I Can't Stand It!

[blacknblue]

I just can't stand it...

This is the same country that seriously proposed banning kitchen knives, and did in fact ban BB guns, as a danger to the public safety...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

<quote>

Rethink on human hybrid experiments

A radical Government re-think on the law governing hybrid embryos will allow scientists to carry out virtually any work they like - if it is approved by regulators.

The move opens the door to experiments involving every known kind of human-animal hybrid. These could include both "cytoplasmic" embryos, which are 99.9% human, and "true hybrids" carrying both human and animal genes.

In addition "chimeras" made of a mosaic-like mix of cells from different species, and "human transgenic embryos" - human embryos modified with animal DNA - will also be allowed under licence.

Provision has also been made for the regulation of hybrid embryo research to incorporate any unforeseen developments that might arise in the future....

</quote>

[JadziaKathryn]

Great, just great. Since the world didn't have enough issues already, they have to go and come up with this. I sincerely hope it comes to nothing. I really, really do. It's disgusting.

[Elessar]

Let's stick to the ideas or this thread's going nowhere fast.

[blacknblue]

That was my idea, that the concept of desecrating Human embryos with animal DNA is an abomination, and an obscene danger to not only national but also international health and safety. Far more dangerous in the long run than germ warfare.

If you blur the line between Human and no-Human, you re-birth the concept of Master Race. And Dr. Josef Mengele was not the only one, he was merely one of the most famous out of many doctors, who proved that men of science often have no more conscience than any other mass murderer. We can't trust them to police themselves with this.

[Elessar]

Well, I'm avoiding hardcore participation in this debate, but I will say that theologically you can avoid any concept of the "Master Race" if you never identify "fully human" as any "purer" or "greater" than 47% human. The moment you start to talk about chimeras and hybrids, you start to move away from the sanctity of humanity, which is probably what upsets people so much about cloning and hybridization -- however, if you move into this society that allows this kind of thing and you accept that it is OK and that there's nothing sacred about being human, it also means you've desanctified the state of being human, and obliterated any kind of humanity gradient. If you've done that, then there's no worry of a Master Race, because you've already assented to the idea that to be human is not to be "Greater Than", therefore to be 70% human is not greater than to be 50% human.

[blacknblue]

You have already stepped over the line.

If you have any Human DNA, you are Human. Period. Otherwise, the State can find some excuse to twist you into the category of non-citizen.

Remember how black people in this country used to count as some fraction of a person for the purpose of assigning electoral votes? You can't do it that way. What if the 47% that you are talking about is the central nervous system? What if the 53% that was peeled off consisted of the appendix, spleen, legs, arms, and other non-essential parts, leaving nothing but the brain, spine, and sense organs? With the rest of the 53% being replaced with ape parts? Say a Chimp? Is that a Human?

Take it a step further. If you can classify someoen as non-Human because they were born 47% Human nervous system and 53% ape body. Why can't you take, say, someone who was born fully Human and had an accident. Then take that person and use cloned ape parts that are genetically modified to be compatible and use them to replace 53% of their damaged tissue. After their operation, by your reasoning, they should no longer be Human.

You can't DO it that way.

For me, this whole issue of splicing Humans to animals steps over the line into the realm of absolute evil. It is true that knowledge can never be good or evil in and of itself. But some applications of knowledge CAN be absolutely good or evil. This is one of them. This is evil.

[JadziaKathryn]

Well, it's best all around if I avoid this thread in the future.

[Elessar]

For me, this whole issue of splicing Humans to animals steps over the line into the realm of absolute evil. It is true that knowledge can never be good or evil in and of itself. But some applications of knowledge CAN be absolutely good or evil. This is one of them. This is evil.

The thread was legitimate until theology became the central focus. I'm afraid that it will be locked as per :

3. Discussion threads about politics or religion will not be started unless they are byproducts of discussion about a Star Trek episode, story, film, etc. Those created in reference to Star Trek will be closely monitored to ensure they stay on task and pertinent to Star Trek. They may be locked or deleted if discussion strays off topic or becomes hostile.

If anyone wishes to discuss the scientific or Star Trek-related aspects of this article, please start another thread directed in that manner.