Real Life Character Customization - Pt. 2

CNN refers to the genetic customization of unborn children as, “Designer Babies”. About a week ago I made a post on this subject, asking you to consider the implications of customizing the features and genes of unborn children. We decided that knowing that we can do a thing doesn’t always mean we should. So is there a firm right or wrong concerning every aspect of genetic procedures? I don’t believe so. However, there are some Biblical principles that we can consider as our world continues to press forward and advance in our knowledge of the human body.

Principle 1: Vanity

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB95)

Humanity is easily wrapped up in how we look, and being “beautiful” as our culture sees it. Who are we to reach into the genetic makeup of another human being, without their consent, and change part of who they are as a person? As someone who hopes to be a parent someday, I could not imagine changing anything about my future children. Whether they have blonde, brown, red, or black hair, I want them to be who God made them to be. Whether they have straight teeth or slightly slanted ones, I want them to be who God made them to be. If at some point in their life they choose to straighten their teeth or to dye their hair, that’s their choice. But I do not have the right to alter their appearance to suit my own likes. It becomes an exercise in vanity when I start changing another human being to suit my own desires, with no care or concern for their welfare or happiness.

Principle 1 Summary: It’s awfully vain to alter the genes of an unborn child so that they will be more pleasing to my eyes. I should be more concerned with their spiritual life and who they are inside than with their appearance.

Principle 2: The Good Samaritan

³⁰ Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. ³¹ “And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² “Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ “But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, ³⁴ and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ “On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ ³⁶ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” ³⁷ And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” –Luke 10:30-37 (NASB95)

God charges us with caring about each other. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you’ve been through, we are tasked with caring about each other and having mercy on those in need of our help. With research like this, we are being given new ways to serve the needs of others, and we ought to help however we can. There is the possibility that we can cure the diseases a person could be born with and the disabilities they would normally have to be handicapped with for their entire life. If we had the ability to cure their ailments, shouldn’t we do so? Isn’t it only neighborly to care for the well being of a person’s physical and mental state?

Principle 2: If we have the ability to cure a disease and we have the opportunity to do so, ability + opportunity = responsibility, right?

Principle 3: God is the Creator, let Him Create

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. -Genesis 1:26–27 (NASB95)

God is the Creator. Period. He created the universe, the earth, the trees and water, and also mankind. He is the One who designed our genes and DNA, and He is the only One who truly understands how they all work. We have begun to scratch the surface of the purposes of these parts of us, but I guarantee you we haven’t exhausted them. We may be in way over our heads when we start tampering with the genes that make up a human person. It’s one thing to attempt to remove a diseased portion of a person’s body in order to replace it with a healthy one, but it’s another thing entirely to mess with it just to make me happy.

Principle 3 Summary: God is the only Being who truly understands our bodies. We shouldn’t mess with them unless we have to, because our knowledge is extremely limited.

I don’t claim to have all the answers about this subject, but I do know that these principles will help guide our minds as we enter into a new era of genetic alterations. Think and pray on these subjects, especially if you are offered an opportunity to make some of these difficult decisions yourself.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section!