity to do something, he would have made sure we wouldn't be able to figure it out in the first place. So I can see and agree with your views.
