August 24, 2004 Genetic Holiness

How about this scenario? A guy comes to you who has major spiritual problems. He confesses that he just has no compassion on others—the poor, those in trouble or people with needs. He is cold-hearted and simply is not moved by their plight. He knows in his head that he should be compassionate, merciful, and even feel tenderness and sympathy for these folk, but he just doesn’t feel that way. What do you do? Well, today you’d probably pray with him, or tell him to develop spiritual disciplines, get in a small group, or find an accountability partner. Or, maybe you’d send him to counseling or maybe even lead him to “seek God’s changing grace” at an altar. That’s today, but not tomorrow. In the future we may be sending him to his family doctor, or local genetic clinic where with a simple bit of genetic engineering he can be made to develop those very traits: compassion, sympathy, consideration and perhaps double his chances of even acting in mercy, not just feeling it. Those who read my stuff know that for years I have been alerting us all to the greatest challenge in our future—these coming alternate means of sanctification. They are coming for sure, and they will be proven to be even more effective then the traditional ones—prayer, going to the altar or accountability. Mostly I’m greeted with chuckles as if I’ve been smoking a bit of weed for lunch. But it is coming, you can be sure. And, sooner than we think.

This week (during the Olympics) Ron Evans of the Salk Institute in San Diego tells us they’ve accomplished genetically altering mice so that they become elite endurance athletes(though still mice) that are able to run twice as fast as ordinary mice. And, even when they become couch potatoes doing nothing at all they don’t get fat—that is, the genetic changes replicate exercise itself (gee—I could use this at 6AM each morning—I’d just roll over and go back to sleep and get my exercise while sleeping!). Anyway, this is a genetic altering for a physical change. In the future we’re going to see genetically altered to what we’ve called “spiritual traits”—we will see genetic manipulation that will make men and women “holy” in word thought and deed. This may not occur all at once (not very soon, at least) but it will certainly happen incrementally for starters—trait by trait, just as many sicknesses were conquered one by one.

THIS will be a major challenge for theology, and the church in the future—and we will have to accommodate it in practice and theology like we did advanced medicine. Some will still be able to alter their traits the old fashioned way (going to the altar, seeking “healing” etc.) but many will simply take the genetic adjustment that enables them to overcome—like many today go to the doctor for sickness first and use prayer as a concurrent aid, or turn to prayer as a last resort when medicine no longer has any hope. It is coming—keep your eyes open for it. Admittedly this all sounds like crackpot thinking today. But one day “genetic “treatment will be as normal for trait maladies as antibiotics are today for physical ailments. (The news release on the “marathon mice” article can be found at http://www.news-leader.com/today/0824-Researcher-162713.html )

 From Keith Drury’s “Thinking BLOG” http://www.DruryWriting.com/keith