MASSACHUSETTS, USA, November 27, 2001: Roman Catholic and conservative Protestant leaders condemned the first reported cloning of a human embryo, while other Christian and Reform Jewish leaders supported using the procedure to cure diseases. Massachusetts scientists announced Sunday that they had cloned a six-cell embryo. It wasn’t clear whether the cloned embryo that Worcester, Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology announced it had created would have been capable of growing into a human being. The embryo died even before any stem cells were produced. Stem cells — the master cells that can turn into other body tissue like heart muscle and skin — can be used to treat a variety of diseases, scientists say. Muslim scholars called it a “new issue” and have yet to issue any guidance. Hindu opinion is also in the formative stages. There are examples from the ancient stories of the creation of beings by some process that resembles cloning. Hinduism is opposed to the deliberate killing of an embryo or fetus (except to save the life of the mother), so part of the Hindu evaluation may focus on the large failure rate of the cloning methods. Hindus also hold that a soul has connected to the embryo right from fertilization, even in a laboratory petri dish.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike