Column on genetic Repair

For someone my age, the developments in biology are astounding. Around the time I was born, Watson and Crick unraveled the double helix of DNA itself. Over time, the human genetic code, that sequence of arranging two pairs of material, the bases termed A-G-C-T was isolated. Now, scientists edited the gene sequence in an embryo that would eliminate a heart ailment that can suddenly take a life.

Our cells have an immune function to attack bacteria. An enzyme allows us to use this function to edit particular bits of DNA sequence in the future life of a cell. We can begin to  edit out the piece of genetic sequence that causes some diseases. This could touch sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and some cancers down the road.

Science fiction has imagined this. The field of Christian ethics has faced it repeatedly. There, we rarely get rigid categories but ways to approach the issue, as we try to use a variety of tools to make good ethical decisions. Given our limitations, our decisions cannot be expected to be perfect, but appropriate and fitting to circumstances.

Part of me is thrilled. It continues the long attempt to bring healing. The Rotary foresees an end to polio over the globe soon. We will not need treatments for many genetic ailments down the road, and some may appear within my lifespan.

When I was a boy, I had twin classmates. Their father ignored what was called Salk shots, and their older sister contracted polio. We will soon have it in our power to eliminate plagues of the ages.

I distrust the playing god assumption. It tends to shut down analysis. At the same time, I do fear human husbandry. I also realize that we are in some exceptionally dangerous territory. I trust that regulations on this procedure will be careful. I also know that we can take something good and warp it. In 1997 the Vatican was concerned that technical assistance undercut the dignity of being human. On the other hand,  ethicist Ted Peters, around the same time, argued that we should be more concerned about being human than playing god. We are more than a mere collection of genetic material. It is obvious that we have capacities to bring healing to the roughness and randomness of creation.

Human enhancements will pose a social challenge. Given our propensity for wanting to rank people in hierarchies, I could easily imagine a eugenic divide arising. I have been to ball games with children. I have little doubt that some parents would be willing to try to engineer a child to be a superior athlete.

In the car, I listen to NPR, old people’s rock music, and sports radio. The analysis, the unending analysis, of the Cardinals is quite sophisticated at times and goes into depth. If only we were willing to go into this sort of depth over some of the ethical issues posed by the advent of genetic manipulation.

The trouble is that we can measure batting averages more easily that trying to assess possible risks to the future genetic makeup in gene manipulation. Prudence, an ancient virtue, is called for in our work. The tower of Babel story tells of reaching a tower to the gate of god. We may need to come to terms with the length of lifespan when we could sustain it for years beyond the expected life span of today.