For example, as Christians:
• We can not allow others to do our thinking for us when it comes to deciding what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.
• We can not just ignore these issues we face and hope they will go away.
Through the ages of time, God’s people have had to face difficult situations in society head on. Then they had to take a stand for what they believed would please God, whether it was popular or unpopular.
Whether or not cloning should be allowed, is becoming a heated battle across this country.
Since Scottish scientists reported the cloning of a sheep named "Dolly," in 1997, new research into cloning has grown rapidly -- as has the ethical controversy surrounding the procedure.
Many religious groups are concerned about cloning, but so are many politicians.
House Majority Leader Dick Armey, from Texas, also called for a ban on cloning. He told Fox News Sunday, "I think this is a nasty business, something that we should not be messing in."
WHAT IS DRIVING THE ISSUE OF CLONING?
The answer to that question would depend on who you ask, but several things can be considered.
(1) There is a group in this country that is anti-Bible. If the Bible teaches against something, you can rest assured that they are for it. If God is for it, you can also rest assured that they are against it.
(2) We have Scientists across this nation, that know that if they can persuade the general public that cloning is in the best interest of mankind, they will receive millions of dollars in grants, to allow them to do research in their labs.
Some might say that the driving force behind cloning is for the good it will do.
That is an invalid argument, because any good they speak of can only be based on unproven speculation.
Basically, you can say EVIL and MONEY are driving the issue of cloning.
WHAT IS CLONING?
One of the best ways to explain what cloning is would be to compare it to how a copy machine works.
If you see something you like and you want a copy of it, you go to the copy machine and put the original copy in the machine. Soon you will have a duplicate of the original.
As we look at cloning, we need to consider two things:
(1) SOME QUESTIONS
Cloning has raised some serious QUESTIONS that need to be answered, such as:
• Are those who promote cloning taking the work of God into their own hands? Those who promote cloning say this is not the case, but as we examine the issue of cloning, this seems to be exactly what they are doing. This is something that ungodly men have always desired to do; to play God. After all, isn’t this what the devil tried to do in heaven? Those who are servants of Satan are following the same path that he followed.
• When God creates a person, God puts a soul within each person that will live for eternity. If evil man can clone a person, the question needs to be asked, “Will that person have a soul?”
(2) SOME PROBLEMS
Cloning has raised some serious PROBLEMS that need to be addressed.
• When cloning takes place, some say that rights will be deprived, because if natural reproduction were to occur, genetic variation would occur. Cloning would deprive a person of uniqueness. They argue that identical twins are not unique from each other, but that they are new in genetic variation and unique from anything that came before them. But while we call them identical twins, they are not identical. They have many similarities, but they are not identical. If they were identical, their parents would not be able to tell them apart.
• People also wonder what mental and emotional problems would result, if a clone were to find out that he or she was cloned. That is, if a person is cloned they have no mother.
For example, Scientist Ian Wilmut, led a team of researchers at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, to see if they could be the first to clone a mammal. What they accomplished was to make, in effect, an exact duplicate of a sheep. Dolly is a "carbon copy" of another sheep. In reality she has no mother. She is her "mother's" identical twin, not her mother's daughter. What Wilmut and his team accomplished, was cloned from a cell that was not a reproductive cell.
Can you imagine how someone being born as the result of cloning, like Dolly, would be able to cope with this emotionally? She is her mother’s identical twin, not her mother’s daughter.
• We certainly need to ask ourselves, if the cloning of humans were to take place, who would be in charge of making decisions regarding who will be cloned?
- Can you imagine putting this responsibility in the hands of some organization?
- Can you imagine putting this responsibility in the hands of some group of atheistic Scientists?
- Can you imagine putting this responsibility in the hands of the politicians in Washington, DC?
Life belongs in the hands of God. Any time man tries to step into the arena of God, he has bitten off more than he can chew.
Today we are facing this issue. It will not go away, and we can depend on having to continue to deal with it in the future. You are going to hear more and more about it.
But already, with what little we know about cloning, some are concerned about those who are trying to take the country in this direction.
For example, the Chicago Tribune reported:
“Italian fertility specialist Severino Antinori has announced that he will begin human cloning in early 2002. Two hundred couples desperately seeking to create children will become human guinea pigs in a massive experiment. The odds are not in their favor. In animals, cloning currently only results in a successful pregnancy 3 to 5 percent of the time. And, even in those rare instances, many of the resulting offspring suffer. One-third die shortly before or right after birth. Other cloned animals seem perfectly healthy at first and then suffer heart and blood vessel problems, underdeveloped lungs, diabetes, immune system deficiencies and severe growth abnormalities. If an infectious disease were killing one-third of human infants, we would declare it a public health emergency. We certainly wouldn’t set up a clinic to enable it to happen. Yet despite these grave risks, only five states have laws banning human cloning. There is no federal law on the subject yet. Despite widespread public opposition to human cloning, various researchers and biotech companies have so far prevented the passage of such a law. This summer, however, a set of strange bedfellows emerged to shift the political dialogue about human cloning. A powerful new coalition has come forward in which traditional opponents—feminists and the Catholic Church, conservative Republicans and liberal, if not libertarian Democrats—have banded together to express concern about where the latest genetic and reproductive technologies are taking us. The result: the House of Representatives resoundingly passed a bill on July 31 banning human cloning and the creation of cloned human embryos for stem cell research.” (This article originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune, (August 8, 2001, p. 17)
Politicians and journalists have raised some questions about this matter of cloning, and have taken a stand.
