Eugenics Rebranded

This guest post is courtesy of Mary Truitt, Regent Law 2L:

“That which has been is what will be. That which is done is what will be done. And there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9.

In the twenty-first century, we are living through our own version of the industrial revolution, but with rapid technological developments. Among the array of incredible developments has been the ability to create life outside of the womb. This has greatly expanded families, but it has also resulted in millions of lives frozen indefinitely. It has created an ethical dilemma that continues to foster problems.  

Nucleus Embryo recently launched a new technology that allows parents to screen their embryos for the potential for genetic diseases and traits. It’s been marketed under the pretense of “preventative medicine.” The idea is that parents can choose the healthiest embryo to implant. Yet doing so necessarily discards the embryos that have genetic diseases or may be prone to developing a disease or health issue later in life. This process ranks embryos against one another, thereby devaluing embryos not considered perfect. This technology perpetuates the notion that children are a commodity and the weak do not deserve to live.

Our culture often struggles to call out the evil as we see it because it is not identical to historical examples. The fear is that by drawing modern comparisons, we’ll downplay the evil of our past. Yet in so doing, we are failing to understand the depth of evil right in front of us. Nucleus Embryo is eugenics. It allows parents to discard their weaker children by destroying rejected embryos because they have imperfections. It is not the disease that is being prevented from existing, but rather the child from being born.

Let us never forget that “…the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Therefore, Scripture calls us to “be sober, be vigilant.”1 Peter 5:8. Satan uses new tactics to employ the same evil. There is nothing new under the sun. Christians should be watchful that we may fulfill the command to “learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:17.