¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ

Babel’s Shadow by Pete Moore, £18, Lion, ISBN 074594423X

THE book of life has curious footnotes. Pete Moore recalls meeting a man who
suffers from the wasting disease muscular dystrophy in only half of his body.
The patient did not inherit the condition from his parents as other sufferers
have done, but developed it as a result of a spontaneous mutation as an early
stage embryo. One cell which would later give rise to half of his muscles
contained the defective muscle protein gene, the other was healthy.

Duality also shapes Moore’s study of the implications of advances in gene
technology, Babel’s Shadow. In parts, the book is a superbly written
account of the history and limitations of current knowledge about gene
techniques used in reproductive biology and medicine. Moore was a physiologist
studying fetal and neonatal development before turning to full-time science
journalism, and he knows his stuff. He also has a flair for apt analogies to
explain complex issues for a general readership.

But the second strand of the book is more problematic. Moore sees the risks
and challenges of our post-genomic world from a religious perspective. As the
book’s title suggests, he draws a parallel between the biblical tale of the
Tower of Babel and the headlong rush to exploit our new knowledge of genetics.
In the Old Testament story, human arrogance in challenging divine will led to a
disastrous fragmentation of society in Babylon. Moore says a similar fate awaits
Western society if it allows market forces alone to control the development of
genetic technology.

In the debate about the progress of gene therapy, genetic testing, cloning
and assisted conception, all ethical viewpoints need to be heard, and Moore’s
specifically Christian perspective may find common ground with views based on
other religious convictions. But for some, his arguments may appear weakest when
his own moral stance is expressed most clearly. Try as he might, here he does
not succeed in resolving the ever-present tensions in the relationship between
the scientific method and religious faith.

Despite the title he has chosen, Moore doesn’t make his Christian outlook
fully known until two-thirds of the way through the book. There are hints here
and there, though, of where the argument is leading. Moore takes regular swipes
at the opinions of Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene and an
outspoken critic of religious belief. He also makes clear his admiration for
John Wyatt, a prominent Christian medic at University College Hospital,
London.

When not taking issue with what he sees as Dawkins’s dangerous genetic
reductionism, Moore argues that the juggernaut of genetic technology should be
put back in the garage until we decide where we want it to go. If it’s propelled
solely by market forces, he fears that the machine will run riot.

Moore envisages a world in which those with the economic power to exploit
these advances become so genetically distinct from those who cannot that
humanity splits off into new, distinct races. More realistically, he is
concerned about the impact of genetic testing and selective abortion. Will
society continue to care for those with inherited disorders, he asks, if their
medical condition comes to be seen as their parents’ fault?

I think that respecting the rights of the individual and treating the human
embryo as a potential adult rather than a disposable commodity are both
reasonable and realistic goals. Respect for individuals is a humanitarian
sentiment probably shared by most of the people involved in the Human Genome
Project. Many, however, might not agree that in its earliest stages a human
embryo is a potential adult.

There are certainly challenges ahead in using this knowledge to make the
framework of a fairer society. But the same human intelligence used to develop
the technology can equally be focused on its control. So some may feel that
there are greater grounds for optimism than Moore’s gloomy Old Testament
forecast suggests. Remember, too, that it was God’s will rather than human
action that sowed confusion and division around that tower in the plain of
Shinar.