A Christian-Agrarian View of Genetic Modification (GM)

The following letter was posted in response to my previous post in which I spoke of genetic modification (GM) and the possibility that the mysterious and widespread death of thousands of bee colonies might be connected to "Frankenpollen" from GM crops”

Sir,

My grandfather is a Christian agricultural scientist, and I have asked him about genetic modification: we have been "genetically modifying" plants since the dawn of man. Every time you cross one kind of tomato with another kind of tomato to get a third kind of tomato, you produce, by the general definition of the phrase, a genetically modified tomato. All it means is that the genes have been modified to enhance or exaggerate a particular trait (say, firm flesh), and every single one of the fruits and vegetables we eat to-day has undergone some kind of genetic modification. That doesn't sound dangerous at all. In fact, it isn't. If it was, the Ancient Egyptians would have killed off all their honeybees.

I assume what you mean by "genetic modification" is *chemical* genetic modification; that is, by some laboratory procedure involving the injection of something rather than natural cross-pollination (although, it might be good clarification to know whether they are injecting genomes from another plant - which wouldn't be dangerous - or synthetic chemicals, which might). Perhaps you might wish to clarify your terms, to prevent confusion?

Regards,
A fellow agrarian

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Fellow Agrarian,

Thank you for questioning my terminology. Yes, I will clarify…

While it is true that traditional, selective breeding of plants and animals, as you describe in your first paragraph, is indeed a form of genetic modification, such modification is achieved through the natural order and is not the same thing as what is now commonly referred to as Genetic Modification or GM.

GM plants (as the term is now commonly understood and applied) have had their genomes altered through very unnatural laboratory genetic engineering techniques (gene splicing) that have only been in common use since the 1990’s.

With the current GM technology, it is possible to "cross" plants and animals. Scientists can, for example, splice genes from a fish into a tomato, or from a tomato into a butterfly, or from a butterfly into a maple tree, or from a maple tree into an ox. Not only is it possible, such things are being done. The possibilities are almost endless. The door is now opened up for genetic splicing of animals or plants with humans.

The Bible says in Genesis that God created plants and animals "after their kind." Traditional selective breeding practices are a form of husbandry that works within the natural order God created. The modern GM scientist does not acknowledge any God-ordained order or boundries. The genetic engineering they are doing is genetically violent in its unnatural combinations

We have seen a veritable explosion of new laboratory-generated GM creations in recent years because of a modern-day ruling by the US supreme court that allowed, for the first time, the patenting of new life forms for commercial purposes. Since than, a handful of huge corporations have spearheaded the genetic engineering of new life forms for profit purposes.

As I wrote in my recent book:

God created and gave freely for His glory and the good of mankind. The industrial providers[the corporate food oligarchy] take God’s creation unto themselves, recreate it for their own glory, and charge money for the good of their bottom line

I also offer the following quotation from Ignacio Chapela:

Dr. Erwin Chargoff, eminent biochemist, often referred to as the father of molecular biology, warned that all innovation does not result in “progress.” he once referred to genetic engineering as “a molecular Auschwitz” and warned that the technology of genetic engineering poses a greater threat to the world than the advent of nuclear technology. “I have the feeling that science has transgressed a barrier that should have remained inviolate.” he wrote in his autobiography, Heraclitean Fire.

Modern science, under the control of international corporate giants, with the approval of our corrupted government agencies, has transgressed the barrier and they are foolishly steaming ahead without considering all the consequences of their technology.

Honey bees do not die as a result of men working within God’s order to breed new plants. The food chain is not polluted by agrarian scientists working within God’s order to develop improved varieties of plants "after their kind." People do not develop allergies and sicknesses from plants and animals bred over the course of lifetimes by traditional husbandry methods.