Funny Feeling Objections

Here, the arguer raises no specific objection to cloning. He simply asserts that the thought of cloning bothers him.

However, I find this "funny feeling" some have very much like the "funny feeling" certain racists get at the thought of a white person and a black person having a mixed-race child. The feelings are a symptom of a prejudice, and history gives many examples of sentiments such as these dominating a society, affecting even otherwise good people. In the case of cloning, this prejudice is probably acquired by too much exposure the bad science fiction described above, the way prejudice against mixed-race couples is learned by too much exposure to racism.

However, when it comes to stating that Lesley and I are to be prohibited from having Theresia, it is not unreasonable to insist on hearing a more substantive objection than "the thought of your having that child bothers me." And all of the substantive reasons I have heard have had their own problems.

Summary

None of this argues that we should begin cloning humans tomorrow. There is an established set of guidelines for testing new medical procedures, which restrict trials on humans pending the results of preliminary studies. Cloning should be subject to these guidelines. Holding the science of cloning to these restrictions requires no additional legislation; rules are already in place.

If lawmakers are going to make new laws that effectively prohibit certain people from procreating, they must have good reason to do so. None of the reasons presented against cloning stand up to this weight.

1. "Your Theresia is offensive to God, therefore she must not be allowed to come into this world" is a dangerous principle to accept for restricting who may have children of their own.
2. Having a clone will not confuse people as to their own identity, nor will it allow us to create duplicates of people in a way that puts at risk the uniqueness or the value of the person cloned.
3. Cloning can not create an army of people who think in identical ways, and is a very inefficient way to create an army, compared to methods already available.
4. The risk that bringing Theresia into this world shall be prohibited because she might fall short of somebody's idea of perfection would also argue for forced sterilization and other eugenic policies.
5. There is no more of a chance that Theresia will be a slave or sold off for spare parts than there is for children conceived through traditional means.
6. In wanting a child of our own, we are no more selfish and no more guilty of contributing to an overpopulation problem than every one of the hundreds of millions of parents planning to have their next child.
7. "Funny feelings" certainly are not good enough reasons to make it illegal for Lesley to have her own biological child.

Some of these reasons simply arise from a misunderstanding of cloning. But a couple are frightening in their own right. Imagine living in a society where the people find it acceptable to assert, "your child would be less than perfect, so you may not have that child," or "our god is offended by your procreation, therefore you may not procreate."

It should not be difficult to imagine such a society at all. Surprisingly, it is here, right now, and can be heard wherever people gather to insist that cloning be banned.