So - Cloning?

[Ironhold]

This is a common topic in science fiction and whatnot, and so with Star Wars coming back around I'm thinking about it again. 

Suppose that human cloning was a reality. Someone, somewhere, finally made the breakthrough that would allow for humans to be fully cloned without any negative effects due to the age of the people providing the donated DNA. 

Where would you stand on the issue?

[Guest]

Would we suppose that they also get away from the abortive aspect of cloning as well?

[Guest]

The idea of clones existing? I don't understand any hysteria over that. Should we be freaked out by identical twins?

 

My concern would be how they would handle the ethics of embryo creation in the name of science. That's a great big rabbit hole I don't even want to get into as a mother of children conceived via IVF. 

[Crypto]

Only if it is done in a culture that values life. It seems to me that people are moving farther and farther away from valuing life in general, or even other people.

[Guest]

I have a bigger problem getting to the point where humans can be cloned with no negative side effects rather than the actual cloning.

 

When Dolly the sheep was cloned, it took something like 277 attempts before it worked and Dolly was born.  That was 277 deformed, miscarried sheep, some of whom probably suffered horribly before dying prematurely.  When Dolly finally was produced, we got an inferior approximation of a sheep who lived half as long as normal.

 

If we take that to humans, it could take thousands of attempts to clone a human once successfully.  We are talking about thousands of miscarried fetuses, children born with horrible painful birth defects, and the like.  Think about the sheer magnitude of all that suffering.  Even when the cloning process "works", there is a very high chance that the resulting human will have severe genetic defects, a shortened lifespan, perhaps intellectual difficulties, and the like.  

 

It would take perhaps hundreds of thousands of attempts (and thus miscarried fetuses and horribly deformed children) before scientists could perfect cloning to the point that it would be "reliable".

 

What is the point of all of this human suffering?  To find some kind of intimacy-free alternative to normal reproduction?  Sorry, I don't think the human costs are worth the outcome when experimenting with human cloning, and that is not even getting into the ethics of the abortive portions of cloning.  

Edited December 21, 2015 by DoctorLemon

[mordorbund]

Should we be freaked out by identical twins?

 

 

YES! That is so weird.

 

I'm fine with fraternals - I've had a roommate for most of my life and can see how having one in utero could be desirable. But I've NEVER wanted to change my appearance to match a roommate. That's just unnatural.

 

And icky.

 

[shivers]

 

Please don't bring it up again.

[Guest]

YES! That is so weird.

 

I'm fine with fraternals - I've had a roommate for most of my life and can see how having one in utero could be desirable. But I've NEVER wanted to change my appearance to match a roommate. That's just unnatural.

 

And icky.

 

[shivers]

 

Please don't bring it up again.

 

 

[Guest]

This is a common topic in science fiction and whatnot, and so with Star Wars coming back around I'm thinking about it again. 

Suppose that human cloning was a reality. Someone, somewhere, finally made the breakthrough that would allow for humans to be fully cloned without any negative effects due to the age of the people providing the donated DNA. 

Where would you stand on the issue?

 

 

A human being is an eternal spirit in a mortal body.  I don't see a reason why the mortal body can't be a clone if Heavenly Father wishes for the same mortal genetic condition as another for a specific spirit to carry out his Plan of Salvation.  That unique Spirit would have his own unique free will that will be carried out in the conditions of his cloned mortal body.  Therefore, he will turn out uniquely from his mortal clone with his own path back to God.

 

Of course, we need revelation from the Prophets to give us direction on whether God desires for a spirit to dwell in a cloned mortal body.

 

 

 

 

As an aside - interestingly, each Clone Trooper has individual will... there were Clone Troopers who defied Order 66 and helped hide surviving Jedi.  There's several book series that has Troopers who joined the rebellion and facing the challenge of gaining trust from the other side.

Edited December 21, 2015 by anatess

[Guest]

 

Now, that's just wrong...   Are you even old enough to remember that movie?  I guess so.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Guest

[mordorbund]

Now, that's just wrong...   Are you even old enough to remember that movie?  I guess so.

 

A diplomat remembers a woman's birthday but not her age.

[Guest]

A diplomat remembers a woman's birthday but not her age.

 

Yeah, I rolled a critical fail on my diplomacy (not enough character points).  But it should be taken as a compliment that I thought she was 29. :)

 

 

EDIT: Now hold on!  I just figured out how old Eowyn is.  You should not be old enough to remember that movie. You were two years old when that came out. What?  Did you see it on TV Cable years later?

Edited December 21, 2015 by Guest

[Blackmarch]

This is a common topic in science fiction and whatnot, and so with Star Wars coming back around I'm thinking about it again. 

Suppose that human cloning was a reality. Someone, somewhere, finally made the breakthrough that would allow for humans to be fully cloned without any negative effects due to the age of the people providing the donated DNA. 

Where would you stand on the issue?

Until the tech gets better, it should be avoided- however i'll wager china and russia will be the first two to really go for it.

Once the tech is better, then depending on the situation it could be really good or really bad. (cloning body parts for replacement is good)... doing a full clone would be questionable tho.

[Guest]

cloning body parts for replacement is good... doing a full clone would be questionable tho.

 

Did you ever see "The Island"?  (Scarjo, Ewan McGregor) --it just keeps going back to Star Wars.  It is inevitable ... it is our ... desssstiny.

[Traveler]

This is a common topic in science fiction and whatnot, and so with Star Wars coming back around I'm thinking about it again. 

Suppose that human cloning was a reality. Someone, somewhere, finally made the breakthrough that would allow for humans to be fully cloned without any negative effects due to the age of the people providing the donated DNA. 

Where would you stand on the issue?

One of the interesting things about BYUTV is the phrase - See the good in the world.

There is something very important about the technology of human cloning that many overlook or do not understand. A direct byproduct of human cloning is the ability to alter human genetics. This means that cloning also brings the technology to replace faulty or damaged organs by growing such necessities. Also we would be able to replace severed limbs or even damaged areas of the brain, nervous system of other element of the physical human body. In fact all physical sicknesses could be cured – even aging.

Perhaps as we approach the knowledge of such things as cloning – we are in essence preparing technology necessary for the millennium. It is my belief and understand that such knowledge enwrapped with righteousness is what we (as Christians) are looking forward to when Christ will reign as king. I am surprised that people of faith fear such knowledge among mankind – I believe peoples of faith should rejoice in such things – and thank G-d for such knowledge.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Traveler

[Guest]

Yeah, I rolled a critical fail on my diplomacy (not enough character points).  But it should be taken as a compliment that I thought she was 29. :)

 

 

EDIT: Now hold on!  I just figured out how old Eowyn is.  You should not be old enough to remember that movie. You were two years old when that came out. What?  Did you see it on TV Cable years later?

 

I AM several hundreds of years old, you know.

 

But the real answer is that I've never seen the movie, I've just seen a lot of references and parodies. Most notably the Simpsons parody. :

[Guest]

How did you figure out my age? 

[mordorbund]

How did you figure out my age? 

 

By counting the candles on your cake. From this distance, and given the cake coverage, he should be within 2 or 3 years (plus or minus).

[Guest]

What cake?

 

I just looked into the all-seeing-eye.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Guest