Does A Clone Have A Soul?
Session Notes

1. Why this topic?
   1. Soul = measure of value
   2. If not a soul, then just a "thing"
   3. Therefore, this determination is a prerequisite to establishing right/wrong of cloning and clone rights
2. Cloning and Germ Line Modification (GLM)
   1. What Is Cloning?
      [World Book; Science Year 19999; Cloning Isn't Science Fiction Anymore; p.72]
      1. clone: exact genetic duplicate
      2. cloning breakthroughs
         1. Dolly Scotland 1997
         2. human embryo S. Korea 1998
         3. monkeys Oregon 1997
         4. (more)
      3. clone = exact genetic copy of a gene, cell or whole organism
      4. In nature
         1. cell division: resulting in two clones of original
         2. asexual reproduction: children are clones of parents
            • some corals and fungi
            • strawberry plants whose runners give rise to identical plants
         3. identical twins are clones of each other
         4. tree grafting
      5. original techniques
         1. remove nucleus from egg = enucleation
            [orig. nucleus only has 1/2 chromosomes needed]
         2. insert nucleus from a cell in another organism of same species -- which has 100% chromosomes.
         3. resulting embryo grows into exact duplicate of organism
         4. totipotency => all cells have complete set of genes; in specialized cells, such as skin, stomach, etc. certain genes are active & others inactive.
         5. 1997 Scottish break through was learning how to reactivate inactive genes:
            • using mammary-gland cell from an adult sheep
            • starve them of nutrients to cause them to stop growing for a few days
            • use electricity to fuse each mammary cell with an enucleated egg cell
            • grow into embryos and transplant into a surrogate mother
            • restored to totipotency
      6. How could reproductive cloning occur [C-T pp8-9]
         • UK permits "therapeutic" cloning for research
         • cloned embryoes are created
         • if it is believed that embryoes are persons and it is murder to destroy them, then must they not be implanted?
         • alternatively if it is argued that cloning does not create a person, then what is creature (monster?) does a cloned embryo have the potential to become?
         • therefore, therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning are not morally separable
         • in the USA everthing is allowed, but most cant get federal funds
      7. Germ Line Modification (C-T, p3ff)
         1. A better, improved you with descendants!
         2. cloning just creates a new individual
         3. GLM intentionally alters the DNA that an individual inherits and transmits to future generations
            • cloning replicates genes
            • GLM creates something new and possibly enhanced
            • aka supermen and -women
            • aka Planet of the Apes
         4. technique
            • in vitro fertilization -> one-cell embryo
            • at 4-cell stage, embryo separated into 4 cells, 3 of which are frozen for latger use
            • each of these cells are identical and capable of gnerating a child
            • the fourth cell divides in culture until 1 million cells are produced.
            • the embryo cells will be differentiated but this will not affect the GLM process
            • the desired genetic alteration is introduced into a subset of the cells
            • the subset is isolated from ythe other cells
            • the nucleus of one of Mom's oocytes (eggs) is replaced with the nucleus of one of the altered cells (this is fundamentally the cloning process)
            • the cell is instructed to commence making an embryo
            • the cells are culturred and surgically transferred to Mom
            • a genetically engineered child is born with altered germ cless
            • a new race is born
         5. This is the destiny of cloning
         6. Eugenics: cloning with genetic engineering
         7. "headless" humans for organ harvesting
      8. Transgenic animals
         1. This is GLM using animals
         2. animal engineered to carry genes of other species
         3. e.g. introducing human genes into sheep to produce valuable human protein
         4. used to produced needed enzymes and serums
         5. human protein in animal milk
         6. modified organs that can be transplanted in humans
      9. applications for human cloning
         1. infertile couples
         2. offspring free of certain diseases
      10. public opinion
          • Feb 1997 Gallup Poll: 90% in US think human cloning is "morally wrong"
          • Time/CNN 75% in US "against God's will"
          • 1997, Clinton, 90-day moratorium on research using federal funds and proposed making it illegal for 5 years
          • banned in CA
      11. genetic material in body cells develop certain molecular changes over time which are replicated in a clone with unknown developmental effects, such as premature aging or genetic problems since genes only from one parent (some genes work normally only when inherited from the father or others only from the mother)
   2. Is It Wrong to Re-invent the human race?
      1. Questions:
         • Is it evil to modify the human germ line [C-T, p10] to take control of our enetic destiny?
