What does the Bible say about cloning? You probably didn’t think you’d ever have to ask it. Your gut reaction may be, “Well, cloning seems bad because of the moral implications.” Implications like, would a clone have a soul?” Is a clone an abomination in the eyes of God? What does a Creator think about someone distorting its creation (cough, cough, AI art and AI-generated stories…).
It shouldn’t surprise us that the Bible has little to say about cloning. The technology didn’t exist in ancient times. But the Bible does have a lot to say about the sanctity of life and counterfeits.
We know that Satan can’t create; he can only take what’s already been created and modify it slightly. This point often comes to mind when someone asks, “What does the Bible say about cloning?”
So let’s dive in to see a Scriptural view of this hot-button issue.
What Does “God Created Humanity in His Image” Mean for Cloning?
God created humanity in his image. That means that every person who has been created is knit together in their mother’s womb. They have attributes of God. They have a sanctity of life that we should seek to preserve.
So what happens when we, as humans, create life via cloning? What does it do to God’s image?
Let’s explain God’s design for the human body biblically.
The Bible tells us that our bodies are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19). They belong to the person who made them, God. Outside Scripture, various thinkers have affirmed this point from their secular perspectives. For example, one of the dialogues written by pre-Christian philosopher Plato features a man who argues against people committing suicide because their bodies do not belong to themselves.
Since our bodies do not belong to ourselves, we can reasonably assume that others’ bodies do not belong to us either. That would fall under the category of cloning—we cannot misuse our bodies for cloning or convince others to go through with the process.