How Does Technology Affect Religion
Americans are wary of technologies that aim to edit genes to make babies less vulnerable to diseases, implant brain chips to sharpen minds, and develop synthetic blood to increase physical strength, according to a new Pew Research.
The survey, conducted on about 4,700 US adults, found that Americans in general perceive scientific innovation as helpful to society, but are more worried than happy about the prospect of technology-enabled "human enhancement."
About 68 percent of Americans are worried more than being "excited" about gene editing, some 69 percent are against brain chip implantation, and 63 percent are opposed synthetic blood transfusion for increasing strength.
Religious people were more concerned about attempts to make human beings "better." Those people who attended church frequently were most likely to disapprove of the three major areas of technology seeking to modulate the constitution of man: gene editing, brain chip …show more content…
And 5 in 10 Americans with medium level of religious commitment hold the same view. However, Americans who are least religious were more likely to accept these technologies as appropriate. Only 36 percent of the people with low-commitment to religion objected to brain chip implant for improvement of cognitive abilities and use of synthetic blood to improve physical strength, and 28 percent of them opposed editing genes to create babies free of diseases.
Among Christians, opinion on gene editing varied by denomination. White evangelical Protestants (65 percent) were most against the idea of having the genes of their baby edited to reduce risk of diseases. Only 49 percent of white mainline Protestants and 54 percent black Protestants opposed gene editing.
About 48 percent of White Catholics and 49 percent of Hispanic Catholics sided with gene editing of
The survey, conducted on about 4,700 US adults, found that Americans in general perceive scientific innovation as helpful to society, but are more worried than happy about the prospect of technology-enabled "human enhancement."
About 68 percent of Americans are worried more than being "excited" about gene editing, some 69 percent are against brain chip implantation, and 63 percent are opposed synthetic blood transfusion for increasing strength.
Religious people were more concerned about attempts to make human beings "better." Those people who attended church frequently were most likely to disapprove of the three major areas of technology seeking to modulate the constitution of man: gene editing, brain chip …show more content…
And 5 in 10 Americans with medium level of religious commitment hold the same view. However, Americans who are least religious were more likely to accept these technologies as appropriate. Only 36 percent of the people with low-commitment to religion objected to brain chip implant for improvement of cognitive abilities and use of synthetic blood to improve physical strength, and 28 percent of them opposed editing genes to create babies free of diseases.
Among Christians, opinion on gene editing varied by denomination. White evangelical Protestants (65 percent) were most against the idea of having the genes of their baby edited to reduce risk of diseases. Only 49 percent of white mainline Protestants and 54 percent black Protestants opposed gene editing.
About 48 percent of White Catholics and 49 percent of Hispanic Catholics sided with gene editing of