This is truly frightening and, also, very dangerous. I can see some attempting to produce a superhuman. Please, let’s let God determine the future of the human race.
Beyond just the ethics, there are serious epigenetics concerns. Reprogramming and gametogenesis is probably not a “clean” process. It needs to be researched whether a demethylation and demethylation wave occurs normally…there is some evidence emerging that even IVF is associated with some disease associations. So we don’t know if producing human offspring by these methods could endanger future generations (could primordial germ cells be impacted) as we are just starting to understand transgenerational epigenetic inheritance…mostly studied in mice and rats.
Another classic example of "just because we can, doesn't mean we should." All of so-called reproductive technologies that are promoted for their ability to create, are also inherently destructive on multiple levels.
The very best man can achieve is schizophrenia. Martine Rothblatt rallies $28 billion for trans medicine under the slogan " Freedom from the Tyranny of our Genes " while future radical family ties insist on the Tyranny of Genes.
Or to quote the Three Stooges, "I'm a schizophrenic and so am I. "
Not schizophrenic if one fully understands duality. (See Romans et al) Genes are not our basic or essential nature. They are the coding, the programming, for biological entities. This does not give anyone the right to alter genetics in a frenzy of lab geekiness. Rather, it provides a sound platform for discussed the role that souls, individual spiritual beings, play in determining how we manage physical properties. As long as we believe we are the object, we will have craziness. Once we get the layers of truth in proper order, we will enjoy participating in a holy existence.
If you believe you are the body, this will be upsetting. If one recognizes one is NOT the body, but rather an immortal spiritual being whose spiritual consciousness can find unity in God consciousness, one will rest more easily. When we see Themselves, Ourselves, anything to do with the Self and equate it with a flesh body, we are in trouble.
As a species, our technology vastly outstrips our wisdom. Nuclear weapons, geoengineering, electromagnetic pulse weapons, killer robots, gain of function, and now gmo humans. "Self importance is the nemesis of mankind." Carlos Castaneda.
The potential for abuse here is frightening and your call for appropriate and thoughtful regulation makes sense.
That said, I think we should be careful about conflating biology/blood/genetics with family/parenting. The former are important with regard to physical traits and consanguinity charts, but have precious little to do with the realities of family/parenting. As every parent knows, parenting and family are about love and time and effort and presence. It's about the fevers and scraped knees, the tears of happiness and sadness, the achievements and heartbreaks, the recitals and shorts events, the homework and household chores, the shared experiences of all kinds. These things don't depend on genetics. They depend on parents able to love and care, who are willing to put their children's needs above their own, and who are committed to raising the best human beings they can.
There are plenty of biological "parents" who abuse their kids, don't support them, or fail to consider their needs to any meaningful extent. Likewise, there are foster and adoptive and same-sex parents who are exemplary, raising children who are wonderfully cared for, supported and loved. There is no one family formation approach that automatically results in better parents or children. Assigning too much weight to genetic family is, frankly, insulting to parents of all kinds, diminishing the truly enormous amount of love and effort that is required to be a good parent.
Let's manage the emerging technology appropriately without erroneously elevating one type of family formation over another based solely on biology and genetics.
I’m a historian. This is an exact reiteration of the hand-wringing we saw 40 years ago with IVF. None of the doomsday scenarios came to pass, and today 2% of children are born because of IVF.
I would argue that IVF using donor eggs or sperm (the only option available to people who cannot produce gametes) is far more morally complex than IVG, where children will have the option to be raised by both of their genetic parents. Perhaps you should spend some time hearing the stories of donor-conceived people, or ponder the current ethics of buying and selling gametes before deciding what is best for children.
As long as we focus on bodies, on the material or Flesh, we will be distracted from the truth about life. I'm reminded of Francis Collins, former head of NIH, who proclaimed himself a Catholic and then wrote a book, The Language of God, which purportedly showed science and religion were compatible. However, anyone with any intelligence who read that book could have anticipated that Collins would sit at the head of the table (next to Fauci) and run a genocidal bioweapons assault. The same could be said about those who posture to stop the onslaught of materialistic science, but who do not bring the most fundamental truths of our faith to the game. We ARE NOT flesh bodies. We are CONSCIOUS SPIRITUAL BEINGS who transcend flesh. When we do not get this basic idea (see RESURRECTION), we fail to bring events into proper focus.
Here is more for those "incapable of thinking deeply about the seriously harmful effects" of what you have described: "In Vitro Fertilization and Transhumanism Illuminated by Nicole Shanahan and Mattias Desmet"
The hubris is beyond my comprehension
Yup. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.
Definitely opening a Pandora's box
This is truly frightening and, also, very dangerous. I can see some attempting to produce a superhuman. Please, let’s let God determine the future of the human race.
