A New Age Ethical Theory and the Acceptance of Human Cloning

Dr. Seed’s quote concerning the cloning of human beings seems to give the unnerving impression that he believes man’s relationship with God involves developing a human divinity as we “become one with Him.” Has Dr. Seed bitten from the same forbidden fruit consumed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and accepted the lie from Satan that, “You will not surely die...For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5)? Dr. Seed and others like him believe the consequences of the human cloning process will usher humanity into a glorious new era. Even if many in the scientific community won’t admit to a God-like role in their development of reproductive technologies, like cloning, it seems that man, science and technology are forming a new earthly trinity that is desperately trying to take on the role of creator instead of remaining a humble part of the creation. Should pluralistic societies embrace these new advances in medical science that may provide incredible cures for debilitating diseases, and increase man’s longevity or physical prowess, even though the choices made available by these same technologies create a host of moral or ethical dilemmas? Is mankind moving forward, or is it accepting what Francis Shaeffer calls the “Great Lie” that is, “we have the capacity, like God, to create our own standard of right and wrong” (Colson, p.195, 1999). Determining what is right and wrong or good and bad has been troubling scholars, educators, philosophers, mothers and fathers since the beginning of human history. In ancient Greece moral philosophers like Socrates struggled with the concept of how one ought to live. Through the centuries a number of moral decision-making processes or ethical theories have influenced individuals and whole cultures in addressing or determining when actions are right or wrong. Man-centered ethical theories such as Cultural Relativism, Subjectivism, Egoism, Utilitarianism and Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative continue to have a strong influence on ethical decision making. God or higher authority-centered ethics, such as the Divine Command Theory, have had profound results within many cultures, especially the Judeo-Christian tradition, one of the main historical sources of the moral heritage of the West. How would these ethical theories respond to the issue of cloning human beings? If the human cloning process were filtered through some of these manand God-centered ethical theories, what would be the final conclusion concerning the argument for or against this procedure? For example, Christians do not claim that the Holy Bible is exhaustive, that it specifically tells us everything we could possibly know about every ethical situation.