Posted by Alastor on September 27, 1998 at 23:12:16:
In Reply to: I wonder... posted by Bill Herndon on September 27, 1998 at 16:19:56:
You make a very good point. Science, I think, has many noble efforts. The polio vaccine, is a genetically altered vaccine (I believe I have the right one), and I personally agree with that. Our (humans) past attempts at trying to perfect in animals and humans have shown to be the wrong direction; inbreeding amongst kings and queens, leading to a quality of insanity; inbreeding in animals, pure bred dogs sometimes born deformed and/or insane. The problem in the first place is not a natural one, but trying to make life predetermined. This existence is imperfect, (at least most would agree to this, you may not) and to try to perfect it, is to attempt to kill it, or to make existence's opposite. The way of perfecting, itself, is a predetermined way, for one knows where one is going already. Personally nothing can come of this venture into cloning and genetically trying to make your perfect child. I can understad certain illnesses, but can't most of these illnesses be prevented first. It feels wrong to "jump the gun" and try to solve every illness with just popping a pill and your cured, just change a few genes and you have a perfect baby. But I suppose with this venture, like many others man does, only time will tell.
PS As for prophecy. If a person makes for himself a predetermined path, then that path can be predicted. At least untill he changes his mind, or nature (the imperfection) interferes; in one sense it isn't prohpecy at all.