Eugenics Essays (1491 words) - Medical Ethics, Molecular Biology

Eugenics President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free. The Civil War was fought to save the republic and free the enslaved. World War II was fought to save the world and stop a group which thought they were a superior race. What do these two wars have in common? They were fought, in part, for equality. The difference or believed difference between people causes tension and discrimination. Genetic engineering will cause a new form of differences between people and will cause an infinite amount of damage. Along with the potential damage, genetic engineering is morally and religiously wrong. Although genetic engineering has not been fully developed, we have come a long way and are now very close. The Human Genome project has almost mapped every one of a humans chromosomes. Doctors can now tell you if you have or if your child will inherit a certain disease. But first what are genes? Genes are often described as 'blueprints' or 'computer programs' for our bodies and all living organisms. Genes are specific sequences of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that are used in the production of proteins. They are a single factor among many. They provide the 'list of ingredients' which is then organized by the 'dynamical system' of the organism. That 'dynamical system' determines how the organism is going to develop. A recipe of ingredients alone does not create a dish of food. a gene is not an easily identifiable and tangible object. It is not only the DNA sequence which determines its functions in the organisms, but also its location in a specific chromosomal, cellular, physiological and evolutionary context. It is therefore difficult to predict the impact of genetic material transfer on the functioning of the extremely tightly controlled, integrated and balanced functioning of all the tens of thousands of structures and processes that make up the body of any complex organism (Vanaja,24.) Therefore, genetic engineering, also known as eugenics, refers to the artificial modification of the genetic code of a living organism. Genetic engineering changes the fundamental physical nature of the organism, sometimes in ways that would never occur in nature. Genetic engineering is religiously wrong. To the majority of the United States that is Christian, genetic engineering would pose a serious problem. In the Bible it states, And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him: male and female He created them.(Genesis, 1-27) Notice, it says that God created man in His own image It does not say man was created in his parents image. For a religious person, the choice is left to the superior being they believe in. It is not right for us to create another person to fit our wants and needs. Not only would you be taking the role of the superior being (if you believe in a superior being) or Mother Nature, but you would also be deciding your childs destiny. So, to the population of the world that is religious or believes in destiny, genetic engineering would be making decisions that should not be made by another human. A genetically engineered child would stand as a symbol that defies any religion practiced. This child woul d be a symbol for man being more powerful than God, Jesus, Alla, Buddha, Mother Nature, and Destiny. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal(Jefferson,1). Genetically engineering a person would make the Declaration of Independence meaningless. When this document was written the creators assumed everyone was created with the same chance to be someone great and healthy, hence everyone is created equal. However, once people have the chance to genetically enhance their child, people will no longer be created equal. Society will crumble due to the instant fall of the basic beliefs on which this country was built. Also, depression will become wide spread, because if you were not modified during birth, than you will have no chance to succeed. Today we hear so much about insurance companies in the news, on the radio, and in