Redesigning Humans: Is It Inevitable?

Airing on
Probe Radio


July
19-23

Dr. Ray Bohlin — There is a general unease in the wind. People are a little squeamish concerning the coming revolution in biotechnology. There is a sort of stand-offish fascination where we wonder at the possibilities for curing genetic diseases and even for making ourselves smarter, prettier, or stronger. Yet we shrink from the potential horror of the world we might create for ourselves with no hope of turning back.

We have faced such forks in the road before. Every new technology has presented fantastic benefits and uncertain costs. Gunpowder, electricity, the combustion engine, atomic energy, etc., have all offered tantalizing either/or tensions. Some of these tensions we still live with, such as the threat of nuclear weapons and encroaching pollution from combustion engines.

But for the most part we have been able to develop a stable coexistence between the potential for good and the potential for evil. Weapons have become more precise, minimizing unnecessary collateral casualties, the combustion engine has become cleaner and more efficient, and atomic weapons so far have been remarkably harnessed.

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Dr. Ray BohlinDR. RAY BOHLIN

"The church in America remains largely unaware of the developing genetic technologies. We are also ill-equipped to deal with monumental ethical considerations that these technologies will bring. Fortunately the furor over human cloning has largely died down. Apparently, cloning humans is much more difficult than previously thought. Not so genetic technologies. That race is still on."

Ray is president of Probe Ministries. He earned his B.S. in Zoology from the University of Illinois, an M.S. in population genetics from the University of North Texas, and his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Passionate about Intelligent Design, Ray is a research fellow with the Discovery Institute. He and his wife Sue have served at Probe for 35 years, the longest of all active staff.

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A scientist trained in cloning techniques, Ray looks at the cloning of Dolly the sheep from a Christian perspective, examining the value of cloning in general and humans in particular.

Michael GleghornPutting the Brakes on Human Genetic Engineering
Michael Gleghorn argues that a biblical view of man should impact how reproductive technology and genetic engineering are applied to humanity.

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Ray takes a brief look at the accomplishment, purpose and consequence of the Human Genome Project.

 

Probe Answers Your Questions:

"At What Stage of a Pregnancy is a Fetus Able to be Genetically Engineered?"

"Cloning Could Help So Many People!"

"Is Cloning Inherntly Evil?"