BBC: An animal that is half-human, half-pig

A month after British scientists called for human GMOs (see British scientists insisting on human GMOs), there is a proposal to make pig-human GMOs:

An animal that is half-human, half-pig

The quest to create animals with human organs has a long history – and it is now becoming a reality. Has science taken a step too far?

5 January 2017

“Frankenstein scientists developing part-human part-animal chimera,” exclaimed the UK’s Daily Mirror in May 2016. “Science wants to break down the fence between man and beast,” the Washington Times declared two months later, fearing that sentient animals would soon be unleashed on the world.

The hope is to implant human stem cells in an animal embryo so that it will grow specific human organs. …

For millennia, chimeras were literally the stuff of legend. The term comes from Greek mythology, with Homer describing a strange hybrid “of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle”. It was said to breath fire as it roamed Lycia in Asia Minor.

In reality, chimeras in science are less impressive. The word describes any creature containing a fusion of genetically-distinct tissues. This can occur naturally, if twin embryos fuse soon after conception, with striking results. …

The mixed bag of animals from Greek legends certainly cannot be found in nature. But this has not stopped scientists from trying to create their own hybrid chimeras in the lab. …

In 2010 Hiromitsu Nakauchi of Stanford University School of Medicine and his colleagues created a rat pancreas in a mouse body using a similar technique. Pigs are currently the preferred host, as they are anatomically remarkably similar to humans.If it succeeds, the strategy would solve many of the problems with organ donation today.

Some scientists are trying to grow human organs inside pigs …

A particularly emotive concern is that the stem cells will reach the pig’s brain, creating an animal that shares some of our behaviours and abilities. “I do think that has to be something that is taken into account and discussed extensively,” says Rossant. After all, she found that her chimeras shared the temperaments of both species. It would be truly horrific to create a human mind trapped in an animal’s body, a nightmare fit for Wells. …

John Evans, a sociologist at the University of California San Diego, US, points out that the very discussion of human-animal chimera focusses on their cognitive capacities.

For instance, we might decide that it is okay to treat them in one way as long as they lack human rationality or language, but that train of logic could lead us down a slippery slope when considering other people within our own species. “If the public thinks that a human is a compilation of capacities, those existing humans with fewer of these valued capacities will be considered to be of lesser value,” Evans writes. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170104-the-birth-of-the-human-animal-chimeras

Some have claimed that ‘men are pigs’ and with more research, this could become more literally correct. Of course, this research will be promoted as something good and helpful.

Notice also the following:

—The Humanzee—

“Chimps share 98% of the human genome, and a fully mature chimp has the equivalent mental abilities and consciousness of a four-year-old human. Fusing a human and chimpanzee embryo—which researchers say is feasible—could produce a creature so human that questions regarding its moral and legal status would throw 4,000 years of ethics into chaos. Would such a creature enjoy human rights? Would it have to pass some kind of ‘humanness’ test to win its freedom? Would it be forced into doing menial labour or be used to perform dangerous activities?” —Jeremy Rifkin “Are you a man or a mouse?” March 15, 2005 The Guardian. Available online at http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1437701,00.html

Of course, those of us who believe the Bible should not be surprised that humans are going the wrong way with aspects of genetic research.

Genetic modification of plants and animals sometimes involves placing genes from one species into another. In ancient times, the combination of humans and animals were called ‘chimeras.’

Some have suggested, and have tried to, put human DNA into other species. It may be for reasons like this that God confounded the languages of people back at the Tower of Babel:

6 And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:6-9)

Notice some prophecies for the last days:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)

As far as what constitutes being human, the Bible teaches:

8 But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. (Job 32:8)

21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? (Ecclesiastes 3:21)

There are humans and there are animals. There will not truly be half-human half-animals. But what many scientists are working on should not be done.

God has a plan for humans–and that plan is not for animals.

Consider that there are differences between animals and humans. Notice something from the old Worldwide Church of God:

Have you ever wondered why? Have you ever thought about the vast difference between animal brain and human mind, and what could possibly account for it?

