The genetics and heredity revolution is progressing at a high rate and it's effectiveness and accuracy are immensely recognized by the public. It started with the newly discovered way to pre-determine your child's gender through genetic screening. It then escalated to methods of selecting sperm and egg cells to create a favoured embryo.
In View of Genetics/Scientific Advances
From a scientific perspective this controversy is a great step for geneticists and a valuable advancement for the study of heredity. In scientific defence, the motive for this research is to create favourable embryos that will not develop any hereditary disease that is in the lineage of the father and/or the mother.
In order to do this advanced reproductive techniques are used through InVitro Fertilization (IVF). This type of fertilisation allows geneticists and biologists to fertilise an egg with a sperm in a controlled environment outside of the mother's womb. It is currently only legal to do genetic screening to choose a sperm that will determine the child's sex and to find out weather the embryo will have some sort of genetic disorder. When the embryos are screened only those without genetic disorders are re implanted in the mother's womb. This process is called Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).
The real advancement is called Germ Line Therapy. This allows scientists to work on embryos to replace faulty DNA with new DNA so that when the child is born it will be born without any genetic disorders. At the moment it is illegal to take out GLT on humans but it has been successfully implemented on animals so it shouldn't be too long before scientists begin to create DESIGNER BABIES.
From a Social and Ethical Perspective: The Public Opinion
The public seems to smile upon the idea of eliminating diseases in their children. Although it is an extremely expensive process it can save thousands in medical bills and agony of death and the pain that the child will have to face. I think that as long as anything is proven to work it will be accepted socially and by the majority of the public. By looking at online news comments The general public does not seem to think this is again ts common ethics. In my opinion this is morally wrong and goes against religious teachings and intervenes with God's plan for us, this brings me to my next view on Designer Babies.
God's Plan; The Religious view on natures mysterious ways
looking at religious teachings this can be looked at in many different lights. Many may not have anything against it and may use Biblical references to defend their stand point (that's the Protestants it's their specialty). And although it is wrong for us to judge without putting ourselves in the shoes of the mothers who suffer from having children with genetic disorders, it is still religiously wrong (at least from where i stand). Looking at a more Orthodox Christian perspective we can see that God's plan is the only plan, we should not be tinkering with the way nature is because as Christians we should believe that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan.
Thanks for reading guys! please leave your comments and thought on this! i really want to know your religious view point and biological defence.
Sources:
What is a designer baby?
CTV News: Designer Babies!
Time Magazine: Designer Babies
Christian Today: Uk Christians Disappointed
Commented on:
Tharajan's Bioblog
Kyle's Blog
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