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

[Samantha Atkins]

On May 22, 2005, at 6:42 PM, The Avantguardian wrote:

>
> --- Dirk Bruere <dirk at neopax.com> wrote:
>
>> However, lose the amateur theology section.
>> It would be torn to pieces by a half competent
>> theologian.
>>
>
> No I think I have to be allowed to invoke God in my
> essay. Leon Kass and his cronies invoke God at will in
> their arguments and get away with it. Whether he
> exists or not, God is a powerful meme and he needs to
> be on my side or I risk yielding the moral high-ground
> to the other camp. This is after all memetic war. But
> I understand your point so I will just have to make my
> theological argument less flippant and more
> sophisticated to be able to withstand an assault by a
> qualified theologian. I am open to suggestions.
>

This is very problematic.  It can be seen as a concession to the  
notion that ethics and morality are from the claimed proclamations of  
some claimed God or other.  That is too much to concede.   I would  
suggest instead talking of using the talents we have been given and  
the knowledge we have acquired to increase human well-being.   If you  
must speak of God then perhaps allude to a truly good and generous  
God delivering the means to end much needless suffering and death.   
Surely we would be pathetic servants and care takers of the talents  
and knowledge we have been given if we did not put it to use.

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.  We would rather err on the side of more improved health and  
well being rather than cower in fear that we might offend God for  
using the talents we have been given to help humanity.

- samantha