There are some religious traditions that view human beings as participants in creation. This is true of the Jewish tradition, from which I come.

First, individual rights cannot be sacrificed for the sake of the general good, and second, the principles of justice that specify these rights cannot be premised on any particular vision of the good life. What justifies the rights is not that they maximize the general welfare or otherwise promote the good, but rather that they comprise a fair framework within which individuals and groups can choose their own values and ends, consistent with a similar liberty for others.

Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share in a common life.

I think people who want to use genetic technologies to gain a competitive edge for their children are engaging in a kind of overreaching that could really undermine our appreciation of children as gifts for which we should be grateful and, instead, to view them as products or instruments that are there to be molded and directed.

I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background in the Jewish tradition. I've tried to learn what I can from childhood, but I am not an expert on Jewish teachings.

I think too often in our society parents, who may have good impulses, overreach and try to mold and shape and direct their child.

There are some religious traditions that view human beings as participants in creation. This is true of the Jewish tradition, from which I come.