Sir, – Proposals by some fertility clinics (Carl O’Brien, Home News,November 22nd) to start genetic screening of embryos in 2012 has profound implications for society and how we respect the inherent value of each human life. Everyone wants to see cures for debilitating conditions but we cannot engage in the deception of thinking that ending the lives of “defective” embryos will cure anything.
All it does is deny the right to life of another human being and nothing can disguise this fact.
It is an affront to human dignity for fertility clinics to propose introducing quality control procedures to decide which new human lives should be allowed live and die. It is hypocritical to then call the unborn that pass the test “babies” simply because they are wanted while doing everything to deny the humanity of the unborn that do not meet their criteria of what constitutes a life worthy of living.
Each of us started life as a human embryo. Although very tiny, this new human being is not just a potential human life – it is already a human life with potential, unquestionably human and with rights. – Yours, etc,