We Are What We Eat (But Not Quite): Genetic Engineering and Its Consequences
Surely many have heard the old adage, that we are what we eat. This simple conclusion, however, in many ways, allows for the possibility that we have some element of choice in the process of determining who or what we are and how we look, either based upon our own free will, or environmental concerns. The more interesting question, and one that surfaced for me this weekend (while attending a seminar on genetics) is that all of us are completely what our individual genes dictate, whether we like it or not.
For example, some of us, because of our genes, have a propensity for illness or disease, such as cancer, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, mental illness, Downs syndrome and the list goes on and on. No matter what we do, we cannot necessarily change our genes, although we may, in certain instances, be able to take preventative measures for various outcomes, (live-style changes) to curtail the possbililty of us developing certain conditions. For example,if we know diabetes runs in the family, we can watch our sugar intake, and if we have high cholesterol, diet and exercise might minimize the chances for developing these ailments in our own lives, (although total elimination is not an issue.)
On the other end of the spectrum, genes also dictate what we look like, whether we are short, tall, have blue eyes, or green, large bone structure or small, blonde hair or black, and that list goes on and on. Since cosmetics, hair dyes and high heals are here, along with colored contact lenses, many of us can change our appearances easier than we can change own genes. And of course, there is the genetic propensity for being a creative or athletic type, such as those who excell in music, math, or even sports.
Which brings me to the question of the day: What, if any opinion do you have about genetic engineering? Would you be in favor of it if certain illnesses and diseases could be eliminated from the population? Is doing so tampering with God's will? Why should we not be allowed to protect ourselves and our families against cancer, heart failure and mental illness? Does genetic engineering have a double edged sword? Is it possible to make everyone look the way he/she desires, create a style, or trend, or go even further and have genetic engineering turn into eugenics, like Hitler planned when he sought to master his own idea of the ideal race? What are the pros and cons of such a plan?
Since I have a very busy week ahead, this post will probably be the only one for the week.
Hope everyone has a good, productive and joyful week.
Thank you for your minds.
For example, some of us, because of our genes, have a propensity for illness or disease, such as cancer, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, mental illness, Downs syndrome and the list goes on and on. No matter what we do, we cannot necessarily change our genes, although we may, in certain instances, be able to take preventative measures for various outcomes, (live-style changes) to curtail the possbililty of us developing certain conditions. For example,if we know diabetes runs in the family, we can watch our sugar intake, and if we have high cholesterol, diet and exercise might minimize the chances for developing these ailments in our own lives, (although total elimination is not an issue.)
On the other end of the spectrum, genes also dictate what we look like, whether we are short, tall, have blue eyes, or green, large bone structure or small, blonde hair or black, and that list goes on and on. Since cosmetics, hair dyes and high heals are here, along with colored contact lenses, many of us can change our appearances easier than we can change own genes. And of course, there is the genetic propensity for being a creative or athletic type, such as those who excell in music, math, or even sports.
Which brings me to the question of the day: What, if any opinion do you have about genetic engineering? Would you be in favor of it if certain illnesses and diseases could be eliminated from the population? Is doing so tampering with God's will? Why should we not be allowed to protect ourselves and our families against cancer, heart failure and mental illness? Does genetic engineering have a double edged sword? Is it possible to make everyone look the way he/she desires, create a style, or trend, or go even further and have genetic engineering turn into eugenics, like Hitler planned when he sought to master his own idea of the ideal race? What are the pros and cons of such a plan?
Since I have a very busy week ahead, this post will probably be the only one for the week.
Hope everyone has a good, productive and joyful week.
Thank you for your minds.
21 Comments:
Wow how interesting, I can't see anything wrong with helping people not to succumb to various genetic illnesses they may be prone to, and since plastic surgery is so in ,so painful and so expensive, why not get it right form the start?
In my opinion it's going to be marvelous, naturally those who choose to remain ' vegetarians' in the area will have to be respected.
About tempering with G-D’s plan, this argument makes little sense to me.
The very proof is that Jewish men are born in an ‘unperfected’ state and require a circumcision to be complete.
So it appears G-D is all for men to improve.
no problem with halacha to modify growths
however sickness comes from sins as long there are sinners out there it will be sickness and death God has his way to punish people
An excellent example, prag., about circumcision. It is in fact part of God's plan to have man alter his body in this case (at least to fulfill the covenant)
Do I think that it adds value to develop safe, effective genetic treatments for illnesses and disorders? Sure.
