Christian Views on Genetic Engineering

Monday's Group and their ideas.....

Liberal protestant attitude.
Genetic engineering is a good thing but only if for medical reasons and not to try and create a master race.
Some support the work of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
· Jesus was a healer, you should do everything you can to cure disease.
· God gave us the ability to do so, therefore we should.
· Creating cells is working with god not taking over god’s role.
· Embryo’s are not regarded as potential human life (time limit)
· They accept most of the non-religious arguments in favour of genetic engineering.

Roman Catholic attitude.
· Life begins at conception whether in a womb or glass dish –we have no right to interfere.
· Sanctity of life, life is holy and belongs to god.
· Killing an embryo is killing a person; this is against the law.
· Embryos for research have been produced by methods with which the Catholic Church disagrees.
· We are not allowed to ‘play god’
· Only heaven is perfect, not earth.


Tuesday's Group and their ideas...

Liberal Protestants think it’s a good thing if it is done for the cure of disease and not to produce perfect humans.
These Christians support genetic engineering because:
*Jesus was a healer who showed that Christians should do all they can to cure disease.
*God would encourage trying to improve human life, discovering the genetic make-up of humans can help us do this.
*There is a difference between creating cells and creating people (creating people by science rather than sex would be wrong because it is taking over Gods role in the creation of life.)
*Embryos can not be regarded as potential human life until they are 14 days old.
*They accept most of the non religious arguments in favour of genetic engineering.


Some Christians mainly Roman Catholics believe that genetic engineering is permissible as long as it is only for curing diseases and does not use human embryos.
They agree with genetic research for the same first three reasons as liberal protestants but disagree with the use of embryos because:
· Life begins at the moment of conception whether in the womb or in a glass dish.
· Killing an embryo is killing a human life. This is banned by the bible and the church.
· Embryos for research have been produced by methods which the Catholic Church disagrees with.

Some Christians are opposed to any form of genetic research at all. They have this attitude because:
*They believe that God has created the genetic make-up of each human being at the moment of conception and people have no rights to interfere with gods will.
*They believe that genetic engineering is “playing God” and that is a great sin.
*They believe that it is wrong to try to make the earth perfect as only heaven is perfect (except for certain members of the Tuesday Group of course!)
*This life is preparation for heaven and should not be used to try and make heaven on earth.
*They accept the non-religious arguments against genetic engineering.


Who gave the best explanation? You decide......!

Non-religious ideas about Genetic Engineering...

Non-religious attitudes
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· Good - Offers the prospect of cures.
· Going to happen! - Done in other countries, available to people rich enough to travel and pay for treatments.
· Time limited - Only use embryos for cloning until easier to use adult cells.
· Genetic research is an integral part of medicine research.
· Genetic research is monitored by the law, but has vast potential benefits.

· Warning! - Too little information about long-term consequences.
· Warning! - Has effects which would be irreversible.
· Warning! - Places too much power in the hands of scientists who could use genetic engineering.
· Warning! - Treats the human body as a commodity no different from plants.
· Offers the possibility of people having to be genetically screened before getting life insurance, senior jobs, with anyone likely to develop illness or die young banned – GATTACA!

What about genetic engineering and cloning?

Genetic engineering in humans. (By Sophie & Natalie)

Genetic engineering is ‘the deliberate modification of the characters of an organism by the multiplication of the genetic material’. It can also be connected with medical issues which are when they use techniques of gene development and manipulation to find cures or prevention for diseases and disabilities in humans. Genetic diseases affect large numbers of people. Scientists are involved in genetic research into: cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, sickle-cell anaemia, Tay-Sachs disease and Huntington’s chorea. Most genetic research has been based on:
*Germline gene therapy, which enables genetic changes to be made to those cells that transmit information from one generation to the next, enabling permanent changes to be made.
* Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) which removes defective genes from embryos so that women at risk of producing babies with diseases such as cystic fibrosis produces healthy babies.

More recently cloning has been used to grow healthy cells to replace the dead/horrible cells to cure the disease. This involves creating stem cells either from embryos produced for IVF but not used or by using bone marrow from adults or by using blood. These stem cells are then cultivated so that they can multiply and then they will be used to produce a cure. Legislation permitting stem call research in the United Kingdom was passed by Parliament in February 2001. However it is illegal in the USA.

Most recent case to hit the headlines: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65207.html

What do you think? Good idea or not?

John 3:11-18

By Ella

Always have a loving attitude to people and don’t hate because hating is as bad as murder. Christians need to act the way Jesus did and be prepared to lay down their lives to help each other.


Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer. - 'Thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. ' -Your deeds have to live this out as well you can't just say you don’t hate you have to prove it.

(PS It should have been pink, but it was really hard to read!)

