Cloning: Is it the Right Answer?
Cloning... we've all heard of it, and we've all heard of the wondrous things it can achieve. However, most every religion opposes cloning of animals and/or human cells. Despite that, many scientists keep pushing for stem cell research, and touting the idea that cloning is the answer to all of our problems. Below is the official opinion of the Roman Catholic church, and what their view of cloning is.
Cloning: A Catholic's point of view
The Roman Catholic church believes that Man was created to be a steward of the earth, and preserve what nature has created. Catholics fear that cloning would "jeopardize the unique and personal identity of he clone as well as the person whose genome was thus duplicated." Cloning could be bad for children because scientists might begin viewing them as objects of manipulation.
The Catholic church is worried that cloning could tempt humans to violate the sanctity of life. Clones might be viewed as less than equals, and therefore could be sacrificed by their creators, perhaps to provide organs for transplant.
The church argues that just ends do not justify immoral means. The possibility that cloning would help sterile couples conceive long-awaited babies, or cure those with fatal diseases does not justify using immoral technology.
Bibliography
1.) Religious Tolerance.org. "Human Cloning" Ethical aspects of human cloning. http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_reac.htm ( 24 October 2001)
2.) University of Iowa. "Embryo Cloning" Genetics. http://www.uiowa.edu/~fyi/oldfyi/issues97-98/042399web/clone_042399.html-3k
3.) Human Committee on Science, engineering, and cloning public policy. "Ethical concerns" Ethical Concerns. http://europa.eu.int/comm./european_group_ethics/gaieb/en/opinion9.pdf
4.) Yahoo. "Ethical Aspects of Human cloning" Ethical Aspects of Human Cloning. http://www.yahoo.com/science/biology/genetics/cloning/human_cloning-8k
CNN Poll
What do you think of cloning?
93%-cloning humans is a bad idea
69%-scared of possibility of cloning humans
74%-cloning humans is disobeying God
66%-cloning animals is a bad idea
19%-cloning humans is acceptable
Ethical concerns
Opponents of cloning argue that cloned children will have no sense of individuality, and that their future is constrained by their gene donor. For example, if the gene donor was a famous baseball player, the child might be expected to excel in that sport.
Supporters of cloning argue that a twin is essentially a clone and that most twins feel a definite sense of individuality. Cloning could offer infertile couples a way to conceive a child. Opponents point to the large number of foster children and orphaned infants that wait for loving families. Cloning encourages parents to value children based on their expectations and abilities, rather than loving them for their own sake.