Ronald A. Lindsay

About the author: Ronald A. Lindsay is a lawyer and philosopher.

The dogmatic pronouncements of religious leaders have little to offer in the continuing debate over human cloning. There is no necessary connection between religion and morality. The potential harms of cloning can be minimized through the rational application of secular ethical principles.

The furor following the announcement of recent experiments in cloning, including the cloning of the sheep Dolly, has prompted representatives of various religious groups to inform us of God's views on cloning. Thus, the Reverend Albert Moraczewski of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced that cloning is "intrinsically morally wrong" as it is an attempt to "play God" and "exceed the limits of the delegated dominion given to...