Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis.... DO you think it is good or bad? Moral or immoral?

Question

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a test that screens for genetic flaws among embryos used in in vitro fertilisation (IVF). With PGD, DNA samples from embryos created in vitro by the combination of a mother’s egg and a father’s sperm are analyzed for gene abnormalities that can cause serious genetic illnesses. This procedure is harmless to the embryo, as it occurs about three days after conception when the embryo is at the four to ten cell stage of development, a point at which the cells are totipotent.

Now, this will mean that some embryos will be disgarded... But PGD could conceivably eradicate all human genetic disease....
While PGD does raise major ethical questions, this scepticism is a little misplaced. Far from PGD devaluing the worthiness of the life of a child suffering from a severe genetic illness, it gives us our first glance at the possibility of entirely eradicating these illnesses.

So. Do you think PGD should be allowed?

Answer 1

This is a tough decision. Similar for me to nuclear fission. Genetic screening has a lot of potential for good or bad.

Overall I think, once a technology is possible it is hard to stop us from using it. Hopefully morality will keep us from weeding out all people with other specific traits that my be beneficial.(what if people with people with mathematical genius are somehow directly linked to the Alzheimer's disease? or what if society as a whole decided green eyed people are undesirable?)

The in-vitro process already discards a lot of leftover frozen embryo's. At this early stage I don't believe they have developed consciousness, and are still acting more as a grouping of related individual cells than a small thinking being. So I don't have a moral/theological problem with the disposal of the "extra" ones.

Where consciousness/self awareness become an issue I'm not truly sure. But not in the first two week where the cells are just in a ball (blastocyst?) and are not differentiated.

Answer 2

I don't know if this is the same procedure I heard about previously which had been used in a few cases to eradicate certain genetic illnesses.( I believe it was dateline)

In that case they were unaware of what effects it would have on the 3rd generation or beyond.

As long as it doesn't cause any harm there should be nothing wrong with it. I think the greatest problem would be with cosmetic issues like altering the appearance of people to create a "Master race". That was one of the issues raised in the report I saw.

EDIT:
I came up with a few questions that will arise b/c of this technology.

Would people resist the temptation to create there vision of the perfect son or daughter?
Is it wrong to make the child you always wanted?
Could this result in a new level of discrimination?
Would those who aren't genetically altered feel inferior or the ones who have been feel superior?
Would we be tempted to predestine people's future?
In other words, would we genetically alter some to have them work in the fields of science while others in sports?

As for discarding embryos I hope that could be avoided.

Answer 3

i be attentive to this is a war. i think of that if God in no way meant for this technologies to be found he would not make guy smart adequate to locate it. God made it available which you will have wholesome infants by ability of IVF and PGD. Adoption is an entire different ballgame. this is extremely difficult to do, could be plenty greater costly, and you'd be matched merely for the start mom to alter her ideas. interior the US there are 40 waiting families for each a million infant up for adoption. on a similar time as IVF is not any assure of a sprint one, adoption isn't the two. yet, in view which you have had effective pregnancies IVF is a sturdy wager for you. As for the embryos, i don't experience like those that don't stay on the approach are murdered. they're merely some cells. this type of great style of embryos are created in utero with out IVF that don't proceed to exist. additionally be attentive to which you will choose for to no longer be inspired so as which you produce many eggs yet merely some or which you will choose for to have a given style of eggs harvested or fertilize making fewer embryos that don't stay on the approach. merely some ideas.....desire this facilitates