A Chinese
scientist was just sent to jail for having modified the DNA of a human embryo of
twin girls, producing an immunity to HIV.
This case
raises the ire of many Christians and other religious denominations who have referred
to the scientist as Frankenstein.
This is
again where science runs up against dark age religious thinking – where science
must drag religion out of the age of mysticism.
There are medical ethical concerns to do with the possible unknown side effects of
editing the targeted gene, and these are fair complaints; but the religious
moral police should be disregarded.
There will
come a time when designer children are the norm; and future generations look
back on this era and marvel how religious thinking still dominated the 20th
and 21st century, delaying genetic research that could have resulted
in cures for birth deformities and many of our most debilitating and deadly diseases.
Of course, there is always thoughts and prayers.
the Ol'Buzzard
I prefer (tater) tots and pears myself.
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem I have with religion. The holier then thous keep dragging us back into the Bronze Age. Can you imaging where we would be if religion was non existent. Some of us would be living in a city on Mars by now.
ReplyDeleteThis really raises existential questions for me. If, one day, they can edit a gene that causes bipolar disorder ... hmmm ... will that person lose the capacity to be a Michelangelo? It's certainly an interesting topic.
ReplyDelete