Summary: The Ethical Dilemma Of Designer Babies

“Where do babies come from?” Every child at one point or another will ask this classic question. Depending on the age of the child, some parents will tell the story of the stork, or if they feel it is morally wrong to lie to their child, they will just say “when two people love each other.” Sooner or later, either through mischievous friends or eventually from their parents, a child will learn the biological development of a baby. They then believe this is the only way a baby is created- simple and easy. However, reproduction is the exact opposite of simple and easy. In some cases, the male and/or female may be infertile. There are numerous causes of infertility, for example: hormonal imbalance, environmental conditions, autoimmune disorders,
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In many countries, it is illegal to create a designer baby, but in the United States, there is no law against it (Knoepfler, The Ethical Dilemma of Designer Babies, TedTalk). In his TedTalk, “The Ethical Dilemma of Designer Babies,” stem cell and genetics researcher, Paul Knoepfler, states the long-term risks of designer babies, describing it as “a kinder, gentler, positive eugenics.” He also touches on government involvement in this researcher; “I also think it 's not that unlikely that governments might start taking an interest in genetic modification. So for example our imagined GM Jenna child who is healthier, if there 's a generation that looks like they have lower healthcare costs, it 's possible that governments may start trying to compel their citizens to go the GM route.” I agree with many points Knoepfler makes in his TedTalk. I am not comfortable with the idea of creating designer babies- we do not know what else this could lead to. Knoepfler states, “We should not allow creating genetically modified people,because it 's just too dangerous and too unpredictable.” From the Natural Law perspective, it is interfering with the natural and beautiful process of creating life. It is humans trying to play God. As someone who believes in the good that science brings, I feel that risk designer babies bring outweigh the benefits. It will cause a divide in our society where “traditional” children will be consistently compared to genetically modified children, and it may force people to choose to Personally, I would not be comfort with participating in any assisted reproduction processes. The creation of life is sacred and should be respected and performed in the way God