“How does my Christian Faith Contend with Genetic engineering?”Religion-what does that mean to me? Do I believe in my religion, what has religion done for me lately? I would have to say religion has brought me hope for a better life and knowing that I can bring a better life to my family. I believe in God, I believe that god created humans and created the earth the water the moon and stars, and all creatures that exist on earth. What have I given back to religion? Generation after generation the emphasis on worshipping God in church has been on the decline in my family. My faith has not declined I just believe that God is everywhere and I feel that I can worship Him anywhere and at anytime.
Does my faith in Him come into question when I look into the advancement of technology in science’science of genetic engineering can sometimes heal and cure the ill. Genetic engineering can reproduce foods and recreate species of any kind. Makes me wonder if my faith can handle the concept that mankind can alter what God has created, and whether or not I want to be apart of a world that is not original but fake. I will contend with these two subjects and try to find if I want to belong to a society that is engineering a new world. Genetic engineering of any organisms, is it possible? The scientists have genetically engineered some of the following:The superpig engineered with human growth hormone gene …The supersalmon engineered with grow-faster genes from another fish…Clones of Dolly the Sheep ‘the big success story’…A soybean with a Brazil nut gene… It is possible to clone or reproduce organism, but what about the sick or the people dying from deceases can genetic engineering help those in need.
If so, what price tag do you put on a medicine that can save lives? Who will control the special tool for sustain life? Will it be the wealthiest society or can it be available for the normal human being? When we heal the sick what is it we are risking in return? Keith Parkins states:Genetic engineering may lead to a worsening in the rise of decease. In transferring a gene from one species to another we may also be transferring disease vulnerability, antibiotic resistance, cancer and a host of problems we may not yet be aware of. Three decades ago Legionnaire’s disease was unknown, two decades ago AIDS was unknown, one decade ago Mad Cow disease was unknown. So I am left to wonder where do the new diseases and cures for the diseases come to a rest? Will new and more violent diseases appear after we find cures and treatments for the disease we have now. What does my religious background think about genetic engineering?God is the creator of man, which was what I was taught and what I believe. Why do scientists want to re-create and prolong life? God will find other means to take life when the time comes for someone or something to pass away.
I believe God wanted humans to advance their selves by faith, not to cheat life or to find shortcuts to sustaining life, genetic engineering for example. Ted Perry says, ”…man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. ”What does this phrase mean to myself, well man created cloning techniques and the consequences for humankind are coming from God. In Genesis, of the Old Testament, chapter one,God tells us that He personally created all the various kinds of organisms individually and said that they were to reproduce according to their kind. When he saw that each kind was reproducing according to their own kind, he said that it was good.
The way I understood God was reproduction with your own kind is good and reproducing an identical of your own kind was wrong. God states, ” You shall keep my statutes. You shall not crossbreed two sorts of animals. You shall not sow your field with two sorts of seed. ”This tells me God knew one-day humans would try to breed new life and God will not allow such a thing to happen. God commandments suggest if we disobey them we shall reap God’s curse,But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of Jehovah your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that these curses will come upon you and overtake you:Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.
Cursed shall your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. My reaction to this paragraph is God is watching over us and knows what the human race is trying to do; God will punish those who defy His command. Information is the key to this paper, and whether or not to justify science as a tool for the greater of mankind or to keep the faith as it was meant to be.
I would like to think that genetic engineering can help the sick and the diseased but will the science stop there? Will my children fell the repercussions of today’s actions? God will find ways to take life and faith followers will succeed where scientists have failed. I will take my religion and destiny will determine my fate, not science. Bibliography: 1. Keith Parkins, Animal-to-Human Transplants.
“The Creation of Frankenstein’s Monster”. July 19992. Keith Parkins, Animal-to-Human Transplants. “The Creation of Frankenstein’s Monster”. July 19993. Ted Perry, Speech Commonly Known Attributed to Chief Seattle, 1970.
4. Old Testament, Genesis 1:11-12, 20-21, 24-255. Leviticus 19:196. Deuteronomy 28:15-18
