Scientific progress is being held back by nothing more or less than the superstitions of primitive tribes from two millennia and more ago, encoded in today's religious dogma.

I've searched the bible but it says nothing about the status of cells smaller than a pinhead in a Petri dish. We should remember that Jews have said they have no objection to the research, as they have a different view on when life starts to Christianity. As the whole Christian phenomenon is based on a Jewish tradition in the first place, I tend to believe the Jews' interpretation.

All that this Christian scaremongering will do in the longer term is empty the pews faster, and for good reason.

Alistair, Edinburgh, Scotland

Unbelievable! This kind of research has so much to offer and will be an unbelievable benefit to medicine! What I'm trying to say is

THIS WILL SAVE LIVES (PERIOD)

Allan, Heidelberg, Germany

The clear impression I have from reading this article is that this legal action has virtually no chance of success. It is just going to waste valuable court time; and shows the extent to which some anti-science Christian groups will go to put the brakes on progress. I just hope that this Christian group is not wasting taxpayers' money in bringing this action.

Des, Edinburgh,

Hrere we go again with another legal challenge. This Christian Legal Centre will have a large funding base thanks to pro-life, Catholic establishment etc.. Today, we heard another group whose challenge the judge accepted and let thousands of them to stay in the country. Another person wants to challenge a jury verdict because it did not support his fantasies.

Simon, LONDON,

The group claims it exists to defend Christian religious freedom - a fairly worthy goal to most liberals I'd say - yet in this case it seems to be doing something quite different.

David Jones, Loughborough, UK

This is nothing to do with "holding back progress," it is a cogent and legitimate exploration of a complex and difficult ethical question. I am an ATHIEST and I completely support this challenge. The fact that people might benefit from something does not necessarily justify it. People might benefit from doing experiments on severely mentally handicapped children - would that justify it?

Condemning this action on the grounds that it is being initiated by Christians simply shows your own lack of clarity - and a closed mind.

Nick, Rotherham, UK

Why can religon without scientific proof of its own truth be allowed to have any judgement of the advancement of man is beyond logic. They have held humanity back for nearly two thousand years citing that it would break some man made moral code. I pray, scardonically for they day that religon is put in its place as something of the mystics and the soothsayers. Without science we are a collection of protons, neutrons and electrons upon a spot of dust waiting for our existence to be wiped out by some godly catalysmic event (insert meteor strike, massive volcanic disaster, a local supernovae etc). Lets heal the sick and stop the suffering of people as we only get one chance to exist. I don't want to live in a non existent heaven/hell i want to live here and now and no amount of faith has kept anybody alive.

Arron Berry, Bristol, England

Maybe we should just ban all these people who oppose to these researches from any medical treatments that are derived from them?

That will include almost all of the cancer treatments, as well as some advanced HIV ones.

It has been quite an amusing past month to see how ignorant some religious people are. For all we know, if we take in every teaching from the Church, the Sun is still orbiting round the Earth.
What a bunch of jokers.

What one small group of people believe should not prevent others from having life-saving medical cures.

Chris, Cambridge, UK

There are genuine moral arguments to oppose such an experiment. To base it on Christian views is fine, but they can't expect people not to criticise them for just that. People will only ignore the ethical (and necessary) arguments behind the faith!

Heather, Stockton, UK

I think the fact that human embryos are experimented upon at all, let alone human-animal embryos, is absolutely ghastly. Irrespective of what anyone tries to say, an embryo is still a life.

Before anyone says it, I'm not religious but I am allowed my own perspective thank you, and neither am I an old fashioned dinosaur - I'm 21.

Good on the group for challenging the decision.

Louise, London,

Christians trying to hold back progress. Again. All they will do is look stupid when their legal challenge amounts to nothing. Medical science will continue to advance, and billions of people (including Christians) will benefit from it.

What's their alternative? Are they going to say prayers for the sick and hope for miracles? Do they just assume people deserve their suffering as punishment for their sins, or as a "test" from their all-loving, all powerful God?

Mark, The Hague, netherlands

Whether or not the HFEA have the authority to grant licences for such research, who gave the CLC licence to try and halt scientific progress?

Sophie, Liverpool,