What do Christians think about Genetic Engineering? Flashcards
God gave us dominion: “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and then birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28)
It shows good stewardship (care) of living things
GM crops can make food more available — no starving
dominion = power, power over our world was given to us
we are made in God’s image and we should use the creative part of being in god’s image to care for the world
The Golden Rule
it is acceptable when it is the cure of painful diseases and disorders
“…do unto others what you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12)
if you had Parkinsons you would like medical pioneers to try and find a cure for your suffering
Jesus healed; so should we. “It seems that through the “engineering” or manipulation of the human genetic structure, there is a real hope of cure and relief for some very nasty and up till now incurable diseases such as cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy.” (Methodist Church)
follows example of Jesus
do all we can do to cure, GE can combat illness, virus and disease
Jesus cared for those who were ill, he headed a blind man and even raised Jairus’ daughter
God has given us the gift of knowledge
God has enabled scientists to have the knowledge to genetically engineer — make life better
God wants us to research the genetic make up of humans to improve human life
Playing God: “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depth of the Earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. in your book were written all the days that were formed for me when none of them yet existed.”
it is a sin to play God
only heaven is perfect — not Earth
don’t interfere with God’s will
God created the genetic make up of each human at the moment of conception
The Sanctity of Life/Life begins at Conception (Embryo Research)
discarding embryo is murder, destroying life
God made us as individuals
effects on the clone and society
“For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 159:13,15-16)
stem cell research involves making a human blastocyst (embryo) and then using it to experiment on, throwing it away after use. This could be regarded as murder. “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20). For Roman Catholics life begins at conception. They would not support the 14-Day time limit set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for Genetic Research
Ecclesiastes 7:13: “Consider God’s handiwork; who can straighten what He has made crooked?”
don’t interfere with God’s plans
only God can create life and humans
people are made in the image of god, not how a scientist wants them
Made in God’s image: “According to the christian worldview, we are made in God’s image. If we created new entities that are part of human and part animal, we will distort that image and change what it means to be human. It is of huge concern.” (CARE www.care.org.uk)
scientist don’t need to engineer humans as God made us how he wants
don’t interfere with God’s will
it is wrong to try and make the world perfect as only Heaven is perfect. Life is preparation for Heaven and we should not try to make Heaven on Earth
