Cloning is a method of reproduction used to copy a cell or an individual from their nuclear DNA. Except when there are errors or mutations during copying, a clone is, to a large extent, genetically identical to the original: it has the same DNA.
In April 2003, South Africa’s first cloned animal, a calf, was born. Scientists from South Africa collaborated with scientists from Denmark to make the event possible. At present, the survival rate of cloned animals is lower than their normal counterparts, but the technology is improving. The prevailing ethical questions concerning cloning are: does man have the right to use scientific technology to create life? And what right does a human have to clone another human?
Morally we oppose human cloning
At Doctors for Life (DFL), we believe that human life is sacred. Each individual is made by God in His image preferably by the union of genetic material from a husband and wife. We believe that the family is the basic social unit designed by God to receive and nurture new human life.
Morally, we oppose human cloning. First and foremost, the development of this technology will require the deliberate sacrifice of human embryos, a deliberate act of murder of a human life that began at conception. Any cell in that embryo contains all of the information needed for a complete human life. Additionally, we believe that God’s endows an eternal soul in each life that He creates. Furthermore, cloning may deviate from the wisdom of God’s design for human genetic diversity.
Scientifically, we oppose human cloning based on the potential for additive mutations, transmission of mitochondrial diseases, and negative effects from ageing genetic material. From society’s viewpoint, we oppose human cloning based upon the issues of parentage, lineage, family structure and the uniqueness of the individual.
We affirm the need for continued medical, scientific and moral scrutiny as research on animal cloning proceeds and proposals for the application of this technology to humans are advanced. We at DFL believe that only God can and should create life. It is our opinion that the practice of cloning is man’s attempt to play God. Creating artificial life interferes with God’s divine plan for creation. DFL opposes all forms of cloning and will continue to work through legal and governmental channels to bring it to an end.]]>
