> >> Jim wrote.
> >>
> >> >Just because someone disagrees, misunderstands, or has a problem with
a
> >> concept doesn't indicate a "small mind."<
> >>
> >> Fair enough Jim, perhaps that was too strongly worded. Although I
think
>
> >> alot
> >> of people might share my frustration....is it necessarily right to
force
> >> people to wait until a concept is considered "right" or "mainstream"
for
> >> research to continue? I think alot of people who have benefited from
> open
> >> heart surgery or transplants would agree. They faced similiar
> >disagreements,
> >> misunderstandings and problems in their patient wait for the fruits of
> >> pioneering research.
> >>
> >>
> >> Gary K.
> >>
> >
> >Gary,
> >
> >Actually, that was Barbara rather than Jim. Hope I didn't sound petty or
> >offended. I've been mulling this over and trying to find more
information
> on
> >how cloning is done and projected (realistic) uses in order to develop an
> >informed opinion, but haven't had much success yet in finding info. To
me,
> >rightness or wrongness has everything to do with it. There are some
medical
> >procedures I would never undergo for moral reasons -- but we don't want
to
> >get into more controversy, so I won't go into that just now. :-) But it
> is
> >hard to determine in situations like this. Yet, as a Christian, believing
> >that "every one of us shall give account of himself to God," I can't say
> the
> >rightness or morality of it doesn't matter. So I'm still thinking.
> >
> >One other aspect of this is that some of us, when presented with a new
idea,
>
> >are gung-ho, all for it, "When can we do it?!!" Others, like me, have to
> >think it through and look at all the angles (I'm the type of person who
> >thinks of a right response three days after the initial conversation...)
> >Neither type of personality is wrong or better --both types probably help
> >balance out the other. Two of my sons are exact opposites in this regard
-- > >makes life interesting!! Yet I do understand that in this situation, > >conclusions need to be arrived at sooner rather than later. As you said in > an > >earlier post, someone probably will be working on this whether overtly or > >covertly. > > > >Barbara > > > > > > > Hard to resist a reply to this "controversy". As I said very much > earlier, if continuing research into cloning can get my spinal cord neurons > re-myelinated, I don't give a rat's patooie what someone thinks is right or > wrong --especially someone who has NO professional kowledge about the > procedures. IF God is watching, or cares, I wonder why he would have given > human's the power to do these things -- so much of which are for the good. > (yes, yes, we know the arguement about being faced with good and evil and > making the right choice --but I don't REALLY think this applies to > developing a few primary glial cells or oligodendrytes to re-generate a > damaged nervous system. And just to remind the doubeters, the concept of> cloning for organ harvesting is SO distasteful (and impractical, that it's
> not likely to be a problem for a LONG time --certainly far after we have > developed cures for MS, TM and a lot of other horrible neurological > diseases. One of the greatest impediments to science in history has been > the good old RC church (and yes I AM one -- I believe by today's standards
> that gives me the right to criticize). Let's hope people can separate the
> two -- why even the Pope has had to admit that evolution is probably true > --will wonders never cease --maybe next he'll admit women are equal to > men!!!!!!!! >
Bryan,
I was bracing my self for a response from you, but it wasn't as scorching as I thought it might be. :-)
No, I'm not a professional, and no, I'm not in a wheelchair, but I don't think that means I should be an opinionless marshmallow, especially in an area that might affect me or my descendants. I'm still trying, as I said, to find solid information rather than speculation on which to form an opinion. Interestingly, I just read a piece on cloning on the Christian Answers Network (http://www.ChristianAnswers.net) under the "New and hot topics" section of Answers in Genesis. (There is also an interesting section dealing with the pope's comments on evolution.)
Is God watching? yes. Does He care? yes. How do I know? I've read His Word, His message to us, the Bible, through many times. Is there a conflict between the Bible and science? no. Between the church and science, sometimes, yes. By "science" I don't mean "evolution", but the study of God's design in creation. Yes, there is a conflict between the Bible and evolution. That's another controversy for another time. :-)
I'm not trying to sound arrogant or self-righteous; I'm just saying that the above is my own personal basis for thinking through the morality and repercussions of this before advocating it as a good thing. I can't see anything morally wrong with the application you described. And I (obviously) didn't know enough about it to know it would take 20 years or so to "grow" a cloned human being (unduly influenced by science fiction, I guess). So should we go on with research toward the "okay" applications while still mulling over the potential bad applications and trying to decide what to do, how to limit those? That's a possibility; thats the way I'm leaning just now; I'm still thinking, never a bad thing to do. :-)
Barbara