The Language
of God
By Gene Franks
Many Americans will find this unlikely -- it will surely come as
a shock to George W. Bush -- but there are a number of religious
thinkers in this world who maintain that That Old Time Religion is
seriously showing its age. From the pews to the pulpit, the faith is
weakening. There is evidence, in fact, to support the notion that
Christianity, as we all know and love-or-hate it, is (to state it in
the proper historical parlance) pretty much doomed. –David
Templeton. ("Can Jesus Survive the Millennium?" in Northern
California Bohemian, April 3, 2001).
Recent
developments in genetics, or Genetics, I should say, have underlined
just how right I've been all the years I've been exposing myself to
ridicule, scorn, and outright raucous laughter by saying that Science,
not Christianity, is modern America's religion. In case you haven’t yet
caught on to this—I think it’s only me and about two other people who
have—I’ll explain. I do not say that Science has characteristics of a
religion, or that Science has similarities to some religions; I say,
specifically and without equivocation, that Science is now and for some
time has been America's national religion.
Whatever
we might think we believe, we Americans have been so totally
indoctrinated in the thinking of the Church of Science that we all share
a deep and abiding belief in the Laws of Science and Technology.
Christianity is now one of America's hobbies, and Science is America's
religion. Americans have far stronger faith in their automobile to get
them to church than in their Church's God-In-Residence to perform even
the tiniest of miracles. And if our eye offends us, we do not pluck it
out, as Jesus commanded, but rather we go to our certified
ophthalmologist for a complete eye examination and professional
treatment. Jesus' commandment notwithstanding, eye-plucking is now seen
by all as barbaric, un-Christian, and, perish the thought,
un-Scientific.
Let me
make this clearer with an illustration from recent events.
When not
long ago God moved to reveal His true language to the world, He
did not reveal it to the Pope or to Billy Graham or even to Pat
Robertson, but to some Holy Researchers with grants from the U.S.
Government or high-paying jobs with predatory Science-for-profit
Corporations. I am speaking, of course, of the Prophets of the Human
Genome Project.
During the
historic celebration of the completion of the Genome Project in 2001, I
heard at least three of the scientists for the project declare, with
solemn reverence, quivering lip, and a somber tone worthy of a Moses
stepping down from the Mount with his Tablets, that with the project’s
completion scientists had now laid eyes on “the language of God.” Even
President Clinton got into the act, calling the completed Genome “the
language in which God created life.”
Think of
it. God’s very own language—discovered not in some long-buried cave in
the Holy Land, but right here in a laboratory in California.
Now, if
the Pope were to announce that he had been made privy to God’s sacred
idiom and therefore has insider information that the rest of us don’t,
folks everywhere--Catholics included, I'm guessing-- would cry out in
outrage. But when the scientific elite anoint themselves the unique
custodians of God’s recipe book, no one utters a peep. For Scientists to
know God's secrets seems
perfectly natural and fitting to everyone. To believe the Pope requires
an act of faith, but everyone knows that Science has The Answer. That's
because Science is our religion—the only one that we really believe in.
When I read that God's language had
finally been revealed, I thought it was good that God had not given up
on us, that He was still trying to communicate with us in spite of
difficulties we’ve had figuring out His previous messages. In Hebrew,
Greek, King James English, and other difficult tongues, things weren’t
too clear. The Almighty, I reasoned, is now taking a fresh shot at it in
His own sacred idiom. The Human Genome will surely clear things up for
us.
