More on cloning

There is widespread controversy over whether or not human cloning is ethical. Experts are divided on this issue. It is my belief that human cloning is not ethical. It is a procedure that will not be used to enhance human life. It will be abused.
There are experts who believe that human cloning is ethical. Oliver Morton, an editor, (on genetic engineering) says, “Biology is about life. It’s just an accident of history that, until recently, everything alive was more or less natural. It [genetic engineering] is unnatural, but it’s not bad. The natural has no special moral status. Now medicine can offer us more than ever before.” (Morton p57, 62)
One expert, Lee M. Silver, a molecular biologist, says, “Scientists who work directly in the field of animal genetics and embryology were dismayed by all the attention that now bore down on their research. The cloning of Dolly broke the technological barrier. There is no reason to expect that the technology couldn’t be transferred to human cells. Real clones will simply be later-born identical twins-nothing more and nothing less. Cloned children will be full-fledged human beings. Opposition to cloning on the basis of safety alone is almost surely a losing proposition. There is no scientific basis for the belief that cloned children will be any more prone to genetic problems than naturally conceived children.” (Silver p91, 93, 95)
Bernard Gert is an ethical professor. He says, ”It may give rise to a genetically stratified society. Individual may be genetically engineered to provide various tasks-e.g., as warriors. If genetic engineering were permitted, the technology would be utilized inappropriately. Technology cannot justifiably be used to provide benefits to only a few. The present lack of knowledge should restrict genetic engineering to genetic repair.” (Gert p70-72)
One writer, E. V. Kontorovich, says, “The possibility of human cloning now looms imminently, unseen but real. Cloning would take the humanity out of human reproduction. Death and bodily infirmity are concomitant with human existence and in the long run unavoidable. Longevity cannot justify a practice that is basically wrong. There is nothing heartless about saying that people should resort to alternatives besides cloning, like adoption. Advocates of cloning like to sidestep the idea of organ farming with visions of growing organs, not a fetus. Cloning may benefit some, but… in the long run it undermines the advancement of the human species.” (Kontorovich p101, 103)
The experts remain divided on this issue. People all over the world remain divided on this issue. Some are for human cloning; some are against human cloning. It is my belief that human cloning is an unethical action.