Biological Tampering, Morality and Evolution

Some of us know the word "chimera" from mythology and fantasy stories, but it is also used in biology. Scientists are seeing what happens when they do modifications in the DNA, embryos and other parts of creatures; perhaps the combination will yield something useful. This has given us some dreadful sci-fi stories, but progress is being made in the various fields. New species may arise — but it would be helpful if there were not so many definitions of "species".

"Chimera of Arezzo"/Lucarelli/Wikimedia Commons

While the science itself can be fascinating (and possibly even fun), it raises some serious moral questions and concerns when it involves humans. Especially when the raw materials come from aborted children. In general, evolutionary biologists do not have qualms about this, since they do not see unborn children as persons. The lines are blurred when humans are not special, just another animal in molecules-to-man evolution. Essentially, the morality and ethics concerns are based on worldviews.

Evolutionary biology and secular arguments are not coherent. A biblical creationist examines the goings-on, and gives a critique from his perspective.

Abstract

The paper discusses and critiques some aspects of the controversy in bioethics concerning the mixing of human and animal materials for scientific research, including the science and technology of chimeras, cybrids, and human-animal hybrids, and the conceptual logic of evolutionists. It is argued that the logic of evolutionists explains why objections to the research are unconvincing, and concludes that the controversy cannot be settled in secular terms.

Introduction

On July 22, 2011, some readers of the Daily Mail UK were stunned by news that “Scientists have created more than 150 human-animal embryos in British laboratories” (Martin and Caldwell 2011). The introduction of the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in the United Kingdom, the article continues to say,

legalised the creation of a variety of hybrids, including an animal egg fertilised by a human sperm; “cybrids,” in which a human nucleus is implanted into an animal cell; and “chimeras,” in which human cells are mixed with animal embryos. (Martin and Caldwell 2011)

Unfortunately, the article neglected to mention that there is a controversy about the mixing of human and animal materials for scientific research purposes that has been going on for quite some time now, and that none of the objections to restrict the research have thus far been successful.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and critique some of the central issues of the controversy from the writer’s Christian perspective, including the science and technology of chimeras, cybrids, and human-animal hybrids, and the conceptual logic of evolutionists, which explains why the arguments to restrict research have been unconvincing. The paper concludes that the controversy cannot be settled in secular terms.

You can finish reading "Chimeras, Cybrids, and Hybrids: A Christian’s Observations and Critique of Some Aspects of the Controversy Involving the Mixing of Human and Animal Materials for Scientific Research", here.