It is important to keep in mind here that when people speak about cloning sometimes they are referring to actually producing born children who are a clone of people who exist. But other people when they speak about cloning they are referring to what some people call research cloning, or cloning for research purposes, or even misleading terms such as therapeutic cloning is sometimes used. The idea there is you produce embryos through cloning and then you destroy them to get embryonic stem cells. So basically the cloned human beings are living for only a matter of days that would be involved in embryonic stem cell research. Those who are concerned about cloning - which again surveys indicate that a large number of people in the United States as well as worldwide are very concerned about – are concerned about embryonic stem cell research. So many people would want to exert greater effort at the state level if the federal level won’t do anything about it to make sure that that doesn’t happen.
I’ll just add that ‘P.S.’ here – this is another example of where the really intentional miscommunication comes into play – because what happens now is proponents of embryonic stem cell research in some locations have begun to argue that ‘What we’ve done here isn’t really cloning. It is only cloning if you are having born babies.’
‘But what we are doing in this research process (sometimes they just use the technical name for cloning which is called SCNT or Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer), we are just doing that and we are not engaged in cloning.’
This is terribly misleading and really dishonest because the cloning process is completed once you have a new beginning embryo. The cloning is the description of the process by which you actually produce another human being, virtually a genetic replica of an existing human being and the rest is just that being growing and developing. The cloning is done at the point you have the early embryo.
So to say that we are just going to define that ‘It is not a clone until it develops all the way through to birth and is born’ is just outrageous because it confuses people and makes them think that ‘Oh, that is reassuring, that what you are talking about in embryonic stem cell research doesn’t involve cloning then it may be ok.’
There are people who are at the state level who are very concern, not just with protecting human life at the earliest stage but holding the line against cloning because not only is cloning itself a problem but it is kind of the first step in genetically designing and manipulating human beings and that just opens up a whole arena of grave concern.
How vocal has the Church, Christian leaders and groups been on this issue?
I think that is something that is a growing process. Stem cell research like abortion, like assisted reproduction, genetic intervention – these are all part of the field of bioethics. I think that what is happening in the Church today is people are becoming more and more aware of bioethics issues, but I think they hear more about them through the culture and through the public than through the Church. I also think that the Church has been lagging behind the public in terms of informing people and in terms of helping people develop a Christian understanding and outlook on these issues so when they hear about them they have some ideas of how this connect to Christian faith.
Part of the problem here is one of leadership. I think to be fair most of the leaders in the Church – both clergy as well as lay leaders in the Church – have had very little bioethics training and education. It might have been part of their pastoral training or clerical training or others might be in related fields like law, public policy, medicine, healthcare and would have bioethics training.
I think the fact that there is a lack of robust Christian voice and lack of many churches speaking out on these issues just really underscores the need for more people to get training in bioethics as part of their pastoral training and for lay leaders.
