Playing God With Chimeras, The New Human-Animal Species

Playing God With Chimeras, The New Human-Animal Species

1 Corinthians 15: 38-39

38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

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

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.

Psalms 100:3

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Colossians 1:16

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Revelation 4:11

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.