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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdchema!jwp
From: jwp@sdchema.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.med,net.religion,net.research,net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Is genetic research too far?
Message-ID: <205@sdchema.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Jul-84 14:52:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdchema.205
Posted: Tue Jul 24 14:52:10 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jul-84 03:33:49 EDT
References: <284@ihu1e.UUCP>
Reply-To: jwp@sdchema.UUCP (John Pierce)
Organization: Chemistry Dept, UC San Diego
Lines: 30


ihnp4!ihu1e!nowlin:

    "Can we morally withhold this form of treatment [of genetic defects], ..."

Actually, a good many people would have no problem with this at all.

	"[above quote continued] .... any more than we would now make a child
	forgo an operation to correct a genetic heart defect because they were
	born with it ..."

There are many people who not only would refuse such an operation, but who
have in fact done so, with no moral qualms whatsoever.

	"[above quote continued] ...and that would be tampering with nature?"

The usual reason given is not that it "would be tampering with nature", but
that it would be tampering with the work of God.  If God hadn't wanted the
kid to have a (so-called genetic) heart defect, then God wouldn't have given
it one, right?

There are a lot of fools out there, ihu1e!nowlin; more fools than rational
people.  And they will win - every time.  Because they don't waste their time
and energy worrying about such problems; they simply react in whatever way
their father, or mother, or preacher, or whoever, tells them to.  This leaves
them a lot more time and energy to gather other fools who are waiting around
for someone to tell them how to react.  And they will win - every time.

				John Pierce, Chemistry, UCSD
				sdcsvax!sdchema!jwp