CENTER TACKLES GENETIC CHALLENGES
Gathering together for The Center’s third annual bioethics conference, hundreds of people converged on the Deerfield, Illinois campus of Trinity International University for “The Christian Stake in Genetics,” held July 18-20. The conference was also co-sponsored by Christian Legal Society, Christian Medical and Dental Society, Nurses Christian Fellowship, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and The Wilberforce Forum. The conference examined the advances taking place in the arena of genetic science and presented Christian responses to the ethical issues arising from such research. Conference attenders, including scientists, physicians, nurses, educators, clergy, lawyers, and others, expressed great enthusiasm for the opportunity to interact with Christians who brought diverse experiences and perspectives to bear on many of today’s most pressing ethical challenges. Special evening speakers included Charles Colson, head of Prison Fellowship, and Francis Collins, director of The Human Genome Project. While Colson stressed that Christians need to urge caution in society’s pursuit of genetic knowledge and control, Collins expressed hope that genetic science will make it possible to heal, or at least ameliorate the suffering of, those with genetic disorders. Highlights from Colson’s and Collins’ addresses are featured on page three of this newsletter. Audio and video tapes have been developed from some of the presentations.