[MonroeDNA]

If life begins at conception, is a clone life?

[RHINO369]

Well it would have a soul because assuming god has total control he allowed it to happen, u could even make the case he wants it to happen although this is a dangerous slope we are slipping down. Rent teh movie GATICA it is about a America were all children are gentically picked to be superior, and one man who was concieved naturally who fights to live his dream. Its really good

[dpwiener]

So why can't we also clone souls? Even if the technology isn't yet available today, that doesn't mean it won't be developed in the future. After all, fifty years ago a person would have been laughed at for seriously suggesting that human beings could be cloned. Yet now we've done so (or, more likely, will soon do so).

Cloning is the obvious soulution to all the bitching about "souless technology".

[Consort]

Mind Uploading Home Page.

[Polycarp]

Cloning advocates such as Clonaid can't possibly believe in the biblical concept that God creates unique human souls in His own image. Even assuming they can precisely duplicate a human being physically, what about his spiritual aspect? Will he/it have a soul?

I do not think it will have a human soul.

God is not a genie in a bottle that our physical manipulations of cloning can conjure forth and force to create a soul when by our monstrosities we happen to create a physical body.

If it lives, however, it must be animated by a spiritual force.

If no human soul is provided by God, then another opportunistic animating force will fill the vacuum.

My personal opinion is that clones will not have a human soul but will be perfectly demonically possessed, though I have never heard an educated guess from a Catholic well versed in these matters.

Catholic Caucus, any thoughts?

[jennyp]

Oh man, Limbaugh is so off-base...

1. And the Raelien cult, with which Boisselier is associated, believes that the human race was begun by extraterrestrials some 25,000 years ago. But we shouldn't let the comical aspects of this insanity overshadow its grave implications.

   Insanity? The Raelians believe in Intelligent Design, the up to date version of respectable-sounding creationism. What's not to like?

2. There is no such thing as a "soul" - not if he means some kind of supernatural organ that gets assigned to us when we're conceived (or when we kick our mommy for the first time, or whenever). The soul is an unnecessary reification of the abstract concept of our identity & consciousness. It's a similar conceptual error to the anthropomorphism that turns God into an old man on a throne in the clouds.

   The important thing is, the clone is a person, just like us.

3. It's "The Sixth Day", not "Total Recall".

Well, OK, transferring your thoughts & memories into another brain would not transfer your self. It would only make a copy, and the person (the collection of thoughts & memories) in that clone's body would be effectively killed, and you'd still be here stuck in your dying body. That would be murder, and a pointless one at that.

It'd be like having your cerebrum surgically removed from your cerebellum and transplanted into the clone's brain. You'd have a leftover cerebrum from the clone which would be destroyed. Obviously murder.

And yes, Brigitte Boisselier does look like a puffed up version of a combined clone of Morticia & Lily.

[Vigilant1]

So if I read the silly religious extremist dogma correctly, since a clone would have no soul, it would not be human; it would be a creature of Satan. Therefore, it would not only be okay to kill clones on sight, it would be the duty of every 'good Xn'. I see a new Salem witch trials episode looming on the horizon....

"Burn the clone! Burn the clone!"

[realpatriot71]

We should fear His judgment as we erect the ultimate Tower of Babel in usurping His sovereign power to create humankind by duplicating babies as if from a Xerox copy machine.

Yeah, God is just shaking in his boots . . . making a copy is just a tiny weeny bit different than creating life from dust.

I'm pretty sure God is secure in his position . . .

[angry elephant]

Since the Rats have no souls, if they are cloned, they would still be the same.

[DannyTN]

I would tend to buy the clone is a twin and has a soul argument, although I will admit it is disturbing to not know for certain.

For me, the bigger issue is the health problems that the sheep Dolly has.

If we replicate those health problems in Humans just to satisfy our egos with replications of ourselves as clones, well, that is just bad.

I don't know whether taking the chance that your offspring will have serious health problems, is the height of ego or the height of apathy towards your own descendants, or both.

[opocno]

Any chance that spokeswoman Dr. Brigitte could clone herself some new teeth? That is one hideous smile; underlines the Dr. Frankenstein theme!