When does human life begin? Dilemma for scientists and theologians

22 JANUARY 2002

Ethical and moral problems over cloning and stem cell research lie in our understanding of when human life begins, according to a leading Australian scientist who will speak at an international science and religion workshop in Canberra on Monday 28 January.

Ethical and moral problems over cloning and stem cell research lie in our understanding of when human life begins, according to a leading Australian scientist who will speak at an international science and religion workshop in Canberra on Monday 28 January.

Professor John White, Chairman of the Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology and President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, will review the science as well as ethical and theological issues about human cell research at the workshop, Creation and Complexity: Interdisciplinary Issues in Science and Religion.

“In light of scientific advances, especially advances that depend on harvesting cells in the earliest stages of the human embryo, this definition of when life begins matters,” Professor White said.

Professor White is among 100 scientists and theologians from across Australia and overseas who will meet at a workshop titled Creation and Complexity: Interdisciplinary Issues in Science and Religion, to be opened by the Governor General His Excellency the Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE on Friday 25 January.

Other speakers include Research Professor in Science and Theology from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, Niels Henrik Gregersen; Founder and Director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, USA, Robert Russell; and Associate Director, Centre for Christian Communication, St John’s College, University of Durham, UK, David Wilkinson.

They will discuss a range of issues that cross the borders of science and religion, from biology – including genetics and stem cell research – to ethics, cosmology, philosophy and theologies of creation.

The event is hosted by St Mark’s National Theological Centre, Canberra, in association with the School of Theology at Charles Sturt University and the Flinders Centre for Theology, Science and Culture, Adelaide. 
 
Charles Sturt University is a leader in theological education in Australia and works closely with the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.

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