It is an issue that every Christian needs to consider. We need to look into the Word of God to see where God would have us stand on this issue.
• As Christians, if it is something the Bible teaches us to oppose, we should oppose it with all the strength God gives us to oppose it with.
• If it is something that is Biblical, we should promote it with all the strength the Lord gives us to promote it with.
I would like to remind you that when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to make a decision in the age in which they lived, due to the things they had to face, they laid their lives on the line and took a stand. TODAY, IN THE AGE IN WHICH WE LIVE, WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND CONCERNING THE ISSUES WE FACE!
The ungodly have already begun to plan how they can carry out their agenda for cloning. They have done what they have always done when it comes to controversial matters, THEY HAVE CHANGED THE NAMES TO SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS MORE ACCEPTABLE.
For example, realizing the opposition for cloning, they have decided to change the name. This is something the devil has always done:
• ILLICIT SEX has become RECREATIONAL SEX
• GAMBLING has become RECREATIONAL GAMBLING
• DRUNKENNESS has become a DISEASE
• ABORTION has become A WOMAN’S RIGHT
• HOMOSEXUALS (queers) have become GAYS
And now they tell us that, a clonal embryo is now merely an "activated egg." They are also quick to tell us that this has to deal with "cellular life," not human life; etc.
HOW DOES CLONING
OCCUR?
A "human clone" is a time-delayed, identical twin of another person. A clone is not an exact replica of the original, but just a much younger identical twin. That is, when a person is cloned, they have to be born from the womb, but they grow up to become exactly like the person who was cloned.
• They tell us, "Just think, we can reproduce Einstein." But what they do not tell us is that we could reproduce Osama Ben Laden.
• They tell us, "Just think, it will help married couples who can not have children to be able to have children." But what they do not tell us is that the lesbians can have babies and truly call themselves a family.
You can rest assured that the ungodly that exist today, are not going to stop until they can get legislation to fund cloning with taxpayers' money, the same way they were able to fund abortion.
THE SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION
OF CLONING
When the scientists cloned “Dolly”, (sheep) the cloning technique “somatic cell nuclear transfer” was used. This is a fully grown mammal, with her DNA coming from a single cell taken from her mother's egg, which is fused with the mammary cell. The fused cell then develops into an embryo, which is implanted in a "surrogate" sheep. The embryo grows into a lamb, which is genetically identical to the donor sheep.
When “Dolly” was cloned, it made world wide news as a great success.
WAS IT A SUCCESS?
Though it was announced as a booming success, this cloning procedure is not perfect. It took more than 277 attempts before "Dolly" was created as a healthy, viable lamb. In these attempts, they created some disfigured sheep that were missing body parts, etc..
Human cloning is far more complicated, with greater risks and potential for error. As a result, scientists fear that applying this technique to humans might lead to malformations or diseases in the human clone.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT CLONING?
No matter what argument you may bring up against cloning, you can rest assured that the ungodly have done their homework, and they have an argument to counteract yours .
When you take cloning and place it before the Word of God, the only thing that crowd can say is, “I do not believe the Bible”.
We Christians do. Let’s see what the Lord says about cloning.
(1) LOOK AT THE PSALMS
• Look at Psalm 139:13-16, we read, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
This verse tells me that God has His natural way of making people. He designs us, makes a plan for us, then knits us together in the womb of our mother.
This is why abortion is considered sinful, because it is mankind stepping between God and the unborn, and wiping out the plans of God for that unborn person.
L.R. Agnew, professor of the UCLA Medical School, asked his students this question, "Here is the family history: The father has a venereal disease. The mother has tuberculosis, they already have had 4 children, the first of whom was blind, the second died as an infant, the third is deaf. The fourth has tuberculosis. The mother is pregnant. The parents are willing to have an abortion if as their physician you recommend it. What do you think?”.
Overwhelmingly the class said, they would decide to encourage the mother to have an abortion. Professor Agnew said, “Congratulations, you have just murdered Beethoven.”
How many policemen, doctors, missionaries, and ministers have we murdered?
That is, God had a plan for their life, but someone decided to play God, and stepped in and murdered them before they had a chance.
