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Article: Austin L. Hughes.(social benefits and religious validity of human genome project)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Commonweal
- Article date:
- June 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Commonweal Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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I am fearfully and wonderfully made," said the Psalmist, and I can find no better words than these ancient ones to sum up my emotions as we enter the genomic era of human biology. Reports in the media have trumpeted the alleged medical benefits of having a genomic sequence--benefits that remain in the future and have probably been exaggerated. Others have warned of the dangers of the misuse of genomic data--dangers that, though real, have no doubt also been exaggerated. But, as we stand on the threshold of this new era, it is important, I think, that we let neither our hopes nor our anxieties get in the way of our wonder.
As with any great scientific discovery, ...