human cloning

APPENDICES APPENDIX A: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY RELIGION and CLONING J. Kerby Anderson, Genetic Engineering, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.

The fundamental issue of cloning is the sanctity of life, because the potential for loss of life and genetic abnormality is very high. While clones would be creations in God’s image and have souls, the major question is whether their humanity would be redefined. Because of societal disregard for the sanctity of life, clones will likely be used for spare parts and be abused.

John Breck, “Genetic Engineering: Setting the Limits,” in Health and Faith: Medical, Psychological, and Religious Dimensions, John T. Chirban (ed.), Washington, DC: University Press of America, 1991, 51–55.

Breck contends that cloning technology holds out tremendous promise for agriculture, but that the Orthodox Church must condemn it as a grotesque manipulation were it to be practiced on human beings.

R. Geoffrey Brown, “Clones, Chimeras, and the Image of God: Lessons from Barthian Bioethics,” in Bioethics and the Future of Medicine: A Christian Appraisal, John F. Kilner, Nigel M. de S. Cameron, David Schiedermayer (eds.), Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995, 238–249.

The principles of the image of God give a decisive command to the person for prohibition of “creative (non-therapeutic) genetic predetermination of a human being” through cloning or chimeras on the grounds that human freedom is denied, respect for life is disregarded, and the relational self is violated. Human freedom for self-determination is theologically subject to the image and sovereignty of God. Scientific freedom that results in a project of human cloning “would be blatant disregard for individual freedom,” because it subordinates self-determination to scientific determination. Moreover, a clone lacking the characteristics of freedom, which in turn diminishes equality, relationality, and fellow humanity, would be compromised as a person in the image of God. Ronald Cole-Turner, “Dolly Theology,” unpublished manuscript.

Cole-Turner recommends a temporary and voluntary ban on all human cloning, which should last well into the next decade in order to allow full public discussion. The role of the church is to prevent trivial and misguided uses of cloning through careful and open consideration of proposed reasons.

Cole-Turner does not see a theologically or morally significant difference between a cloned and an uncloned embryo, but this should be an item for public discussion. Cole-Turner distinguishes selfish, sinister, exploitative, and possessive uses for desiring to reproduce through cloning an D-40