[585] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
(Fwd) Religions Unite to Oppose Genetic Technology
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lewis Haddow)
Thu May 25 05:27:44 1995
From: Lewis Haddow <9235367@arran.sms.ed.ac.uk>
To: vsg@MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 10:25:42 +0000
I suppose other people on the McLibel list will have seen this, but
it is a topic of general interest to most environmentally-concerned
people. I'd be interested to know what other people think about
genetic engineering and so on. Personally, I am not opposed to the
idea but I am opposed to patenting genetic material in a big way.
Put simply, where there's profit involved, my faith in human nature
crumbles.
(I think that the headline of the article is misleading: the
religions mentioned are definitely not opposing genetic technology.)
Lewis
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 06:17:49 -0400
From: dbriars@world.std.com
To: mclibel@world.std.com
Subject: Religions Unite to Oppose Genetic Technology
Reply-to: mclibel@world.std.com
From: McLibel
Subject: Religions Unite to Oppose Genetic Technology
RELIGIONS UNITE TO OPPOSE GENETIC TECHNOLOGY
Religions Want the Government to Ban the Practice of Patenting in
Bio-Technology.
by Conrad F. Goeringer
Leaders from nearly every major religion in the United
States are expected to issue a statement this week demanding that
the patenting of genetic material for bio-technology be outlawed.
According to the New York Times (Saturday, May 13), over 100
Roman Catholic bishops, along with Hindus, Buddhists, Moslems,
Jews and Protestant leaders want the practice stopped.
Their efforts were orchestrated in part by Jeremy Rifkin,
head of the Foundation on Economic Trends in Washington, and
dubbed by some as the "Pied Piper of Anti-Science/Technology."
Rifkin helped organize a "Peoples' Bi-Centennial Commission" in
the mid-1970s and became active in ecology and related movements.
He revealed the mystical-religious underpinnings of his evolving
philosophy in a number of books, including "Algeny." He is
described by Reuters News Service as "one of the biotechnology
industry's most persistent adversaries"
Although the religious leaders said they were not opposing
genetic engineering and other biotechnology applications on
religious grounds, they claimed to be doing so "in opposition to
the patenting of human genes or organisms which they say violates
the sanctity of life."
"One of the basic principles of our church is that life is a
gift from God," said Bishop Kenneth Carder, head of a United
Methodist Church group which studies genetic science.
***
(Originally written as a pro-biotechnology piece distributed through the "Theist
Watch" news service. Apologies to the author for cutting the "science must march
on" bombast at the end, but sometimes even organized religions can do something
right. Some might even say it is *common*sense* to prohibit the vain and ignorant
power elites of this planet from screwing around with our planet's genetic
heritage, and that at the very least, altruism without financial reward, should
be the only motivation permitted for doing so. DB)
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