HUMAN CLONING AND THE FAMILY OF GOD
Rev. Darrell D. Ramey
Copyright, 2001
Much discussion is
taking place in these early days of a new millennium
on the subject of cloning. More specifically, the
cloning of human beings.
We have already been subjected to
much ado about animal cloning in the form
of Dolly the sheep and those who
have followed her. It is certainly not
surprising that a logical next step
in the cloning process would include
human experimentation.
In the early days
of the cloning discussion, some governments, including
the
human cloning attempts would occur
without the strictest government
oversight. However, since some countries have not acted,
such
experimentation is likely in
several places on the globe.
In this rapidly
changing climate, what should the Christian's position be
on what appears to be a major
scientific breakthrough? How is the
church
reacting? Is there really any reason that the church
should be concerned?
What are Christian leaders saying on the subject?
A recent intensive
search of the World Wide Web produced virtually no
information from the church world
at all. Our leaders remain silent when
they should be leading.
Let us, for the
sake of brevity, approach this issue strictly from a
Bible-based venue. We are told in God's Word, Genesis 2:7, that
"God
breathed into man the breath of
life and he became a living soul."
This, I
believe, becomes the crux of the cloning
issue. Man, the crown of God's
creation, is very different from
any other created being. It was only
within
man that a living soul was
created.
All of the
remainder of God's creation, every thing that lived and
breathed upon the earth, were made
... not in the image of God, or with a
"God-breathed" soul; but, they were made as part
of the life-sustaining food
provided for the benefit of
man. Man, the Bible says, has dominion
over them.
When God creates a
human being through the natural birthing process, he
individually creates a living
soul. In the case of twins or triplets,
or
more, he creates that number of
souls. God can do that; man cannot. Man has
the capability of genetically
altering plants and animals; and may be able to
produce a human being without a
soul. Can you imagine what that would
ultimately produce? A human being without a conscience, without
the ability
to determine moral values? A human being with no responsibility for his
actions? An empty shell?
Indeed, my
friends, science is now entering a most dangerous phase. It
is proceeding foolishly into God's
exclusive domain. The argument about
producing "body parts" is
the argument and game of fools. Cloned
human
bodies without souls will be the
final curse on a human race determined to
ignore God in every aspect of
existence.
Symbolically, we
see the results in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve
were forbidden to eat of the fruit
of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil. Their disobedience drove them from a paradise
to a world of woe.
Man's present
proclivity to enter the realm of God's creative ability and
knowledge, will ultimately drive
him from the planet. The devolution of
man
continues; the Day of The Lord is at hand.