We take for granted that speed is great, but job stress, traffic congestion and internet overload are self-defeating ironies. The announcement of a genetically modified monkey by researchers in Oregon, USA raises serious ethical problems about how far we should use higher animals in medical research. For many years mice have been bred and genetically modified, more or less routinely, as test beds for cancers and other serious human diseases. This posed a deep ethical dilemma in SRT's Engineering Genesis study. If this is so for mice, how much more so for primates.
Most people seem to value large mammals and primates higher than small mammals like mice and rats.
The Home Office regulates UK animal research but seldom grants licenses for primate research. A Place to Draw a Line Animals are God's creations and have intrinsic value in themselves, regardless of any human value we attach to them or uses we may put them to. While the Bible endorses some use of animals, it also sets restraints. Of course there is a great need to search for treatments for serious human diseases, but even the ethical case for medical research has limits. In November Dr Bruce was invited to speak at the Presbyterian Church of USA conference on genetics, had meetings with US government agencies, and spoke at a GM food seminar at the Washington National Cathedral.