1998年研究人員發現能夠從早期人類胚胎中取得胚胎幹細胞，這個發現引發一連串道德和公共政策議題，如今各國際組織、國家、文化與宗教傳統正面對這些問題。這篇論文將深入檢視世界四個區域對於人類胚胎幹細胞研究所採取的政策，再就最近聯合國有關這類研究類型之一的辯論提出報告，並對不同宗教傳統關於這類新型研究所採取的立場作一檢視。在不同層次上，宗教傳統似乎已影響公共政策的辯論。

In 1998, researchers discovered that embryonic stem cells could be derived from early human embryos. This discovery has raised a series of ethical and public-policy questions that are now being confronted by multiple international organizations, nations, cultures, and religious traditions. This essay surveys policies for human embryonic stem cell research in four regions of the world, reports on the recent debate at the United Nations about one type of such research, and reviews the positions that various religious traditions have adopted regarding this novel type of research. In several instances the religious traditions seem to have influenced the public-policy debates.