Pope BXVI and a brave new world

[PoliSciProf]

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in God and the World: A Conversation with Peter Seewald in a discussion of creation and the advances in biology (the human genome project, cloning, etc, etc.) says *We do not know all that may happen in this realm in the future, but we can be certain of this: God will take action to counter an ultimate crime, an ultimate action of self-destruction, on the part of man. He will take action against the attempt to demean mankind by the production of slave-beings. There are indeed final boundaries we cannot cross without turning into agents of the destruction of creation itself… *(page 134-135). I had the opportunity to spend some time at a major university discussing bio-ethics and, quite frankly, was appalled at the glibness secular bio-ethics takes towarrds these matters. And, I fear we may be closer than we think to “an ultimate crime, an ultimate action.” How can one be sure that God will take “action to counter an ultimate crime” and what might this action be? Theologically informed comments welcomed.

 

[PoliSciProf]

Just noticed a new thread *Human-animal embryo study wins approval * which includes a link to the British news story. Perhaps my fear re such chimeras is not very premature at all.

 

[Chancellare]

*We do not know all that may happen in this realm in the future, but we can be certain of this: God will take action to counter an ultimate crime, an ultimate action of self-destruction, on the part of man. He will take action against the attempt to demean mankind by the production of slave-beings. *

This may not be the worst case scenario. What if God does not take action to counter this ultimate crime? The consequences would be worse than self-destruction, and would be unimaginable.