What do you think about cloning?

I am wondering, what everyone thinks of cloning, please post your thoughts.

I believe cloning is a great idea. We could learn alot about ourselves and possibly improve. There is so much we don't know and I say have at it. It would open the doors to great things and/or possibly shut it back in our faces but it's worth the risk I believe.

This question can easily go both ways, the science community could argue that it would indeed help us point out things we didn't know before. On the other side though, it would raise many moral and ethical questions. How would be classify these clones? is it right to play god? and etc.

Well, the creation of life has been the one thing that has seperated us from "god". It was his job. Not anymore. A lot of people contend the these are the last days, maybe that because we have moved into his area and he's pissed.

The last time that man proclaimed himself god, or godlike, HE responded by confusing the languages. HE doen't like it when we push too far.

I'm just hoping to be able to get a cloned set of my own lungs due to the damage I've probably done to mine by smoking.

I think that cloning humans is a great scientific discovery. What I am interested in all of this is the idea of genetic variety-Will those who begin cloning want to phase out certain genetic traits in the population? I.E., skin colour, which may be bad considering the implications for it's racist basis. Some good that could come out of it is the idea of eliminating certain genetic diseases.

Next comes the spiritual aspects of the human being. When a person is cloned, will the clone have a different spirit than the original? Will religion become nothing but a fairytale to tame and use for entertainment?

Overall, I think that the idea of cloning deserves some serious research and experimentation, as we enter more into technological frontiers.

I say drop god out of the equation then answer the question. It's too easy to say no because of the god theory.

Originally posted by skating canadian
I am wondering, what everyone thinks of cloning, please post your thoughts.

The only thing that worries me about cloning is that it implies the manipulation of DNA. If we manipulate the DNA to create humans that can do things faster, smarter, longer that look better with stronger bodies than a normal human being we become irrelevant. The poor will be essentially killed out; the only people that will be able to afford such a procedure will be the wealthy. Also some of the most important discoveries have been discovered by so called eccentric crazy people. If we bread this trait out of humanity to create a more �prefect� human we will loose the very thing that advances the human race.

"I say drop god out of the equation then answer the question. It's too easy to say no because of the god theory. "

So you want to supplant God? That was my point.

"Next comes the spiritual aspects of the human being. When a person is cloned, will the clone have a different spirit than the original? Will religion become nothing but a fairytale to tame and use for entertainment?"

Shouldn't the spiritual aspect come first? Science should ask itself, Just because we can do a thing, SHOULD we do a thing?


[Edited on 3-4-2004 by intrepid]

Well said kinglizard and I must agree. I would hope that we the people would have a choice in the matter and laws of what would be appropriate studies. We can be sure that the gov't is doing all that you said as we speak anyway. But as far as medicine and health go?

So you want to supplant God? That was my point



YES

"INTREPID

So you want to supplant God? That was my point



YES

What if the majority of people don't want cloning? Should we do it just because YOU want it done?

I think it could be great; this might clear up some things. Will this cloned person have a conscious, human desires, and ideas. Will they have the capability of having our same feelings and emotions. It'd be interested to see if that can be reproduced. I think cloning in general could be beneficial but it could get out of hand. People being able to selectively decide what their kids will look like and stuff like that just doesn't sit well with me.

Originally posted by intrepid
"INTREPID

So you want to supplant God? That was my point



YES

What if the majority of people don't want cloning? Should we do it just because YOU want it done?

Where is the basis of your question coming from? If the majority don't want it so be it. It should be up to the majority.

It was the brevity and bluntness of your reply. I inferred, incorrectly, that we were to do this no matter what the moral or philosophical ramifications.