Acceptable Genes?: Religious Traditions and Genetically Modified FoodsConrad G. Brunk, Harold Coward Modern biotechnology has surpassed science fiction with such feats as putting fish genes in tomatoes to create a more cold-resistant crop. While the environmental and health concerns over such genetically modified foods have been the subject of public debate, religious and spiritual viewpoints have been given short shrift. This book seeks to understand the moral and religious attitudes of groups within pluralistic societies whose traditions and beliefs raise for them unique questions about food and dietary practice. What questions are there for kosher Jews, halal Muslims, and vegetarian Hindus about food products containing transgenes from prohibited sources? How do these foods impact the cultural practices and spiritual teachings of indigenous peoples? Concerns from the above traditions as well as Christianity, Buddhism, Chinese religion, and ethical vegetarianism are included. Contributors look at the ethical context of each tradition and also include information from focus groups. This enlightening work concludes with recommendations for the labeling of genetically modified foods. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 Genetics and Genetically Modifi ed Organisms | 19 |
2 Ethical Perspectives on Food Biotechnology | 39 |
3 Does Vegetarianism Preclude Eating GM Foods? | 63 |
Genetic Modifi cation and GM Food in the Jewish Traditions | 81 |
5 Some Christian Refl ectionson GM Food | 115 |
6 Genetically Modifi ed Foods and Muslim Ethics | 135 |
Hindu Attitudes to Genetically Modifi ed Food | 159 |
A Buddhist Perspective | 179 |
Changing Attitudes toward Food in Late Imperial China | 197 |
Why Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Beliefs Matter in the Debate on GM Foods | 211 |
11 Regulatory and Innovation Implications of Religious and Ethical Sensitivities concerning GM Food | 231 |
Contributors | 257 |
| 263 | |
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Acceptable Genes?: Religious Traditions and Genetically Modified Foods Conrad Brunk,Harold Coward No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
acceptable agricultural biotechnology argued argument argument from moral beliefs breeding Buddhist cells changes chapter Chinese choice chou Christian cloning communities concern congee considered consumers consumption context corn creation crops cultural debate dharma diet dietary dukkha ecological economic ecosystem environmental ethical vegetarianism example expressed fish focus group food products gene genetic engineering genetically modified foods genetically modified organisms genetically modified plants genome GM food GMOs God’s harvest Hindu human Ibid impact important indigenous industry involved Islamic issues Jewish karma kashrut kosher labeling mandatory labeling manipulation Maya meat modern modification of food moral Muslim nature nutritional one’s organism participants Patzún perspective philosophical plants and animals practices prohibited protein question Qur’an reasons regulatory religion religious rice risks ritual rules scientific seeds significant social species texts theological things tion tomato traditional food transfer transgene Ts'ao unacceptable understanding values Vegan/Vegetarian