ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the study of some important aspects of the Human Genome Project (HGP) and some of its social and religious implications. The HGP can be looked on as the culmination of several important developments of a similar nature, but involving lower animals. The ordering and operation of the over three billion chemical units of the human genome seem to contain the entire secret of a human being's biological life. Indiscriminate use of the genomic information can lead to unjust and easy categorization of persons into disadvantaged categories. The genome revolution has some salutary consequences in the moral sphere as well. The recent surge of interest in genetics spurred by the announcement of the draft of the human genome has brought the science–religion debate to the fore. The preparation of the draft copy of the human genome is indeed a remarkable development with few parallels in the history of science.
