Genetic engineering is the modification of an organism 's genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species. This type of technology gives parents and doctors an almost “G-d- like” position. Should parents be able to choose certain traits for their children if the children cannot give consent to this? Are their safety hazards to this picking and choosing? According to Jewish law, is this ethical and moral? What does the Jewish tradition say about acting like G-d?
One common use of genetic engineering in humans is the creation of designer babies. One of the first times that a designer baby was created (in vitro) was in …show more content…
Only the wealthy would be able to afford it; therefore, their children would be the healthiest, the most beautiful, and genetically predisposed for success, thus leaving the poorer children with a much lower chance of finding success in life. Another question that rises is one of safety. When a parent chooses to create a designer baby, they are most likely picking genes that will enhance the abilities and health of their future children. However, there is still so much that scientists do not know about genes. The Human Genome Project, which is an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the sequence of base pairs that make up human DNA, was only started in 1990. Since the Human Genome Project is so new, the science community has not yet discovered what each gene does. In some cases, one gene can have multiple functions. For example, in the late 1990s, scientists discovered a gene that is linked to memory. In order to test the function of this gene, they modified this gene in mice. The gene did increase learning and memory in the mice, but it also causes increased sensitivity to pain. This unexpected result shows that the science community is not quite ready to modify genes on a regular …show more content…
In these cases, genetic engineering is halachically permitted. The rabbis also discuss the topic of designer babies through the technique of preimplantaion screening, which allows for only healthy zygotes to be implanted into the mother’s womb. The Rabbis sanction this in Jewish law. While it is permissible to select non-affected genes before implantation, it is not permissible to screen a already implanted zygote with the intention of aborting an affected fetus. Judaism also does not permit the screening of zygotes in order to choose desirable physical characteristics for a child as this does not fall under the category of pikuach
One common use of genetic engineering in humans is the creation of designer babies. One of the first times that a designer baby was created (in vitro) was in …show more content…
Only the wealthy would be able to afford it; therefore, their children would be the healthiest, the most beautiful, and genetically predisposed for success, thus leaving the poorer children with a much lower chance of finding success in life. Another question that rises is one of safety. When a parent chooses to create a designer baby, they are most likely picking genes that will enhance the abilities and health of their future children. However, there is still so much that scientists do not know about genes. The Human Genome Project, which is an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the sequence of base pairs that make up human DNA, was only started in 1990. Since the Human Genome Project is so new, the science community has not yet discovered what each gene does. In some cases, one gene can have multiple functions. For example, in the late 1990s, scientists discovered a gene that is linked to memory. In order to test the function of this gene, they modified this gene in mice. The gene did increase learning and memory in the mice, but it also causes increased sensitivity to pain. This unexpected result shows that the science community is not quite ready to modify genes on a regular …show more content…
In these cases, genetic engineering is halachically permitted. The rabbis also discuss the topic of designer babies through the technique of preimplantaion screening, which allows for only healthy zygotes to be implanted into the mother’s womb. The Rabbis sanction this in Jewish law. While it is permissible to select non-affected genes before implantation, it is not permissible to screen a already implanted zygote with the intention of aborting an affected fetus. Judaism also does not permit the screening of zygotes in order to choose desirable physical characteristics for a child as this does not fall under the category of pikuach