China to begin producing 'designer babies' in horrific scheme

In the 1980s they were referred to as "designer babies" and became a staple of period science fiction. The idea was that someday soon, scientists would be able to manipulate the genetic code of a baby before birth to ensure that child had the right color eyes, hair, and traits that the parents wanted. It would be like ordering from an a-la-carte menu. Well, the future has arrived.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - With the mapping of the human genome now long complete, it was just a matter of time before someone would start offering designer babies to wealthy people who could afford to pick and choose their child and its traits.

The practice is set to begin in China where one firm is seeking people with certain traits in an effort to isolate their best genes and help parents pick embryos with those preferred genes.

The entire notion is troubling, especially since multiple children could be created in a lab just to test and choose one.

The Chinese firm, Beijing Genetics Institute (BGI) is said to be the world's largest genetic institute and reportedly already has samples of over 2,000 high IQ individuals. Scientists hope to compare their genes to those of "average" people to determine what sets the smart ones apart. Once they know, then they will know what traits to look for in an embryo. That will allow parents to pick children with high IQs, and discard the rest.

The firm already has $1.5 billion from the China Development Bank. While most of the world sees this as a scandalous thing, it is hardly so in China where the vast majority of the people are accustomed for forced abortions and other harsh reproductive measures that destroy life.

Amid those draconian laws, it is understandable to see that people would want the best possible child with preferred traits, including IQ, since they can often only have one. However, the entire policy in China is barbaric and a great black mark upon a society and a culture that should otherwise be praised for its many virtues and accomplishments.

If successful in China, the practice is expected to spread.

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