I'm not sure anyone does, kiddo.
Conner: Dad, would it be cool if you could clone a sheep?
Me: I, personally, don't know. Why don't you ask the Scottish scientists who did just that?
Conner: SOMEBODY CLONED A SHEEP?
Me: Yeah. A sheep named Dolly. It was within your lifetime too.
Conner: Wow... That's AWESOME.
Me: Sure is, man. But not everyone thinks so.
Conner: Because it was a sheep?
Me: No, because the supposed uniqueness of a cloned being is diminished by the act of creating an exact copy. So there are a lot of people who believe that cloning is, essentially, the contemporary equivalent of building the tower of Babel.
Conner: Dad... Two questions. First, why are science and religion always battling?
Me: That's a great question with lots of long answers. I don't think we can cover it before your bus comes. But maybe a short answer to start thinking about, for now, is: ego. What was your other question.
Conner: Okay... It's just that... Dad? I don't know what "contemporary" means.
Nov 24th