Article on genetic determinism – Science & Theology News – The Daily Dose: Genes are my co-pilots points to another at That Wild Streak? Maybe It Runs in the Family – New York Times.
Reminds me of this from a paper I read recently.
Hansen, Bart, and Paul Schotsmans. “Cloning: The Human as Created Co-Creator?” Ethical Perspectives 8, no. 2 (2001): 75-89. (Abstract)
It is equally compelling to investigate how a ‘gene theology’, insofar as it is formulated on the basis of a belief in a sort of predestination, reasons. Here the genome takes the place of a Janus-faced God who arbitrarily rules over and disposes of everything. On the one hand the human is literally bound by the invisible threads of DNA. Human life is reduced to the performance of a drama whose ‘dénouement’ has been determined in advance. The divine DNA directs the play and humans act it out. In this perspective of God’s providence the separation and autonomy of humanity over against God is eliminated. On the other hand, the illusion is created that once the genetic structure is untangled a total control of the further evolution of human dignity and scientific and technological development becomes possible. (pp.82-83)
