Article July 28, 1997 Issue

Cloning and spiritual identity

John Hay Scott

THOUGH the initial furor over Dolly, the cloned sheep, has subsided, her existence continues to raise a few ethical eyebrows. As she grazes on Scottish grass, unaware of the implications her appearance has generated, we need to be moving beyond Dolly to a deeper exploration of the nature of identity and individuality. Are we organic structures defined by an ever-so-intricate DNA pattern? Or are we the creation of God the Supreme Being, and so individual in every way?

Readers of this magazine would expect the focus to be on the second question, but the answer cannot be glib. Proponents of cloning and genetic engineering make strong cases for improving the species by eliminating "faulty" or "disease-bearing" genes. Those who object to this approach—and not just to its sinister side—must supply good reasons for choosing a different way.

Many medical schools of thought now realize that those with religious convictions are healthier because of prayer to God, divine Spirit. A God-centered way of life is summarized by Christ Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount (see Matt., chaps. 5—7). His way brings the kingdom of God into present human experience. He taught that the transformation of our lives also transforms our bodies, and here is a way to begin responding to the cloning issue. For, striving to live the Christlike qualities that come from God eliminates traits that are detrimental to health and wholeness. But we need to go farther than that to establish who and what we really are.

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