Does a clone have a soul?

[Ginny]

God creates man in his image. Man arrogantly tries to play God. What do we conclude?

Wait, wait, didn't Jesus say that the way you treat other people is the way you treat him? 'Cause that just clicked for me. Not to be mean, it's just if you follow Genesis, then yeah, whatever you say about humanity you say about God. That thought's a keeper, I think.

Carry on.

I find it amusing how non-Christians always use the Bible to prove their own personal point.

 

[billwald]

If a clone isn't human then it is OK to breed a clone army, clone slaves, clone prostitutes?

 

[Ginny]

I have to agree with the rabbi on this one. I don't think clones have souls. When God created the human form He breathed life into it. We are spiritual beings. Clones are man made and we don't have the power to duplicate anything spiritual.

'


In that case, I am sure you agree that individuals who go to fertility specialists and go through invitro and numerous other ways to achieve pregnancy b/c the couple cannot do so on their own naturally...then they do not have souls either? You are saying b/c cloning is not "natural" but is "man made" then they are human-like and not truly human....Invitro is not natural and pregnancy is achieved only through the help of a medical professional. People use science in numerous ways all the time to achieve conception. After all, if you cannot have a baby natural..intimacy between a man and a woman...I guess they are only "human-like", too?


In response to the OP, if a human was to be cloned, then yes they would have a soul. This is just a Christian perspective. A clone is not made up of bolts and 2 x 4's... the entire body is an exact replica of a human and is not controlled by a remote....He/she can think, make decisions, and has just as much potential to do or be anything as a naturally conceived human has. It is still a human just the same- no matter whether God's will or man's skill allows a sperm and egg to be joined to form a child.

 

[Grizzly]

Of course clones don't have souls (but then again, who does?)

 

[WalksWithChrist]

If a clone where created that had a mind and a personality then IN MY OPINION it would have a soul or whatever you want to call it.

 

[Norseman]

I find it amusing how non-Christians always use the Bible to prove their own personal point.

Amusing how?

 

[Dracil]

Clones are nothing more than temporally displaced identical twins. And if twins have souls...

 

[night2day]

Now all we need to do is clone stem cells, you see. No harm, no foul.

Would be "No harm, no foul" if everyone would get off the "fantasy kick" of so called "embryonic stem-celled research" and focus on the actual stem cell reserch that actually worked...such as using stem cells from:

-umbilical cords
-born marrow
-nasal tissue

...and so forth.

and many other areas of the adult human body that cary no ill effects such as the other has been known to do. Embryonic stem cells, of course, are designed by nature to developed rapidly and quickly as newly concieved child develops. That's what they were designed for. Is it any wonder there are severe concequences such as patients in testings becomming far, far worse as newly implanted cells of these type try to reproduce too quickly for them tp handle? But it's hardly heard on the national news.

Unfortunately, human nature will be as it is and look to plunder the most vulnerable among us. And what happens when they succeed? If they do clone? Create a race? Will humanity be accoutable for playing God and accept their responsibility towards these clones and care for them? Or merely see them as throw-away matter like it already does over half of the human race itself?

A majority of news reports that have reported on advances in stem cells hardly ever reports it was using stem cells other tham embryonic. Thus, for some reason embryonic stem cells are given the credit.

On another note, the dog that was recently cloned in North Korea reminds me of Dolly. If I recall correctly Dolly aged much quicker, was prone to much more severe ailments at a younger age, and didn't live as long. Wonder how long this poor puppy will survive.

 

[night2day]

"In my opinion," says Rabbi Moshe Botschko, head of the Heichal Eliyahu hesder yeshiva, "a creature born through genetic duplication is not considered human - It is clear beyond all doubt that the life form created in some scientific institution will be an animal that walks on two feet, no more." According to Botschko, a highly respected rabbi in the French-speaking community, the reason for this is that the Creator only gives man a soul at the moment when sperm meets ovum...

And the words of the rabbi should be taken without question...how?

While most of us know the generalities of what takes place of conception...we certaintainly don't know just how just the miricle takes place of a newly human concieved child has a soul.

The Biblical authority simply accepts it as fact and doesn't atempt to explain. Therefore, to second guess would be too walk into uncharted territory were only God knows.

The rabbi would be inncorrect on another count. Humankind has commited numerous crimes against itself. Among the worst is the extermination of the human race because of the belief children in or outside the womb are unwanted or "defective", the elderly, and now the elderly. It's ironic that while mankind is so afraid of a "population explosion" scientists are fighting to create more. Either to survive or as mere "spare parts". Thus, who's more the animal?

 

[night2day]

This is why religion shouldn't involve itself in science.

Begin taking a good look at history sometime instead of brushing it aside. You forget that there's something to be said for ethics.

Not to mention, some unknowledgable critics like briniging up the Astronomer Galelio was unsuppoted by his own church. Those same critics don't usually remember he was heavilly supported and encouraged by another church and continued his research regardless. And many scientists were themselves Christian. There's still many who are,

It was actually not long after the Reformation began by the German monk Martin Luther who was only attempting to seek to undo some of the corruption of the Catholic church within the 1600s, many who followed Luther and other emerging reformers, actively advanced the area of the sciences, education, medicine, etc, exploring the world God had made.

Under the Influence: How Christianity Changed Western Culture
by Alan J. Schmidt

Is a book I'd highly recommend. It touches on various topics on the subject. The chapter on science would particular apply to this thread.
​

 

[Ginny]

Amusing how?

First of all the individual does not believe in the Bible nor do they care what it has to say, yet they try to use it vindicatively against someone who does.

Your posting was meant to make fun and you didn't even have to read in between the lines to get it either.

This being a Christian forum where everyone can come on in- one gets used to the ridicule.

....Not to be mean.....whatever you say about humanity you say about God. That thought's a keeper, I think.

 

[McCracAttack]

First of all the individual does not believe in the Bible nor do they care what it has to say, yet they try to use it vindicatively against someone who does.

I think when non-believers use Bible quotes they are usually trying to illustrate that some Christians don't practice what they preach.

 

[Ginny]

I agree...there are many ways to make a point...most preferred without the personal commentary.


Like I said, they use it "vindicitavely".

 

[McCracAttack]

I agree...there are many ways to make a point...most preferred without the personal commentary.


Like I said, they use it "vindicitavely".

You mean vindictively? Well, I guess nothing brings out a person’s fangs like the opportunity to point out someone else’s hypocrisy.

 

[wowbagger]

What is the scriptural support that a human only has a soul if it had a sperm at conception? This guy is bonkers.

A clone would be indistinguishable from any other human.

So, to those who think a clone may not have a soul:
How would you react if your parents told you that you were a clone? Would you think that you weren't really human and had no soul?

 

[Arnold_Philips]

I would date a clone, and maybe even vote for one.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

On another note, the dog that was recently cloned in North Korea reminds me of Dolly. If I recall correctly Dolly aged much quicker, was prone to much more severe ailments at a younger age, and didn't live as long. Wonder how long this poor puppy will survive.

Not that Dolly aged faster, but had already-aged genes. You accumulate mutations in your genome over your lifetime, and these were passed to Dolly, so she was already old when born.

 

[Ginny]

You mean vindictively? Well, I guess nothing brings out a person’s fangs like the opportunity to point out someone else’s hypocrisy.

thank you for the commentary, but the conversation was between me and someone else.

 

[TwinCrier]

Humans have souls. It's not a traite that man can breed out of the species. How offensive to claim that another human is souless! Even if it were possible to tell if a person is absent a soul, there is no way to justify enslaving, abusing and using another living being.

 

[Dracil]

Any living being? How about bacteria?