Gene editing on an embryo involves making a choice for an unborn person without possibility of consent - and their children, and their children etc. That assum

Gene editing on an embryo involves making a choice for an unborn person without possibility of consent - and their children, and their children etc. That assumption of knowing better than the person affected is 'playing god' in a way that doing a surgical procedure on a consenting person isn't. Obviously that stuff is already done today - abortion or medical intervention at an early stage where the parent acts on behalf of the person. One of the things that's different is the scope and power of these techniques. Look at the diversity of domestic dogs, from great danes to toy dog breeds - that all came through selective breeding from the same wolf ancestor in a few thousand years. Also remember that humans are 99% the same as chimps at the DNA level and about 85% with mice. Direct, untrammeled genetic modification of humans could unleash huge changes in a very short time. Until we are clear about how we want to manage that, it's easier to have a moratorium.