The Ethics Of Genetic Engineering
The Essay
Imagine the ability to be able to choose the gender of a child before its born, its hair color, or traits. This can be done through genetic engineering, which is, according to google,”The deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material.” This seems amazing, absolutely amazing, but is it ethical?
Genetic engineering is not acceptable with the Christian faith. In the Holy Bible it says in 1 Corinthians 15:38-39 that, “God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.” When it says “God gives it a body as he has chosen,” it is …show more content…
saying that we are born the way we are supposed to be. So genetic engineering is clearly a violation of the bible, or in other words isn't ethical.
Genetic engineering with Jews depends on the situation at hand. A quote from Jerusalem center for public affairs, says that,”Jewish law (halakhah) places supreme importance on pikuakh nefesh -- the preservation of human life -- which overrides all other commandments in the Torah except for murder, idolatry, or adultery.” It also tells us, “The utilization of genetic engineering on humans in order to save or prolong human life is certainly permitted and may be required as long as the likely effectiveness of the procedure would justify the risks involved”. The site also says that, “Examples of this include procedures to remove, repair, or deactivate genetic defects; and procedures to increase resistance to disease or other stress”. Jehovah witnesses refuse genetic engineering.
From the Site “Who Is to Blame—You or Your Genes?,The Watchtower (2002)”, it talks about how jehovah witnesses refuse genetic engineering written by their leaders. In a quote, it says that “ Trying to pin the entire blame for our misconduct on our genes simply does not work. Rather than helping us to solve or overcome our problems, notes Psychology Today, doing so “may be teaching us a helplessness that is at the root of many of our problems. Instead of reducing the incidence of these problems, this seems to have fueled their growth”. So what this is saying is that instead of finding the genes that cause greed and hate, then taking them away from us, we should keep them because that wouldn't be right, and it would be impossible to sin. If there is no sin, there is no right, so we would just go through our days, hardly thinking, just doing what we are set to do.
One of the arguments for genetic engineering from businessinsider.com says,“One of the most tantalizing reasons for using CRISPR to edit human embryos is the potential to prevent devastating genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis or Huntington's disease”. While Huntington's disease and cystic fibrosis can be fatal, they can be treated, and if these diseases don't pick off the weak, life will only get harder and harder like providing food and
meds. The other arguement, also from businessinsider.com says that,”beyond preventing diseases, the ability to edit embryos opens up an exciting new means for understanding our basic biology”. While this could be valuable information, it will come at a cost of what may be dead embryos, or children with edited genes that only the rich will be able to afford leaving the poor and the ethical in the dust.
This seems amazing, absolutely amazing, but is it ethical. If the public, the scientist, the politicians decide to push away ethnicity, than I fear other things will be done that are far worse than this, almost like a staircase of disaster, after one step you can only go one way. Soon there will be two classes of people, the genetically engineered, rich, and unethical population, and the natural, poor, and ethical population. Within years the Genetically Engineered population will turn their backs to the naturals, and the naturals will go on, either envious, or full of hate. This will go on until maybe the GE (Genetically Engineered) Enslave the naturals, resulting in a segregation. Until all of the N (naturals) decide to give in to the pressure and genetically engineer their offspring. Or will result in a civil war full of pointless fighting and death where the GE may make terrible beasts and hybrids, and the N will only have their nothing until one of the two are dead resulting in no, or no GE Humans.
Imagine the ability to be able to choose the gender of a child before its born, its hair color, or traits. This can be done through genetic engineering, which is, according to google,”The deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material.” This seems amazing, absolutely amazing, but is it ethical?
Genetic engineering is not acceptable with the Christian faith. In the Holy Bible it says in 1 Corinthians 15:38-39 that, “God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.” When it says “God gives it a body as he has chosen,” it is …show more content…
saying that we are born the way we are supposed to be. So genetic engineering is clearly a violation of the bible, or in other words isn't ethical.
Genetic engineering with Jews depends on the situation at hand. A quote from Jerusalem center for public affairs, says that,”Jewish law (halakhah) places supreme importance on pikuakh nefesh -- the preservation of human life -- which overrides all other commandments in the Torah except for murder, idolatry, or adultery.” It also tells us, “The utilization of genetic engineering on humans in order to save or prolong human life is certainly permitted and may be required as long as the likely effectiveness of the procedure would justify the risks involved”. The site also says that, “Examples of this include procedures to remove, repair, or deactivate genetic defects; and procedures to increase resistance to disease or other stress”. Jehovah witnesses refuse genetic engineering.
From the Site “Who Is to Blame—You or Your Genes?,The Watchtower (2002)”, it talks about how jehovah witnesses refuse genetic engineering written by their leaders. In a quote, it says that “ Trying to pin the entire blame for our misconduct on our genes simply does not work. Rather than helping us to solve or overcome our problems, notes Psychology Today, doing so “may be teaching us a helplessness that is at the root of many of our problems. Instead of reducing the incidence of these problems, this seems to have fueled their growth”. So what this is saying is that instead of finding the genes that cause greed and hate, then taking them away from us, we should keep them because that wouldn't be right, and it would be impossible to sin. If there is no sin, there is no right, so we would just go through our days, hardly thinking, just doing what we are set to do.
One of the arguments for genetic engineering from businessinsider.com says,“One of the most tantalizing reasons for using CRISPR to edit human embryos is the potential to prevent devastating genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis or Huntington's disease”. While Huntington's disease and cystic fibrosis can be fatal, they can be treated, and if these diseases don't pick off the weak, life will only get harder and harder like providing food and
meds. The other arguement, also from businessinsider.com says that,”beyond preventing diseases, the ability to edit embryos opens up an exciting new means for understanding our basic biology”. While this could be valuable information, it will come at a cost of what may be dead embryos, or children with edited genes that only the rich will be able to afford leaving the poor and the ethical in the dust.
This seems amazing, absolutely amazing, but is it ethical. If the public, the scientist, the politicians decide to push away ethnicity, than I fear other things will be done that are far worse than this, almost like a staircase of disaster, after one step you can only go one way. Soon there will be two classes of people, the genetically engineered, rich, and unethical population, and the natural, poor, and ethical population. Within years the Genetically Engineered population will turn their backs to the naturals, and the naturals will go on, either envious, or full of hate. This will go on until maybe the GE (Genetically Engineered) Enslave the naturals, resulting in a segregation. Until all of the N (naturals) decide to give in to the pressure and genetically engineer their offspring. Or will result in a civil war full of pointless fighting and death where the GE may make terrible beasts and hybrids, and the N will only have their nothing until one of the two are dead resulting in no, or no GE Humans.