Posted by Merricat on November 04, 2005 at 19:24:11:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A company founded by members of a sect that believes mankind was created by extraterrestrials says the alleged first human clone -- an infant girl -- returned home Monday and will undergo testing to verify its genetic makeup.
The girl, dubbed "Eve," went home Monday, said Clonaid spokeswoman Nadine Gary. An independent expert will take cell samples from the mother and girl this week and conduct tests to prove they are genetic duplicates, said Brigitte Boisselier, CEO of Clonaid. The company says its scientists produced the child.
Clonaid was founded by the Raelians, a religious sect that believes extraterrestrials created life on Earth through genetic engineering. Boisselier is a bishop in the movement, led by former French journalist Claude Vorilhon, who now calls himself "Rael."
Rael said Monday that the baby is "perfectly healthy," and defended the company against human cloning critics.
"I think opponents to cloning are more afraid of a healthy baby than of a handicapped child," he said. "They would be so happy the child will be handicapped, saying, 'Look, this is terrible, they are creating handicapped children.' Their most utmost fear is to have a healthy, smiling baby, because then the public opinion will change completely and everybody will say, 'That's beautiful.' "