Over the last few years the concept of 'gender selection' has risen to the forefront of news and media. The idea that parents can pick the sex of their baby with a virtual guarantee. The process is all a bit technical but scientists have begun marketing this to perspective parents and their own ideas of their children. Here's where is gets complicated. Recently, researchers have taken this process further. It is now possible to determine basic characteristics of your child before it is born. Thinks like eye color or physical deformities (if they are genetic). I know this may sound like a pretty good deal at first, but the kicker is coming. To alter these characteristics, scientists must do a sweep of fertilized eggs from the mother. Yes, I said FERTILIZED. Of course this means different things to different people, but it's a matter of ethics for me. The remaining eggs, to me, are people. Babies waiting to begin growth and development, waiting to enter this world. But those eggs, that don't posses the traits desired, are removed, gotten rid of. They aren't necessarily disposed of, but they are frozen or dissected -- unable to continue life.
The battle of ethics doesn't stop there, however. Another major part of this new way to look at having a baby is the line, one that should or shouldn't be crossed. How is it fair for these two people to decide what they're baby looks like? How is it morally right to demand these characteristics of their child? Sure, maybe they were bullied for having red hair, or maybe they wish they could be taller. But that doesn't mean you should force something so permanent upon your unborn child. While you may be seeing some benefits from picking and choosing like this, there are psychological considerations. While your looks may just be your looks, studies have shown that they can determine behavior and mental capabilities. Designer babies may also grow to harvest resentment towards their parents due to the emotions and feelings they develop from natural growth and learning.
A doctor leading research on designer babies and gender selection urges people to consider all this as the future, to look at these practices as the new normal. But where does it stop? Today, eye color. Tomorrow, weight, nose size, hair length. It's only a matter of time before science figures out another aspect of the human being to change and alter. But perfection is objective, beauty is not a standard. The end may never be reached. And then where will we be? The wealthy will advance to pick and chose, setting their 'designs' above 'natural' children.
Okay, so maybe I got carried away, but my points remain. How is this fair? Ethically, I'm against this whole 'playing God' thing. I believe whole heartily in the Creator. The one who made everyone in His own image.
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