Brits go a step further

We are the first species to have taken evolution into our own hands," claimed the late Carl Sagan. His words sounded chillingly prophetic last month when the British government proposed the legalization of "limited" human cloning. Defenders of human dignity had better take quick notice.

The British decision came after a group of medical experts recommended that therapeutic cloning be allowed with human embryos. If OK'd by Parliament, the legislation would allow the cloning of human embryos for the sole purpose of removing the powerful "stem cells" for purposes of research—a procedure that destroys the embryo.

"Stem-cell research opens up a new medical frontier," said Liam Donaldson, Britain's chief medical officer. He is certainly correct, but the ethical concerns are ominous, and those who defend the sanctity of human life now face a serious new threat.