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In a recent book entitled, Biotechnology and the Human Good, by C. Ben Mitchell, Edmund D. Pellegrino, Jean Bethke Elshtain, John F. Kilner and Scott B. Rae, the authors attempt to make the case that the development of biotechnology can be a great blessing for the human race rather than a cause of humanity’s demeaning or even demise. The book addresses a whole range of matters in biblical-theological terms so that the church can see the relevance of this topic for today. In a recent interview with two of the authors, John Kilner and Ben Mitchell, the book’s highlights were discussed. Allow me to summarize several of the salient points of the interview:
- What is biotechnology? “Biotechnology is a set of technologies specifically aimed at manipulating living things, including human beings themselves, arguably for the common good.”
- Are there benefits to biotechnology that the Christian can embrace? Biotechnology in all its splendor is wonderful and should be encouraged in every possible way. Such a view celebrates the tremendous contributions to life and health that biotechnology has made—e.g., the polio vaccine. “But it fails to grasp the destructive potential of powerful tools in the hands of self-serving people—e.g., embryo-destructive research. . . . What’s needed today is a balanced (biblically sound) view that takes the creation and redemption mandates—together with sinful nature—seriously.”
- What technologies today are “reengineering” what it means to be human? First, there is social engineering of our humanity. To make a distinction between human beings and human “person,” is, as Peter Singer does, to establish criteria for personhood and then assign those qualities to nonhuman species—e.g., chimpanzees and apes. They are “persons.” Second is the biotechnological reengineering to enhance performance, as in genetic enhancement for athletes so that they perform better in their chosen sport. Third, with the changing definition of “person,” there is no reason to doubt that sophisticated computers, artificial intelligences and robots should be included in the definition.
- How should the church respond? First, the church has to awaken to what’s going on. “The average church member has little or no awareness of the technological revolution taking place, and the average church isn’t helping them to become educated.” Churches must be sensitized to the ethical, legal, and social implications of these technologies. Second, the church must become a more discriminating consumer. “Because of the entertainment culture in which we are situated, we have convinced ourselves that in order to hold the attention of the ‘consumers’ (a.k.a. church attenders), we have to keep the worship service moving at breakneck speed, with lots of electronic bells and whistles, and, above all, a ‘wow’ factor. . . The simplicity of worship is lost, the gospel is truncated, and people are titillated without being transformed.” Third, individual Christians are going to have to determine whether they want to contribute to a technologically mediated life or whether they want to be truly human. For example, consider the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Table. “. . . [E]mbodied humanity, eating and drinking together, gathered in community, is an important reminder of what it means to be [human]. . . We need person-to-person, non-technologically-mediated interaction and community. There’s a reason God became human flesh in Christ. . . Attention to these formative aspects of the gospel message may help us recover our humanity, theological education and the church, the body of Christ.”
See the interview in Trinity Magazine (Winter 2008), pp. 22-25.
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