Do I think that it adds value to be able to manipulate genes for the sake of cosmetics? Goodness no.
Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, that’s not a distinction we’ll be able to make as a society when these advancements start to grow into our everyday lives.
Where there is money to be made, there is a will and a way. I might value my own individuality, and have no desire to alter my appearance to fit with societal norms and standards, but that does not seem to be true for the majority of people I meet. (I’m getting flashbacks of the Twilight Zone episodes, “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” and “Eye of the Beholder.”)
Regardless of how we implement our growing understanding of genetics, we will not be able to escape the inevitable and perhaps unpredictable side effects that such actions will have. I think that whether biology is manipulated by environment, time, or human hands, it is still capable of the same basic element: unexpected change. I am a firm believer that all things are interconnected: if we begin to genetically alter ourselves, the effects will not be limited to humans alone.
On a completely unrelated note Barbara, I asked you a question at Arboreality today when I remembered that you’re really busy, so I thought I’d ask here in case you couldn’t check back… I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you celebrate Tu B'Shevat? I've been reading about it in recent months in conjunction with my tree research, and I think it sounds like such an excellent and important holiday! It came to mind again with the subject of the Festival of the Trees. :)
Again, I know you’re busy, so no worries if you don’t have time to respond.
Have a great week Barbara!
I just did a similiar post on obesity. I don't eat genetically modified food. Unfortunately, my grocery bill is higher, but the food tastes better and I'm not putting anything weird into my body.
Our food supply has been genetically engineered at least since the days of Gregor Mendel. Cross pollination does not require 21st century technology to occur, although our technology allows us to pinpoint the desired genes with amazing accuracy.
If we could jump back in time several thousand years and compare the livestock and produce of each time period, the differences would be obvious.
Humans have engaged in other forms of genetic engineering: insisting that mentally ill patients be sterilized is one such form. (I don't think that's actually being done right now) That takes the genes out of the gene pool.
A friend of mine, a professor at UCSD medical school, remarked that certain diseases that were "stamped" out with antibiotics are coming back in different strains with resistance to our drugs. Polio, smallpox. Eventually nature does her own genetic engineering to overcome our tinkering.
This is a short argument without much to back it up, but I am not afraid of genetic engineering. Our food has been genetically engineered for millenia. The possibility of creating a master race is remote. And the rewards outweigh the risks.
WW
ww is right. nature has a way of getting her way in the end. But, it has always been human nature to try to tame her.
Thinking of my husbands illness i wonder would i do any thing or allow anything to make him better? How far would he go to to be free of it, himself?
I guess we all have our own prioritys about what we'd alter or change. As far as making everyone the same, i don't think that would solve anything. Human beings will always find someway of being prejudged.
While it might be a weird concept to do genetioc engineering, at the end of the day I think that God gave us the power to do almost anything.. I think we must use it.
I see him seatimg there.. looking down saying.. ahh.. you finally reach that level...
T
I'm leery of genmod food. I thinkgenetically modifying myself, is fine, or if I were to have little ones. But I have big problems with who makes the decisions, and the authority structure that oversees it. the U.S. is too close to central Europe in the 1930's to allow them any more say so in such red hot areas as this. I could see the fascists using this in collusion with whatever religion was in the ascendancy. Do some people think that circumcision is a genetic issue or a covenant issue?
Great topic, Barbara! I am all for it as far as health issues go -- to use genetic engineering to alter bad genes, to fight disease and devastating illness.
But I am totally against it for vanity's sake.
god, we are a bunch of rotten spellers, aren't we.
I tend to prefer organically grown foods, so I avoid genetically modified foods most of the time. The effects of modified plants on the rest of the ecosystem are not clear at this point, and I think we need to move very slowly to make sure this is not just another "fix" that turns out to cause even more problems.
All I hope is that cures are found and the planet is spared.
Thanks for sharing ~
GOD never said to not help each other in anyway we can, and that business about genetic manipulation is no more against the will of the GREAT I AM than playing with blocks on the floor.
