“Cloning: President’s Council on Bioethics recommends a partial ban, disappointing some conservatives”

President’s Council on Bioethics recommends a four-year moratorium on research cloning

The President’s Council on Bioethics recommended a complete ban on human cloning for reproduction but, in a 10-7 split, only a four-year moratorium on cloning for research purposes. Conservatives are disappointed by the July decision.

“The recommended moratorium is only a stopgap measure and does not guarantee that human embryos created by cloning will be protected,” said Carrie Gordon Earll, bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family.

“It is regrettable that the council could not support the view that human cloning involves the creation and destruction of innocent human life,” says Ken Connor, president of the Family Research Council.

Bioethicist Nigel M. de S. Cameron of the Wilberforce Forum takes a more optimistic view. He told Christianity Today that the report establishes the panel’s credibility as not being a tool of the political right.

“The glass is certainly half full,” Cameron said.

“I’m very positive about the report, and hope that Congress moves immediately at least to pass a four-year moratorium on both forms of cloning.”

In January President Bush named 18 members from various fields to the advisory panel. A White House statement calls on the Senate to “take action this year to ban all human cloning.” The House passed a complete ban last year.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

The council on bioethics’ full report, including an 11-page executive summary, is available at the council’s website.)

News coverage includes:

Cloning edict angers both sidesSan Francisco Chronicle (July 12, 2002)

Temporary ban advised for cloning of humansThe Washington Times (July 12, 2002)

Bush panel has 2 views on embryonic cloningThe Washington Post (July 11, 2002)

Panel recommends a moratorium on cloning research—The New York Times (July 10, 2001)

A White House statement to the report called for Senate to “take action this year to ban all human cloning. As the Council’s majority recommendation makes clear, no law should be enacted this year that authorizes any human cloning.”

Concerned Women for America argues that “this decision leaves the American people vulnerable; a moratorium on a dangerous act is not enough,” she said.

Family Research Council president Ken Connor said: “In an environment where that which is not prohibited is permitted, a temporary moratorium on human cloning is better than no ban at all. However … in the final analysis, it’s lamentable that a majority of this commission, with all of its intellectual horsepower, was unable to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil.”

Carrie Gordon Earll, bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family said: “The recommended moratorium is only a stopgap measure and does not guarantee that human embryos created by cloning will be protected. … Hopefully, this report will serve as a speed bump to slow down the apparent rush to ‘clone and kill’ human embryos for their stem cells.”

A Christianity Todayeditorial supported Bush’s stem cell decision last year and gave “three cheers” to his choice of advisors for the Council on Bioethics: Leo Kass. In June, Nigel M. de S. Cameron interviewed Kass in CT.

Christianity Today recommended against human cloning in a 1997 editorial, “Stop Cloning Around.”

For current news on cloning, see Yahoo full coverage. Christianity Today’s Life Ethics archive and sister publication Books & Culture’s Science Pages have more perspective on bioethics.

For explanations on how cloning is accomplished, see Conceiving a Clone, Science Matters, and How Cloning Works.

ReligiousTolerance.org offers great resources on the ethical aspects of human cloning

See our October cover story, “A Matter of Life and Death: Why shouldn’t we use our embryos and genes to make our lives better? The world awaits a Christian answer.”

Previous Christianity Today coverage of the cloning debate includes:

Goodbye, DollyWe need nothing less than a total ban on human cloning. (May 15, 2002)

Weblog: ‘All Human Cloning Is Wrong,’ Says BushPublic is 4-to-1 against all human cloning, but Senate is evenly split on comprehensive ban. (April 11, 2002)

Weblog: The Prolife PushIt’s 2002, time to ban cloning. (January 15, 2002)

New Coalition Rallies Against Human CloningAfter Advanced Cell Technology announcement, sharp criticism comes from all sides. (December 20, 2001)

Books & Culture Corner: “Daddy, What Is the Soul?”Does the church have an answer? (December 10, 2001)

Books & Culture Corner: ‘We Now Know’The boast of imperial science. (December 3, 2001)

Opinion Roundup: ‘Only Cellular Life’?Christians, leaders, and bioethics watchdogs react to the announcement that human embryos have been cloned. (November 29, 2001)

