| With the advent of cloning,
artificial wombs, stem cell research and trying to create life from
unnatural means, an article from National Geographic News reveals that a
growing controversy has begun over the making of Chimeras, which is the
mixing of two or more species in a body, and in this case, human and
animal. In other words, it is the creation of new species, part human
and part whatever the scientist fancies to use. Visions of all manner of
freakish creatures come to mind as likely have been envisioned by many,
from Spiderman to the H. G. Wells novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau.
Chimeras themselves are defined as a mythical fire-breathing creature
composed of a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. The
Sphinx is an example of a type of chimera.
According to the National
Geographic article, the U.S. has no federal laws to address the chimera
issue, while Canada has banned chimeras, fully
prohibiting the transfer of "a
nonhuman cell into a human embryo and putting human cells into a
nonhuman embryo." The National Academy of Sciences, which advises the
U.S. government, hopes to present voluntary ethical guidelines for
researchers in March of this year. But consensus even for that report
appears to have been difficult as various scientists disagree about
whether it might be unethical to have a human embryo implanted into an
animal's womb and similar unbelievable subject matter.
Quoting from the National
Geographic News article,
Animal-Human Hybrids Spark Controversy, by Maryann Mott, January 25,
2005:
"...Chinese
scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University
in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit
eggs. The embryos were reportedly the first
human-animal chimeras successfully created. They were
allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory
dish before the scientists destroyed the embryos to
harvest their stem cells.
In Minnesota
last year researchers at the Mayo Clinic created pigs
with human blood flowing through their bodies...
What's caused
the uproar is the mixing of human stem cells with
embryonic animals to create new species....
Cynthia Cohen
is a member of Canada's Stem Cell Oversight Committee,
which oversees research protocols to ensure they are
in accordance with the new guidelines.
She believes a
ban should also be put into place in the U.S.
Creating
chimeras, she said, by mixing human and animal gametes
(sperms and eggs) or transferring reproductive cells,
diminishes human dignity...."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0125_050125_chimeras.html
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In the National Geographic
article, one researcher has already tried to give mice human brains. The
intended goal according to that scientist, who says he's 'not a mad
scientist', is to study the human brain function. This writer is hard
pressed to believe that scientists are unable to find sufficient human
subjects with brains that function that could be studied via EEG's and
so on.
Romans 1:20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made
like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and
creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of
their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served
the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
It should be obvious that man is
again attempting to play God. God created mankind and animals "after
their kind" and "it was good".
Genesis 1:20-27
1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth,
which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every
winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill
the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his
kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle
after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after
his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them.
God created man in His image and
we can be assured that does not allow for mice/men, rabbit/men,
goat/men, pig/men, snake/men, or whatever perverse combinations can
result from a scientists whim. Even with the concept that All
combinations of the desired chimeras would be 'created' for the
greater good, or for medical cures or advances. The fact that human
blood has been coursing through the veins of pigs, or the concept that
pigs blood could be coursing through human veins would be more than a
little repulsive to some, not just from a reasoned response, but because
of religious beliefs held by many, whether it be Christians, Jews,
Muslims or other.
Human dignity, and simply the
difference in humanity and animals should cause a reasonable response of
rejecting the concept of chimeras, because of what is so clearly
contrary for what is intended for humans and animals alike. There are
some things that shouldn't be done, even if they could be done.
We can be guaranteed that when Man
rejects, changes or attempts to override what God has done, good does
not come of it. |