In fact, the funny thing is, the scientists playing around with their genetic coding and chemistry and all that, well, just what have they gotten accomplished that isn't already done? Children are still born geniouses or dummies, folks still grow old and die, our loved ones still become hospitalized till they eventually keel over and die (sorry. I have no respect for death anymore. GOD doesn't want us to ponder over it so much, I'm thinking, and for that we were given the HOLY SPIRIT)
so what with everything still going as it's always gone, what interference would anyone think about it?
Now, as for the other question you posed (sort of) yeah. I happen t'be one of the folks who think that reincarnation is very real. And, while the writer of that statement about becoming what we eat was written out of theoretical clartrap, the fact may be that we do become what we ate. The next time.
By the way, very few folks will actually agree with this statement of reincarnetion (with or without the silliness of becoming what we eat) but, the fact is, as written, it's plainly the words of Jesus that I come by the knowledge. Matthew 24; 34.
ps
should I be putting biblical sentences in comments to you?
I know yy has a problem with folks like me, but, in the end, I figure that it ain't up to his word (thank GOD) but, rather, up to the GREAT I AM.
And, if you wouldn't mind....
is it proper to call GOD the GREAT I AM? I sort'a got it when a bunch of Jehovah's witnesses ganged up on me about the proper name, and in m'studies, I found that this is what GOD had Moses call the name of GOD.
(and, to be sure, it's really hard to do, but, I almpost never genderize GOD because I'm just a human with no real understanding, so it may be that GOD is both genders)
I think some of it is good and I think some of it is bad. I don't believe in cloning but if they could find a gene that could help diabetics that would be nice.
The slope is far too slippery. I believe we should use our brains and talents to help others, including stamping out diseases, but there are just too many unethical people out there... as your Hitler reference illustrated. Even with the best intentions, the undisovered margin for error is awfully frightening. Genetic engineering already gave us killer bees and those damn orange lady bugs that bite.
And think about the consequences from a population standpoint. We're already raping our earth of it's resources, the last we need is for the average lifespan to grow to 120 years.
And who will be able to afford such fancy science... The Haves. The lives of The Have Nots would be instantly devalued. And that's already enough of a problem.
I say screw the cap back on that cans of worms as fast as we can.
As your comments indicate, this indeed is a fairly complex subject.
A point that is well made is that nature, in all its glory, seems to spread its wings no matter how much we may oppose or resist it.
I read a story/or book once, can't remember title and the premise was that the last War ended on earth because: Humans who wanted to modify, change, use technology and venture to other worlds left the planet in the hands of Tree hugging pagans like me who wish to eat organic, live with Nature, and return to a harmony with Mother Earth.
I think we may be heading towards this as a possible future.
I do remember another SF book called: THE MALLWORLD, where all the different philosophies, religions, cults and groups had there own little astroids and planets to do as they wished with,, so you had Catholic world, Muslim world and all the others again OFF PLANET,,, so that the Earth could heal and return to a state of balance that has been lost. Seems that if we don't quit grouping ourselves off into little subgroups from the One and only HUMAN RACE we may be forced to make some decisions that will take at least some of us OFF PLANET in an Effort to save the only Planet we know that has the wonders of Earth.
So as far as genetics,, I think it is great,,,, but take it off world so that Earth can survive on her own without undue interference from humans. We are mucking it up.
And No disrespect,,, but I have always (most likely blasphemously)joked that I really had to wonder about a deity who needed all those foreskins removed: for whatever reason,, covenant or what,, that just doesn't sound like something a Patriarch (Male)Diety would ask of his son's. Is the Diety circumcised also? And since today circumcisions are done routinely in most American Hospitals regardless of religion,, how does it signify anything special for Jews? (the last ? is the only serious one I guess)
I don't have a problem with genetic engineering in principle. I don't have a problem with medical science or science in general improving the quality of life. I don't think God cares one way or the other either. That is not to say that there are not ethical and moral questions to wrestle with. I am, however, confident that we will deal with those issues as we have in the past, where 99.99% of the scientists are already on that page... and there will be some rougues that try to step outside the regulatory structure. They will not be the story, only the footnotes.
~mike
The complication with genetic engineering is that it's hardly perfected, so you could end up with a seemingly perfect child that could die at an early age from some other complications due to the engineering. It happens with lab animals under certain circumstances. The same can be said for cloning. However, if I could clone my son, you bet your ass I would, and I'd have him every two years.
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