Human Cloning – what is the christian view?

1. Human cloning – what is the Christian view? –20th
August 2017
“Whenyouwere puttingme together there,16
your eyes saw my bodyeven before it was formed.
Youplannedhow manydays I wouldlive. Youwrote downthe numberof them in your bookbefore I
had livedthrough even one of them.”(Psalm139: 15-16)
Human cloningisthe creationof a genetically identical copy of anexisting, orpreviously existing, human
beingorgrowingcloned tissue fromthatindividual. Thisisarelativelynew development andthe Bible
doesnotspecificallydealwith same.Howeverthere are principlesinScripture whichmayshed some
lightonthe concept.
CloningrequiresbothDNA andembryocells.First,DNA isremovedfromthe nucleusof acreature’scell.
The material, bearingcodedgeneticinformation,isthenplacedinthe nucleusof anembryoniccell.The
cell receivingthe newgeneticinformationwouldhave haditsownDNA removedinorderto acceptthe
newDNA.If the cell acceptsthe newDNA,a duplicate embryois formed.However,the embryocell may
rejectthe newDNA and die.Also,itisverypossible thatthe embryomaynotsurvive havingthe original
geneticmaterial removedfromitsnucleus.Inmanycases,whencloningisattempted,several embryos
are usedin orderto increase the oddsof a successful implantationof new geneticmaterial.Whileitis
possible foraduplicate creature tobe createdinthismanner(forexample,Dollythe sheep whichwe
heardof towardsthe laterpart of the 20th
century),the chancesof successfullyduplicatingacreature
withoutvariations,andwithoutcomplication,are extremelyslim. Dollythe sheepwasthe firstmammal
to be clonedsuccessfullyfromadultcells. A panel of expertsfromthe fieldsof medicine,religion,
biotechnology,genetics,law,bioethicsandthe general public" hasbeen establishedtoevaluate the
"medical,ethical andsocial implications"of humancloning.
The Christianviewof the processof humancloningcan be statedinlightof several scriptural principles.
First,humanbeingsare createdinthe image of God and,therefore,are unique. The bible tellsus that
man iscreatedinGod’s image andlikenessandisunique amongall creations. We canread from Genesis
1:27, “So Godcreated humanbeings inhis ownlikeness. He created them to be like himself.He
created them as maleand female.” Humanlife issomethingtobe valuedandnottreatedlike a
commoditytobe boughtand sold.Some people have promotedhumancloningforthe purpose of
creatingreplacementorgansforpeople inneedof transplantswhocannotfindasuitable donor.The
thinkingisthatto take one’sownDNA and create a duplicate organcomposedof thatDNA would
greatlyreduce the chancesof organ rejection.The processof cloningrequireshumanembryostobe
used. While the cloningprocess canbe generatedtomake new cellsand organs,there seemsamoral
dilemmainthatitis necessarytokill several embryostoobtainthe requiredDNA.In essence the cloning
would“throwaway”many humanembryosas“waste material,”eliminatingthe chance forthose
embryostogrow intofull maturity.
In today’scontext,manybelievethatlife doesnotbeginatconceptionwiththe formationof the
embryo,andsince humanbodyisnot complete and therefore embryosare notreallyhumanbeings. But
the Bible teaches usdifferently. We canlearnfrom Psalm139:13-16, “Youcreated the deepest parts of
my being.You put me together insidemy mother’s body.14
Howyoumade me isamazingand
wonderful.I praise youfor that. Whatyou have done iswonderful.I know that very well.15
Noneof my
bones washiddenfrom you when youmade me insidemy mother’sbody. That placewas as dark as
the deepest partsof the earth. Whenyou were puttingme together there,16
your eyes sawmy body

2. even before it was formed. Youplannedhow manydays I wouldlive. Youwrote down the number of
them in your bookbefore I hadlivedthrough even one of them.”
The PsalmistdeclaresthatGod hasa planand that before he wasborn, thatat conceptionhe wasa
humanbeingwitha God-ordainedfuture.
Further, whenwe read Isaiah49:1-5, ittellsus of God callingIsaiahtohisministryasa prophetwhile he
was still inhismother’swomb. We canreadfrom Isaiah49:5, “The Lord formed me in my mother’s
bodyto be hisservant. He wanted me to bringthe familyofJacob backto him.He wanted me to
gather the people of Israel to himself. The Lord will honorme. My Godwill give me strength.”
We can alsoread fromthe bible that Johnthe Baptistwas filledwith the HolySpiritwhile he wasstill in
the womb in Luke 1:15, “He will be importantin the sightof the Lord. He must never drinkwine or
other such drinks.He will be filledwith the Holy Spiriteven before he is born.” All of these points to
the Bible’sstandonlife beginningatconception.Inlightof this,human cloning,withitsdestructionof
humanembryos,wouldnotbe consistentwiththe Bible’sview of humanlife.
In todays“newworld”thinkingis thatmanis accountable tono one but himself andthatmanisthe
ultimate authority…butforthe Christian the Bible teachesdifferently.Godcreatedmanand gave him
responsibilityoverthe earth asstatedin Genesis1:28, “Godblessedthem. He said to them, “Have
childrenso that there will be many ofyou. Fill the earth and bringit under your control.Rule over the
fishin the seas andthe birdsin the sky. Rule over every livingcreature that moves alongthe ground.”
WiththisGod given responsibilitycomesaccountabilitytoGod.Man is notthe ultimate authorityover
himself,andhe isthereforenotina positiontomake decisionsaboutthe value of humanlife.Neither,
then,isscience the authoritybywhichthe ethics of humancloning,abortion,oreuthanasiaare decided.
Accordingto the Bible,Godisthe onlyone whorightfullyexercisessovereigncontrol overhumanlife.To
attemptto control such thingsisto place oneself inGod’sposition.Clearly,manisnotto do this.
If we viewmanas simplyanothercreature andnotas the unique creationhe is,itisnot difficulttosee
humanbeingsasmere mechanismsneedingmaintenance andrepair.Butwe are notjusta collectionof
moleculesandchemicals.The Bible teachesthatGodcreatedeach of us and hasa specificplanforeach
of us.Further,He seeksa personal relationshipwitheachof usthroughHis Son,JesusChrist.While
there are aspectsof humancloningwhichmayseembeneficial,mankindhasnocontrol over where
cloningtechnologymaygo.Itis foolishtoassume thatonlygoodintentionswilldirectthe utilizationof
cloning.Man isnot ina positiontoexercise the responsibilityorjudgmentthatwouldbe requiredto
governthe cloningof humanbeings.
A frequentquestioniswhetheraclonedhumanbeing,assumingthathumancloningisone day
successful, wouldhave asoul.Inthe book of Genesiswe find the descriptionof Godcreatinga living,
humansoul inGenesis2:7, “Then the Lord Godformeda man. He madehim out of the dust of the
ground.Godbreathed the breath of life intohim. Andthe manbecame a livingperson.” Asbelievers
we have learnedfromthe bible thatwe are Gods creationandthat God breathedthe breathof life into
us. Our Souls are whatwe were createdfora purpose asGod planedforeachof us.With human
cloning,the importantquestioniswhatkindof livingsoul wouldbe createdbyhumancloning…?