Religious Groups Are Against Upcoming Human Trials of Synthetic Blood
- By C Barnett --
- 04 Sep 2016 --
Religious groups believe the use of synthetic blood amounts to “playing God.”
Religious doctrines are yet again at odds with scientific developments with the recent invention of synthetic blood. Religious people have traditionally opposed the use of scientifically created human body enhancements, brain enhancements, and genetic modification. This time, the religious have turned against synthetically created blood saying that it is unnatural and that man must not cross his limits.
Religious Groups Are Against Upcoming Human Trials of Synthetic Blood[/tweetthis]
The quest for discovering synthetic blood has been around for decades now. Now a group of scientists in the UK have claimed to have discovered the right way to manufacture synthetic blood and have even succeeded in doing so. The National Health Services of UK has announced its decision to start experimenting on synthetic blood in 2017 on a group pf 20 people.
The blood substitutes are not meant to replace blood, the scientists said. Instead, synthetic blood is only meant to carry out the functions of actual blood wherever it fails. As such, synthetic blood transports oxygen.
However religious groups have quickly come forward to denounce this move that they consider goes against natural laws. Opponents insist that creating synthetic blood is just another way in which human beings are fast moving towards an unnatural and unsustainable future that will have disastrous results. Pew Research results indicate that 63 percent of Americans are “worried” about the implications of synthetic blood, among other scientifically altered human technology. The most important divide between those who are in support of artificial blood and those who are against it is the notion of transgressing natural laws. While opponents seem to agree on the benefits of synthetic blood, they have also affirmed that it amounts to “playing God” and have denounced it on religious grounds.
The debate shifts to another dimension with the Jehovah's Witnesses who have been traditionally against the of blood transfusions in general. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that people should not mix blood with one another as this is considered as an act of opposition to the natural way that God has created people. However, how they will be receiving the invention of synthetic blood is a matter of interest because technically, no blood exchange between people is involved.
Opponents also warn that there will be inequality in society if such enhancements are made available. The divides between healthy and unhealthy, rich and poor will widen because when already healthy people take these enhancements, they will become much more superhuman than less healthy people. Besides, as these enhancements are bound to be expensive, they argue that only the rich and elite may be able to benefit from them.