Cloning

A detailed Summary of Cloning

In the past few years, the topic of cloning has been in the news a lot. It is a very controversial issue, with many opposing viewpoints. While some find it acceptable, others object for religious reasons. A big concern is the possibility of abuse of this new technology. One of the big questions is "Where will we stop?" We may start by just experimenting and studying, but then what? Manufacturing human bodies for spare parts? No one can be sure where it will stop.

The Supreme court says that everyone has the right to make their own reproductive decisions without government interference, but now it is proposing bans on human cloning. These bans prevent the very research needed to make cloning safe (Eibert). So, it seems that the government is not giving human cloning a chance.

There are many benefits to cloning in the fields of fertility, organ transplants, and fighting disease. Although there are many benefits, the possible effects and moral considerations are too great for us to continue experimentation.

One of the major benefits of cloning technology is improvement in the field of fertility. In vitro fertilization only has a success rate of about 10%. To improve effectiveness, doctors

"Human Cloning." 28 February 2000. *http://www. globalchange.com/clonetech.

Dunn, Douglas. "Cloning." 28 February 2000. *http://www.wordwiz72.com/cloning.html*.

could clone embryos, and the success rate could drastically increase (Masci 413). Another benefit in the field of fertility is that parents unable to conceive naturally, even with in vitro, or people too old to conceive, could still have a genetically related child (Masci 413-414). With cloning, egg and sperm would not be necessary for reproduction, because any body cell would work (Eibert). The resulting offspring would actually be a replica of one parent (Masci 413-414).

To treat heart attack victims, doctors could clone healthy heart cells and inject them into damaged areas of the heart (Masci 415). Nerves and spinal cord could be grown, giving quadriplegics the ability to walk again (Human Cloning Foundation). One more benefit, according to Dr. Richard Seed, a leader in the push for human cloning, is that scientists may someday be able to reverse the aging process.

"The Benefits of Human Cloning." Human Cloning Foundation. 22 February 2000.

One religious argument against cloning is the thought of "Playing God." Munawar Ahmad Anees, an Islamic scholar, says that "The human body is God's property, not man's laboratory" (Masci 414-415). By this he means that we should not be experimenting with our bodies the way we d

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Approximate Word count = 952
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics