From DNA to Dignity: Protecting Humanity in a World Obsessed with Difference
A viral video featuring MSNow journalist Paola Ramos and pronatalist advocates Simone and Malcolm Collins has sparked widespread discussion, raising questions about genetics, human dignity, and what it truly means to be human. Paola Ramos is a journalist and contributor to MSNow, while Simone and Malcolm Collins advocate pronatalism—the philosophy that procreation is inherently positive and should be encouraged.
The Collinses are not Christian, but they argue for what has historically been the traditional Christian view of procreation. Without delving into the full depth of the disagreements between Ramos and the Collinses, the viral clips boil down to a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be human.
You can watch the Clip Here
The core of the debate centers on whether people with different skin colors have different genetics. Ramos argues no, while the Collinses argue yes. The tension in this exchange arises from what is left unsaid. The underlying assumption seems to be that difference implies inferiority—an assumption historically rooted in genetic racism and eugenics. In this framework, humanity is perceived as tied directly to genetic information.
This leads Ramos, in an attempt to affirm the humanity of Black people, to deny scientific facts. While her intent is protective, both the denial of differences and the use of genetic differences to argue for inferiority are problematic.
Williams Syndrome
My son has Williams Syndrome, caused by a deletion of a portion of chromosome 7. While this is not the same as the genetic differences that cause variation in skin color, it does represent a significant genetic difference that affects his development and appearance. Denying genetic differences entirely risks denying human dignity and the reality of human variation.
Ramos attempts to argue that there is no evidence for genetic differences. The fear of scientific racism is real, but rejecting genetic reality without a careful framework for truth can be just as dangerous—like driving off a cliff while trying to avoid potholes. Genetic information is tremendously helpful in medical research. Yet it does not determine humanity.
What Make Us Human
Some worldviews, particularly scientific materialism, reduce existence to what can be measured. In such a framework, value and dignity cannot exist except as sentimental constructs borrowed from other traditions. Even arguments for racial equality or the protection of those with disabilities must lean on external moral frameworks—often those formulated by religion—to justify human value.
The Christian worldview, by contrast, roots human dignity in the fact that all people are created in the image of God. Remove that foundation, and there is no intrinsic reason to reject the extremes of scientific racism, abortion, or the systematic marginalization and eradication of those with disabilities. Recognizing genetic differences does not conflict with human worth; it underscores our dependence on a moral framework that affirms the value of every life, regardless of appearance, ability, or ancestry.
In the end, the debate is not just about genetics or pronatalism—it is about what it truly means to be human. Acknowledging difference, without tying it to worth, is a necessary step toward a society that protects and cherishes life. Our humanity is not measured in DNA sequences but in the dignity we extend to one another—and that begins with the recognition that every life matters.