Am I my brother’s keeper? (Genesis 4:1-10)

‘Genesis 4:1-10’ it about two brothers who are sacrificing something for god, Cain doesn’t sacrifice a lot and Abel does, then god prefers Abel because of this so Cain gets jealous and out of spite he kills his brother, but then God tells him off and he realises what he has done and is sorry!


I think this is trying to teach people to not become jealous, especially when it’s their own problem that the jealousy has occurred. I also think this is trying to tell people that rage shouldn’t take over and make people do stupid things.

By charrrlllll

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

This talks about a time when people will be divided up based on whether they helped those around them. If they did, they go to heaven, if they didn't, they go to hell.

Both sets of people tell Jesus that they didn't see him needing help, he tells them that whenever they helped anyone, it was like they were helping him.

The song you will remember from Primary 'When I needed a neighbour....' is based on this parable.

The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)

‘In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfils the law and the prophets.’



It is teaching you to treat other people the way you wish they would treat you, to think about how you should act towards others. It tells you that this fulfils the law, i.e., this is what God wants you to do.

If you are following the Golden Rule, you will want everybody to be happy, just as you will want yourself to be happy. Therefore, you will work for Human Rights etc.

In the exam it is best if you can give the reference for the quote, but good enough if you can say 'In the book of Matthew the Golden Rule says.....' it is even OK if you can say 'The Golden Rule says.....' - just learn it :-)


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Why Human Rights are important for Christians

Look at the teachings in the next few posts – they all talk about equality and loving your neighbour – if you love your neighbour and want the best for them, then you want Human Rights – if you should have something, so should your neighbour, and I don’t just mean the family at number 23…..

The UN Declaration of Human Rights

You don't need to know this word for word, but you need to know it exists and the sort of thing it talks about.

Article 1 - Right to Equality
Article 2 - Freedom from Discrimination
Article 3 - Right to Life, Liberty, Personal Security
Article 4 - Freedom from Slavery
Article 5 - Freedom from Torture and Degrading Treatment
Article 6 - Right to Recognition as a Person before the Law
Article 7 - Right to Equality before the Law
Article 8 - Right to Remedy by Competent Tribunal
Article 9 - Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest and Exile
Article 10 - Right to Fair Public Hearing
Article 11 - Right to be Considered Innocent until Proven Guilty
Article 12 - Freedom from Interference with Privacy, Family, Home and Correspondence
Article 13 - Right to Free Movement in and out of the Country
Article 14 - Right to Asylum in other Countries from Persecution
Article 15 - Right to a Nationality and the Freedom to Change It
Article 16 - Right to Marriage and Family
Article 17 - Right to Own Property
Article 18 - Freedom of Belief and Religion
Article 19 - Freedom of Opinion and Information
Article 20 -Right of Peaceful Assembly and Association
Article 21 -Right to Participate in Government and in Free Elections
Article 22 -Right to Social Security
Article 23 -Right to Desirable Work and to Join Trade Unions
Article 24 -Right to Rest and Leisure
Article 25 -Right to Adequate Living Standard
Article 26 -Right to Education
Article 27 -Right to Participate in the Cultural Life of Community
Article 28 -Right to a Social Order that Articulates this Document
Article 29 -Community Duties Essential to Free and Full Development
Article 30 -Freedom from State or Personal Interference in the above Rights

What rights do you think are most important?

Human Rights in the UK

UK condemned for failing to protect children's rights
· Youngsters in prison most vulnerable, says watchdog· Government warned to act or face scrutiny from UN
Lucy Ward, social affairs correspondent
The Guardian,
Tuesday November 20 2007

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/nov/20/children.publicservices

Are you surprised to hear that the UK might be investigated for failing to give all children their rights? Do you think this article really reflects human rights in the UK, or does it make things sound worse than they really are?

How Christians make moral decisions

Some Christians believe that the Bible is the only thing you should listen to, they might say "I believe that the Bible was inspired by God. I believe that it contains all the information that we need to live good and moral lives. It contains the teachings of God such as the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the teachings of great leaders like St Paul and the disciples. It is the absolute Word of God and as such cannot be changed. The Bible tells me everything I need to know!"

Other people would disagree, they would say that "Obviously the Bible is important, but be fair, some of it was written a couple of thousand years ago and those parts just aren’t relevant anymore! We shouldn’t base our beliefs only on the past, we need to look to the future too. The message of God is as important today as it ever was, but it isn’t limited to a book written centuries ago. "







Some people believe that the teachings of the Church are more important, they might say "I believe that the Bible was inspired by God. I believe that it contains all the information that we need to live good and moral lives. However it was written in a different time, so I believe that it needs to be interpreted by the Church in order that what it says is relevant for today and not just the product of the time and place it was written. The Church Leaders also have more experience than me, so they are best placed to help guide my decisions."



