[metmom]

Presumably, Catholics are not against indoor plumbing.. or cough syrup.. or telephones.. Couldn't one make the argument that God's plan was for us to to get our water from the local river, to deal with our colds until they go away, and to talk to each other face to face?

That kind of stupid reasoning would lead you to figure that if God is going to provide for our needs, that why should we work? Shouldn't we just have enough faith to lay around with open mouths to wait for God to pour the food in?

Jesus never condemned the technology of His day. There's a big difference between using the physical world to make life more comfortable and using it to cheapen the humanity of mankind.

[timm22]

There's a big difference between using the physical world to make life more comfortable and using it to cheapen the humanity of mankind.

How would genetic engineering cheapen humanity?

We already use a number of technologies (and natural methods) to try to make our bodies more "perfect". What is it about genetic engineering that makes it different than these other, largely acceptable methods?

[ivyleaguebrat]

"That kind of stupid reasoning would lead you to figure that if God is going to provide for our needs, that why should we work?"

I don't see how it leads to that at all.. It leads to the conclusion that God, if he exists, either wanted us to contrive technologies to make our lives easier, or he didn't. I'm trying to understand why some technologies would be "off-limits"--to use the words of another poster--if they don't necessitate killing or other sins.