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Electronic Telegraph - UK News
ISSUE 2189
Wednesday 23 May 2001
Church sanctions embryo cloning
By Tara Womersley

THE Church of Scotland yesterday backed the use of cloned embryos
in cell replacement therapy to treat diseases such as Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's but reaffirmed its condemnation of cloning complete humans.

The General Assembly passed a motion sanctioning the use of embryos,
created through cell nuclear transfer, provided that they were less than
14 days old and that there was no alternative. Delegates, however,
opposed the use of "spare" human embryos - from in-vitro fertilisation -
for research and treatment unless it was related to human reproduction.

The assembly also called on the Government to introduce legislation
banning human reproductive cloning, but noted that if a cloned child
were born it would be considered fully human and made in the "image
of God". The Church also agreed that the genetic modification of animals
was ethically acceptable to produce pharmaceuticals in milk and eggs.

Ann Allen, convener of the Board of Social Responsibility, said:
"Scientists are extremely clever and motivated and it is their job to
extend the frontiers of our knowledge and break through barriers
of ignorance.

"However, they are not moralists or ethicists and we must be careful
that we do not, by default, assume the role of defining the ethical
boundaries of our society simply by discovering what is possible.

Just because we can do it, it does not necessarily follow
that we should do it."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000140326706927&rtmo=3HKHrrrM&atmo=3HKHrrrM&pg=/et/01/5/23/nkirk23.html

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