'See, in guilt was I born, a sinner was I conceived...'

I stumbled across a Times article by child psychologist author, Linda Blair, entitled, 'Rethinking Rehab: Can 'Evil' Children Be Made Good?'

She begins, 'In my opinion, nobody is born evil (although nobody knows for sure)...'

The great danger with the developments in genetics, is that the World embraces so called scientific 'genetic discoveries' on such matters as criminality, mental illness, alcoholism, drug dependency, sexuality. The danger is that once again, as happened in Nazi Germany, the eugenic agenda becomes a centre-piece of Government policy and society's perception of the unborn and indeed born child becomes seen through Margaret Sanger's spectacles. It is already common practise for doctors to recommend that Downs Syndrome babies be 'terminated'. The Nuffield Council also seems particularly prominent in its promotion of 'medical ethics' which are, essentially, eugenic.

The Church teaches that when it comes to the human person nobody is born evil. We all inherit the stain of Original Sin which, washed away by virtue of our Baptism, still has an effect on us to the point that we still find it hard to choose Good, to do the right thing. Our ability to destroy ourselves or others is always there. Our environment too, obviously plays a part in our formation as human beings, especially in the formation of our sacred Conscience. The genetic aspect of human psychology is an unknown quantity for all of science's claims, but in all honesty, I am wary of anyone who keeps pointing to genetics as the reason for any trait in human behaviour. Any popular movement towards a eugenic ideology which deems some as 'criminal' has the potential to sanction sterilisation for certain groups, something which will always be a great and inhuman evil.

These ideologues who follow the 'genetic' theory of behaviour tend to deny free will and veer towards a eugenic view of humanity. If some babies are seen generally to be 'born evil' then obviously that view will be a veritable gold mine for abortionists and people who are, in their ideological mindset, at least, genuinely evil. The great problem with this view becoming prevalent is that it denies our Redemption, sanctifying Grace and denies that people can change for the better. They deny Salvation.

The whole question is really more appropriate for people like Marie Stopes. Is being a pathological Nazi and eugenicist genetic or something that is taught in the home?