hello
my little sister needs some help for school and i thought this is the right forum.
she is making a poster about gene technology and human cloning for school and she needs some opinions from around the world, as there are countrys where it is allowed and others where not.
(btw. here in germany it is not allowed)
just post your opinion about the risks and benefits, it would be interesting what people think about it
hope this is not too offtopic
thanx
Thomas
Well, for one thing human cloning is in general a pretty humane practice and shouldn’t be done, here in the US president Bush has been trying to make sure such cloning doesn’t take place in our country. The reason for cloning to be a bad thing is that one thing they use it for is so they create embryo’s and harvest stem cells and harm them which countries around the world have been trying to stop. And whilst this reason might be bad why would anyone want a copy of themself?
Well, for one thing human cloning is in general a pretty humane practice and shouldn’t be done,
I never thought humane practises were a bad thing ! 
The reason for cloning to be a bad thing is that one thing they use it for is so they create embryo’s and harvest stem cells and harm them which countries around the world have been trying to stop. And whilst this reason might be bad why would anyone want a copy of themself?
They don’t harm the harvest stem cells, they are used for medical purposes, potentially the ability to grow new tissue. Whether creating an embryo for the stem cells is a bad thing or not depends on your point of view. To some, it’s a collection of cells, but others see it as a human being.
I’m undecided on whether cloning should be allowed for this purpose.
A clone is not an exact copy, physical features and personality depend on external conditions as well as genes. And if you can’t have children by any other method, then it seems like a good idea to me.
If it can be done safely, then I think it’s a good idea. If it means creating large numbers of non-viable foetuses then it’s wrong in my view.
A lot of people tend to confuse GM and cloning. For anything other (in humans) than correcting health problems I do not like GM, but I have no objection to cloning.
and let the USA flame wars about stem cell research begin, you have shown the one side, so I will try to present the other USA side.
Controled stem cell research from a medical standpoint would be highly advantageous as it would allow replacement body parts to be more available. think when someone needs a new lung or heart, it could be quickly cloned from him to make an identical one that won’t be rejected by the body and will fix the problem with the old one. When I say controlled research I mean that there should be limits on it, so entire people arn’t cloned (to create obident armies of super humans, in a scary sci-fi way)
I think you meant inhumane practise. Anyway, I don’t see a problem in human cloning if they only use the clones for stem cells. Stem cells are extremely valuable as they may offer a chance to correct spinal disorders and allow people like Christopher Reeves to walk again. You can’t grow spinal tissue without them.
I don’t think allowing the cloning of humans to allow them to fully develop is right because of all the complications (freakishness) the human could develop.
Whether it is good or bad is all up to opinion. I understand how people can feel that stem cell research, where stem cells are taken from embryos (these cells are taken from unwanted embryos, many are made via artificial insemination and not all are used), is wrong. But what I don’t understand is how people say it is inhumane to take stem cells from embryos (which would greatly aid a huge area of research with enormous potential), but feel that it is ok to just toss them in the bin, which is what currently happens.
Cloning is not something I want to happen (I’m from the UK incase you need to know), but I do feel that stem cell research should be done. However, this might lead to embryos being ‘farmed’ in order to get the cells, and that is not something I’d be too comfortable with anyway (gah, such dilemas).
But this debate is pretty much based on what is defined as human life, some people feel embryos are just a bunch of cells, others believe it is already a human life. I think my view leans more toward the ‘bunch of cells’ side, but not entirely.
I think you meant inhumane practise. Anyway, I don’t see a problem in human cloning if they only use the clones for stem cells. Stem cells are extremely valuable as they may offer a chance to correct spinal disorders and allow people like Christopher Reeves to walk again. You can’t grow spinal tissue without them.
I don’t think allowing the cloning of humans to allow them to fully develop is right because of all the complications (freakishness) the human could develop.[/quote]
About that last part, such a thing would also accelerate the abortian issue which bush is also againsd.
I believe that stem cell research could be very helpful, the problem is i cannot justify humans being harvested. I believe that once a one celled zygote has formed it is a human being and to kill it is murder. I don’t deny the amazing things that it can do, i just think that it is morally wrong.
edit: by the way i am from the southeastern United States.
Most people don’t realize how many embryos are destroyed every day when artificial insemination works out. I think it is just freaking retarded to have all of those destroyed anyway and for no good use. What Kansas says:
Actually sums up the attitude of religious zealots pretty good. It’s an obviously humane practice that would take advantage of embryos ALREADY DOOMED AND BEING DESTROYED to benefit people with serious and currently irreperable health problems. The big argument is against destroying embryos, but as I mentioned, that’s hardly an argument that makes any sense. Some people need brain cell transplants.
Shbaz said exactly what I was meaning; that since they are going into the bin anyway, why not take these cells which could do a great amount of good?
thank you for your replies, a lot of information here which will be really usefull for my sisters homework.
and it’s interesting for me too 
If you want more interesting stuff, read up more on what stem cells can actually do
I want a mini-me …
I don’t think cloning is a bad thing if used for the good of all human kind. I do think cloning would be bad if geneticaly altered for say war or evil purposes. If a person had to die to give life to a clone then it would be self defeating.
if a human clone retained the memories of the host it would also be bad like the movie, " Mr. Stitches ".