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Christianity Today, March, 2007 |

The Slope Really Is Slippery

Why we struggle to gain our moral footing in bioethics.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 3/01/2007 08:32AM

The Abraham Center of life bills itself as "the world's first embryo bank." Clients of the San Antonio, Texas, center will be able to place their orders for ready-made embryos after perusing a detailed ...

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George T.

Posted: March 03, 2007 7:51 PM

Technology and all of its new findings are fascinating for their speed ,and wonders, thereby producing in madicine. However there has to be a time of consideration of the consequences. It is easy to assume that all is good because the way of technology is forward. However,"forward"has to include the human being God designed for us. We must not omit HIS knowledge already set clearly in the Bible.These include crucial laws which if broken can only break us.

CHRIS

Posted: March 02, 2007 2:00 AM

I don't blame the scientists or their patrons really, i blame the uncaring christian community that looks the other way until its too late to act. If we were alive to our responsibilities we should be mobilizing to stop these evils at infancy, but we are too placid, enjoying ourselves in our little congregations. We are too comfortable to care about wider threats to our faith that does not directly impact on our immediate congregation(s). Satan has only capacity for evil. We should not expect him or his agents to act otherwise. We are the light of the world and we ought to shine. God help us if we refuse to shine and remain unconcerned about these matters!

Jerome

Posted: March 01, 2007 10:00 PM

In a world where the rate of infertility is on the rise, it is not surprising to find infertile couples falling prey to questionable practices done in some of our modern fertility clinics. These clinics promise the infertile couple relief from the distress and pain of childlessness yet it is relief at the price of numerous deaths. Let me explain. In order to increase the potential success baby delivery rate to the current standard of 35%, eight or more eggs are usually fertilized. Two to four embryos are then implanted in hope of a successful pregnancy. If all implant successfully, some may be dissolved to give the couple a better “product.” The embryos that are not genetically optimal are not implanted but sacrificed in a way not so different from the practices of old, practices suggesting the reappearance of an ancient fertility God in modern-day apparel. So aren't we really 'Facing Molech anew'? see: http://www.ncbioethics.org/publications/facingmolech.htm

Beverly Nuckols

Posted: March 01, 2007 2:40 PM

The Texas Legislature is in session and there is at least one bill submitted to control the buying and selling human embryos and even for buying and selling gametes to make embryos for any reason other to create a child to be implanted. House Bill 1703, by Howard. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/HB01703I.htm If you live in Texas, call your Representative and Senator, and ask them to endorse HB 1703 and then to vote for it. There are many more bills that affect life, family and which may be of interest to you, too - Go to http://www.texasallianceforlife.org/ or search for bills at the state Legislature website http://www.capitol.state.tx.us

Neil	Posted: March 01, 2007 1:35 PM

As with every other technical innovation, we as believers must decide how to deal wisely with both the blessings and the curse of new technology. Biotechnology is so dangerous because it is so effective. And the pace of development in biotech is accelerating. The whole industry began in 1976 and has made many many billionaires in just 30 years. We buy biotech medicines, eat biotech food and soon will be burning biotech fuels in our cars. Every diabetic in America, and there are millions, uses insulin made by a biotechnology--implanting a bit of human DNA in a bacteria and turning it into an insulin factory. Biotech is not something remote, it affects the lives of every American already. If we are going to have any place in the biotech discussion we must understand how it works and how many places it touches our lives. Thanks to CT for keeping good information coming to us.

Amalie

Posted: March 01, 2007 12:51 PM

A recent novel, "Never Let Me Go," by a masterful writer, Kazuo Ishiguro, offers a chilling fictional perspective on the dilemma and the path down the slippery slope. The title is from a popular song, but of course it also refers obliquely to the goal of infinite replication of a human individual. On the other hand, technology is often twenty years ahead of what the general public knows, so it may be less fictitious than we'd hope. I don't want to say too much about it because it's more powerful if the reader discovers it in the process of reading the novel, as I did. Go for it. Eerie, moving, and unforgettable.

William

Posted: March 01, 2007 12:17 PM

I don't agree with abortion but this is a really slippery slope with the embryo research. The Bible speaks of God honoring life within the womb but now we have taken it out of the womb. Are we still considered a person if those cells are formed outside of the womb? Only the mother's body can provide life to get that embryo to grow I believe. How far can man go in creating a human being outside of the womb? Fortunately, I pray we never get there. I am not decided but I do believe it is better to not use the embryos for research because in the end, God knows the heart of men and why they are doing what they do. Bettering society should never be an excuse for performing questionable acts. All we can do is keep our faith, fight the battles that we can, and continue to pray for each others salvation. Remember though, do not be surprised as the Bible speaks of these times and how things will become worse.

Chuck

Posted: March 01, 2007 12:14 PM

A scientist from the Universityof Edinburgh in Scotland spoke of his work with cloning sheep embryos to senior military personnel stationed aboard my ship there in 1978. Concluding his lecture, he said, "It's not a question of 'if,' but 'when,' we will be able to clone humans. The greatest challenge facing us, however, is ethical: the character of the person who gets to decide who gets cloned and why." The world is discovering that playing God is not easy.

Jeanine

Posted: March 01, 2007 11:55 AM


What uses will we come up with for these "extra" embryos? Only GOD should create life and only GOD should decided when life ends. Period. Anyone else is trying to play GOD and we know how that works out for a society, don't we? GOD forgive our self-centeredness. We should, as a society, humble ourselves and plead for mercy!

Christine

Posted: March 01, 2007 11:47 AM


This is just downright scarey. Lord help us.

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