Human Cloning

[s2a]

Hello Ceridwen018,

You said:

(after I inquired)
"In other words, how does pre-selection for desirable genetic traits differ from remedy/treatment for undesirable/harmful genetic traits?"

It doesn't differ at all, excepting of course that one is life-changing and the other frivolous.

Hmmm. Frivolity may be indeed in the eye of the circumspectly beheld.

Countless sociological (albeit primarily anecdotal) studies consistently suggest that persons: of lighter skin tone; above average height; being fit/trim (ie, not obese); comparatively regarded as beautiful/handsome; confidently articulate, etc. - tend to enjoy favorable/preferential bias in professional situations...and heightened social acceptance ("popularity") over their "trait-challenged" peers. (Ironically, overt intelligence seems to offer little advantage or disadvantage in otherwise equal scenarios - yet, it's a trait that many would wish most for their offspring - go figure).

I'd be the first to agree that "content of character" is more important than "color of skin" (or eyes, or hair), but reality (as borne by evinced "human nature") suggests that being tall, "good-looking", and "well-proportioned", does provide advantages from the "get-go" over those regarded as "plain" (or worse). Is this fair? Probably not. Is it mere frivolity? Perhaps, but it's difficult to argue that one's offspring's potential future would be worsened by such arguably "beneficial" genetic traits.

That's not to say that we should have nothing to do with genetic manipulation, only that we should tread slowly and carefully.

Agreed.

Heh, heh--as an ex-Catholic myself, I can vouch for that.

AAAAHHHH! Run away! An ex-Catholic is here!

Thank you for the link though, it seems like a very interesting read!

It interested me. Hint: the appellate ruling was kind of a "lose-lose" proposition.

 

[wild20]

Here is what I see wrong with human cloning:

1. God created us all as an individual. Cloning makes it so you can choose the best and healthiest people and clone them. Scientists have also been working on" super humans", that is, taking strong healthy humans and cloning better ones. They think they can do it. Once they can, we are all no longer as good as the new ones. I know it sounds weird, and it is wrong.

2. God does the creating, not us. If we do it, we actually assume the role of God. Of course, it won't work and in the end, it could end in disaster. You don't mess around with God's role. It is not right.

3. Lets just say we do do this, we make it so we can clone and decide that it would be a good was to clone humans for experiments. Think about it. Easy to create, easy to dispose of. Then you get consroversial.

The possiblities are endless and cloning could be used as an evil purpose. May I also ask, what purpose does it serve?

 

[Ceridwen018]

1. God created us all as an individual. Cloning makes it so you can choose the best and healthiest people and clone them. Scientists have also been working on" super humans", that is, taking strong healthy humans and cloning better ones. They think they can do it. Once they can, we are all no longer as good as the new ones. I know it sounds weird, and it is wrong.

Hmmm...actually, to the best of my knowlege, unnatural human cloning has never been successfully attempted, be it for the military's super-human warriors or otherwise. I do agree to a certain extent, however, that such a thing would be a problem should human cloning ever be mastered. However, you must keep in mind that cloning does not add any traits. Scientists cannot create clones that shoot lasers out of their eyes, or any other sort of freakish, sci-fi idea. Therefore, the clone can only be as "good" as the person the DNA came from. For scientists to clone a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic woman, their product would be no different than if that woman were to reproduce with an equally intelligent, athletic and handsome male. Both babies in each situation would most likely have traits to be beautiful, athletic, and intelligent.

As far as god creating everyone to be an individual, that would not be a problem. The mind is not cloned, only the physical traits. Natural cloning has been occuring ever since humans have been reproducing, in the form of identical twins. Obviously, identical twins are often interested in very different activities, etc.

2. God does the creating, not us. If we do it, we actually assume the role of God. Of course, it won't work and in the end, it could end in disaster. You don't mess around with God's role. It is not right.

Cloning something is not "playing god" any more than natural conception is.

3. Lets just say we do do this, we make it so we can clone and decide that it would be a good was to clone humans for experiments. Think about it. Easy to create, easy to dispose of. Then you get consroversial.

Not exactly. A cloned human is still a complete human, (like I mentioned earlier, identical twins are cloned humans). Therefore, these humans would have all the same rights as "regular" humans born through natural selection. To clone humans simply as tools for experiement and to harvest their organs is out of the question.

The possiblities are endless and cloning could be used as an evil purpose. May I also ask, what purpose does it serve?

I agree---I cannot think of a particularly good purpose that it would serve. However, I do not at all understand how it would be evil.

 

[michel]

Ceridwen, I am sorry if I have previously misunderstood; I thought the reason for human cloning was to harvest organs; or at the very least to harvest stem cells at birth, which might be used at a later time.


From what you say in your last post I seem to be wrong. If that is the case what is the purpose of cloning ? - other than just to 'produce ' another human being ?

 

[s2a]

If that is the case what is the purpose of cloning ? - other than just to 'produce ' another human being ?

One might ask the very same question of "natural" or artificially aided (IVF) conception. ;-)