Man as God. When scientists create life from nothing but chemicals, how will you rationalize your religion?

Question

My question is based on this recent Yahoo article:

"Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_sc/artificial_life;_ylt=ArvZ63jWMihZVDKvaMkDn28br7sF

KING JAMES: Thats the first time I have ever heard someone say that the bibles reference to being created in God's "image" really means that man was given God's abilities. Do me a favor and look up the meaning of the word "rationalize".

Answer 1

They'll find a way to rationalize. They always do.
They use intense amounts of propaganda and doublethink.
Even if this proves without a shadow of a doubt, amino acids can be turned into cells without a deity, they will find some way to lie and fleece their followers. Religion has a lot of experience doing this.
Start preparing arguments to shoot them down now, because this is big.
This is getting closer and closer to a final nail in the coffin of the God of Abraham and freedom for humankind. But don't underestimate people who believe in bombing abortion clinics and flying planes into buildings.

Answer 2

No big deal.

We know a lot about how biological chemistry and so on works and it is no secret.

The miracle is that humans even exist, no matter how that happened. We are a statistical anomoly, even if you choose to believe that we came from *dust*.

To the person who said 'no soul'... don't set up a situation where someone can disprove your religion by accurately copying biological life. So what? They have copied something - its not like they thought up something amazing... they are just really good chemists.

People raise the same kind of questions with clones... but clones are exactly the same as identical twins - except heaps more likely to die early because humans aren't all that good at artificially copying a set of DNA and injecting it into an ova.

viruses and bacteria are ancient history... Jesus is much fresher in our history.

Answer 3

There is no reason to rationalize it. Man may achieve this knowledge, but what is done with that knowledge is the key point.

Cloned armies, possible health problems due to cloned meat (which the FDA has already approved, and doesn't have to be marked as such), couples making clones of themselves as children...these are just a few of the follies that await humankind as they try to play God.

It is not the knowledge that's harmful; it's the application of it. In that regard, humankind does not have a good track record...we have destroyed each other, and the planet, for many hundreds of years. Do automobiles and global warming ring a bell?

PS
Unless you've got five kids, stop driving that SUV.

Answer 4

Lets Wait And See If They Can Create A DNA
Even I Don't Have a Soul Ever Since I Became A Born Again

It Won't Change The Fact That Christ Died For Us
Praise The Lord

Answer 5

This still fits in the Christian worldview. After all, we were told we were created in God's image. Wouldn't this indicate we were created with the ability to create?


Edit: LOL! I never claimed to be mainstream in my beliefs. =))

OK, here it is:
ra·tion·al·ize
VERB:
tr.

1. To make rational.
2. To interpret from a rational standpoint.
3. To devise self-satisfying but incorrect reasons for (one's behavior).
4. Mathematics: To remove radicals, such as from a denominator, without changing the value of (an expression) or roots of (an equation).
5. Chiefly British: To bring modern, efficient methods to (an industry, for example).

VERB:
intr.

1. To think in a rational or rationalistic way.
2. To devise self-satisfying but incorrect reasons for one's behavior.

I am using definitions 2 and 5 of the transitive form. I am assuming you would like me to use definition 3 of the transitive form or definition 2 of the intransitive?

That said, when you "create" life by having a baby, does not that baby have your (natural) abilities? Does the baby not instinctively know how to grasp items with his hands, suckle for food, and communicate his desires? (Even if we can't decipher his communication.) And most importantly, is he not born with the ability to learn? Why, if you believe in a Heavenly Father, as I do, would you assume He would not give His children the same "abilities" that He himself has? So, I see no contradiction between my belief and my answer.

Answer 6

This fits into my religion perfectly. No rationalization needed.

"As man is, God once was, as God is, man may become."

We are learning and growing all the time. I don't think God created the world with the wave of any magic wand. He just understood what we do not -- how to put it all together to create all forms of life and the things necessary to sustain it. I think we still have a lot to learn to get to His level!

Answer 7

Luckily, I am a Ch'an Buddhist born and raised.

Since we don't believe in a supernatural origin of life (or in the supernatural generally) I have no problem with any type of advance in scientific knowledge.

One of the benefits of being a Ch'an Buddhist is that you don't have to check your brains at the temple door.

Answer 8

I will continue to rationalize science as I do know, men learning what is already there.

Come on creating life in a petrie dish is like growing mold or bacteria. Big deal -- how does that affect religion? Or prove man is more than he is already.

It's too silly to ask such a thing. Apples and oranges.

Answer 9

Ummmm... I just can't get passed the phrase, "from nothing BUT CHEMICALS."

While man can create, man cannot create from NOTHING... PERIOD.

Only God created from NOTHING... He created an ENTIRE UNIVERSE from NOTHING... not just a few cells in a petri dish!!!

HOW in the UNIVERSE can you legitimately compare the two?

I think it safe to say that God, and religion, have nothing to fear. We need not "rationalize" our religion, for nothing in this "news" you present comes anywhere near delegitimizing our faith.

Have a blessed day!

Answer 10

+PAX

The key word is "artificial". There will be no soul in those things created by man..

I find it odd...we attempt to create artificial life but kill those made by God.

Benedicite,
j