Religious leaders have overwhelmingly voiced opposition to reproductive cloning and inheritable genetic modification. They recognize social and ethical as well as theological reasons that the use of these technologies would run counter to fundamental tenets of their faiths.
Most of the few religious figures who support the production of human clones and genetically redesigned children cite their belief that humans are "co-creators" with God of the natural world, and as such have both the right and the duty to re-engineer our genetic makeup if this would enhance human well-being.
In June 1983 a coalition of religious leaders representing a wide spectrum of theological beliefs issued a letter to the US Congress calling for a ban on inheritable genetic modification. This Theological Letter Concerning the Moral Arguments said, in part, "Genetic engineering of the human germline represents a fundamental threat to the preservation of the human species as we know it, and should be opposed with the same courage and conviction as we now oppose the threat of nuclear extinction."
The 1997 announcement that an adult sheep had been cloned provoked renewed interest in human cloning. All the major religious groups that made statements on this prospect strongly opposed reproductive cloning.
Off-Site Links
Religious Center on Biotechnology
http://www.gencen.org/
The
United Methodist Church has developed policy on cloning and other
human genetic technologies.
- Their official news agency has many statements on genetic
matters.
http://umns.umc.org/ - Testimony on cloning presented to Congress in 2001
http://umc-gbcs.org/csamay8_june2001.htm - A background statement on cloning
http://umns.umc.org/backgrounders/cloning.html
The
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published several
documents on science, genetic testing, and related topics.
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/index.htm
The
Center for Biblical Bioethics, a division of Baptists for Life. This
site includes discussion of human cloning, prenatal genetic testing,
infertility, animal cloning and other topics.
http://www.bfl.org/cbb/index.htm
The
Episcopal Church - searchable access to resolutions of the General
Convention of The Episcopal Church, including guidelines on genetic
engineering
http://www.episcopalarchives.org/
United Church of Christ - This long resolution, adopted at the 2001
General Synod, supports funding for research on embryonic stem
cells, given "appropriate guidelines," and calls for further
discussion.
http://www.ucc.org/synod/resolutions/res30.htm
Southern Baptist Convention - their 2001 resolution calling for a
ban on human cloning
http://sbcannualmeeting.org/sbc01/sbcresolution.asp?ID=2
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism - a long-standing and
influential group with ties to Jewish congregations all over
America
http://www.rac.org/issues/issuebe.html
Jewish Law - preliminary analyses of Jewish Law and Human Cloning
and stem cell research, respectively
http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/cloning.html
http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/stemcellres.html
Islamic Views - several Islamic analyses of cloning
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~aas/issues/cloning.htm
http://www.Islamzine.com/current/genetic.html
http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/EJ52H.html
A
Hindu perspective on cloning
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/1997/6/1997-6-16.html
Religious Tolerance - This ecumenical site pulls together opinions
on many subjects, including cloning, from different religious
sources.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_reac.htm
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Division for Church in
Society, Human Cloning: Papers from a Church Consultation
(October 13-15, 2000).
http://www.elca.org/dcs/humancloning.html
The
Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, "Cloning Adam's Rib: a primer
on religious responses to cloning" (March 2002).
http://www.pewtrusts.com/pdf/rel_pew_forum_adams_rib.pdf
More Information
Analysis:
Examine the social, cultural, and economic landscape
Policies:
Read about existing and potential regulations
Technologies:
Learn the basic science and consider arguments for and against
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