Steering body into health
Ian Wilmut first startled the world in February of 1999 when he announced the successful cloning of Dolly, a sheep. This began the race between a large company and the government seeking to decode human DNA. In 1999, Dr. W. French Anderson, director of gene therapy at the University of Southern California medical school, predicted that “twenty years from now gene therapy will have revolutionized the practice of medicine.” He claims, “Virtually every disease will have gene therapy as one of its treatments” (Time Magazine, Jan. 11, 1999).
Obviously, gene therapy is based upon the assumption that we are made up of genes that can go bad, deteriorate, flip around, or just be plain missing. So, the goal is to alter the gene – or to add the gene – to correct it. Once this is done, the body is altered and the disease or abnormality is cured. Along with gene therapy comes prenatal blood scans with options to alter any difficulties or potential difficulties a fetus may have. There also comes the option to design the perfect baby by choosing his genes before conception. Each one will have a genetic profile – outlining the potential diseases, difficulties, personality traits – even whether or not one is destined to succeed or fail in human experience. One’s genetic profile will determine what types of drugs one is given and it will determine whether one has good blood or bad blood. Cloning today is certaining taking place.
The possibilities of gene therapy seem almost unlimited. How often do we hear that the problem is “in my genes!” Genes have become the prolific source which to pin theories upon – to paraphrase Mrs. Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science. Alcoholism, depression, disease, and life span are all dependent upon one’s genes – so we’re told. Next thing you’ll know we will be told that being accident-prone stems from a misplaced gene!
Mrs. Eddy tells us plainly, “Heredity is not a law. The remote cause or belief of disease is not dangerous because of its priority and the connection of past mortal thoughts with present. The predisposing cause and the exciting cause are mental” (S&H 178).
What is the predisposing cause of disease? It is the belief of life in matter. It is falsely mental. What is the exciting cause of disease? It is the belief of life in matter. It is falsely mental. Is it based upon one’s genes? No. It is the belief of life in matter. It is falsely mental. Is it handed down to us from ancestors? No. Mrs. Eddy is clear – the cause of disease is not dangerous because of its priority and the connection of past mortal thoughts with present. So, what is the cause of disease? It is the belief of life in matter. It is falsely mental – mortally mental.
If we happen to believe that we are an unique combination of DNA and that it governs our health, personality, lifestyle, then this is falsely mental – and it will be manifested. However, spiritually understanding that mortal DNA and its claims are not connected to man, God’s image, then we will reap the benefits our spiritual understanding gives. We might even say, that our true DNA is spiritual and it composes our spiritual individuality in right ideas. True DNA represents one's uniqueness.
The scientist who cloned Dolly has an interesting perspective about cloning. He asks, “What practical value would whole-being cloning have? What exactly would be the difference between a ‘cloned’ baby and a child born naturally – and why would we want one?” He then goes on to explain that even if two people had the exact same DNA, looked alike, were raised by the same parents, had the same education, the same opportunities they still would not be identical. Why? Well, his reasoning is because their environment would naturally be different. Parents would be older, they would respond to the child differently, expectations would be placed on the child that weren’t placed on the first one, and the child himself would respond differently knowing that he was a clone of another.
OK. So, those are human reasons. But, they point to something very spiritual. They point to the inability of an infinite God to be limited by the repetition of matter. In other words, since God is infinite Spirit He has to be expressed in His infinitude spiritually. Man expresses God’s infinitude – eternally. And even if two people look alike, they would not be alike. Each idea, man, naturally expresses God differently – even if the difference isn’t apparent in appearance. God’s child could never be cloned because we each reflect God, divine Mind. And this Mind is guiding each one in His own way. It is simply impossible to clone God. So it is impossible to clone man, God’s image.
Mankind has come a long way since the theories of Darwin, Marx and Freud. But, is it learning more of the one thing Mrs. Eddy has taught all along: to understand true creation, matter must be thrown out of the equation? She teaches us how to overcome disease when she writes, “If you have sound and capacious lungs and want them to remain so, be always ready with the mental protest against the opposite belief in heredity. Discard all notions about lungs, tubercles, inherited consumption, or disease arising from any circumstance, and you will find that mortal mind, when instructed by Truth, yields to divine power, which steers the body into health” (S&H 426).
She is clear. Discard all notions... arising from any circumstance... instruct with Truth, -- then we find that mortal mind (the carnal, fearful mind) yields to divine power.
And what does this do for us? It steers the body into health!
Discarding through scientific right thought the notion of mortal DNA and its structure steers the body into health. Spiritually discarding the notion of mortal heredity and its past, present or future, steers the body into health. We all want health! Then why not learn how to discard any notion that we are material. Instead, turn thought to spiritually see and know the real man, the perfect man, the only one man -- the man of God's creation. See God’s creation right where the problem appears to be and mortal mind, the fearful carnal mind, will be conquered and we will prayerfully steer our body into health.
