Theologians race to establish stance on cloning; local reverends speak out

The Rev. Fred Byrne leaned out of his chair and plucked a thick book from a shelf in his office. He hurriedly thumbed to the back of the book, searching for a subject in its index.

But he couldn't find it.

The Catholic Catechism made no mention of cloning.

It was only last winter that Scottish scientists told the world of a sheep named Dolly, the first successful clone of an adult mammal. Some praised the breakthrough. Some condemned it. And everyone wondered, "What about us?"

Now, a physicist named Richard Seed wants to answer that question. He announced his intent to clone a human within 18 months, according to The Associated Press.

Seed's announcement has again brought cloning to international attention. President Clinton urged Congress to ban human cloning and numerous state legislatures are grappling with the issue, according to AP reports. In the meantime, the Food and Drug Administration has threatened to shut down anyone who attempts human cloning without its permission, according to AP reports.

But while politicians sift through the mountain of legal issues surrounding human cloning, significant questions have been raised about the morality of such a procedure.

"The key criterion for the Church is whether or not it respects the dignity of human life," Byrne said.

However, research moves so quickly that it is difficult for theologians to match the pace, he added.

"Science always seems to race ahead of moral theology," Byrne said. "We're constantly playing catch-up."

Playing catch-up was a theme reiterated by the Rev. Carl Synan, director and campus pastor for United Campus Ministry.

Synan, while acknowledging that human cloning technology could have benefits, said he saw it as an effort to replace both God and the diversity on Earth.

"Cloning sounds like it would be an attempt to create a homogeneous society and escape from the reality of relating to the variety of human life," he said.

Both Byrne and Synan mentioned that scientific advancements should not necessarily be carried out just because the technology exists to do so.