When MPs vote on this issue, this blog hopes that they will ignore opposition from the Church of England and the Catholics. Had the world listened to the the Christian church in the past it would still think the earth was flat and that the telescope was an evil instrument.
Organised religions based on faith can do good and on occasion they do a very great deal of it. Unfortunately the notion of faith demands adherence to certain verities which are often shown to be flawed by the advance of knowledge, science and culture. The mindless objection to women in the priesthood or becoming bishops is one such disgraceful example. Institutionalised paedophilia is on a somewhat different scale of abhorrence and disqualifies the Roman Catholic church from pronouncing on any moral issue for at least a generation. With forgiveness comes a price.
Meanwhile any scientific advance which frees future generations from a destructive genetic malfunction which causes disability, death and suffering is welcome to all civilised and compassionate thinkers. We must hope that includes the majority of MPs.