What You Don’t Know Might Kill You
We are wonderfully made continued...
Today’s Verse and Thought
“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians.” (2 Chronicles 16:12)
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From yesterday - DNA is kind of like the “software” of life. And scientists have also discovered that our own human DNA is interchangeable between the digital world and the biological world. This reality became especially profound when in the early 2000s we discovered the gene editing scissors of CRISPR.
Since this time, there has been an explosion of genetic manipulation taking place in our food, medicine, animals, and in our own human bodies. Men now have the ability to hack into God’s software. And some of the astounding things that are taking place in our world (unbeknownst to most people) are setting the stage for a new kind of human to emerge.
The New World of Medicine
“I think the most important thing to know about living in the 21st century is that now humans are hackable animals. To hack human beings is to now understand that human better than he or she understand themselves which was never possible in history on a massive scale.” (CNN interview with Yuval Noah Harari).
The ability to "hack" humans has been made possible today through a combination of advanced technologies and techniques in molecular biology and genetics. These will allow us to enhance our bodies or alter our DNA in ways that have never been possible before.
As Christians, it’s important that we have some basic understanding of what is happening in medicine and science so that we know how it might impact our lives and the lives of our children. We don’t need to become molecular biologists, obviously, but we do need a general understanding so that we can make informed medical decisions in the near future.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”(Proverbs 1:7)
Gene therapy, as it’s presented by its advocates, is a breakthrough medical technique that combines technology with our biological code and is aimed at treating or preventing diseases by modifying or manipulating an identified code (gene) within a patient's cells.
The first step is identifying the gene responsible for a specific disease or condition.
CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is the revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows scientists to theoretically modify DNA within any organism - including humans, plants, and animals - with precision.
CRISPR uses a “guide RNA” to direct the Cas9 enzyme to specific locations in your genome, enabling targeted cuts to individual genes. This then allows scientists to remove, add, or alter your targeted genetic material. This could involve genes that are mutated, missing, or improperly expressed.
They do this by using modified viruses (like adenoviruses or lentiviruses) to carry the therapeutic gene into the targeted cell much like a FedX deliveryman delivering a package to your porch. In theory, these viruses are engineered to be harmless and to effectively deliver genetic material with precision. What could go wrong?
Is this safe and effective?
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.’ ” (Jeremiah 17:5)
One of the first issues with gene therapy is how our body responds to vaccines or other medical interventions. Our body’s own immune system, for instance, may see the viral vector as a foreign invader and mount an immune response. This can lead to inflammation, or in some cases, even death. It’s hard to predict how each individual will react as we are all unique in our genetic makeup.
We don’t know what we don’t know
Another issue is the unknown. Viral vectors inserted into your genome could disrupt other important genes or regulatory regions - especially given that we don’t understand how all of our genes interact with one another - potentially leading to aggressive cancers or other issues. This is a significant concern with certain types of viral vectors, especially retroviruses (such as the one used in the Covid-19 vaccine).
The human genome consists of approximately 20,000–25,000 protein-coding genes, along with many non-coding genes and regulatory elements. While significant progress has been made in understanding individual genes and their functions, the relationship between these genes and how they interact is very complex and has to date has just barely begun to be mapped out.
Many estimates suggest that we only have a comprehensive understanding of a fraction of gene interactions—often cited as around 10-20% for specific pathways or networks.(source). Basically we are like toddlers who have access to a nuclear lab full of shiny buttons and levers.
Oops I missed
Another issue is simply missing the target. This little “oopsie” could lead to incomplete or unknown therapeutic effects. For instance, CAR T gene therapy has been highly promoted lately, yet despite being effective for some blood cancers to go into remission, some patients have experienced relapses. To date, no one has been “cured” of cancer with these therapies, but a few have gone into remission.
So if the vector doesn’t deliver the gene effectively, it may not achieve the desired outcome and in some cases, these engineered viruses could revert to a pathogenic form and make you sick from the treatment.
Researchers often engineer viral vectors to target specific types of cells. This means the virus should only infect cells that have certain markers, reducing the risk of unintended effects on other cell types. While engineered viral vectors used in gene therapy are in theory designed to be harmless, safety is a critical and unresolved reality.
Is this what God wants?
“For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.”(Romans 10:3)
As we continue to develop the ability to modify the human genome, ethical considerations become important. This includes the potential for unintended consequences which we now realize is very possible.
Maybe the question isn’t, “Can we do this?” But, “Should we do this?” Just because we learn how to do something (like blow up Hiroshima), does God want us doing this? Or is this like the kind of knowledge that the fallen realm illegally gave to humans?
The most alarming ethical consideration, in my opinion, is that of germline editing - which affects ALL your future generations.
If the science doesn’t know how it will affect you today, it certainly won’t be able to know how it will impact the future of humans born from altered parents; or say six generations later of all the altered combinations of all the generations that follow. Mathematically, how many combinations could that be?
Advancements in gene editing, sequencing, and synthetic biology have enabled us to "hack" the human genome. The champions are shouting the wonders of the science. But in the process, the dangers are minimized, labeled misinformation, or just swept under the rug and memory holed.
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. …” (2 Corinthians 5:1-3)
While it may be seen as a blessing to be cured from some horrendous deadly disease, there are many unanswered questions surrounding all these new medical advances.
As Christians, our first line of defense is always God’s wisdom. And as we consider all the new treatments, we also need to look at other motives that may not be so benevolent. After all, we know with certainty that whatever is “good” can be used for evil. And Satan has perfected his ability to imitate God.
To be continued…
Today’s Question
Verses to Explore
“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”(Proverbs 18:15)
“They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.”(Job 21:14)
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.”(Psalm 119:66)
“if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…”(Proverbs 2:4-6)
Today’s Prayer
Father the world of medicine is so complex it’s hard to navigate today. While we want to trust our personal doctor and those who claim to be experts, they only know what they have been taught. There is so much we don’t know. I pray today that when we have a medical decision to make that we bring it to you, our healer., first We know that you know all of our problems. We know you made our bodies and continue to give us life. But we also know that these bodies are subject to suffering. None of us wants to suffer. And especially when we have to make decisions for those in our care who are suffering. We need your wisdom Father. Help us to know what is the right path to take in order to be as healthy as we can be, yet without obsessively making our health an idol. This world is a wonderful place and we are so blessed with many good things. But a day has been appointed for all of us to leave here. So today I pray for all of us who face decisions about health that we do it in the way that honors you; not in the way the world says. Thank you so much for being our source of all healing and wisdom. Thank you for the life you give us. Help us to live wisely Father. Correct us when we aren’t. Keep us in the shelter of your love each and every day. May all honor and glory be yours. Amen.❤
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