genetic screening

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ke fateh !!

On the News today they were discussing pre-pregnancy genetic screening.

www.skynews.com

www.bbc.co.uk

What is the sangats views on this? ie. whats the gursikhi stance?

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ke fateh !!

We were having a similar discussion in Biology recently, whether such a thing could be considered ethical. Screening for diseases before pregnancy doesn't seem to be an ethical problem. The problem is when a disease is found, and the couple want a child, it won't be through conception, rather it will involve in-vitro fertilization.

If a disease is found in the woman (or man), they would make her produce several embryos, and screen each one for the disease. After screening, only those that are "disease-free" are placed back into the women's body after they've been fertilized. The other embryos are discarded. This is the part that I think is against Sikhi. This process, I believe, is not in accordance with Gurmat. Couples should be having a child naturally, not through different methods outside of the body; it just isn't right. Also, there are many others, non-Sikhs, that agree that in-vitro fertilization should not be allowed. If in Sikhi we believe that a soul is placed after conception, then it means that these embryos have a soul. Yet, if they are found to be infected, they are discarded.

So wouldn't this in a sense be considered murder? And murder is totally against Sikhi...

Although it's a good idea, because it saves your child from inheriting a genetic disease, the consequences of such a process have to be considered as well. I'm not saying that couples, fearing that their child would inherit a genetic disease, not have kids. Sure, get yourself screened, but don't go through the process of in-vitro fertilization. If there's any other way, without any "murder" being involved, then by all means I don't see a problem with that. Also, if that's the case, I don't think it'll be against Sikhi either.

Vaaheguru Jee Kaa Khalsaa Vaaheguru Jee Kee Fatehh!

Diseases cannot be avoided like this. According to Gurmat, diseases are caused by one cause and that cause is forgetting Naam:

ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਤੇ ਭੁਲਿਆਂ ਵਿਆਪਨਿ ਸਭੇ ਰੋਗ ॥
(All diseases occur because of forgetting Vaheguru)

They might control 100 diseases but if we continue to forget Vaheguru, 1000 new diseases will come into being. As long as the cause is there, the diseases and sorrows will continue to come.

Since there is just one cause for all diseases, cure too is only one. The cure is the opposite of cause. The cause is forgetting Naam and cure is remembering Naam. May Guru Sahib bless us with the true medicine - Naam.

As for genetical screening, it is definitely Manmatt and should be avoided by all Gursikhs. Gurmat is about living life in fear and love of Vaheguru and have full faith in Vaheguru. Then nothing can go wrong.

Kulbir Singh

WJKK WJKF

I agree with you Kulbir jeeo but you mention one thing incorrectly which is::

"Gurmat is about living life in fear and love of Vaheguru and have full faith in Vaheguru. Then nothing can go wrong."


From personal experience things can even go wrong while living as you say ""Gurmat is about living life in fear and love of Vaheguru and have full faith in Vaheguru." but having that faith with Vaheguru one can cope better.

NS jeeo, please accept a personal request of addressing this Daas as "Kulbir Singh" as opposed to just "kulbir".

Regarding your comment, you too are right and I think I too am right. If a Gursikh really asks for it, then there can be no Bighan (hurdle) in his path of spirituality. Perhaps this is because a true Gursikh is so much intoxicated in Naam that he does not take notice of hurdles.

Kulbir Singh

WJKK WJKF

Kulbir Singh Jeeo ,

Apologies for the oversight will adher in future - may I also request a personal request from you to address with WJKK WJKF before starting off any post in any thread as opposed to just replying.

My comments were only for the benefit for the wider audience reading these threads- is it so hard to agree - instead of the ego I AND I thing.???

Quote
ns
From personal experience things can even go wrong while living as you say ""Gurmat is about living life in fear and love of Vaheguru and have full faith in Vaheguru." but having that faith with Vaheguru one can cope better.

When a Gursikh accepts Guru Maharaaj's bhaana, then nothing can ever wrong. Everything is right, everything is a gift, everything is hukam.
Right and wrong is a completely subjective concept.

Agreed nobody jee , but we do get it confused with the deductive concept pretty easily don't we?

Quote

Apologies for the oversight will adher in future - may I also request a personal request from you to address with WJKK WJKF before starting off any post in any thread as opposed to just replying.

There is no tradition of beginning an article or a post with Fateh. Yes, traditionally we should begin our articles or any compositions with a Manglacharan. Bhai Jasjit Singh jee did try to carry on this tradition of writing the Manglacharan before the post but recently it seems like he too has been affected by our bad Sangat and has thus stopped writing the Manglacharan.

When writing a personal email or PM to a Gursikhs, we should try to write the Fateh first. This is just my humble opinion, NS jeeo.

Kulbir Singh

ਭਾਇ ਭਗਤਿ ਭੈ ਚਲਣਾ ਮਸਤ ਅਲਮਸਤ ਸਦਾ ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰੀ॥ -Bhai Gurdas Ji