Weblog: Human Cloning’s ‘Success’Human embryos cloned for 1st time. (November 26, 2001)

Books & Culture Corner: “24 Cow Clones, All Normal” … Oh yes, and a few cloned human embryos that died. (November 26, 2001)

The New TyrannyBiotechnology threatens to turn humanity into raw material. (Oct. 5, 2001)

Manipulating the Linguistic CodeReligious language falling into the hands of scientists can be a fearful thing. (Oct. 4, 2001)

Times FiftyCan a clone be an individual? A short story. (Oct. 2, 2001)

Wanna Buy a Bioethicist?Some corporations have discovered that bioethics makes good public relations. (Sep. 28, 2001)

A Matter of Life and DeathWhy shouldn’t we use our embryos and genes to make our lives better? The world awaits a Christian answer. (Sep. 28, 2001)

House Backs Human Cloning BanScientists say they’ll go ahead anyway. (August 27, 2001)

Embryos Split ProlifersBush decision pleases some, keeps door open for disputed research. (August 27, 2001)

Two CheersPresident Bush’s stem-cell decision is better than the fatal cure many sought. (August 10, 2001)

House of Lords Legalizes Human Embryo CloningReligious leaders’ protests go unheeded by lawmakers. (Feb. 2, 2001)

Britain Debates Cloning of Human EmbryosScientists want steady stream of stem cells for “therapeutic” purposes. (Nov. 22, 2000)

Editorial: The Biotech Temptation (July 12, 1999)

Stop Cloning Around (April 27, 1997)

Also in this issue

Doors into Islam: September 11 has made Muslim evangelism even more dangerous and still more rewarding.

Cover Story

Doors into Islam

Netherlands: Devout Christian becomes prime minister.

Quotation Marks

Letters

New Top Anglican Receives Mixed Reviews

God's Funeral

Matters of the Heart

Standup for Jesus

Saving Africa

The Long View: Globalists R Us

"Children First, Schools Next"

Transcending Security

Darkness at Jesus' Tomb

Expecting a Flood of Tourists

Pocket Idolatry

Doctrine Still Matters

Columbia: terrorist kill two more evangelical pastors.

News

Go Figure

Spain: Christians fear AIDS media campaign may ignore how people get the disease.

India: Christians reach out to war-weary Muslims in Kashmir.

Legal setback: Messianic Jews lose exclusive rights to use menorah symbol.

Evolving standards: Intelligent Design advocates ask Ohio to broaden origins discussion in public schools

Navy wins suit: Pentecostal chaplain plans to appeal discrimination case ruling.

Freedom fighters: Groups protest Sudan policy stalemate.

"Southern Baptists: Interfaith activity will cost D.C. Convention $476,000 in denominational funding."

Vietnam's Hidden Tragedy

You Can Take the Boy out of the Barrio…

No Dissing This Learning

The Little School in the Living Room Grows Up

Deconstructing Islam

View issue

Our Latest

News

Supreme Court Considers State Bans of Transgender Procedures for Minors

The justices seemed skeptical of arguments that bans preventing transition represent sex discrimination.

News

The World Evangelical Alliance’s Controversial Korea Announcement

Local conservative evangelicals challenge the global body’s decision to hold its 2025 General Assembly in Seoul.

Hail ‘Mary,’ Full of Violence

Director D.J. Caruso calls his dramatic new film a celebration of the mother of God.

Public Theology Project

Russell Moore’s Favorite Books of 2024

The top 10 picks of CT’s editor in chief range from dystopian fiction to philosophy, with a dose of Sabbath poems, Inklings, and country music.

My Book Sales Stink. But I’m Glad I Took the Publishing Plunge.

Even though the experience bruised my ego, God redeemed it in surprising ways.

Latino Christians Deserve a Straight Answer on Immigration

A Better Trans Conversation

As the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on youth gender medicine, Christians must prepare to speak with love while holding fast to biblical truth.

Ethics Aren’t Graded on a Curve

President Joe Biden’s pardon of Hunter Biden was wrong, and no amount of bad behavior from Donald Trump changes that fact.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube