I'll join this debate. If it's possible to clone human cells without cloning an entire human being, think of the possibilities:
1) We could grow entire organs.
2) We could grow limbs.
3) We could generate blood.
4) We could regenate nerve cells to repair spinal/neck injuries.
These things would maket the need for donors and prosthetics a day of the past. I would consider any of the above marvelous breakthroughs in medicine.
Now, I haven't read the article. I'm just discussing this from an academic sense. History is replete with science versus "morals". Some examples:
1) Copernicus' idea that the Earth orbited the sun was considered heresy by the Roman Catholic church. How dare someone question the Earth being the center of the Universe....after all, isn't the Earth the center of what God created, and do not the Heavens surround the Earth?
2) When Pastuer (sp) discovered that infections and diseases were spread by germs, again, the church was quick to look upon this as heresy since after all, evil spirits do cause all manners of sickness.
3) We still argue Darwin's Theory of Evolution versus Creationism. I have my own ideas that meld both, but the fact remains that we still have "morals" versus science.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think it's a bad idea to clone an entire human, especially since research has yielded odd results with animal cloning (such as obesity in cloned animals). I cannot agree that we shouldn't clone humans out of a respect for morality (I don't remember a commandment saying...thou shalt not reproduce life), but, if we do clone, it should be when the process is consistantly as good or better than reproducing, sexually.
My next opinion is for those who believe in God. For those who don't, my arguement above should satisfy. I believe God made us in His image....meaning we aspire to be more and more like God. This is evident in the Tower of Babel story. I believe that as long as we advance ourselves to better all of humankind and not for selfish gain, then we are doing just what God designed us to do.