Some people are against the continuing progress of genetic engineering because there’s almost no information of the long term consequences. Due to the fact that the processes used are relatively new there is no way of telling if they will have any significant repercussions, for example, on any patient’s children or children’s children.
Most people, who have hesitations about genetic engineering, including Christians and Muslims, are worried about the development and manufacture of a ‘perfect person’. Many believe that God created each person individually and therefore humans should not interfere with God’s work. This could be classed as ‘playing God’; in Islam this is known as ‘shirk’ and is a great sin. It is also believed that God doesn’t plan on any person being perfect and each person is designed with his or her own imperfections. As well as, some Christians and Muslims believe that life starts at conception and therefore embryo research is the same as an abortion. Non- religious people, also have problems with the manufacture of a perfect person because it puts too much power in the hands of scientists as well as being irreversible.
Almost everyone against genetic research is worried about how it may effect our way of life in the future. Some Genetic researchers are already offering the chances to design your baby, for example choosing hair and eye colour, sex etc. They’re concerned that genetic engineering may take over the natural way of producing children. Cardinal Basil Hume in The Independent voiced this opinion on 15.3.97. “I do fear for the future however, if the language of bodily human love is gradually replaced by and artificial process, if procreation becomes production and if the individual human being becomes valued as a produce to be ordered rather than a gift to be received.”
On the other hand, many people are for genetic engineering as it offers the prospect of cures for horrible diseases and that it is stupid to have the opportunity to relieve this suffering and not take it. As said by Labour MP, Anne Begg in December 2000, it is “Arrogant to deny sufferers of chronic diseases the chance of a cure.” Genetic research is also closely monitored by law and therefore there is little room for mistreatment.
Some Christians, particularly Protestants and some Muslims are in favour of genetic engineering as long as it is for the cure or prevention of disease and not to create ‘perfect humans’. Most Jews are also for genetic engineering as long as it follows government guidelines. They believe this because there are teachings in the Bible, the Qur’an and hadith as well as the Tenakh and Talmud that teach that followers should do all they can to cure disease. They also believe that there is a difference between creating people and creating cells. They are against creating people by science because it is meddling with God’s role in creation, creating cells, however, to help cure disease and improve human life is working with God.
Many of these people except that embryos aren’t regarded as human life until they’re 14 days old (the time limit set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) and therefore before this it is not considered a form of abortion.
In conclusion, the above statement and especially what it represents in conjunction with genetic engineering is much debated in both religious and non- religious circles.
Many agree and are against genetic engineering due to the problems that may arise from it and the unnatural nature of it. However many disagree and are for genetic engineering because of the huge benefits and general improvement to human life.
Religions, such as Christianity and Islam, are divided on this subject. With some groups agreeing with the statement believing that changing a genetic makeup is meddling in God’s work and with others disagreeing because the Qur’an and the Bible both say that you should do as much as possible to end suffering. Also they believe that they are working with God to improve human life and that the knowledge to do so is a gift from God. However they all seem t agree that in the area that cloning and creating a ‘perfect person’ is wrong because it interferes in God’s role of creation.
In my opinion, to some extent I agree with the statement in the area of creating a ‘perfect person’ and cloning people as I think that some things should be left to nature or God. As well as I don’t like the idea, that in the future, humans may be created in a non-personal almost ‘farming way’. However I disagree with the statement to the extent that I think everything possible should be done to help cure or prevent diseases.
