"Designer Babies"

[Conservative,]

Designer babies are becoming a thing of reality rather than the thing of the future they were 10 years ago. With several breakthroughs in cellular research scientists are now able to "play God" and, if wanted, choose the a babies features. This is normally only used if an inherited disease - for example cancer - is present in a parent and they would like to make sure it is not inherited. However, more people are turning to science to create "designer babies". These babies not only are sterilized of all inheritable diseases, but are also made into the "perfect child".

Everything from hair colour to height can be determined through new scientific methods, and this has sparked a huge debate in the religious and scientific worlds. Many people see it as "playing God" however scientists argue it is valuable research that can enhance future generations' potential in all fields.

So what's your opinion. Is it right, is it "playing God", should we leave it?


My personal opinion is that people are overreacting. The argument that we're "playing God" is really ridiculous because we do that 24/7. We fly in airplanes - we weren't designed to fly or we'd have wings. We cure diseases with artificial medicine. We prevent natural disasters (to the best of our ability). We've been to the moon. So really, that's a load of rubbish.

I personally think it's fine. If that's what the parents want, why shouldn't they?

[Suspective]

I think messing around with the human race is dangerous. If we're going around changing peoples natural characteristics and genes, and stopping natural factors happening then we're going to have a world full of clones and a much larger population.

People should be proud to be different and parents should be happy with the child they are given. Its selfish to go around changing characteristics and 'sterilizing' people as its just not part of the life cycle. Its immoral and as said before potentially dangerous.

[Niall!]

Bad bad bad. As much as I love the thought of society being equal on level of attractiveness, this process is probably hella expensive. Which means the rich kids will have it even better.

Call it jealousy but it shouldn't be allowed until everyone can afford it.

[Inseriousity.]

There's a huge difference between flying on a plane and changing your baby to fit your exact requirements. I think it's wrong to mess around with things like this.

There's that film (I think it's called Gattaca?) that kinda scared me off it tbh :P

[Janet Snakehole]

Designer babies are stupid. End of. People should be happy with the children they give birth to naturally, and if they're not then there is something seriously wrong with them. There are all times where we all want different coloured eyes or a different natural hair colour but we should all be grateful for what we are born with as we are all aware that some children aren't that lucky and have to put up with their 'differences' for the rest of their life - and that's hard. The world is cruel sometimes.

[Alkaz]

Call it jealousy but it shouldn't be allowed until everyone can afford it.
But surely for it to be able to become affordable to the masses they would need to develop it further which would then bring the cost down as most people use it?

I'm mixed on this to be honest. I think though that you should be able to have it to determine the sex of a baby.

[GommeInc]

Depends on the quality of life the child will be getting. I'm slightly concerned at how easy they believe it to be, when something could go horribly wrong. I wouldn't like to be labelled a designer child either :P Natural children seems so much nicer than synthetic, designed to order children

[Niall!]

But surely for it to be able to become affordable to the masses they would need to develop it further which would then bring the cost down as most people use it?

True. Maybe it's best we don't do it then.

[JerseySafety]

Up to the parents as long as they don't make there kids grow up and not doing what they want