(Adapted and used by permission. Does God Exist? March/April 2006, 29)

There is a huge cloud forming over the whole cloning and stem cell research area of concern. Dr Hwang Woo-suk of South Korea has been making news over the past year or so with incredible claims of success in cloning and stem cell research'including the first cloned human embryos and the first cloned dog. It is now being reported that many of Hwang's fellow scientists say many of the data for his claims have been faked. As long as there are humans involved, there is the potential for fakery and dishonesty. That is true in science and also in religion. We would like to point out that such research goals will eventually be attempted by researchers and probably the researches will eventually succeed. The fact that there has been dishonesty is no more relevant than the fact that some religious leaders commit major moral errors. It bears repeating that man's ability to clone or to use stem cells is not a religious issue. It simply shows the complexity of this process and the fact that intelligence was involved in getting all of life created in the first place. -- John Clayton

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