With cloning technology now available, we will need to consider if cloning is ethically acceptable. For example, is there any way to prevent the abuses of cloning without blocking beneficial medical and scientific progress? Human cloning research could bring about substantial health benefits, including the creation of animals with human-compatible organs for transplantation. Cloning could also be used to help scientists understand how genes are turned on and off, which could provide important information about the causes of cancer and the mechanism of aging.

      Another issue is the use of cloning to treat infertility. Reproductive technology, once considered controversial, is now accepted by the public. Why not allow a woman who is unable to conceive naturally to clone a child by placing her own DNA inside of a donor egg?

      Yet, what about our sense of identity and ancestry? Imagine giving birth to a clone of yourself—or your mother, father, or grandfather. Familial relationships could become increasingly complex. How can we prevent sinister applications of cloning, such as the creation of clones that would serve as slaves or a source of body parts? What effect will cloning have on theology? Is each human life unique? Would a clone have a soul? Finally, what will happen to clones that are failed experiments? Will they be disposed of like other experiments that have gone awry? These are just some of the issues that should be considered before a national policy on cloning is formulated.