Much of the scientific community is met with heavy religious opposition and this is due to the deeply instilled teachings of faith and religion. One such field that is currently facing much pressure from the religious community is that of Gene Therapy/Field of Genetic Transgenic. It is with the utmost importance that the community as a…
Author: Sabina
It is difficult to examine society’s acceptance or rejection of key biotech developments without considering the role played by the world’s major religions and their belief structures.
Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam react to new technologies and concepts in their own way – though there is rarely universal consensus on every issue within those religions. Not surprisingly, the basis for modern day beliefs is often found in scripture and related lore.
As a believer in science, I am committed to the ethics of always doing the right thing for all living things created by God.
With my blog I would like to invite you to get to know the different perspectives of our religious cultures on this relevant topic and to help shape the discussion.
Muslim arguments for and against gene therapy and genetic engineering
Recently scientists have developed techniques that can work on human genes to improve quality of life. A key principle for Muslims when forming a response to this is the sovereignty of Allah. Somatic cell therapy For Muslims are called on to provide care and relieve suffering and somatic cell therapy may offer new and better…
What sorts of questions do science and religion try to answer?
Science and religion often try to answer questions on similar topics. Medical scientists will try to answer the question ‘How can cancer be cured?’ Religious people may ask questions such as: Why do some people develop cancer? Why does a loving God allow people to develop cancer? These are more philosophical questions, using moral and…
Catholic perspective on human gene therapy
A Commentary on Dignitas Personae, Part Three, nn 24-27 Stephen Napier, Ph.D., NCBC Ethicist We continue our discussion of the 2008 Vatican document on bioethics, Dignitas Personae (DP). One of the issues addressed was gene therapy and enhancement. There are numerous diseases that have a genetic base, either causing or pre-disposing one to disease. Gene…
Genome Editing and the Christian
By Jeff Hardin Genome editing is fast becoming a fixture in the toolkit of modern biologists. The bacterial genetic sleuthing that makes such editing possible is a great story in itself. A more pressing concern, however, is that we are now living in an era in which it is scientifically possible to edit the genomes of…
Genetic Engineering: A Buddhist Assessment
By Ron Epstein What will it be like to be a Buddhist in a future world where your life starts with your parents designing your genes? In addition to screening for unwanted genetic diseases, they select for sex, height, eye, hair, and skin color, and, if your parents are Buddhists, maybe even genes that allow…
Human Enhancement – The Scientific and Ethical Dimensions of Striving for Perfection
Human enhancement is at least as old as human civilization. People have been trying to enhance their physical and mental capabilities for thousands of years, sometimes successfully – and sometimes with inconclusive, comic and even tragic results. Up to this point in history, however, most biomedical interventions, whether successful or not, have attempted to restore…