Anxious to get a glimpse at God’s
language, I went straight to one of the websites where the Genomic
Gospel is archived. As I read, in my mind’s ear I could hear preachers
of the future, adopting the lofty tone of the original Genomites I had
heard on the radio, teaching their flocks from the pulpit:
“And in the Human
Genome, Chromosomes Chapter IXX, the Lord speaks to us of His divine
plan, saying, “ 1 cggggggccc ggagcgggat cgcggcacct
gccgagcggg tcgccgcgtc tgccgcggtc 61 cttggacccc gccgccgccc tggcctggga
gcttgccccg ccgcagcggc cggcagcgcg 121 gcgctccgcg ggcggcaggc acgggccccg
ggccccctca cggcgcccag ccgcgggcct 181 cccgaggcaa aagcccgtgg gccgccgcga
tggccttcaa gatggtgaag ggcagcatcg 241 accgcatgtt cgacaagaat ctgcaggact
tggtccgcgg catccgtaac cacaaggagg 301 acgaggcaaa atacatatct cagtgcattg
atgagatcaa gcaggagctg aagcaggaca 361 acatagcggt gaaggcgaac gcggtctgca
agctgacgta tttacagatg ttgggatacg 421 acatcagctg ggccgccttc aacatcatag
aagtgatgag tgcctccaag ttcaccttca 481 agcgaattgg ctacctcgct gcttcccaga
gctttcacga aggcaccgac gtcatcatgc 541 tgaccaccaa tcagatccgt aaggacttga
gcagccccag ccagtacgac acaggtgttg 601 cactgacggg tctgtcctgc ttcgtcaccc
cagaccttgc cagagacctg gcaaatgaca 661 tcatgacact gatgtcacac accaagccct
acatcaggaa gaaggctgtg ctgatcgagc 721 ccctcaccaa tctcatccac agcacgtctg
ccatgtctct cctctatgaa tgtgtgaaca 781 ccgtgattgc agtgctcatc tcgctgtcct
ccggcatgcc caaccacagc gccagcatcc 841 agctttgtgt tcagaaatta aggatattga
tcgaggactc cgatcagaac ttgaagtacc 901 tggggctgct ggcaatgtcc aagatcctga
agacccaccc caagtccgtg cagtcccaca 961 aggacctcat cctgcagtgc ctggacgaca
aggacgagtc catccggctg cgggccctgg 1021 acctgctcta tgggatggtg tccaagaaga
acctgatgga gatcgtgaag aagctgatga 1081 cccacgtaga caaggcagag ggtaccacct
accgtgacga gctgctcacc aagatcattg 1141 acatctgcag ccagtccaac taccagtaca
tcaccaactt cgagtggtac atcagcatcc 1201 tggtggagct gacccggctg gagggcacac
ggcacggcca cctcatcgcc gcccaaatgc 1261 tggacgtggc catccgcgtg aaggccatcc
gcaagttcgc cgtgtcccag atgtctgcgc 1321 tgcttgacag tgcacacctg ctggccagca
gcacccagcg gaacgggatc tgtgaggtgc 1381 tgtacgctgc cgcctggatc tgcggggagt
tctcagagca tctgcaggaa ccacaccaca 1441 ctttggaggc catgctgcgg cccagagtca
ccacgctgcc aggccacatc caggccgtgt 1501 atgtgcagaa cgtggtcaag ctctacgcct
ccatcctgca gcagaaggag caggccgggg 1561 aggcagaggg cgctcaggcc gtcacccagc
tcatggtgga ccggctgccc cagtttgtgc 1621 agagcgcaga cctggaggtg caggagcggg
cgtcctgcat cctgcagctg gtcaagcaca 1681 tccagaagct tcaggccaag gacgtgcctg
tggcagagga ggtcagcgct ctctttgctg 1741 gggagctgaa cccagtggcc cccaaggccc
agaagaaggt tccagtcccc gaaggcctgg 1801 acctggacgc ctggatcaat gagccactct
cggacagcga gtcagaggac gagaggccca 1861 gggccgtctt ccacgaggag gagcagcggc
gtcccaagca ccggccgtcg gaggcggacg 1921 aggaagagct ggctcggcgc cgagaggccc
ggaagcagga gcaggccaac aaccccttct 1981 acatcaagag ctcgccatcg ccacagaagc
ggtaccagga caccccgggc gtggagcaca 2041 ttcccgtggt gcagattgac ctctccgtcc
ccttgaaggt tccagggctg cctatgtcag 2101 atcagtatgt gaagctggag gaggagcggc
ggcaccggca gaagctggag aaggacaaga 2161 ggaggaaaaa gaggaaggag aaggagaaga
agggcaagcg ccgccacagc tcgctgccca 2221 cggagagcga cgaggacatc gcccctgccc