Beyond just the ethics, there are serious epigenetics concerns. Reprogramming and gametogenesis is probably not a “clean” process. It needs to be researched whether a demethylation and demethylation wave occurs normally…there is some evidence emerging that even IVF is associated with some disease associations. So we don’t know if producing human offspring by these methods could endanger future generations (could primordial germ cells be impacted) as we are just starting to understand transgenerational epigenetic inheritance…mostly studied in mice and rats.
Another classic example of "just because we can, doesn't mean we should." All of so-called reproductive technologies that are promoted for their ability to create, are also inherently destructive on multiple levels.
slave new world God have mercy
Lord, have mercy! 🙏
Amen.
The very best man can achieve is schizophrenia. Martine Rothblatt rallies $28 billion for trans medicine under the slogan " Freedom from the Tyranny of our Genes " while future radical family ties insist on the Tyranny of Genes.
Or to quote the Three Stooges, "I'm a schizophrenic and so am I. "
Not schizophrenic if one fully understands duality. (See Romans et al) Genes are not our basic or essential nature. They are the coding, the programming, for biological entities. This does not give anyone the right to alter genetics in a frenzy of lab geekiness. Rather, it provides a sound platform for discussed the role that souls, individual spiritual beings, play in determining how we manage physical properties. As long as we believe we are the object, we will have craziness. Once we get the layers of truth in proper order, we will enjoy participating in a holy existence.
People will be having children with THEMSELVES. You think someone will turn down their money because it’s “unethical”?
If you believe you are the body, this will be upsetting. If one recognizes one is NOT the body, but rather an immortal spiritual being whose spiritual consciousness can find unity in God consciousness, one will rest more easily. When we see Themselves, Ourselves, anything to do with the Self and equate it with a flesh body, we are in trouble.
As a species, our technology vastly outstrips our wisdom. Nuclear weapons, geoengineering, electromagnetic pulse weapons, killer robots, gain of function, and now gmo humans. "Self importance is the nemesis of mankind." Carlos Castaneda.
This is a very creepy prospect.
This makes me want to kιll all scientists and destroy the power grid.
Why do these people keep trying to make man-made horrors happen?
The potential for abuse here is frightening and your call for appropriate and thoughtful regulation makes sense.
That said, I think we should be careful about conflating biology/blood/genetics with family/parenting. The former are important with regard to physical traits and consanguinity charts, but have precious little to do with the realities of family/parenting. As every parent knows, parenting and family are about love and time and effort and presence. It's about the fevers and scraped knees, the tears of happiness and sadness, the achievements and heartbreaks, the recitals and shorts events, the homework and household chores, the shared experiences of all kinds. These things don't depend on genetics. They depend on parents able to love and care, who are willing to put their children's needs above their own, and who are committed to raising the best human beings they can.
There are plenty of biological "parents" who abuse their kids, don't support them, or fail to consider their needs to any meaningful extent. Likewise, there are foster and adoptive and same-sex parents who are exemplary, raising children who are wonderfully cared for, supported and loved. There is no one family formation approach that automatically results in better parents or children. Assigning too much weight to genetic family is, frankly, insulting to parents of all kinds, diminishing the truly enormous amount of love and effort that is required to be a good parent.
Let's manage the emerging technology appropriately without erroneously elevating one type of family formation over another based solely on biology and genetics.
Brian M, I agree with everything you wrote above. Thanks.
I’m a historian. This is an exact reiteration of the hand-wringing we saw 40 years ago with IVF. None of the doomsday scenarios came to pass, and today 2% of children are born because of IVF.
I would argue that IVF using donor eggs or sperm (the only option available to people who cannot produce gametes) is far more morally complex than IVG, where children will have the option to be raised by both of their genetic parents. Perhaps you should spend some time hearing the stories of donor-conceived people, or ponder the current ethics of buying and selling gametes before deciding what is best for children.
Creation of life is of God. Remaining in the shadow is for man. Do not confuse the two. Only God can create a human being. Man creates zombies.
As long as we focus on bodies, on the material or Flesh, we will be distracted from the truth about life. I'm reminded of Francis Collins, former head of NIH, who proclaimed himself a Catholic and then wrote a book, The Language of God, which purportedly showed science and religion were compatible. However, anyone with any intelligence who read that book could have anticipated that Collins would sit at the head of the table (next to Fauci) and run a genocidal bioweapons assault. The same could be said about those who posture to stop the onslaught of materialistic science, but who do not bring the most fundamental truths of our faith to the game. We ARE NOT flesh bodies. We are CONSCIOUS SPIRITUAL BEINGS who transcend flesh. When we do not get this basic idea (see RESURRECTION), we fail to bring events into proper focus.
Here is more for those "incapable of thinking deeply about the seriously harmful effects" of what you have described: "In Vitro Fertilization and Transhumanism Illuminated by Nicole Shanahan and Mattias Desmet"
https://paritzer.substack.com/p/in-vitro-fertilization-and-transhumanism?r=yupor&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false