Ethical_Issues_Behind_Embryo_Characteristic_Selection

This article refers to the ethical implications when parents can actually pick embryo characteristics. Abraham Center of Life in San Antonio, Texas can create embryos where parents can choose race, education, appearance, and personality. This has become a popular choice because parents can choose their child’s make up. It is also cheaper than adoption and in-vitro fertilization. Critics think this goes against God and natural procreation. On the other hand, the center founder, Jennifer Ryan, compares this to the natural selection people have when selecting a husband or wife. This is a case of virtue ethics which deals with moral character instead of actions (Boatright, 2009, p77). You can ask yourself what kind of person would select every detail about their child before conception. This question can be answered with the attitude of wanting the good life. For some parents, having he perfect child is part of having a successful and rewarding life. Each embryo is carefully screened for health and background history and each donor has strict guidelines (age & health). This gives hopeful parents very specific criteria to choose from for their future off-spring. The ethical concern is the scientific breeding needed to pull out the selective characteristics. The donor process is so selective that it seems discriminatory. Ms. Ryan and the center want only the most healthiest and intelligent candidates (Washington Post, 2007). While some doctors see no ethical concerns, many others disagree. The center is creating embryos but there are embryos already in other fertility clinics. How far should we go to have the most successful children' Virtue ethics is how we feel about the decisions we make. Parents who make these types of decisions do not have an ethical dilemma in selecting characteristics. If we’re trying to make perfect humans, what would that do to our individuality' The perfect child is in the eye of the parent so that child may not be a perfect human being or morally correct citizen. These selections are just external. There’s no guarantee that IQ or health will be high or perfect. What would be ethically wrong with picking external features at birth when people pay millions of dollars a year to change their appearance when they’re adults' I believe the underlying ethical issue here is how people feel about playing “God”. If God is the creator of all of us, then we should not be playing with the characteristics God wants us to have. Our individual moral compass starts to go off unconsciously when we feel like we are messing with the forces of nature. In my own life, I wish I was more pre-deposed to be thin like my best friend. My family is somewhat overweight so that is an issue I struggle with. On the bright side, the struggle with my weight has taught me to love myself regardless of how I look. It has also taught me that beauty and attractiveness is not in jeans size. Would I have learned that if my mother took that gene out of my embryo' Another ethical concern is if the children from these selective embryos are missing some very important lessons by looking and being perfect. Imperfection is what makes us unique, makes us trust each other, and have learning challenges and experiences. These children may not have the experiences needed to develop moral aptitude and character (Boatright, 2009, p80). In the end, these centers will probably become more popular and we will have to rely on individual moral and ethical character to limit the perfect children. References Boatright, J. R. (2009). BUS 290: Ethics and the conduct of business: 2009 custom edition (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Washington Post Examines Ethical Issues Of Company That Allows Parents To Select Embryo Characteristics (2007, January 10). Medical News Today. Retrieved July 12, 2009 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/60375.php