Genetic Engineering

Abstract

The advancement of genetic engineering has brought on the ideas of creating designer babies, or better put, babies being altered in utero to be perfect in the eyes of the parents. The desire to have a perfect baby is very important to most parents. This brings certain religious and sociological issues to the forefront. Damage to the human race and society is extremely possible if genetic engineering is allowed to develop into the creation of enhanced humans. The roles of religion will be discussed as well as the social implications. Research was conducted to determine the religious, ethical, and sociological issues that could affect the development of the human race. This research also aids in the conclusion that genetic engineering for the purpose of designer babies is not good for the human race or society as a whole.

Genetic Engineering: Destroying the Human Race

John and Susan are extremely happy to be bringing a brand new human into the world. It is their first child and their hopes and dreams for this child are astronomical. They envision their child being an extremely gifted basketball player which mirrors their love for basketball. The problem is that neither John nor Susan are athletically gifted and are below average height for their respective sexes. How can their child ever be a successful NBA player with these genetic strikes against their child? Genetic engineering, the deliberate modification of characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material, could be the answer. John and Susan can design their baby and ensure it has the traits it needs to be the next Michael Jordan. The idea of designing babies through the use of genetic engineering raises many questions even though scientists are years away from this possibility. Genetic engineering will make our children a commodity, create social inequalities, and lead to eugenics.

Genetic engineering exists in two flavors. On one side there is...