Chapter 8 - What is happening to our world

3. Genetic engineering (GE) is the modification of an organism's genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species. When gene transfer occurs, the resulting organism is called transgenic or a GMO (genetically modified organism).

We must take note that genetic engineering is different from traditional cross breeding, where genes can only be exchanged between closely related species. With genetic engineering, genes from completely different species can be inserted into one another. For example, scientists in Taiwan have successfully inserted jellyfish genes into pigs in order to make them glow in the dark.

In other words, with genetic engineering, various kinds of genetic modification are possible: inserting a foreign gene from one species into other, forming a transgenic organism; altering an existing gene so that its product is changed; or changing gene expression so that it is translated more often or not at all.

Genetic engineering on human beings, animals, bacteria, viruses and even foods, through gene editing and cloning, can unleash serious unintended consequences that could potentially destroy much of life as we know it. So far, 22 different animals have been cloned, including cats, dogs, goats, horses and monkeys—and human beings may not be far behind.

Ronnie Cummins, director of Organic Consumers Association, says the following: “Genetic engineering is a revolutionary new technology that is still in its early experimental stages of development. This technology has the power to break down the natural genetic barriers —not only between species— but between humans, animals, and plants. Randomly inserting together the genes of non-related species—utilizing viruses, antibiotic-resistant genes, and bacteria as vectors, markers, and promoters—permanently alters their genetic codes” (“Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops,” In Motion, Aug. 29, 1999).

When God created life on earth, He established genetic walls to keep distinct kinds of creatures from mixing and creating aberrant copies of themselves. Different species have a wide variety of adaptability in order to survive environmental changes, but there is a genetic barrier they can’t naturally cross.

For instance, Genesis 1:24-25 states:

"Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind’; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."

The genetic barriers between differing creatures allows each to reproduce “according to its kind.” The principle is also found in Leviticus 19:19:

"Keep my decrees. Do not mate different kind of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed."

But now mankind has found ways to break down genetic walls and combine diverse genetic codes. What will be the outcome? It’s too soon to tell, but we are seeing more strange lab experiments creating weird creatures and plants, such as chimeras (human cells mixed with animal embryos), glow-in-the-dark cats, poisonous cabbages, and banana vaccines, to name a few, and the cloning of human embryos is already a reality.

In his famous 1932 novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley warned of what genetic engineering could one day produce - artificially designed and cloned test-tube babies - all programmed to fit a rigidly supervised society, which turns out to be a spiritual and moral aberration. We are just beginning to travel down that road, and indications are we will continue to do so—unless Jesus Christ intervenes in time. (to be continued - Artificial intelligence)