This is a letter to the editor that appeared in "The Anderson Herald Bulletin," Anderson, Indiana, in January, 2000. It was titled "A CHILD'S PERSPECTIVE"
“I'm writing this Jan. 21, the eve of the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade abortion decision, and remembering an experience I had at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, in Washington DC. I was visiting an exhibit called, ‘The Ascent of Man.’ In one room of the exhibit were displayed 10 to 12 fetuses preserved in jars showing different stages of development from a few weeks to full term. Nearby in the same room was a young mother with her son who appeared to be about 4 years of age. The little boy was intently studying the jars and after a few moments, pointed to one and said in his 4 year old voice, ‘Mommy, what is that?" She softly replied, "a fetus, honey.’ The little boy studied it a few moments more, then replied, ‘Well mommy, it looks like a baby to me.’ The hush that fell over the room was deafening. Everyone became silent and stood very still. After several moments everyone very quietly left the room, one by one. No one said a word. This small boy had spoken the truth, and no one could argue with that truth. I had been on the fence concerning the abortion issue prior to the Smithsonian. However, this experience forever solidified my stand and my heart on this issue. It is a baby, and that is the truth.” Jean Burcham, Anderson, Indiana
The reason I am taking some time to deal with abortion here is because both abortion and cloning have to do with mortals TRYING TO PLAY GOD, AND MAKE DECISIONS THAT ONLY GOD SHOULD MAKE.
In Psalm 139, David tells us that life begins with conception. David said, "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
Cloning takes God out of the loop, and places mankind in the position of creation as much as God.
(2) LOOK AT GENESIS
Rachel was barren for many years. She cried unto the Lord, asking God to make it possible for her to bear a son.
Look at Genesis 30:23-24, we read, “And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.”
Through the ages of time, godly women, who were not able to bear children like other women, have cried out to the Lord, asking God to make it possible for them to have a child. But if cloning is the way to produce a child, WHO NEEDS GOD ANYMORE?
Look at another passage of scripture. In Genesis 38:24, we read, “And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also”.
In the Old Testament, it was a customary thing, that if a man's brother died and did not leave a son to carry on his name, that man was to go unto his brother's wife and produce a child in his honor.
This was what Judah had ordered Onan to do.
Since Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, he spilled his semen on the ground whenever he went in to his brother's wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. What he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death.
WHY WAS ONAN KILLED?
Onan was killed by God for improper mating practices.
IS CLONING IMPROPER?
The Biblical precedent for mating is in Genesis 2:24, we read, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”.
The Bible does not say that another method of producing children would be acceptable in the eyes of God.
Every child should know that the reason they are here is because two became one, and soon two became three. They were born out of a loving relationship, not a cold laboratory.
Perhaps in the eyes of the ungodly, cloning should be permissible, but you can not find one Scripture in the Bible that teaches that.
When it comes to God’s way of reproducing children, the Bible is clear that God’s way is through the hand of Almighty God, not through the hands of mortal man.
Look at Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works…"
God is the Creator of life, and God should receive all the glory. God is certainly capable of taking care of Creation, since He is the Creator. Man is not God, and he needs to recognize that, and leave Creation in the hands of God.
Psalms 127:3-5 says, "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” Children are a gift from the Lord, not something to be exploited for our benefit, or for the benefit of another!
Children are a gift from the Lord, not something for scientists to play around with in their laboratories.
The Bible dictates that we stop cloning experimentation before the genie gets out of the bottle, but in the case of cloning, it should be before Pandora's box is opened any wider.
This is something that all of God’s people should get behind, and write their congressmen, and tell them to stop this before it goes any further.
For example, look at the threat of Nuclear weapons that mankind has to live with each day.
How did we get to this place in history?
After using the atomic bomb to end the war in 1945, America let it be known that we as a nation, had become an atomic superpower. We let it be known that we had these powerful weapons, and we intended to use them if we deemed it necessary.
• Did anybody think about the cost of this decision?
• Did anyone imagine what would happen next?
Almost immediately, we found ourselves caught up in a massive and dangerous arms race, because if we had the bomb, the Russians felt compelled to have one too.
Because the Russians felt they now needed one, we decided we needed a bigger bomb. Then the Russians wanted a bomb bigger than our latest bomb, and so on until the world was brought to the brink of nuclear destruction.
It can be argued that America has created an arms race in the rest of the world.
How did we do such a thing?
By our lack of wisdom in the use and development of nuclear weaponry.
How different would world history be, if America had announced, immediately after World War II that we were destroying the plans to atomic bombs, and would never use or build them again, and immediately signed international treaties prohibiting them?
Instead, scientists said, "We can blow up this much with an atomic bomb, let's see what a hydrogen bomb would do," and finally even the ghastly "neutron bomb" was proposed. To this day, we live under the threat of imminent death that could come any time some madman pushes a button.
How clearly was the decision to develop nuclear weapons thought out? Don't we wish we could put the genie back into the bottle?
It needs to be announced to the world, that the issue of cloning has been done away with. Only God knows how costly and harmful this will be to mankind.
MY PERSONAL
CONCLUSION
Cloning can simply be traced to one thing, man taking God out of the picture, and trying to become God. There is not one good thing that can be said about it based on scripture - NOT ONE! And if we are going to be Bible-believing Christians, we have to take a stand against such practices!
Note: If you would like to hear Dr. Odell Belger preach on other subjects in the Bible go to – YOUTUBE and type the word Lykesland
