Following the vote in the House of Commons (Tuesday 3rd February) to allow 3 person embryos, Bishop John Keenan, the Bishop of Paisley said; “The proposed techniques fail on a number of ethical grounds which should concern us all: they destroy human life, since in order to construct a disease free embryo, two healthy ones will have to be destroyed. The technique is not a treatment, it does not cure anyone or anything, rather it seeks to remove anyone affected by certain conditions from the human gene pool. Destroying those who have a particular disease and presenting it as a cure or as progress is utterly disingenuous and completely unethical.”
“No other country in the world has licensed these procedures. A majority of responses to the Department of Health consultation opposed the proposal. Experts are divided on the advisability of the techniques and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) have suggested only that the procedures are ‘not unsafe’.”
“Mitochondrial Donation completely destroys and distorts the natural process of fertility. It is surprising that a society which increasingly favours and supports natural and “environmentally friendly” products and services should countenance the genetic modification of human beings. How can we object when scientists genetically modify plants but not when they do the same with people?”