Genetic Engineering: Playing God? by Lue Jun Yi
What is genetic engineering?
A. Manipulation of Human Reproduction
1. Artificial Insemination
The process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse. It can be done using the husband’s sperm (AIH) or a donor’s sperm (AID).
2. in vitro Fertilization
A technique of fertilizing an egg in an artificial environment outside the body. Usually, more than one egg is taken out and fertilized at a time to increase the likelihood of success. Embryos formed which were not used to implant in the woman’s womb are normally frozen and used for later implantation/further experimentation/destroyed.
3. Surrogate Mothering
This refers to the carrying of a baby by a woman who is not the biological mother. Ways it could happen: the surrogate may carry an embryo from a married couple’s egg and sperm; or the embryo can be formed with her egg but a sperm from the biological father; or her egg and sperm from a donor; etc.
4. Cloning
The artificial reproduction of an organism which is the exact genetic copy of another living organism. Currently, it has only been successful with plants and some animals.
B. Manipulation of the Genetic Makeup of Living Things
1. Sex Selection
Two categories: pre-implantation where the sex is determined before conception and post-implantation where the sex is determined after the embryo is formed and then choosing to abort or not to implant (in the case of IVF) what one doesn’t want.
2. Recombinant DNA/Gene Splicing Technology
This allows scientist to redesign the genetic makeup of an organism by deleting, adding and/or changing the genetic code. This has been successfully used in agriculture (GMO), animal farming (breeding of animals with better traits), health care (production of human proteins for treatment), etc.
3. Gene Therapy
The insertion of genes into an individual's cells and tissues to treat a disease. Two categories: somatic cell therapy – genes are spliced and introduced only to the tissues that are affected by the defective genes and only affects the individual treated; germline therapy – genes splicing affects the genetic code in the reproductive cells and changes will be transmitted to future generation.
What is the biblical response to genetic engineering?
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV)
15 You saw my bones being formed
as I took shape in my mother's body.
When I was put together there,
16 you saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in your book
before I was one day old.
as I took shape in my mother's body.
When I was put together there,
16 you saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in your book
before I was one day old.
Psalm 139:15-16 (NCV)
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart...
before you were born I set you apart...
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
Don't you understand?
I am the only God;
there are no others.
I am the one who takes life
and gives it again...
Deuteronomy 32:39 (CEV)
Ethics of Genetic Engineering
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