According to a recent AP report, scientists in California say
they have
produced embryos that are clones of two men. The embryos were made with
ordinary skin cells. This is similar to scientists in Britain
in 2005 using embryonic
stem cells to produce a cloned embryo. It matured enough to produce
stem cells,
but none were extracted.
What is all the interest in human cloning? Right now,
the focus is to be able to collect stem cells for research, and
eventually, for
creating various human tissues and organs needed to treat a wide
variety of
diseases. Doug Melton, from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, said,
“The next
big advance will be to create a human embryonic stem cell
line” from cloned
embryos. George Daley of the Harvard Institute said,
“It’s only a matter of
time before some group succeeds.”
Much of the excitement about cures for diseases such as
diabetes and Parkinson’s is still theoretical when it comes
to embryonic stem
cells. While progress has been made in adult stem cell research, which
doesn’t
endanger the adult from which they are removed, embryonic stem cells
have
proven to be somewhat unstable and carry a risk of cancer for the
recipients of
tissue from these cells. Beyond the health issues, embryonic stem cell
research
“involves creating human lives in the laboratory solely to
destroy them for
alleged benefit to others” (Richard Doerflinger). Harvesting
(as it is called)
embryonic stem cells is typically done when the embryo is about five
days old.
To harvest them, the development of the embryo is
“ended.”
Certainly, advancing technology in this area has
challenged everyone’s thinking about the very nature of life.
What must be
understood is that just because life is generated in a test tube
instead of the
typical joining of a husband and wife, it is still life. Existing life
is being
used to create life. No scientist has been able to move into
nothingness and
speak anything into existence, as God did in the beginning (Genesis 1).
Where
life is brought into existence doesn’t detract from the
sanctity of life.
Loosing a respect for life has frightening consequences
for the living. Who will decide what constitutes that nebulous concept
“quality
of life” on which continued existence now seems to be based?
Will it be
established on the will of God, or perhaps the desires of the
individual? More
likely, will it be based on whatever norms are operative in society at
any
given point in time, or the economics it takes to sustain life? When we
remove
God as the Creator and Sustainer of life (Colossians 1:17), there are
no
boundaries as to what atrocities in the name of scientific advancement
can be
committed against humanity.
Recently, the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade was
remembered, the Supreme Court decision that has allowed over 48 million
innocent lives to be destroyed. This decision has helped lead us down
the
dismal path we now walk in other areas of life. What else awaits us?
It’s time
to reaffirm the existence of God and His will for our lives, because
only in
Him do we find life, genuine respect for life, life that is eternal.
“The fear
of the Lord leads to life” (Proverbs 19:23).