Animal Brain vs. Human Mind

There is a great, uncrossable GULF between animal brain and human mind. The evolutionary theory assumes that humans are animals. But one thing evolution can never explain is the total difference between animal brain equipped with instinct, and the human mind with creative reasoning powers of intellect and devoid of instinct in the strict sense that animals possess it.

Some animals have physical brains as large or larger than man’s brain, and with similar cerebral cortex complexity — but none has the powers of intellect, logic, self-consciousness and creativity.

The physical brain of a dolphin, whale or elephant is larger than the human brain, while a chimp’s is slightly smaller.

Qualitatively the difference between them and the human brain is very little — not enough to remotely account for the vastly superior intelligence and output of the human brain. The gap between animal brain and human mind is incredibly vast!

When God molded Adam out of the dust of the ground, he was made in the “likeness” — the out ward form and shape — of GOD himself (Gen. 1:26). God didn’t make any of the other creatures to be an exact clay replica of himself. This unique form and shape was given to man alone. This is because man was created with the potential to become God!

Each animal was created with a brain suited for its particular animal kind. But animals do not have the potential of MIND and CHARACTER that God gave only to man. No animal was ever given the gift of mind power — ability to think, to reason, to make choices and decisions as was man!

It is this very SPECIAL ATTRIBUTE OF MIND AND CHARACTER that separates men from animals!
Animals possess what we call instinct. Their brains are programmed, so to speak, by God with particular instinctive aptitudes to live and perform in a certain way. They follow instinctive habit patterns in their feeding, nesting, migration and reproduction. Thus beavers build dams, birds build nests. These aptitudes are inherited — they are not the result of logical, cognitive or thinking processes.

For example, thousands of birds flock south each year as winter approaches in the northern hemisphere. They don’t stop to reason why, they don’t ask themselves whether they should, they don’t plan ahead an itinerary for the trip. At a given internal signal — like the preset alarm of a clock — they leave their summer feeding grounds in the north and travel thousands of miles south. Scientists don’t fully understand why — they merely observe the operation of this animal instinct.

Each species or kind of bird builds different types of nests, feeds on specific kinds of foods, and migrates at different times to various destinations. But none of these actions is planned in advance by the birds as humans would. Birds merely have the capability and proclivity to do that which Almighty God built into the instinct of each at creation.
But man’s mind is vastly different from animal instinct. Man is able to devise various ways to do any one thing or to achieve a predetermined goal. Man can acquire knowledge and reason from it. He can draw conclusions, make decisions, will to act according to a thought-out plan.

Man can design and build different types of houses, using different designs and different building materials. Some houses are built of wood, some of brick or stone, and some people living near the North Pole even live in ice houses called igloos. Men also eat different foods, prepared in many different ways. Men may live entirely different life-styles from one another.

And if a man wants to change his way of life — he can! Man is not subject to instinct. He is not governed by a set of predetermined habit patterns as animals are.

Man can choose — he has free moral agency. He can devise codes of conduct and exercise self-discipline. Man can originate ideas and evaluate knowledge because he has a MIND that is patterned after God’s own mind! Man can devise, plan and bring his plans to fruition because he has been given some of the very creative powers of God!

Man alone can wonder, “Why was I born? What is life? What is death? Is there a purpose in human existence?” Man, unlike the animals, not only “knows” how to do certain things, but he also KNOWS that he knows — that is, he is aware that he has “knowledge. ” He is conscious of the fact. He is self-conscious, aware of his own existence as a unique being.

These attributes of mind and character make man God’s UNIQUE physical creation. God has shared some of his own qualities with man. And God expects man to develop and become conformed to the spiritual “image” of God’s perfect mind and holy character (Matt. 5:48) — just as man now is formed in the physical “image” of God.

“Human” Spirit Makes the Difference!

Man was created to have a special relationship with God that is utterly nonexistent with animals. Man was made in the similitude of the GOD kind. He was made in God’s image so that he might one day be born into God’s divine family!
God’s purpose in making mortal man after his own likeness demanded mind power in man patterned after God’s own mind. That is why the most remarkable thing about man is his mind.

