AUG. 6
Rev. Richard Benson, CM |
'First Dolly, Then What? A Twin for Everyone? Where Does It End?'
What does the church teach us about human cloning?
Is it right or is it wrong? Is it playing God or is it part of
God’s gift of free will to humans to pursue good medicine?
This session with the Rev. Richard Benson will
examine the scientific aspects of cloning and discuss the church's
response.
This is a timely and important topic in Catholic
bioethics.
Rev. Richard Benson, C.M., a Vincentian priest, is
a member of the Congregation of the Mission, Province of the West. He
has served at St. John’s Seminary since 1993, where he is the
academic dean and chair of the Moral Theology Department.
Father Benson was born in Norwalk, Calif.
Father Benson holds a bachelor of arts degree in
philosphy from St. Mary's Seminary in Perryville, Mo., a master of arts
in divnity and master of arts in theology from De Andreis Institute of
Theology in Lemont, Ill., a master of arts in biological sciences from
California State University Dominquez Hills, and a license in sacred
theology and a PhD and doctorate in sacred theology from the Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University of Louvain) in Belgium.
Father Benson was ordained in 1978.
He has been active in scientific and ethical
discussions surrounding genetics. Father Benson has also given lectures
at scientific conferences in human genetics and to departments of human
genetics and medical genetics at universities in Germany, Belgium,
Denmark, Canada and the United States.
