[extropy-chat] Bioethics Essay- Why Therapeutic Cloning is a Blessing and Not Murder

[Samantha Atkins]

On May 23, 2005, at 7:03 PM, Dirk Bruere wrote:

> Samantha Atkins wrote:
>
>
>>
>> It could also be pointed out that the notion that it is against  
>> God's  wishes that we use this knowledge is itself a mere opinion  
>> of  fallible human beings.   It is not holy writ or directly  
>> supported by  such.
>>
> Of course it is.
> We allegedly got kicked out of Eden for doing just that and now you  
> want to compound the sin...

For doing just what?  For eating an apple from the tree of  
knowledge?  So what?  Are you saying all knowledge is sin?   Perhaps  
Eden wasn't Eden any more after we knew a bit more, eh?

> That's the answer the fundies will drop on you first, and that's  
> even before the theological heavyweights lay in.
>

That doesn't have anything at all to do with the case at hand.  So no  
holy writ sayng anything about the case explicitly or directly  
supporting opposition so far.

> IMO it is pointless to argue theology for several reasons.

The above is not theology.  But I agree largely.  We shouldn't put  
new wine into old bottles.

> The first is because most Transhumanists are not only ignorant of  
> theology but are proud of the fact. The naivety of what passes for  
> theological discussion on these lists is appalling, and if I didn't  
> know better would consider it a deliberate parody. Second, by  
> arguing a specific *type* of theology you are agreeing to play by  
> *their* rules, and you'll lose. Third, it is a dubious strategy to  
> attempt to play to the hicks and ignore the theologians, simply  
> because the hicks will listen to the opinions of those theologians  
> and trust their opinion over that of outsiders, even if they do not  
> understand the fine points.
>
- samantha