-Christian Biochemist Defends ‘Three-Parent Baby’ Procedure

(Dr, Fazale Rana: Reasons To Believe)

A Christian biochemist has come out in favor of scientific advances like the new technique which produced the ‘Three-Parent Baby’ and believes that the procedure is defensible from a Christian world view. Not only that, he argues that choosing not to pursue such scientific breakthroughs would actually be “inherently sinful.” Here’s the story from PJ Media:

One Christian biochemist argued that choosing not to pursue such scientific advances is actually “inherently sinful.”

     “Our mandate as Christians is not only to preserve the dignity and sanctity of human life, to make sure that we’re not producing human life and discarding it,”

Dr. Fazale Rana, who holds a PhD in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry and serves as vice president of research and apologetics at Reasons to Believe, told PJ Media in an interview on Thursday.

     “To not do things to alleviate human suffering is just as bad in my mind,” he added.

Indeed, if there is a new medical development…

     “that doesn’t compromise human dignity and does alleviate suffering, not to pursue that is inherently sinful.”

Read the whole article>

Response: I am happy to have Dr. Rana’s input on this. Especially since he is a biochemist and undoubtedly far more knowledgeable about this new procedure and the potential problems then I may be. Plus, who can and should argue against any scientific advances that help people?

Yesterday I wrote a post on my Apologetica page listing possible ethical problems with this new technique. Dr. Rana does not share my concerns about the “Three-Parent Baby” procedure but advocates for pursuing scientific advances that may alleviate human suffering” in the strongest possible way. I observed in my post that “just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should.” Dr. Rana seems to support a different axiom- “just because something might be used for evil doesn’t meant it shouldn’t be used for good.”

I have to agree with him in this case. This procedure can be used for good. However, if this new technique is ever allowed to be used to produce ‘custom order’ babies then ‘human dignity’ would be compromised and all of my ethical misgivings would apply.

In conclusion, the new technique might be used for good but without any legal controls in place, what is to prevent this procedure (or others based upon it) from being used to produce a modern version of Hitler’s ‘master race’ children (Lebensborn) or to manufacture the perfect DNA for a ‘super soldier’ a la Star Wars?                 *Top