THE TRUTH IN PRINT
January 2003, Vol. 8 Issue 12
A Publication of the Valley
Note: The following is an
explanation offered by brother Tino Unlap who has simplified this somewhat for
the benefit of all.
Cloning
"Cloning of mammals is not very
difficult. The type of cloning that is under consideration has been done
in sheep, monkey, cat, cow, pig, goat, cattle, mice, and rabbit. From a
technical stand point the same can be accomplished in humans. The basic
process is this: an egg, which has 23 chromosomes in the nucleus is taken
and have its nucleus removed (enucleated). A donor somatic cell (from anywhere
on say Michael Jordan's body) which has 46 chromosomes in the nucleus is
brought in close proximity to the egg and in the presence of a low electric
current the two cells fuse and become one cell with 46 chromosomes from
Jordan's cell. Under the direction of the egg's machinery, the cell begins to
divide into an embryo. The maturation process can only take place in the
womb.
How is this different
from the process that involves a husband and wife? A sperm cell with 23
chromosomes attaches to and egg with 23 chromosomes to generate a fertilized
egg with 46 chromosomes. The fertilized egg begins to divide, under the
direction of the egg's machinery, into an embryo in the womb. I hope this
helps some in our understanding of human cloning.
Tino Unlap
University of Alabama at Birmingham
School of Medicine”
Note: As
I began to read about the “Raleans” (cult) and the baby human clone I was
wondering if some of the thoughts I was having were correct, or whether I
misconstrued what it is that they are doing so that they might accomplish
whatever goal or goals they, or for that matter others, might seek to associate
with human cloning.
Here is
some additional information from brother Unlap:
“...Now on to the tough question about cloning. For
simplicity sake, I am going to choose a husband (H) and wife (W) that can not
have children because the husband is infertile. This couple decides to seek
cloning as an alternative. The natural process is for the sperm and egg to come
together to generate a fertilized egg which has 46 chromosomes (23 from the H
and 23 from the W) that can begin to divide into an embryo. This process is
impossible here since the H is infertile. So they turn to cloning. A fertilized
egg's equivalent is generated by the fusing of the H's cell with an egg from
the W with the nucleus removed. All of the 46 chromosomes in the fertilized
egg's equivalent come from the H and none from the wife. The fertilized egg's
equivalent is implanted into the W's womb and allowed to develop into a full
fledge baby after nine months.
I see two main differences between the natural and the cloned baby. The first
difference is in the formation of the fertilized egg. The natural baby resulted
from the union of the H's seed with the W's seed which required the physical
act of intimacy. The cloned baby resulted from the artificial union of the H's
body cell (not his seed) with the W's altered (enucleated) seed in the absence
of the physical act of intimacy. The second difference is that each body cell
of the natural baby contains 46 chromosomes which were contributed equally by
the H and W. Each body cell of the cloned baby , on the other hand, contains 46
chromosomes which were contributed solely by the H.
…
I hope this helps.
brotherly,
Tino Unlap”
Now, here
are some Scriptures for you own meditation:
Human life
is the not the same as animal life, but those who are involved with “cloning”
erringly think it is. As some often wrongfully say, "Man is just a higher
form of animal life." No, man was created in the image of God, the Bible
says (Gen. 1:27; 2:7;9:6 ). Moreover in "breath of life" ~ “breath”
(Gen. 2:7) is plural and indicates more than physical breath (Compare Eccl.
12:7.)
The human
spirit is not the flesh. We being Christians, know that. Man has always known
that:
1) Eccles. 12:7 (KJV)
Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto
God who gave it.
2) Philip. 1:23 (KJV)
For I am
in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;
which is far better:
Genesis 2:7 (KJV)
And the
Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
God is the God of the spirits of all flesh:
Numbers 16:22 (KJV)
“And they
fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh,
shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
God is said to be the Father of spirits:
Hebrews 12:9 (KJV)
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we
gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father
of spirits, and live?”
A.
“Spirits" (noun neuter) here refers to the human souls that will leave the
body and return to God.
God is said to “form” the spirit within man:
Zech. 12:1 (KJV)
“The
burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth
forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the
spirit of man within him.”
A. 1) BDB
Definition:
1) to form, fashion,
frame
1a) (Qal) to form,
fashion
1a2) of divine activity
1a2a) of creation
1a2a1) of original
creation
1a2a2) of individuals at
conception
God is said to “give” the
spirit: Eccles. 12:7 (KJV)
“Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto
God who gave it.”
A. BDB Definition: 1) to
give, put, set.
God is said to have “made”... this soul: Jeremiah 38:16
(KJV)
“So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah,
saying, As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to
death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
Eccl. 8:8a says "no man has power over
the spirit to retain the spirit."
A. Retain ~
BDB Definition:
1) to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back,
refrain, forbid:
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to shut up
1a2) to restrain
1a3) to withhold
Questions:
1. Is cloning God’s way of reproduction?
2. Would a clone have a soul?
3. Can one’s own
spirit be transferred to the clone or to anyone else for that matter?
4. Will man ever figure out a way to escape death?
5. Who made it possible for man to have eternal life and
that along with the promise of a spiritual body?
6. What must one do to acquire eternal life in heaven?
7. In what sense is death “yours” if you are a Christian?
(I Cor. 3:22)
(Additional passages to read and consider: Gen.
1:27-28; 2:24; 4:1; Heb. 9:27, Heb. 5:9 ; Mk. 16:15-16; I Cor. 15:22, 44, 49-
58; Titus 1:2; Rev. 20:11-21:1).