Genome project forces new look at ethics, law
- Pacific Lutheran Seminary, Berkeley, CA (United States)
One day soon, scientists working under the Human Genome Initiative may be able to identify and locate most genes that cause inherited disease, says Ted Peters, a professor of systematic theology at Pacific Lutheran Seminary in Berkeley, California. When that day comes, it will be accompanied by a major new ethical issue-genetic discrimination, Peter warns. He paints a good/bad scenario. People, including newborn babies, could be screened to determine their predisposition to genetically based disease. Armed with this information, medical personnel could plan cradle-to-grave care that might delay, arrest, or cure the disease. But at the same time, he fears, people could be denied employment and medical insurance if their genes predict long or expensive medical treatment in the future. An even more complicated link between genetic screening and ethics looms on the horizon. Prospective parents may be able to fertilize a dozen eggs in the laboratory, screen for the preferred genetic makeup, implant the desired zygote, and discard the rest, he says. Is this abortion or selective breeding Religious denominations are speaking out forcefully on issues surrounding genetic screening, include strong opposition to genetic discrimination, Peters notes. But on the more complex issues of pre-implantation screening, embryo selection, and invervention into germline cells that influence heredity, religious leaders are still searching for clear responses.
- OSTI ID:
- 5813729
- Journal Information:
- Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States), Journal Name: Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States) Vol. 8:3; ISSN FARPEL; ISSN 0887-8218
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The New World of Human Genetics: A dialogue between Practitioners & the General Public on Ethical, Legal & Social Implications of the Human Genome Project
Medical genetics