| Human Clone? Rael-ly |
6 January 2003
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Human Cloning: Everything but the Proof
Clonaid, a private firm, has claimed success in the race to clone a human being. Ms. Brigitte Boisselier, speaking to the world media, said that the first cloned human, named "Eve," came into the world as 2002 was ending. This is one of the great moments in science, and marks a new stage in human development. If only Ms. Boisselier had some proof, like a DNA test, or possibly a baby to show an eager world.
Clonaid has ties to a religious group called the Raelians, led by Claude Vorihon, a former race car driver, who calls himself Rael. He teaches that humanity is the result of aliens who have run a genetic engineering project. He also claims that he was taken aboard a space ship by small creatures called the "Elohim" and bathed by robots. Free love also figures into this. A line from Fox TV's "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" comes to mind -- "Your religion is the goofy fruit of the ha-ha bush."
Still, their beliefs don't appear malevolent and may contain some truth. They neither break one's leg nor pick one's pocket. The Raelians have declared no jihad, instituted no Inquisition, taken no land from others in the name of God. In matters spiritual, the bar is set very low.
Scientifically, the ice is much thinner here. No baby has been produced. No proof has been offered that shows this "Eve" to have the same DNA as her mother. No scientific papers on cloning appear to have been published by Clonaid researchers. Clonaid appears not to have successfully cloned anything before. All we have is Ms. Boisselier's word for it. We have no reason to believe that she is a liar. But we have no reason to believe Eve exists either.