Downsides to Cloning
Downsides to Cloning
Cloning can be defined as the production of a group of genetically identical cells or organisms, derived from a single individual. Those who support this procedure of making humans contend that it will help people who are finding it difficult to conceive. Others charge that cloning is good and sound science that will lead to many scientific discoveries - some of which might help in the cure of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes.
Cloning sounds like a great idea with many promising results. While those supporting the procedure are people with good intentions, cloning takes away from us as human beings what makes us unique – our diversity. Moreover, it challenges God’s authority, will hinder future scientific research, and reduces genetic diversity.
Creating another human being from cells is like playing God. God is the creator of the world and mankind. The job of creating a person should be completely left to Him. The Christian Bible in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27 says, “And God made man in His own image and likeness and He put the breath of life in him.” Creating a human life in the laboratory equates mankind and God.
In addition to playing God, cloning will also hinder future developments to biotechnology and research. Many advances in the treatment of diseases like breast cancer can be credited to scientific research and advancements in biotechnology. Successes in these fields depend largely upon government funding. Unfortunately, bills from lawmakers and groups that are against human cloning may now hinder these funding. On July 31, the House approved a bill that will not allow the federal government to support cloning or any research related to it. When first looking at the bill, I praised the lawmakers for taking a stand against cloning. A closer look at the bill, however, reveals that because of the bill’s broad language, important research would be stymied. This can become a set back for good scientific research and advancement in biotechnology.
Cloning’s most negative effect is it’s potential to reduce genetic diversity. For example, supporters of cloning claim that cloning the best milk producer in a dairy herd will result in the production of the best animals and would eventually lead to an increase in the production of better quality milk. These argument, however, does not hold because traditional breeding of animals produce better animals through mixing genes...