scientists are on the verge of creating life in a lab on the cellular level. if successful, we could potentially see human-like organisms evolve from these cells. my question is this. what moral obligations would theists have to protect these organisms, should this possibility become a reality? in other words, assuming a life was created that had nearly all the characteristics of a human would you have any moral objections to this life being used for scientific research against its will?
2007-11-30 08:07:40 · 12 answers · asked by just curious (A.A.A.A.) 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
As an atheist, I think that we should show the utmost respect to all sentient beings.
Christians, however, often justify God's cruelty by saying "Who are we to judge our creator?"
Following that logic, we should be able to torture the life we create.
2007-11-30 08:13:42 · answer #1 · answered by Eleventy 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
But this isn't making life so much as rearranging it. Even a simple bacterium is a vast assemblage of intricately crafted molecules, many of them elaborately customised. In other words, they use the products of living organisms to re-make living organisms. They remain a long way from being able to put together a living cell from scratch. How did nature fabricate the world's first digital information processor - the original living cell - from the blind chaos of blundering molecules? How did molecular hardware get to write its own software?
I would say that 'if' this was to happen one would have to question the motive. It's important for citizens to feel that scientists have made their highest motive the quest for knowledge and the advancement of the public good - not fame or personal gain. Then again ... How would we enforce that?
2007-11-30 08:34:05 · answer #2 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will have no soul,so its an object not a person.Cruel wouldn't you say? I believe research will take us places where we will not be able to make a real case for humanity eventually.After all if you could get perfect results with perfect attributes and genius why then would we even need people? Sad state of affairs that would be and yet millions or perhaps billions think this is good.Thank God I won't be around to see it.Well hopefully it will be that long off lol.
2007-11-30 08:40:29 · answer #3 · answered by peppersham 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lol, science would like to be on the verge but we are not really there yet. Some micelles and random RNA do not life make.
But on the other hand if we were successful, initially I imagine the lifeform would be treated similarly to any laboratory animal. It would be an incredible leap to think we could 'randomly' create a sentient being in the lab.
*Dolly was not 'created' she was cloned from preexisting life.
2007-11-30 08:31:57 · answer #4 · answered by future dr.t (IM) 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Science has created life Remember Dolly the sheep
2007-11-30 08:17:43 · answer #5 · answered by Biker4Life 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"if successful, we could potentially see human-like organisms evolve from these cells."
But not for a very long time, dear.
2007-11-30 08:18:16 · answer #6 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes....personally I would.
If it's like a human, primate, etc. it should not be used, poked, tested, etc. It didn't ask to be a scientific miracle(talk about oxy-morons lol) so why should it be treated like some lab rat?
2007-11-30 08:11:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If they create a human, that human will have all the rights of any other human.
2007-11-30 08:17:24 · answer #8 · answered by magix151 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Which lab? Which scientists?
They would have no obligation whatsoever. This would be mankind 'playing god', and such creatures would be abominations.
Or so they lead me to believe. They already get shirty about GM crops.
2007-11-30 08:12:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
well it sounds good but we don't have 14 billion years to see if it works out
2007-11-30 08:12:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