Human Cloning will be here soon
From the AP
Stepping into a research area marked by controversy and fraud, Harvard University scientists said Tuesday they are trying to clone human embryos to create stem cells they hope can be used one day to help conquer a host of diseases.“We are convinced that work with embryonic stem cells holds enormous promise,” said Harvard provost Dr. Steven Hyman.
If you’ve been reading me for a while you might have gleaned that my politics is pretty Blue State. This is one of those issues where they become more Red State. Let’s understand what is happening. An embryo, is produced for the sole purpose of harvesting stem cells, a process that destroys it. Before you resign me to the wingnut corner yet. I don’t believe that an embryo is a person, any more than an acorn is an oak tree, but it could be. Or I should say that it will be if allowed to be. And exactly when an acorn becomes a tree is just as fuzzy as the point in time when an embryo becomes a person. So fuzzy that I choose to ere on the side of caution.
And don’t forget that improving cloning of this type also advances the science of Reproductive Cloning, which is universally thought to be a bad idea. In fact once an embryo is produced what is left to do accept to put it in a womb? And if you don’t think that once the procedure has perfected that some Crack Pot won’t try put one in a woman I got a bridge to sell you. Lets face it we are not just standing on a cliff here, we are on the event horizon of a black hole, once we step forward there will be no turning back. Human kind does NOT have the will to not exploit this technology to produce life.
In ‘98 there was a show on the SciFi Channel called “Welcome to Paradox.” It only aired for one season but it was great show. It was an anthology of SciFi stories that all took place in the futuristic city of Betaville. Anyway one episode called “The Extra” envisioned a world where people could have clones of themselves for slave labor, and donors of body parts. As long as you had “extras” you could live forever. That reality is far removed from what we are talking about today, but not out of the realm possibility. Not even out of the realm of probability. After all, anything we can imagine we will do. Or at least try. That is just the way we are. And Then what? What will do once we have created life?
The link of above points you to Genesis 11:6. But verses 1-9 are all really worth considering. It tells the story of the Tower of Babel. Here Man had decided to build a Tower to reach in to the Heavens. And they would spread across the Earth to “Make A Name for themselves.” Man was not just creating a tower. They were starting an empire. The men building this Tower wished to control the world. God looking down asked himself, “what next? These guys are liable to do ANYTHING.” SO he put a stop to it.
Before we continue this action, we need to ask ourselves, “what next?” We need to be honest with ourselves. IS the progress of Science and Medicine worth it if it brings civilization one step closer to Betaville?
