By Terry Vanderheyden
CHRISTCHURCH, August 3, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A New Zealand family group is alarmed to learn that the New Zealand government has budgeted $500,000 per year to fund what the group calls the “eugenic” practice of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).
PGD involves allowing newly created in vitro embryos to grow to a certain stage, and then removing one of their cells and examining it for genetic “flaws” that might lead to illnesses or imperfections such as cystic fibrosis or Down’s syndrome.
“PGD is about eugenics, pure and simple” said Family Life International media spokesperson, Brendan Malone. “This process is used to carry out search and destroy missions on human embryos that are ‘less than perfect’ in the eyes of prospective parents. No matter how supporters of this technology try to spin this issue, this technology has only one purpose – to weed out and destroy undesirable human embryos.”
“This practise is eugenic in nature, and it has no place in a society that truly respects human life,” Malone added. “It will be used to further unethical practises such as producing ‘saviour siblings’: children who are created not out of love, but to provide tissue, etc for other sick family members.”
Family Life International is also alarmed at the blind faith being shown in this technology by its supporters.
“This technology doesn’t always get it right and false results can lead to the destruction of human embryos that carry no genetic abnormality whatsoever. The PGD procedure carries the risk of damaging the human embryo being tested, it increases the risk of miscarriage and there is no research available about the long-term effects of PGD on human beings.”
“Most alarming of all is the fact that even when a genetic marker is present, the associated negative health condition may never show itself in the life of that person” said Malone.
Malone also expressed concern that one-sided media coverage wholly in support of the technology is stifling true debate about the issue. “The supporters of this technology have tried to claim that it is not eugenic in nature, but so far they have failed to address how weeding out and destroying human embryos that are undesirable to the parents is anything other than eugenic” he said. “One-sided media coverage of this issue will allow the promoters of this technology, and its accompanying ideology, to literally get away with murder.”
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Genetic Diagnosis Questioned
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jul/03072908.html
Genetic Screening of Embryos to be “Regulated” by Health Canada
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05100504.html
Sex-Selection by Embryo Screening Approved for US Trial
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/oct/05102707.html
Contact your NZ Member of Parliament:
https://www.clerk.parliament.govt.nz/YourMP/ListMPs/