The Economist recently published an article called “Cheating Death” which described how scientists are now editing DNA in order for us to live longer, healthier lives. Curiosity piqued my interest in wanting to understand what is going on in this science. I discovered that there are a handful of ways this is being done, but for now I want to focus on just one.

One of the hottest tools in gene-editing technology is CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR = Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats Cas9 = CRISPR associated protein 9).
This germline DNA editing ^[a]system uses a piece of RNA designed to target a section of DNA and an enzyme called a nuclease that can snip unwanted genes out and paste new ones in. So geneticists can now tweak some DNA so that it can actually fix itself or be reprogrammed to delete bad DNA. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this germline DNA editing because it involves making changes to DNA at the embryo stage, which brings with it real moral issues- man wanting to be God by creating life.

A team of researchers have found a way to turn a gene off without altering the DNA and then turn it back on. They hope to be able to turn off bad genes to stop progression of things like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s until they find a cure.

Since the CRISPR technology’s release in 2012 there has been a swarm of activity all over the world. According to yourgenome.org, it is “faster, cheaper and more accurate than previous techniques of editing DNA and has a wide range of potential applications.” Scientists get quick results. What used to take them years with lab animals can now be done in a matter of days, weeks or months depending on the tests they are conducting. It’s also relatively inexpensive for those institutions that already have labs, and it’s affordable to the home hobbyist to experiment with. To me that’s a very scary thought. Especially in this violently charged world, who knows how this will be used in the very near future?

Researchers are currently using CRISPR-Cas9 in plants, zebrafish, mice, rats, monkeys, rabbits, pigs, human bacteria and yeast. Besides curing diseases in humans, they are exploring a number of applications, including disease-resistant crops, altering animals for specific traits, editing genes of ticks with lyme disease and mosquitos carrying Zika – the list is endless of what man will do to alter God’s creation, and worse – devise his own creation.

There is still much research that needs to be done, but things are moving faster than anyone could have imagined; however, one wrong code and things can go very bad. Can you imagine a geneticist trying to edit a gene and miscoding the DNA – what kind of repercussions that would have? Making any small mistake can be disastrous. They could end up unintentionally creating new diseases – or intentionally creating new weapons. Back in 2004, before CRISPR-Cas9 technology was available, Michael J. Ainscough outlined ways that gene-editing could be leveraged in biological warfare (The Gathering Biological Warfare Storm, Greenwood Publishing Group). Now MIT Technology Review reports that James Clapper, US Director of National Intelligence, added gene editing to the list of threats posed  by “weapons of mass destruction and proliferation.” That tells me this is not something to treat lightly. It’s already too late to take back the technology, it’s been available for all to use for several years now.

Many top Universities and Research Centers, through the use of the internet, are sharing information like never before in order to further the science of editing genes. Big time investors like Bill Gates, Google, Fidelity Investments, Corvus Pharmaceuticals and many others are financially backing these projects.

The Economist also reported the following:(“Age of the Red Pen”, Aug 22, 2015)

“Mitochondrial DNA donation, an in-vitro fertilization technique that replaces a specific form of defective DNA from the mother with equivalent DNA from another woman, recently became legal in Britain. Like changes produced by editing the genome of an egg or early embryo, the effects of this donation will be passed onto future generations.

The issues surrounding mitochondrial DNA donation were widely discussed in Britain, and the procedure voted on in Parliament. The conclusion was that the risks were small and that helping people carrying certain diseases to have healthy children mattered more than rather formless worries about playing God.”

Formless worries about “playing God”? Just them bringing up the question about “playing God” tells me they know they are playing God and believe that He doesn’t know what he is doing – or that He can’t do it right. The creator of the Universe doesn’t know what He is doing? Not that I believe they ever truly consider what God says about anything, let alone what He has to say about all this technology. “They that observe Lying vanities forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2:8), and God’s mercy is mixed with truth to deliver us from every evil, everything that is opposed to God. I need his truth and mercy every day to save me from this world because the world is at enmity with God, and so is all its technology and knowledge. It is aimed at accusing God, and in the end Satan and his agent, The Antichrist will use this to further oppress mankind and fight against God.

Now, with the science of genetics backed by financial big boys and pharmaceutical companies, together they say “There is nothing that we can imagine that we won’t be able to do”. In truth, if God doesn’t put an end to all this, man will do whatever he can imagine.

“And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” Gen 11:6

It’s the tower of Babel all over again. (You can read about the Conspiracy at the Tower of Babel here. Man is still rebelling against God. They want to be their own god. They want this worldly life to be eternal without God in it. In the book of Revelation, Jesus tells us that mankind together with Satan will come to Armageddon to fight against God. It really is in our hearts to go against God. We need the remedy for this destructive disease, and Jesus is the remedy for this. It can’t be done by editing our genes. We will never become better people without becoming a new creation – that starts in our heart. We must give it over to Jesus or we will continue to fight against God. There is no middle ground. It is all or nothing. Just like the tower of Babel, all of man and Satan’s devices will come tumbling down. God will put an end to all this rebellion. He will win. He has told us so in his word.

Daniel Chapter 12:4 says, ”But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”This tells me it is the end because I have seen in my lifetime people are running to and fro all over the world, even up into the heavens. Knowledge is being increased every day – so much so that we can’t even keep up with it. Jesus tells us that when you see these things happening, look up – the end is near.

This gene editing technology is very relevant to me. I have lymphedema, and according to Medical Press (“Treating Inflammation in Lymphedema”, October 11, 2016) there may soon be a time when the medical field will be able to treat my condition with T cell transfusions. I cannot say that having Lymphedema has been a bad thing for me. I can honestly say God has used it for my good. He has also used it so that I can comfort those that suffer afflictions with the comfort that he has comforted me with. I truly wouldn’t want it any other way. The world and medical field cannot see things through God’s eyes, but I can. He has shown me that He can use all things for our good if we choose to follow Him, no matter what.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28

Don’t be deceived by technology and science for it cannot replace God and bring you true happiness or eternal life. A relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost is eternal life. Give your life to Jesus and let him deliver you from this present evil world. God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you and me so we can have eternal life with him.

…”that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:2-3

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CRISPR was co-discovered in 2012 by molecular biologist Professor Jennifer Doudna at Berkeley, University of California along with Emmanuelle Charpentier.

Fergus Walsh, Medical Correspondent for the BBC, wrote an article in June 2016 entitled “Gene Editing Technique Could Transform The Future”. His article reports about Professor Doudna’s new technique and his interview with her. He also asks about the ethical question that comes to mind when you talk about editing genes to transform living organisms and people.

Walsh said “Prof Doudna told me of a nightmare she had where she was led into a dark room where a man was seated with his back to her.”

She said: “When he turned I realized with horror that it was Hitler and I was being expected to discuss this technology with him and he eagerly wanted to use it.”

This is proof that she knows this is evil(and by evil I mean rejecting what God says is right). The potential for creating humans like Hitler that can live forever is so scary to think about. The fact that it’s now becoming possible tells me the end is near. That is why God says he will not allow this to go on. God will not allow evil to continue into eternity. He will put an end to this I say thank God for that.