human genome project

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Catholic : One Thread

What are your views on the Human Genome Project

-- meg (bunyip_llamface@hotmail.com), June 09, 2003

Answers

[Just so that this is does not become solely a scientific discussion at a religious forum, I think I should extend the question's wording ...]

What are your views on the Human Genome Project -- i.e., insofar as it bears on the Catholic faith?

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 09, 2003.


The project itself has no direct bearing on the Catholic faith. It is a scientific study aimed at revealing important scientific information. However, once that information is available, it can be used in a great many ways, some of which will no doubt benefit mankind greatly, but some of which may very well be directly contrary to God's will. Nuclear fission is an obvious example of this. Before its discovery less than 80 years ago, it was a non-issue. But within a few years of its discovery, we had powerful new weapons against cancer and other diseases - and also powerful new weapons that could instantaneously wipe a major city off the face of the earth. The information gained through the basic research, like the information gained through the genome project, is morally neutral. However, its applications may be either good or evil. Anything God has given us can be abused.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), June 09, 2003.

Jmj

I had to smile, Paul, when I read your first words:
"The project itself has no direct bearing on the Catholic faith."

The reason for my smile is that, yesterday -- i.e., before I posted that message above -- I was listening to Dr. Bernard Nathanson and a orthodox Catholic priest who is an expert bioethicist (trained in medicine and genetics) talking [on tape, at a pro-life conference] about the ways in which the human genome project will affect our lives as Catholics (and people in general).

I was glad to see how you ended your post, though. It was the beginning of the kind of thing I was trying to draw out by channeling the conversation toward Catholicism (specifically, Catholic morality). You wrote:
"The information gained through the basic research, like the information gained through the genome project, is morally neutral. However, its applications may be either good or evil. Anything God has given us can be abused."

The time is here for legislatures to get busy to outlaw the many genome-related abuses (even atrocities) that can be foreseen.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 09, 2003.


My belief is that more good will come out of the genome project than harm.

My glass is half-full.

God GAVE humans the capacity to learn.

God Bless,

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), June 10, 2003.


i think there is one question that begs to be asked...

if creating a clone is wrong, morally, then God may choose not to endow the clone with a soul and as such we could not clone a live human... thus, if the clone lives then would God have given said clone a soul?

also, are there lines where cloning COULD be acceptable, such as fusing the genes of two infertile parents such that a feasable offspring could be generated (ie-- not a direct clone, but a child with the same genetic variation as a possible offspring?)

-- paul (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), June 10, 2003.



are there lines where cloning COULD be acceptable

I doubt it, paul. It's still separating the unitive & procreative aspects of -uh- human reproduction. I think the Church has forbidden all of this stuff, which leads to 'surplus' embryos, superhigh mortality rates of the newly created humans, and the whole philosophy of human-life-as-commodity (eugenics and abortion are part of this).

Babies are a gift- even though it can be tough, sometimes people need to accept the fact that they will never have a natural child.

-- Catherine Ann (catfishbird@yahoo.ca), June 10, 2003.


paul -

A human being, by definition, has a soul - or to be more precise, IS body and soul. The offspring of human beings are human beings, regardless of any technological intervention involved in their production.

As for the alternate technology you described, it is already in widespread use. It is called in vitro fertilization, and while it is entirely distinct from cloning, it is completely inacceptable morally on other grounds.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), June 10, 2003.


okay, so i knew more or less where both questions were going to go... first, i concede the point that since in vitro fertilization is inherently wrong that the fusion of genes to create a child could be wrong on the same grounds HOWEVER... my first question was a bit of a bait: A human being, by definition, has a soul - or to be more precise, IS body and soul. The offspring of human beings are human beings, regardless of any technological intervention involved in their production. so if a human being is body and soul, and we know that humans cannot create a soul, then we must acknowledge that the soul of a cloned person would come from God. (im playing devils advocate here just to see if i can draw out some heavy philosophical debate) so since God would have to infuse the clone with a soul would that constitute participation on the part of God? (dont answer yet) first some things to consider... without a soul nothing can live, therefore a clone would have to have a human soul, an animal soul, or no soul(would not work). in any case God would be participant in the creation of the functioning clone.
this is different from other sins, for example, fornication. when one fornicates God does not participate. God does not help to cause the action, God merely lets it happen. in the case of cloning, however, God would have to let the cloning happen... im going to finish there and let people chew that one up.

-- paul (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), June 10, 2003.

The creation of a human being is always a combination of action by God and action by human parents. God always does His part - the infusion of a soul - perfectly. He has given human beings definite guidelines as to how they are to accomplish - and not accomplish - their part. It is the deviation by human beings from those divine directives which constitute sin. It is not the existence of the child, in which God graciously participates, which constitutes the sin. It is the manner in which the human agents pervert their part of the process which constitutes the sin. God does not participate in that aspect. It is human behavior, and the human beings who break with His holy will are completely responsible. God infuses immortal souls into human beings who are the result of fornication, adultery, incest, rape, in vitro fertilization, and any number of other perversions of His will. Why would He treat innocent cloned babies any differently in that regard?

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), June 11, 2003.

no fair paul,

you always kill my guided discussions before it becomes a debate. a perfect answer though, as always.

best wishes and God bless.

-- paul (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), June 11, 2003.



Hello, John P. You wrote:
"My belief is that more good will come out of the genome project than harm. My glass is half-full."

Maybe you should say -- as I do -- "My hope" or "My trust," rather than "My belief." In order to say, "My belief," we would have to know all the possible outcomes and then be able to weigh the possibilities that each may come to pass.

I didn't mean to say that I was pessimistic. I only wanted to give a word of warning and prayer that legislatures will take action. The potential "negatives" (misuses of the genome info) are horrendous. (I don't know if you have seen a list of them.) The potential "positives" (good uses of the genome info) are limited in number -- but they are very positive indeed, especially in the areas of curing illnesses and "defects," and getting early warning signs of potential problems.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@Hotmail.com), June 11, 2003.


as a MSC biotech from india..i went through all hgp site .iam in favour of human genome project ..it is beneficial to human in different way..human cloning will effect the evolotion.but itis good for studing genetic disorder,genetheraphy,DNA sequencing..with the help of this technology we can over come or we can cure many disease:genetic as wellas genetic diseases.with the help of proteomic and genomic studing we can improve the drug and many bio product ..i want to know cloning will lead to ageing of cloned ..we are taking nucleus from donor whether that clone also can have short life span.also how environment influence gene..how much it can influence ..i am studing for bioinformatics only to move further on this topic human genome project,...my answer r premature bcoz iam inthe first step only..any way proceed with HGP and CLONING it will improve and help fullfor all human being..by the time come everybody will accept this.alsoihave query to know about the pharmgenomic so deeply

-- thushara (thusharavaisakhi@sify.com), January 13, 2004.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