What is it then that separates humankind from the animal kingdom? What gives him this God-plane power of intellect?

It all boils down to a nonphysical component in the human brain that does not exist in animal brain. It is this nonphysical component that makes man so vastly different from animals. It is what makes man truly UNIQUE!
Man does not have an immortal soul within him that enables him to live on apart from his body after death (remember man is a mortal soul). But the Bible nevertheless does speak of a “spirit IN man” (Job 32:8, 18; Zech. 12:1:1 Cor. 2:11).

Many passages of Scripture show that there is a “spirit” IN man! This spirit is not the man — it is something that is IN the man. Joined with the physical brain of the man, it forms human MIND. It imparts to man’s brain his unique powers of intellect and personality — the ability to think rationally and make freewill decisions. It imparts the ability to learn mathematics, languages or other types of knowledge such as music, art, carpentry, flying.

But that’s all. The spirit that is IN man has no consciousness of itself. It is not an “immortal soul.” This spirit is not the “man.”

The spirit that is IN man can be called “human” spirit, for it is in each human, even though it is spirit essence and not matter. It is not a “ghost,” spirit being, or the Holy Spirit. It is not the man, but spirit essence IN the man. It is NOT a soul — the physical human is a soul.

The human spirit, added to every human being at birth, does not supply human life — the human life is in the physical blood, oxidized by the breath of life (Lev. 17:11). But the spirit in man does impart the power of intellect to the human brain. This nonphysical component in the human brain does not exist in the brains of animals.

The spirit in man is spirit essence; just as in the material world air is a gaseous essence. But this “human” spirit cannot see. The physical brain sees through the eyes. The human spirit in a person cannot hear. The brain hears through the ears. This human spirit cannot think. The brain thinks — although the spirit imparts the power to think far above the level of brute animals’ brain function. Without such spirit animals cannot do original thinking.

The “human” spirit acts as a computer. Whatever knowledge enters the brain through the five senses is instantly stored (memorized) in the spirit within the person. It enables the brain to have instant recall of stored-up knowledge in the spirit, and thus enables the brain to utilize bits of related knowledge in the process of THINKING and REASONING.

The human spirit imparts the power of intellect to the physical brain in two ways: 1) it gives the brain instant recall of whatever the brain calls for in the knowledge stored in this memory — or “human computer”; 2) it supplies the brain whatever energy is needed to cause it to think — that is, to put the pieces of information stored in the spirit together in the process we call “thinking,” “reasoning” and “drawing conclusions. ” The human spirit also is the means God has instilled to make possible a personal relationship between human MAN and divine GOD. (Sedliacik R. WHAT IS MAN? and what makes him unique? Plain Truth, November-December 1982)

There is a difference between humans and animals that those that do not understand the Bible do not understand. Many ‘wise of the world’ are fools:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25)

Furthermore, let me add that I believe that the whole field of genetic-modification is fraught with dangerous risks, and often other moral issues, that proponents wish to ignore (the loss of monarch butterflies comes to immediate mind: see also Government looking into devastation of bees and butterflies: GMOs and pesticides are factors).

Notice something else about humans:

6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” (Hebrews 2:6-8)

Humans were made a little lower than the angels are to rule over the creation, including the animals.

When God created everything in Genesis 1, He said everything He made was good:

31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

Notice how God made the creation:

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:20-22)

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:24-25)

Chimeras are about humans producing the creation in their own distorted image and stopping life from reproducing after its own kind. This clearly violates Genesis 1:22. But that is what chimeras are about.

The use of GMOs is likely to be part of a ‘perfect storm’ that will result in the end of the UK and its allies like the USA.

Humans are NOT animals. Human DNA should not be mixed with animal DNA. This is unholy (cf. Ezra 9:2; Isaiah 6:13), unnatural, and not good.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What is your ultimate destiny? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea? Are you to rule the universe? Here is a link to the video sermon What is Your Destiny?
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; a short video is also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?