What should be the Christian view of cloning?

Human cloning, with its accompanying destruction of embryos, is inconsistent with the biblical view that life starts at conception and that human life has inherent value . The problem with cloning isn’t the clone; it’s the process and the motivation.

what does the bible say?

Psalm 139:13-16 teaches that life begins at conception. An embryo is a living human being. Thus, human reproductive cloning, with its destruction of embryos, is inconsistent with the Bible’s view of life. Human cloning is the process of creating a genetically identical copy of a human being. It involves taking an unfertilized egg and replacing the nucleus (including all the genetic code) with a nucleus from a cell elsewhere in the body. The now-functionally fertilized egg is allowed to grow through several splits into a blastocyst, which contains cells for both a body and the placenta. At that point, the cells could be used for reproductive cloning or therapeutic (stem cell) cloning. The goal of human reproductive cloning is to implant the cells into a human uterus and result in the birth of a live baby. However, the research required to get to the point of a live birth would require the destruction of many embryos, each one a human child. So the cloning process itself results in many deaths.

from the old testament

Genesis 1:26-27 states that every human is created in God’s image and likeness.
Only God gives the breath of life (Genesis 2:7).
Psalm 139:13-16 teaches that life begins at conception. That is, an embryo is a living human being. Thus, human reproductive cloning, with its destruction of embryos, is not consistent with the Bible’s view of life.

from the new testament

Christian ethics are the principles derived from the Christian faith by which Christians act. Colossians 3:1-6 presents some guiding principles . Such passages help form a Christian worldview, guiding Christians on how to respond to issues of the day, such as cloning.

implications for today

Artificial cloning is the process of producing individual organisms with identical genetic information (DNA). Various plants and animals have successfully been cloned. However, some day humans might be cloned, raising issues on many fronts. One issue with human cloning is the motivation, which is generally selfish. Mourning parents need God’s healing, not a replica of the child they lost (Psalm 34:18; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Creating a clone of oneself is pure hubris. Cloning for medical reasons is a little more ambiguous. But several blastocysts would likely be developed for a single live birth. Destroying a remaining, unneeded blastocyst would be killing a child. The process of reproductive cloning is not the same as the widely practiced therapeutic cloning (stem cell research), which involves the cloning of cells from a human for use in medicine and transplants. Reproductive cloning would involve making an exact genetic copy of an existing human being. Developing a fertilized egg with the same genetic material as an adult is not unbiblical. Identical twins, for example, have the same genetic material. However, the process of reproductive cloning is highly controversial and is banned in many countries. There is no evidence that anyone has successfully cloned a human being. The Christian view is that embryos are human beings, and embryos are not disposable. Human reproductive cloning is not biblical.

Recap

understand

Embryos are human beings, and destroying them through cloning contradicts the biblical view of life.
Humans are created in God’s image, and cloning undermines the divine creation of humans in God’s image.
Cloning poses moral concerns in both the motivation and process.

reflect

How do you view the concept of cloning in light of the biblical teaching that life begins at conception?
How does the idea of cloning challenge your understanding of what it means to be created in God’s image?
How do you wrestle with the ethical concerns surrounding cloning with the Christian call to honor life in all its forms?

engage

How should the Christian community approach the potential future of human cloning in light of its ethical dilemmas?
What implications does the process of cloning have on the value of human life, and how can Christians advocate for the dignity of all human beings?
How can we engage in thoughtful conversations about cloning that reflect our belief in God’s sovereignty and the sanctity of life?