Bio-Luddites

[A_Wanderer]

Far from there being a "right" to enhance oneself and one's progeny, some institutions and activists currently aim to outlaw various biotech interventions. For example, the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine prohibits the introduction of "any modification in the genome of any descendants." While it does not have the force of law, UNESCO's Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights urges nations to ban "practices which are contrary to human dignity" and specifically points to reproductive cloning. Bioethicist George Annas wants to go further and have the United Nations adopt a a Convention of the Preservation of the Human Species that would make efforts to enhance human beings by making heritable changes in people's genomes a crime against humanity.

link

 

[4U2Play]

Ridiculous.

I never understood the arguments against cloning, religious ones or otherwise.

"GOD" gave us this gift of knowledge, but now we can't use it?

Someone please explain why cloning is "unethical" (and please do not use the words 'human dignity' -- too meaningless).

 

[anitram]

We play God all the time, in various ways.

When you keep a person alive on a ventilator, you are playing God. Without your extreme intervention, the person would have met their natural end.

Similarly, if you clone a human liver in a laboratory to save a life - why is that unethical?

 

[BVS]

We play God all the time, in various ways.

When you keep a person alive on a ventilator, you are playing God. Without your extreme intervention, the person would have met their natural end.

Similarly, if you clone a human liver in a laboratory to save a life - why is that unethical?

 

[4U2Play]

We play God all the time, in various ways.
When you keep a person alive on a ventilator, you are playing God. Without your extreme intervention, the person would have met their natural end.Similarly, if you clone a human liver in a laboratory to save a life - why is that unethical?

Exactly.

I have a Living Will, which tells doctors to turn off the machines if I am beyond hope (which might be the case presently, as my enemies will attest).

This is playing "GOD", too, isn't it?

Someone here who is against cloning, please show us the biblical passage that expressly forbids such potentially wonderful science.

 

[randhail]

Do you clone an entire human to essentially use as spare parts? Wouldn't this person have a conscience and the ability to say that his or her organs shouldn't be taken? Are clones given equal rights as other humans?

If you want to clone a liver or a specific organ fine, but don't clone a whole damn person.

Of course extending people's lives using cloning, etc would further contribute to overpopulation and stress on resources, but that's a whole other can of worms.

 

[4U2Play]

Do you clone an entire human to essentially use as spare parts? Wouldn't this person have a conscience and the ability to say that his or her organs shouldn't be taken? Are clones given equal rights as other humans?If you want to clone a liver or a specific organ fine, but don't clone a whole damn person.
Of course extending people's lives using cloning, etc would further contribute to overpopulation and stress on resources, but that's a whole other can of worms.

Yes, I want to clone someone to use for spare parts, yes of course. I am evil, you are good.

Your other, more serious point about overpopulation is a good one. However, I don't think the number of people who will be able to afford cloned body parts will be such that it stresses our resources in any significant way.