U.N. General Assembly OKs nonbinding cloning ban

By Tom Strode - Mar 15, 2005 - comment

The United Nations General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution March 8 calling on its members to enact comprehensive bans on human cloning.

The 191-member assembly voted 84-34 for the declaration, with 37 abstentions. The measure calls on countries to “prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life,” thereby impacting cloning for both reproductive and research purposes.

The U.N. legal committee had voted 71-35, with 43 abstentions, for the declaration in February.

The declaration fell short of the convention supported by the United States and more than 60 allies that would have mandated a ban on both reproductive and research cloning.

Though U.N. members agree on barring the birth of a clone, some countries oppose a ban on research cloning. Proponents of research cloning defend its legalization primarily for the purpose of performing stem cell research. Extracting embryonic stem cells for such research destroys the embryo, however.

While the declaration fell short of their goals, President Bush and pro-life leaders still applauded the U.N. action.

“Human life must not be created for the purpose of destroying it,” Bush said in a written statement. “The United States and the international community have now spoken clearly that human cloning is an affront to human dignity and that we must work together to protect human life.

Further Learning

Learn more about: Life, Cloning, Stem-Cell Research

Post a Comment




Notify me of follow-up comments?

Before You Submit Your Comment (below), Read This:

Thank you for your interest in the ministry of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (SBC).

Comments are moderated to preserve the family-oriented nature of this website and in an attempt to avoid comment spam. We welcome opposing viewpoints, and we will not turn comments away as long as your views are presented with respect to everyone.

Your comments will not appear immediately and are subject to editing or deletion. We will make every attempt to check new comments in a timely manner, though there will likely be delays on the weekends and around holidays.

Please follow the these guidelines to insure your comments will be posted:

  1. Use a real name, at least a real first name. We find folks are less-rude online when not hiding behind a screen-name.
  2. Name-calling and vulgar-language will not be tolerated. Zero-tolerance is our policy. We will not spend time editing profanity. If it contains foul language, your post will be deleted. Oh, and we decide what is and what is not vulgar.
  3. Comments must be on topic. General comments (compliments, complaints, and otherwise) are best delivered here or expressed on your own personal Web site.
  4. And please, do not type in ALL CAPS. It looks like you're screaming at people.

Additionally, within Baptist polity, please recognize that many issues and decisions are addressed at a local church level. SBC denominational (national) offices have no control and desire no control over the activities of a local church. This entity is not responsible for overseeing and insuring the ethical behavior of Southern Baptist pastors or church members. If your concern involves a legal civil or criminal matter, we suggest you contact the proper local officials.

Issues involving pastoral staff or other church members, local Baptist associations or state Baptist conventions are local issues. Therefore the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission cannot and should not address such issues. While we regret we are unable to assist you, we encourage you to seek a biblical resolution of the issue at the local church level. If your question or submission pertains to a matter covered in this text, it is likely we will not acknowledge your submission.

Other than that, we welcome you and hope to see thoughtful discussions at ERLC.com