Influences

What influences your thinking? Some say friends. Others say parents. Still others say public figures.

How about the Bible? Paul wrote to young Timothy, "From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). Jesus said to his Father, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17). There is no more trustworthy influence than the Bible.

But what about the opinions of others? Do they count? We want to be accepted by the majority. That is why polls and surveys are big business.

Polls and cloning

But right or wrong cannot be determined by popular opinion. Yes, sometimes important people make major decisions based on popularity polls. Still, opinions don't make an idea right, even if some decisions are based on them.

That said, what do polls say Americans think about cloning? Overwhelmingly, people are opposed to human cloning. Surveys repeatedly show the same results, that about 9 out of 10 Americans are against it. Even on the emotional issues like cloning vital organs or cloning a baby for an infertile couple, the numbers against cloning are still high.

Information Manipulation

We have to be careful about interpreting polls. Poll results show us that people can be manipulated. For example, how you would answer these two questions?

• Would you be in favor of procedures that clone pre-embryos for the purpose of finding life-saving treatments for patients with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, and other terminal diseases?
  
  
• Would you be in favor of procedures that clone human beings, only to destroy those lives through the process of harvesting the stem cells?

Do you see the manipulation? The first question almost begs you to say "Yes, let's clone some body parts," while the second question begs for , "No. How could you think of cloning?"

Your response

As Christians, we don't need to follow opinion polls to know what is right or wrong. Even when the opinion polls agree with Scripture, they are not the basis for our morals. We have God's Word to give us direction in life.

"Who is wise?" Hosea asks; then he answers, "He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them" (14:9).

Stay focused on that unchanging truth as you form your decisions on these critical issues. Then shine with that truth as you walk each day with Jesus.

Paul Snamiska is program administrator for WELS Lutherans for Life. To learn more about life issues, visit Christian Life Resources (www.ChristianLifeResources.com).