Gene-Ethics

When Stem Cell Biologist and Geneticist introduced the world to Dolly, the first ever cloned mammal in the universe many people raised the red flag, many questions where asked and many conservatives give off their most heaviest attack on science, most of these Anti-Stem Cell Research are clergymen. But when these clerics are ask what is the definition of Stem Cell Biology they tend to define it base on their own opinion and not as a collective word that is judge by its harm and benefits. Some of them define it as an act of the devil because it is playing God, in fact Stem Cell Biology is not playing God rather it is the utilization of God’s creation into something productive. Stem Cell Biologist do not create something out of nothing they only reprogram a particular cell of a living thing so that it will act in a completely different manner, its like teaching a Chinese how to speak English. With the Vatican attacking these people (Scientists) is like going back many centuries ago, to the time when the same religious institution condemn the works of Galileo and Johan Kepler and other scientists that agreed to the fact that earth is not the center of the universe, back to the time that many autistic, physically and mentally incapable citizens are feared not because they have this incapacities but because church-influenced society thought they are possessed by an evil spirit, back to the time where lepers and other maladies caused by microbial infestations are banished from the face of the earth because they (the people) believe these men (the lepers, etc.) are unclean and are carrying an evil demon with them, without them (the people) considering any form of scientific explanation. Yes, I may bluntly conclude that the church is ignorant about the advancement of science because their profession only deals with abstract theological thinking that confers to their standards of morality and not to the logical-mathematical thinking of science that is under a different kind of morality.

I, being a patron of Molecular Biology and Genetics, like the pope and his subordinates I am also obliged to stand on what I believe is right. So how do we reconcile these two opposing concepts? A proposal of Gene-Ethics, that is the proper ethics for the usage of the Stem Cell Knowledge, should be formed not only to set the proper application of this branch of modern biology but also to set some standards and limits to its application as well. Remember that this advancement of science have two faces, the one beneficial the other harmful. Lets consider first one of its benefits, the most common benefits of Stem Cell Biology is in the field of medicine, by reprogramming a cell to act into another particular type of cell structure (like for example reprogramming a human fibroblast cell into a brain cell) then it can be used as an artificial vector of diseases (like inducing tumor in the newly transformed brain cell) then new drugs can be applied to it and thus drug discovery requires no clinical trials on animals and men. Now lets consider the harmful causes of this technology, the most common harmful effect of this technology is the unethical use of this knowledge to manipulate human fetuses to obtain desirable characteristics thus the Stem Cell Biologist is interfering in the process of ethical natural creation, a process where only nature should control and that the development of the child should not be interfered by any mechanical means. So what should be the basic standpoint of Gene-Ethics? It is the job of biomedical ethicist to do this but if I may let me propose a few points that may help them.

First, it should not be used to interfere with the proper development of the child not unless it is critically needed or that the embryo needs to be manipulated in a way to benefit another or all of the people in which there is no other way but to perform the act. By doing this a single life sacrificed for the benefit of another life or for the benefit of all.
Secondly, the purpose of stem cell should be beneficial and for the benefits of seeking knowledge that can be helpful to the whole society. By doing this there is a limitation to what type of research can be done using the technology.
Thirdly, the aims of the Stem Cell Biology research should not benefits only the chosen few but to the greatest number of people as well. The result should not be destructive to any community and it should not be selfish.
These are the only points that I can suggest so that this branch of science will be used wisely and that the church will start appreciating the value of this knowledge.