Word: yeshorim
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Imagine if a nationwide program like Dor Yeshorim recorded the genes of every citizen. (Even now, the federal government is attempting to map out the entire human genome.) Would you be comfortable knowing that all your genes are on record somewhere, from your predisposition for baldness to your likeliness to commit violent crimes (scientists have discovered a "crime gene" for males)? Already we are less disturbed than we should be that our privacy, from what we buy to whom we call, is recorded and often sold; in this era, knowledge is money...
Still, some of the more widespread objections to Dor Yeshorim are almost irrational. Obviously, we aren't disturbed by the concept of trying to ensure that a child is the healthiest and the "best" he could possibly be. Increasingly, women are watching what goes into their bodies during pregnancy, refraining from tobacco, alcohol, and even caffeine. No one raises an eyebrow when parents send their children to school early, infusing them with "Hooked on Phonics" and "Reading Rainbow," in an effort to unleash their maximum potential...
...Yeshorim disturbs us because it attempts to assure a healthy child even before conception--in fact, before marriage itself. Maybe we're wary of this notion because in the back of our minds, it seems a lot like tampering with Fate...
...today's culture, we view the love that leads to marriage as the highest manifestation of the providence Dor Yeshorim attempts to circumvent. But as the ancient Greeks learned, Fate cannot be avoided; therefore, any attempt to do so seems deceitful...
These are questions that no one but the couple involved can answer. Dor Yeshorim poses no threat as long as these two can make their choice without fearing ostracism from the community...