agcaggtgga catcgtcaca gaggagatgc 2281 ctgagaatgc tctgcccagc gacgaggatg
acaaagaccc caacgacccc tacagggctc. 2341 tggatattga cctggataag cccttagccg
acagcgagaa actgcctatt cagaaacaca 2401 gaaacaccga gacctcaaaa tcccctgaga
aggacgttcc catggtagaa aagaagagca 2461 agaaacccaa gaagaaagag aaaaaacaca
aagagaaaga gagagacaag gagaagaaga 2521 aggagaagga gaagaaggct gaggacctgg
acttctggct gtctaccacc ccaccgcctg 2581 cccccgcccc cgcccccgcc cccgttccat
ccacggacga gtgtgaggac gccaagacgg 2641 aggcgcaggg cgaggaggac gatgccgagg
ggcaagacca ggacaagaaa tctcccaagc 2701 ctaagaagaa gaagcacagg aaggagaagg
aggagcggac caaaggcaag aagaagtcca 2761 agaagcagcc tccaggcagc gaggaggcag
cgggggagcc ggtgcagaat ggcgcgccag 2821 aggaggagca gctcccgcct gagtccagct
actccctcct cgctgaaaat tcctatgtta 2881 aaatgacctg tgacatccgg ggcagtctgc
aggaggacag ccaggtcact gtggccatcg 2941 tgctggagaa caggagcagc agcatcctca
agggcatgga gctcagcgtg ctggactcac 3001 tcaatgccag gatggcccgg ccgcagggct
cctccgtcca cgatggcgtc cccgtgcctt 3061 tccagctgcc cccaggcgtc tccaacgaag
cccagtatgt gttcaccatc cagagcatcg 3121 tcatggcgca gaagctcaag gggaccctgt
ccttcattgc caagaatgac gagggtgcga 3181 cccacgagaa gctggacttc aggctgcact
tcagctgcag ctcctacttg atcaccactc 3241 cctgctacag tgacgccttt gctaagttgc
tggagtctgg ggacttgagc atgagctcaa 3301 tcaaagtcga tggcattcgg atgtccttcc
agaatcttct ggcgaagatc tgttttcacc 3361 accatttttc cgttgtggag cgagtggact
cctgcgcctc catgtacagc cgctccatcc 3421 agggccacca tgtctgcctc ctggtgaaaa
agggtgagaa ctctgtctca gtcgacggga 3481 agtgcagtga ctccacgcta ctgagcaact
tgttagaaga gatgaaggcg acgctggcca 3541 agtgttgaga gctgcctgcg agccccgcac
caccccgcgg agcacgtacc cagggaccgc 3601 agccctgacg tgtctcgcct ctcctcagtc
gtgtgtactg tacccaagcc tgagtgttaa 3661 tttaactcta tgttgtccgc cgtgtagaca
tccgaggtca tttgttgcgt tgaattatct 3721 gaccatcctt ttttactgtg actcttccca
ttctctttgg caagaagtcc ccttctcgcc 3781 cccaaaccag caagggactc ccccacctgg
gtctgtgccc tgccccgcgc tgggggccga 3841 gtccttgaat gtggcttcag gggctcctgt
cctgggccag ggcctgatgg gcaccacgtg 3901 aggggcactt ggtggacagg gcggggctga
cgtggcctcc tctggggtcg cctgcttttg 3961 acccaaaggt cctgacggtt gcgtccgggg
gaggggaagg aagggccgct gtcgccaagg 4021 ttttctctcc cagaacccac agtgggaaag
cggtcttgcc aggcgttgtc cattgtcagt 4081 gtgctcgtgg gctggtgact gggtcttggg
atcccaggcc acgcgccagc caggctgtgg 4141 gcagggcggg gccagggacg ccaaagagag
gttgcagtca gaaccgtgga cggggtgggt 4201 tgaggcctct ctgccacccg tcttcctggt
cagcagaagt gcatctcggc ttgggtttgg 4261 ggtggtccgc atcccctgct tgccactatg
cgcaccaagg tttccccaca tccttcccag 4321 cacccttagg aaggcccagg cagggcctgg
aagcagcgga cctgggctgt tctgtgttga 4381 aggagtgtgc ccagtgccct tgggcaggac
ctgtgagagc cacctcacag gcagagcccc 4441 caccaggcag ggcaaggaga ctccgctcac
tccccacggc cagcgtgggc acaggactga 4501 cccttcttca gagataatga cattttatct
tctccttttg atgaaaactg tcactttagc 4561 atgtaatcca ttacagaatc ccatgcagtg
attccaggat ttgaaattgt atgatgtgtt 4621 acataagaat ttatttgcta tcgacattcc
cgtataaaga gagagacata tcacgctgct 4681 gtcatgattt tgtgtcaaga tgatccaata
aagttgtaaa acaggaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa 4741 aaaa .’”
