In urging Congress to pass laws criminalizing certain research around the issue of genetics including human cloning, he said, “Human life is a gift from our Creator [Capitalization pasted directly from whitehouse.gov transcript] — and that gift should never be discarded, devalued or put up for sale.”
I am an ardent Humanist and I agree that we should not discard, devalue or put up for sale, human life. I object to the implication that human life is somehow more precious or valued due to being assumed to be a gift from a creator.
I further object to the President of the United States using a religious basis for urging the passing of laws. Less than a month prior, the President issued a proclamation declaring January 16th, 2006 as Religious Freedom Day. Is he already abandoning this ideal, imposing his religious views on the rest of society? Should we not discuss the issues of genetic research based on the ideals of respecting and improving human life without being hogtied by George Bush’s interpretation of religious dogma?
jeffersonish