Other "Thinking Drafts" and writing by Keith Drury -- http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday .

Chemical Holiness & More

Less than a century ago modern medicine edged Christianity out of physical healing as a primary business. Today when Christians have heart attacks we go to the emergency room not to church. Sure, we pray too, but not as the primary means of healing but secondary. We gave up physical healing to modern medicine.

But, we still had spiritual change as our domain. We helped people overcome sin, become better husbands or fathers, conquer lying, banish lust, or release bitterness. Altering behavior was still the church's realm. OK, you might argue that psychology edged in on us a bit. But we always claimed God's sanctifying power was more effective (and, at least considerably cheaper) than psychotherapy. Life change was still our "market." If a person had trouble with lust or rage, going to church might provide spiritual solutions for the behavior adjustment they needed. God's grace could change and cleanse a person from these sins and fill them with new sweet traits of holiness.

However, we are increasingly losing the behavior-change market to medicine. Behavior can be altered with a pill. The growth industry of behavior-altering drugs will soon make it possible to get a prescription to conquer lust, banish rage, produce a meek and quiet spirit or a sensitivity to the needs of others. Face it, for many, a prescription to Prozac already appears to do more sanctification than a trip to the altar. Listen to the quiet Prozac testimonies over coffee.

Will we lose the behavior-changing market altogether? Will the church adapt to this chemical development like we did to modern medicine? In the future will we add prayer as a secondary support to the primary mean of behavior altering: drugs? Will we ask God to make the pills effective in cleansing lust or bitterness... like we now pray for the doctors? And the theological question: Is chemically created holiness real holiness?

But as important as this issue is, chemical holiness is not the really big issue we'll face in the future. It's genetic holiness.

There is a growing mountain of evidence that the inclination to certain sins and character traits is genetically based. That is, some individuals are genetically inclined toward some sins or qualities: rage, bitterness, malice, lust, alcoholism, strife, meekness, tenderness, or compassion. Not determined mind you, but inclined -- an increased "propensity" toward that sin or quality.

Enter genetic engineering. It will be increasingly possible in our future -- during your lifetime -- to "order" genetically altered children: a person "inclined" to be gentle, tender, loving, compassionate and without the propensity toward alcoholism, rage or bitterness. The question, of course, is would you do it for your own child? Grandchild? If you could alter the genes of your kid so he or she would not have the propensity toward rage or bitterness would you do it? Or do you believe they have to overcome such inclinations the old fashioned way?

One more thing. If we discover there is such a thing as a genetic propensity toward the sin of homosexuality, would you be willing to edit it out of your kids' genes? Or would that be cheating?


So what do you think?

To contribute to the thinking on this issue e-mail your response to Tuesday@indwes.edu

By Keith Drury, 1998. You are free to transmit, duplicate or distribute this article for non-profit use without permission.