Pastor Comments on Genetically Modified Babies: The Bottom Line for Technology Is Ethics

Baby feet
Baby feet (photo: Pixabay)
By Ruth WangNovember 29th, 2018

On Monday, there was hot news flooding the screen, news of "genetically modified babies", which astonished Chinese people. 

The Shenzhen scientist, He Jiankui, announced that the first genetically modified babies, named Lulu and Nana, born in China this month, would be naturally immune to AIDS. 

It was said that the"gene surgery" was performed by He, an associate professor of the Southern University of Science and Technology, and the project was approved after an ethical review by Shenzhen's HarMoniCare Women & Children's Hospital. 

More than one hundred Chinese scholars co-signed a statement that criticized the "gene-editing" technique on human embryos.

The letter said that the so-called biomedical ethics review existed in name only and the human experiment was "crazy".

According to the Beijing News, the private hospital claimed that the gene-editing work was not done in the institution and that the twin girls were not born there. 

The event caused great concern among the Chinese Christian community. A Christian asked, "The important issue was that the modification of human oocytes was examined and approved by an ethics committee of a private hospital with an unknown level. Who gave you such a right?"

Another Christian commented, "(This) abrogated the sovereignty of God over creation. Denounce the genetic modification!"

Other Christian views expressed "horror" at the issue, but still showed a faith in God's sovereignty. " I don't quite get it, but I think it's really terrific. I believe however, that God has the final say."

Rev. Pan from East China said, "Technology should be used to bless humans, not bring moral panic. Between technology and ethics, the latter always comes first! A man of honor knows that there are things that must be done and things that must not be done! This is the bottom line for technology! And yet the moral hard line!" 

- Translated by Karen Luo

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