When scientists talk about human cloning they mean taking a single cell, getting it to divide and creating more cells just like it. Usually for the purpose of finding cures or treatments for cancer, Parkinson's, ALS or other disabling and deadly diseases. When many people hear the term "human cloning" they think of a brilliant but disturbed individual, backed by billions from a secret government agency, surreptitiously obtaining a hair sample from Jean-Claude and generating 2,345,116 identical, over sized, well trained, obedient army-guys using poorly paid illegal immigrants as surrogate mothers. All for the next invasion of New Jersey.
Groups claiming authority from God have used this confusion to engender public opposition to stem cell research and other types of medical research involving human cell division. Their reasons for objecting to this type of experimentation are uncharacteristically vague. Usually they just point and shout, "It is in the Bible". Yeah, right next to the bit about not cutting your hair. LEV. 19: 27. "Thou Shalt Not Divide Thy Cells To Cure Diabetes" is apparently in one of the lost books of the Bible. "It is not natural!" Neither is immunization. "You mustn't play God." A long standing objection to progress. I go out in the garden every day and decide which plants will live and which shall die, isn't that playing God? And "It destroys life." A very god argument coming from the Bush camp.
One of the real reasons Christians object to using cloned cells to cure disease exist at a subconscious level and is not expressed by church leaders. "Disease is a punishment for sin!" and the proper way to treat disease is to repent and pray. Prayer is always answered, except when God, the Son and the Holy Ghost are all "busy with another customer".
What will happen if they find a cure for AIDS? Your son will develop a craving for live salami and your daughter will decide addiction to intravenous drugs is not so bad? There will be no good reason to lock up women who have been forced into prostitution? God will have to put his research and development department to work finding a new slow and painful death as punishment for gender maladjustment?
Given the great advances made in modern medicine whenever science had made serious and continued inquiry I believe it is inevitable that wonderful things things will come from "human cloning" and stem cell research. With or without federal funding or the approval of conservative Christians. And when these breakthroughs are announced, whether it is a way to reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease or a cure for Lupus, all those who opposed such research on religious grounds will stand up, join hands and speak with one voice...
"THANK GOD !"
OWL
May 24, 2007
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