While this
cleared up some things, I still had some disturbing doubts. (Lord, I
believe. Help thou my unbelief.). I was puzzled and troubled about the
apparent lack of candor among the high priests of Genetics. The Genome
completion was announced as a triumph, but only a tiny, occasional
reference was made to the obvious fact that its main finding, that there
were only 30,000 human genes instead of the 100,000 they were assuming,
largely negates everything the Genomites had been preaching for the
past dozen or so years.
This is a little more
serious than the Pope announcing matter-of-factly that the Creation, by
the way, took two days rather than six. What the shortage of genes
means is that the Genomites have been either very dishonest or very
mistaken. They've had the masses revved up for several years in
expectation of a genetic cure for almost everything from warts to brain cancer. They made it sound so
simple. There is a "cancer gene" and a "fat gene," and a "hair
color gene," and a "depression gene." It's just a matter of
finding the right gene and tweaking it a little. The lame will walk
and the blind will see. The Doctor will work the miracle cures
once reserved for Jesus. But it now turns out that humans have fewer genes than a grain of rice and
it is obvious that God's Language is more complicated than expected.
Here is
medical researcher Dr. Irwin Bross on the subject, from a very fine
article from the Spring 2001 Civil Abolitionist:
Gene scientists have played God but
done a terrible job of it. They were dead wrong about the evolutionary
strategy for the creation of living organisms—including human beings.
Their elitism and anthropomorphism have saddled biology with a whole
series of false doctrines that students will have to unlearn. For
instance, it has long been thought that each gene contained the
instructions for one protein, and therefore the genome search would turn
up more than 100,000 human genes (with 100,000 corresponding proteins).
Now we have to admit that the low number of human genes and their lack
of uniqueness has opened up new possibilities. A single gene might be
used by a cell to make several proteins, perhaps by modifying the
protein after it's made. The dogmatism of gene scientists has prevented
serious study (or even serious consideration) of the how human proteins
are manufactured.
Dr. Bross continues:
. It is now clear that those
"scientists" who got media coverage for several years by claiming that
once the human genome map was finished, biotechnology could prevent or
cure all of the human diseases were (a) totally stupid or (b) were
deliberately raising false hopes in the American public as a ploy for
grantsmanship. Only now is it possible for Stanley Fields, a geneticist
at the University of Washington to say this: ''Deciphering how even [10
million] nucleotides [DNA building blocks] results in a yeast cell - let
alone how [3 billion] nucleotides results in Tiger Woods or Britney
Spears - only begins with studying the genes and proteins individually.
Understanding how all of these proteins collaborate to carry out
cellular processes is the real enterprise at hand.'' This is not what
those who worship at the altars of biotechnology have been saying (e.g.,
We will be turning out wonder drugs for all human diseases tomorrow).
Well said, and it's about
time someone said it. The Genomites speak with a forked tongue,
and their much lauded "gene therapy" remains nothing more than a
fanciful promise. Do you know anyone who has recently been cured
by "gene therapy?"
As God said in reference to
false prophets in Chromosomes 12:24: "ggtggtccgc atcccctgct tgccactatg
cgcaccaagg tttccccaca tccttcccag," This, of course, is quite
similar to His earlier indictment:
"Behold, I will
corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces." Malachai 2:3.