On the verge of becoming... God?

Eighth in the PE Series, Reviewing Chapter Seven

Want to see a video of pigs that glow in the dark? Click. "The pigs are transgenic, created by adding genetic material from jellyfish into a normal pig embryo." [Original report] How do the pigs feel about this?

Another example of genetic tampering is the creation of human-spider goats whose milk can be treated to produce spider silk.

This and lots more information was shared in Chapter Seven of Pandemonium's Engine, Man Becoming His Own God? by Douglas Hamp, who asks: "Should planetary supremacy entitle the human race to inflict inhumane, unnatural acts upon any sub-intellectual life-form for financial gain?" Learn more about Douglas and his presentations on his blogsite.

In the process of following leads given in his chapter, I came across some interesting quotations:
"The most powerful code is no longer a string of 1s and 0s." - "DNA Space. The Geography of the Genome," WIRED, June 2003
Definition of Life Sciences: "The science of using living organisms and/or their constituent parts to replace or augment products or processes. Life Science products include fuels, chemicals, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, clothing, plastics and building materials." from https://www.biotechonomy.com
From the arstechnica.com website, quoted by Hamp on p 240:

Humanity is on the verge of becoming a new and utterly unique species, which [Juan Enriquez, Biotechonomy CEO] dubs Homo Evolutis. What makes this species so unique is that it "takes direct and deliberate control over the evolution of the species." Calling it the "ultimate reboot," he points to the conflux of DNA manipulation and therapy, tissue generation, and robotics as making this great leap possible.

We are already in the midst of minor improvements to the human body and mind; Enriquez gave examples of growing new tissues for successful transplant, programmable cells, and augmenting our abilities through robotics. As this trend accelerates, more and more aspects of the human experience, of the human life, will be capable of scientific manipulation. While some improvement may come post-birth, our understanding of DNA and biology may lead to something much bigger.

Hamp points out that chimeras are being invented. A chimera is a hybrid creature that is part human, part animal. Though many genomic discoveries in the biosciences are marvelous and helpful, others are dark and should never be permitted. He ends his chapter with this thought:

Man now possesses the power, via transgenics and transhumanism, to direct his own evolution. Tinkering with his code at the genetic level (DNA) is not only possible, but is currently being done. Strange animal hybrids are being made in the laboratory and even humans with animals are being experimented with; man is certainly open to improving himself in any way possible… Could the science of transhumanism and transgenics play a role in the rise of the Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast? Could technology allow Satan to create one from his own seed as Genesis 3:15 predicts? Satan's end game has been in the making now for many decades and will very soon be put into play.

That is a concept or definition of "seed" that I had not thought of. Several of the PE authors understand demonic "seed" as transhuman types of creatures, those not fully human but genetically altered. Yet, you do not need to have your DNA changed to belong to Satan and be his child. Just turn your back on God. You will be Satan's seed.

The Righteous Mantle of Improving Humanity

Fifth in the PE Series, Reviewing Chapter Four

The Übermensch and the Antichrist by Douglas Woodward is the fourth essay in Pandemonium's Engine. I enjoyed reading Mr. Woodward's bio online. I believe you would too. If you visit the Faith-happens.com website that includes his bio, you will find a promotional video for his recently published book, The Revealing.

The German word Übermensch was coined by the German atheistic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who influenced Hitler's eugenics quest. "The German prefix Über can have connotation of superiority, transcendence, excessiveness, or intensity, depending on the words to which it is prepended. Mensch refers to a member of the human species, rather than to a man specifically." (p. 166)

Woodward discusses the spirit of the Antichrist (I John 4:1-3) in the work of many authors and political figures of the late 19th and the 20th centuries, quoting from Nietzsche and exposing the occult involvements of German and British figures including Winston Churchill.

It is likewise at work today, and Woodward includes some quotations to illustrate. Here is one:

And the other thing, because no one has the guts to say it, if we could make better human beings by knowing how to add genes why shouldn't we? What's wrong with it?… Evolution can be just …cruel, and to say that we've got a perfect genome and there's some sanctity to it? I'd just like to know where that idea comes from. It's utter silliness. - James Watson, Nobel Laureate (p. 169)

Woodward notes that as Christians we need to remember who is behind the push to alter the human genome:

[In Ephesians 6:11-12] Paul intimates that the forces are many, are not monolithic (they are diverse — there isn't just one devil); they are highly organized, and live in an unseen world surrounding us.

The Wizard of Oz said to Dorothy, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." Yet, the Bible counsels that the "man behind the curtain" is really the collective sinister force behind all the evil that we encounter in the empirical world. Forgetting who's behind the scenes weakens our ability to stand firm against this power. To arm ourselves properly, we must remember what we're up against. When we encounter push back, it's a good time to stop and recall that our struggle isn't against mere mortals and human institutions.

Woodward warns us that while the spirit of Antichrist has been in the world over all the ages, it is in our generation that this spirit manifests in a "distinctively different and much more understated style, albeit in the end more destructive." (p. 159) He notes, "It's interesting that John didn't use the term, Antichrist, in his Apocalypse (which we know today as the Book of Revelation), penned 10 years before his epistles. There his description of the Antichrist was, The Beast." (p. 158)

The final paragraph of Chapter Four warns us:

The Spirit of the Antichrist in the 21st century will wrap itself in the righteous mantle of "improving humanity." Bible-believing Jews and Christians will be challenged as the "evil doers" — primary obstacles to human progress — that insist on the purity of the human genome. Are we ready to defend the sanctity of God's greatest creation? Are we ready for the probable persecution that lies ahead?

These are good questions.

Angel fish
Public Domain, Link

...and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind ... the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind ...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. -Genesis 1

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A SistersSite eBook

Flesh and Bone and The Protestant Conscience is an e-book on Amazon.com. It is 99¢ and in the Amazon lending library as well. It is also available here in PDF format. The book description follows.

Would you let your conscience be your guide?

Does God care if the skin and bone of the dead are passed along to the living for medical uses? Is organ donation OK with God? Should you sign a Living Will?

Did you know that dead organ donors are often anesthetized before their organs are removed? Do you know the current definition of death? The conscience cannot function without facts.

As we ponder the ethics of in vitro fertilization, stem cell research and man-made chimeras, our thoughts trail off. How then should we live? (Ez 33:10)

How should a Christian think about euthanasia by starvation when doctors and the state attorney general all agree it is time to withhold feeding from a brain injured patient? Some things are family matters, but someday it may be our family.

Here is a small book to help you think about whether you want to sign your driver's license, donate a kidney, cremate your loved one, and many other practical questions that may arise in the course of your healthcare decisions or watch over others.

It offers a special focus on the doctrine of the Resurrection that is related to such decisions. Sunday School classes and Bible Study groups could use this book to facilitate discussion about the issues covered.