This does raise many bioethical questions and some of these are dealt with my son and his wife. When is the testing done and at what point is the decision made. This does not even address Kat's point on who "decides" healthy or unhelthy. If the testing is done before a pregnancy and a couple decides not to have a natural child, that is theiir business. On the other hand, if testing is done after conception, that is another issue. Since I am a father of two adopted children, my viewpoint is skewed. To me it is the stem cell issue that is a real moral quagmire. I do not personally see any thin wrong with using stem cells for research. Bobby ----- Original Message ----- From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 12:59 PM Subject: This Raises Truely Disturbing Issues I have a LOT of issues with genetic engineering, and this article points out some of the more obvious ethical issues. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7899821/ Now, I can sort of see the benign use of genetics in possibly avoid a disability if it would enhance the chances of a healthy child but even there we're treading a slippery slope. What is 'healthy' and what's not? In my own case, I'm very healthy for a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair - i.e., my hypertension is controlled with medication, I eat sensibly, am at a good weight for my height and age, I keep busy, and I try to live a healthy lifestyle. But other people see me as 'sick' just because I'm in a wheelchair, and I might have never been born if my mum had had the choice if she'd known I'd have CP - that is NOT to say she'd have chosen not to have me, just that I'm sure society would've encouraged her to make that choice. But what scares me even more is the thought that this is the Nazi "Aryan race' all over again -- and we would lose creative people who are so important for innovation just because something told the parents the child would be 'different.' Are we going towards the world of '1984' and 'A Brave New World?' Just some things to ponder on this warm last day of May. ;) Kat -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .