by Michael R. Allen

Researchers who have cloned nine sheep have definitely understood scientific laws and theories, but they have failed to reply to an obvious query: why, besides instant gratification, does society require the use of cloned mammals? The scientists justify their research and experimentation by pointing out the benefits of genetically superior farm animals. However, the benefits have very limited bounds, as a herd of cloned animals could all die simultaneously if only one member caught a disease. The flaws of cloned animals are deep, as a herd needs diverse genetic composition, which cannot be found in copies of a single animal.

The major reason for creating clones is the demand of farmers who want to clone, for example, cows that can produce milk especially well. This reason is the climax of the instant gratification culture of contemporary society, with farmers and genetics experts scrambling to get what they want, when they want it. However, farmers are not the originators of this idea. The scientists themselves decided to create the creatures, and they had little reason to do so, save the ecstasy involved when one can wield divine power.

Logically, the next step may be human cloning, which brings me to the point of ethics. Though ethics in society at large are disappearing, I still believe that every scientist, politician, diplomat, etc. should be held to the high standards one would expect to accompany their positions of high authority. Therefore, human cloning is wrong and not merely because of the lack of diversity that would result if everyone looked alike. Each human being is the product of a sacred marital union, one that holds mother, father, and child in an erotic and biological bond. Each child is born as a different individual, and therein lies the beauty of human life as we now know it. A clone would have no individuality, no parents, no love. Without emotional attachment, clones would be much like robots that could cheaply be utilized for armies, factories, and other purposes. Clones would be great for nations like Cuba, North Korea, or China, because they could easily rebuild their economies and their military forces.

Disastrous and ungodly as they may be, human clones are still a viable experiment. Though the Scottish sheep clone producers at the Roslin Institute have promised not to work on human clones, there is no stopping any other researcher from taking the current information and applying it to human zygotes. A future Adolf Hitler could forcibly seize the scientific information and assemble a team of experts. Then, he could build the Master Race or an army of clones that could conquer the world.

In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley opened the book with a scene at a "decanting plant" where babies were artificially made and assorted by grade. The different grades determined who would be workers, who would be scholars, and who would be governors. Cloning brings us one step nearer to Huxley's imaginary nightmare. If human life, which already can be terminated lawfully for convenience, can be created conveniently, society is going to be the bane of civilized people. Authoritarians can determine who is created, who is killed, and when to perform each function. Unless the scientific and political communities begin to realize that only God can play himself, then real liberty is threatened permanently.

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