Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Science & Theology News - How bioethics leader learned from religion

Science & Theology News - How bioethics leader learned from religion:

By Kevin Ferguson
(June 7, 2006)
"In the wake of staggering news in February 1997 that Scottish scientists has cloned a sheep, President Clinton tapped the Princeton University president to chair the nascent National Bioethics Advisory Commission and weigh the moral significance of the announcement. In preparation for the committee’s report titled “Cloning Human Beings,” Shapiro crisscrossed the country, soliciting input from ethicists, theologians, scientists, physicians and concerned citizens. “I was very struck that the first reaction of people was to ask themselves what their faith might say about this,” he said. ..."
This interview with Harold Shapiro, former president of Princeton University, describes his learning process as he tried to get a handle on the issues of bioethics.

While Shapiro's theology is not particularly well-defined, he does believe that the religious voices need to be heard, and their absence in the early years of the debate deprived the debate of an important point of view.

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