Editing Human cloning (section)

==Ethical implications==
{{Main|Ethics of cloning}}

In [[bioethics]], the ethics of cloning refers to a variety of ethical positions regarding the practice and possibilities of [[cloning]], especially human cloning. While many of these views are religious in origin, for instance relating to Christian views of procreation and personhood,<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Häyry|first=Matti|year=2018|title=Ethics and cloning|journal=British Medical Bulletin|volume=128|issue=1|pages=15–21|doi=10.1093/bmb/ldy031|pmid=30203088|doi-access=free}}</ref> the questions raised by cloning engage secular perspectives as well, particularly the concept of identity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Magney|first=Alix|year=2003|title=Cloning Me, Cloning You: Reflections on the Ethics of Cloning for Individuals, Families and Society|journal=Social Alternatives|volume=22|issue=4|pages=19–27|url=https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.200305128|access-date=21 November 2022|archive-date=24 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924122357/https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.200305128|url-status=live}}</ref>

Advocates support development of therapeutic cloning in order to generate tissues and whole organs to treat patients who otherwise cannot obtain transplants,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml#organsQ |title=Cloning Fact Sheet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502125744/http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy Genome Program |date=11 May 2009 |archive-date=2 May 2013}}</ref> to avoid the need for [[immunosuppressive drugs]],<ref>{{cite journal | author = Kfoury C | title = Therapeutic cloning: Promises and issues | journal = [[McGill Journal of Medicine]] | volume = 10 | issue = 2 | pages = 112–20 |date= 2007 | pmid = 18523539 | pmc = 2323472 }}</ref> and to stave off the effects of aging.<ref name=EndingAging>{{cite book |last1=de Grey |first1=Aubrey |last2=Rae |first2=Michael |date=2007 |title=Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs that Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime |location=New York, NY |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-0-312-36706-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/endingagingrejuv00degr }}</ref>  Advocates for reproductive cloning believe that parents who cannot otherwise procreate should have access to the technology.<ref>{{cite news| work= [[Times Higher Education]]| date= 10 August 2001| url= http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/164313.article| title= In the news: Antinori and Zavos| access-date= 15 December 2013| archive-date= 12 February 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150212200758/http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/164313.article| url-status= live}}</ref>

Opposition to therapeutic cloning mainly centers around the status of [[embryonic stem cells]], which has connections with the [[abortion debate]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kfoury |first=C. |date= 2007 | title = Therapeutic cloning: promises and issues | journal = Mcgill J Med. | volume = 10 | issue = 2| pages = 112–20 | pmid = 18523539 | pmc=2323472}}</ref> The moral argument put forward is based on the notion that embryos deserve protection from the moment of their conception because it is at this precise moment that a new human entity emerges, already a unique individual.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=George |first1=Robert P |last2=Lee |first2=Patrick |date=April 2009 |title=Embryonic human persons. Talking Point on morality and human embryo research |journal=EMBO Reports |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=301–306 |doi=10.1038/embor.2009.42 |issn=1469-221X |pmc=2672893 |pmid=19337298}}</ref> Since it is deemed unacceptable to sacrifice human lives for any purpose, the argument asserts that the destruction of embryos for research purposes is no longer justifiable.<ref>{{Cite web |last=l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture |title=Le Clonage humain: questions éthiques |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000135928_fre |website=la Bibliothèque Numérique de l’UNESCO}}</ref>

Some opponents of reproductive cloning have concerns that technology is not yet developed enough to be safe – for example, the position of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] {{As of|2014|lc=y|post=,}}<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.aaas.org/page/american-association-advancement-science-statement-human-cloning| title = AAAS Statement on Human Cloning| access-date = 21 April 2014| archive-date = 9 March 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160309225244/http://www.aaas.org/page/american-association-advancement-science-statement-human-cloning| url-status = live}}</ref> while others emphasize that reproductive cloning could be prone to abuse (leading to the generation of humans whose organs and tissues would be harvested),<ref name="McGee">{{cite web |last=McGee |first=G. |title=Primer on Ethics and Human Cloning |date=October 2011 |publisher=American Institute of Biological Sciences |url=http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/mcgee.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130223142719/http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/mcgee.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 February 2013 |access-date=15 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=UNESCO |date=11 November 1997 |url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D13177%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |title=Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights |access-date=27 February 2008 |archive-date=9 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909061222/http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D13177%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and have concerns about how cloned individuals could integrate with families and with society at large.<ref>{{cite book |last=McGee |first=Glenn |year=2000 |title=The Perfect Baby: Parenthood in the New World of Cloning and Genetics |location=Lanham |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-8476-9758-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/perfectbabyparen0000mcge }}</ref><ref name="Human Cloning Ethics">{{cite journal |last1=Havstad |first1=Joyce C. |title=Human Reproductive Cloning: A Conflict of Liberties |journal=Bioethics |date=February 2010 |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=71–77 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-8519.2008.00692.x |pmid=19076121 |s2cid=40051820 |url=https://philarchive.org/rec/HAVHRC }}</ref>

Members of religious groups are divided. Some Christian theologians perceive the technology as usurping God's role in creation and, to the extent embryos are used, destroying a human life;<ref name=":0" /> others see no inconsistency between Christian tenets and cloning's positive and potentially life-saving benefits.<ref>{{cite web| first= Bob| last= Sullivan| publisher= MSNBC| date= 26 November 2003| url= http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3076930/| title= Religions reveal little consensus on cloning| access-date= 15 September 2016| archive-date= 4 March 2016| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041349/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3076930/| url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Sims Bainbridge|first=William|date=October 2003|title=Religious Opposition to Cloning|url=http://jetpress.org/volume13/bainbridge.html|journal=Journal of Evolution and Technology|volume=13|access-date=21 November 2019|archive-date=1 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801205816/https://www.jetpress.org/volume13/bainbridge.html|url-status=live}}</ref>