The Human Genome

TROWEL & SWORD

The Human Genome

Rev.Albert Esselbrugge

You may have picked up in the media how scientists who are involved in the “human genome” project have discovered that the human being is much simpler than originally thought, but as a consequence is even more complex than ever? I know! That sounds like a contradiction. Let me explain.

There are two, possibly more, teams of scientists actively trying to map the genetic structure of the human. This “decoding” effort is called the human genome project. One of these teams announced recently with some media fanfare that the number of genes that go to make a human was once thought to be in the vicinity of 80,000. Some estimations have been much higher, but it has now been discovered that we only have a mere 30,000 genes, not all that many more genes than a mouse has.

What this means is that the blue prints of the human is much less complex than at first thought. What is now boggling the minds of those who have an interest in this study, is what exactly makes a human so vastly different from other living creatures if the most basic components of life are not all that different, and what is it that makes each human unique from all others? Are there other factors after all that have a greater bearing on the development and growth of a human? Factors such as the environment, not only of air and trees and pollution, but relationships and the day-to-day interactions and events experienced. How much do these things shape the entire person?

Perhaps unravelling the genetic make up of mankind will not answer the question of what the essence of life is and human life in particular after all. It is no exaggeration to say that Christians have always known the human creature is both immensely simple and profoundly complex.

The Bible teaches us from Genesis on, but especially in the first three chapters of Genesis, that we have been created by the special and particular interest and art of the Almighty. He, who is Lord over all, formed and created us, and gave us what He gave no other living creature. He breathed into us the breath of life, and we are told, it is at that moment, man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).

As complex as we are in our material being, these bodies can still be dissected, categorised, examined further and researched to the infinitesimal parts that make up our material selves. Each part can be named, measured, computed, and valued until in the end we may just end up with a vast encyclopaedia description of the structure of the human body. At the end of that process of research and examination we will still only have a chemical, electrical and mechanical description of something that will defy a full explanation. No one will ever be able to dissect and quantify the soul – the breath of God in these bodies. It is this I believe which truly makes us so complex.

That then raises the question of whether genetic research of this nature is permissible before God. I believe it is not only permissible, but even a requirement from God who commanded us to “subdue” creation (Genesis 1:28). Scientific research of any kind for the Christian however must always begin with God, and be about extending and deepening our wonder at the greatness of the Lord God who brought this fascinating creation into existence. For the Christian then, what we see in nature and discover through human experience and scientific experimentation is about glorifying God alone.

The worrying aspect about current genetic research is that there is strong evidence that this research is dominated and controlled by evolutionary humanists. Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Genome Research Institute, the US partner in the publicly funded Human Genome Project, speaking recently at the World Life Sciences Forum conference in Lyon, France was quoted by the Australian newspaper, The Daily Telegraph (http://news.com.au) as saying “mankind would inevitably start tinkering with it’s genetic make-up to take control of evolution”.

It is believed by the majority of geneticists that “humanity is not here by design and special creation but only by evolutionary processes. Since there is no Creator, Sustainer, and Controller of the universe, we must look out for ourselves and work out our own destiny.” (p.54 “Human Cloning” by LP Lester & JC Hefley).

Stephen Hawking, while not a geneticist but a theoretical physicist is also a prominent proponent of taking charge of the evolutionary process, Dr Collins quotes him as “not be(ing) satisfied with our current biological status” and that we “should try to improve ourselves.” Collins went on to say “I must say I find this an interesting but somewhat chilling discussion because it implies that somebody would know what an improvement was, and it also implies that we will be sure enough about the safety issues to contemplate our very biology.”

Nothing has changed in the heart of mankind since the fall. The desire to supplant God and be our own god remains as strong as ever (Genesis 3:5,6)

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