           • Is this access to the Tree of Life via the Tree of Knowledge?
         • What if someone produced dozens of copies of him- /her- self?
         • What if parents wanted a "designer child", e.g., an exact copy of Gary Kasparov?
         • What if parents stop giving birth and cloned themselves instead?
         • Will cloning lead to the creation of humans solely for organ donations?
         • Will clones grow up normal or encounter some intrinsic developmental problem with their cloning?
         • Would a clone have a diminished sense of self believing its fate destined to be the same as the parent?
         • What happens when reproduction is separated from love & intimacy?
         • Would it result in eugenics? or selective breeding? A master race?
         • Should cloning and GLM be available as is in-vitro as one more consumer "product" (i.e., let the "market" manage it)?
           • is the market a good moral guide?
           • what if the child doesn't turn out as the parents expected?
      2. Arguments against cloning
         1. lead to genetically engineered classes such as warriors or slaves a la Brave New World
         2. lead to eugenics
         3. lead to additional defects in gene pool
         4. unsafe: too many unknowns that could lead to defects in offspring
         5. a clone might have a diminished sense of individuality
         6. clones as organ farms
         7. undermines traditional family
         8. against God's will
         9. some aspects of human life should be off limits to science
      3. Arguments for cloning
         1. for infertile couples
         2. for genetically at risk couples to produce healthy child
         3. sheds light on genetics and could lead to new treatments
         4. a ban restricts people's right to reproduce and scientists to discover
         5. a clone really not a duplicate because of environment
         6. sense of individuality no more problem than twin's
         7. clone would have same rights as other people
         8. cloning no more risky than some other medical procedures
         9. objections to cloning similar to objections to other now acceptable medical procedures
      4. clone is a "delayed" twin
      5. prenatal and post-natal environment also influences development
      6. Better: put limits on human cloning rather than unenforceable ban.
   3. Cloning Research on the March
      [World Book; Science Year 1995 p90]
      1. 10/1993; G. W. University Medical Center; Washington, DC cloned human embryos (abnormal embryos to avoid controversy). Lived a few days -- note: this is different from cloning using body cells
3. What Is A Soul?
   1. Preexistence of Souls [Anchor Bible Dictionary; Si-Z; VI p161]
      1. souls of humans and animals exist before birth into mortal bodies
         • Jer 1:5
         • Job 38:6-7
         • Ps 19:2; 29:2; 148:2-3
      2. Jn 9:2 -- man born blind because he had sinned => preexistence
      3. Paul: Gal 1:15; Eph 1:4
      4. Wisdom: Wis 8:19-20; Enoch 23:5; 32
      5. Essenes: soul is immortal and imperishable and are imprisoned in bodies
      6. Origen: There is a pre-mortal period in which individual souls can make choices
      7. Gnostics: pre-mortal choice and actuality
   2. Exegesis On The Soul [ABD, v II, p688]
      1. devout, gnostic Christian writing
      2. myth of preexistent soul, Psyche, asexual androgynous, falling from heaven and corrupted by flesh until redeemed by the bridegroom, i.e., Jesus Christ
   3. Soul
      1. life principle: turning clay to living clay: Gen 3:19
      2. fear for one's soul [Ezek 32:10]; risk one's soul [Judg 5:18]; take one's soul [1 Kings 19:4]
      3. soul = individual person = whole person
      4. soul integral to being human
      5. immortal soul vs perishable body
      6. Death occurs when God requires one's soul: Lk 12:20
      7. soul => existence of person after death
      8. soul vs spirit?