On the other hand, some people would disagree...."I do listen to the teachings of the Church, but at the end of the day I have to do what is right for me, as long as I don’t think I am going against God’s law. For example, I am Roman Catholic, my church teaches that contraception is wrong, but I don’t think the Church has the right to make such decisions for me. That is a matter I have to decide for myself, through prayer and contemplation. "







Some think that their conscience is the best guide, they would tell you "although I believe that the Church and the Bible have important things to say and can give guidance on moral issues, I feel that the final say should be down to me, so I listen to my conscience. St Paul & St Thomas Aquinas both said that a Christian should listen to their conscience if they are unsure what to do. Through prayer and contemplation I believe that I come to the correct decision about moral issues, the one God wants for me."

Others would totally disagree! They would tell you that "it’s all very well saying you can hear the voice of conscience and make decisions by it, but how exactly do you know that it is God you are hearing – sometimes the voices in your head certainly don’t come from God! Just because something seems right to you doesn’t mean it is. "

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Some people believe in Situation Ethics, or doing the most loving thing in a situation. Their view on making moral decisions is this "I believe in the teachings of a man called Joseph Fletcher. He taught that you should try and do the most loving thing in any situation. This is called ‘Situation Ethics’. It is based on the commandment of Jesus to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ and it means that you take account of the situation before making a moral decision. For example, abortion is a terrible thing, but so is making someone who has been raped go though with a pregnancy, in such a situation the loving thing might be the abortion."

Those who disagree would counter this with the argument that "some people seem to think they can do anything! God gave us laws in the Bible, not suggestions, also, what point is there belonging to a Church if you aren’t going to follow the teachings it has? Also, we can never know all the facts, so there is no point us thinking we are able to judge better than God – just follow the rules, it is safer! "

Questions:

How do Christians make moral decisions?

What do you think of each point of view?

How do you make moral decisions

Key Point to Remember:

Most Christians use a mixture of methods, i.e. they look at what their Church teaches and then think about whether that feels right and loving (conscience and Situation Ethics). Or they do what the Church teaches, which is based on the teachings of the Bible.

Key Words

Bible - the holy book of Christians

Church - the community of Christians (with a small c it means a Christian place of worship)

conscience - an inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an action

the Decalogue - the Ten Commandments

democratic processes - the ways in which all citizens can take part in government (usually through elections)

electoral processes - the ways in which voting is organised

the Golden Rule - the teaching of Jesus that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you

human rights - the rights and freedoms to which everyone is entitled

political party - a group which tries to be elected into power on the basis of its policies (eg Labour, Conservative)

pressure group - a group formed to influence government policy on a particular issue

Situation Ethics - the idea that Christians should base moral decisions on what is the most loving thing to do

social change - the way in which society has changed and is changing (and also the possibilities for future change)

Course Outline - Rights and responsibilities

Key Words - no escape, just learn them!

How Christians make moral decisions

Human rights in the UK.

Why human rights are important for Christians.

Christian teachings on moral duties and responsibilities: the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), Am I my brother’s keeper? (Genesis 4:1-10, 1 John 3:11-18).

The nature of genetic engineering, including cloning.

Different attitudes to genetic engineering and cloning in Christianity
and the reasons for them.

Why it is important to take part in democratic and electoral processes.

Grade Descriptors

These are the criteria for each grade taken directly from the Edexcel website

A
Candidates demonstrate detailed knowledge and thorough understanding of religion to describe, explain and analyse the significance and impact of beliefs, teachings, sources, practices, ways of life and forms of expressing meaning. They interpret, draw out and explain the meaning and importance of the beliefs and practices of the religion(s) and/or beliefs studied, and assess the impact of these on the lives of believers. They explain, where appropriate, how differences in belief lead to differences of religious response. They understand and use accurately and appropriately a range of specialist vocabulary.
They use reasoned argument supported by a range of evidence to respond to religious beliefs, moral issues and ultimate questions, recognising the complexity of issues. They demonstrate informed insight in evaluating different points of view to reach evidenced judgements about these beliefs, issues and questions.

C
Candidates demonstrate sound knowledge and understanding of religion to describe and explain the significance and impact of beliefs, teachings, sources, practices, ways of life and forms of expressing meaning. They show awareness of the meaning and importance of the beliefs and
practices of the religion(s) and/or beliefs studied, and can describe the impact of these on the lives of believers. They recognise how differences in belief lead to differences of religious response. They communicate their ideas using specialist vocabulary appropriately. They use argument supported by relevant evidence to express and evaluate different responses to issues studied. They refer to different points of view in making judgements about these issues.

F
Candidates demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of religion to describe, with some reasons, the significance and impact of beliefs, teachings, sources, practices, ways of life and forms of expressing meaning. They show some awareness of the meaning and importance of the religion(s) and/or beliefs studied, sometimes recognising and making simple connections between religion and people’s lives. They communicate their ideas using everyday language.
They present reasons in support of an opinion about the issues studied, and show some understanding of the complexity of the issues by describing different points of view.