   4. John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion; chp XV
      • Section 2:
        • soul = immortal, created essence: nobler part vs body
        • soul = spirit imprisoned in body
        • conscience: a sign of the soul
        • not animals
        • intellect another sign of the soul
        • ideas and feelings of right and wrong => soul
      • Section 3: imagio Dei => soul
      • Section 5: soul not same as transmission of substance of God into humans since "soul" is subject to sin
      • Section 6:
        • soul is incorporeal
        • occupies the body, animating it
        • regulates conduct in service of God
        • aspires to heaven
      • Section 7: soul = intellect + will: ascertains right vs wrong; chooses right vs wrong
   5. Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings: seems to conform with the general feeling
   6. World-Soul a la Plato & Unity
   7. Paul Davis: God and the New Physics; Mind & Soul p 72ff (p78ff)
      1. PVTO ERGO SVM
      2. soul not subject to space and time
      3. soul is "source of thought activity" = mind (p. 78)
      4. Descartes [the official doctrine]
         1. body and soul distinct
         2. body host to soul
         3. soul = mind
         4. soul is not in space - time
      5. Where is the soul?
         1. in a higher dimension beyond the 4 of space-time?
         2. does it inhabit "place" or "time"?
         3. if soul := mind, thought (as manifestation of soul) is spaceless, but not timeless.
         4. does it inhabit between the dimensions?
         5. not timeless: soul has a state before birth, during life, and after death -- but does it exist in time only when it manifest as "body"
            • soul proceeds body
            • "body" as a state of the soul
      6. Alternatives to mind-soul dualism
         1. materialism: no soul
         2. idealism: no body
         3. holism: mind is the higher level manifestation / body is the lower level; without body, no mind; mind emerges from complexity of body (body proceeds mind)
         4. functionalism: essential ingredient of mind is the organization of information. therefore, not necessarily connected to body -- could be computer or even energy
            • therefore, mind could be transfer from brain to computer a la Tipler
   8. Paul Davis: God and the New Physics; The Self, p 88 ff
      1. self := soul: indivisible
      2. is the self's memory associated to the soul?
      3. how can the soul have memory after death?
      4. essential ingredient of mind is "information"
      5. soul = "program" -- self-learning, changing program
      6. we are just an instantiation of the program
   9. Soul := Mind
      1. what about a baby born without a brain?
         • where is the mind?
         • where is the soul?
      2. does a mentally challenged child/person have less of a soul?
4. Theology of Cloning
   1. sexual reproduction
      1. implements diversity and variety from two gene pools
      2. note twins originate in the first order from sexual reproduction and are diverse from previous generation
   2. asexual reproduction
      1. narcissic: child = parent, except for random mutation, no implementation of diversity
      2. but allows us more capability in co-creation
   3. infusion of soul into body
      1. soul separate from body?
      2. or does it corelesce into a body for a time? so body is essentially soul -- like energy to matter: e = mc²
      3. is this infusion then operative with clones?
      4. is a soul intrinsic to life?
   4. distinct souls
      1. souls of twins distinct?
      2. if so, then soul of clone distinct from parent [and hence my concern for narcissism void?]
   5. imagio Dei
      1. in whose image is a clone? God's or parent's?
      2. Always God's
      3. But risk of this power is that we forget this and believe clone is in our image and to be manipulated at our will and whim:
         1. what if child does not result as expected? -- defective: to be replaced? accepted?
         2. will it be harder to accept a child, than when sexually produced -- "it was the will of God"?
         3. but the will of God works through cloning too -- God works through us and through our technology
      4. What if clone is a member of a new genetically modified race?
         • What is his/her relationship to God? to us?
         • Are they God's intent to replace us? to humble us?
         • What is their responsibility to us as children of God?

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