Should man dare create life?

[Loup Solitaire]

In a recent news posting a company had stated that it created a single cell life where 100% of the genetic structure was of it design. As I understood the article, the only thing God created was the cellular membrane. But I suspect, they probably could have created that also if there were budget and time enough.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...152341984.html

The project cost $40 Million and they enlisted the aid of 25 researchers. Not the most effective use of funds I have witnessed. I would wager that there was not a complete accounting of all funds that went into this project. The precise purpose, if there was one, was not listed.

My first reaction was muted while I contemplated this event. Science has moved to the point where it now understands every gene and its' function. At least on a cellular level.

I have no idea how many genes they created or how they did so. But the process must have been tedious, for they had to create and place every gene within the target cell.

I neither condone or condemn such action. I do hope that anyone who does such a thing obey one crucial rule. That is, they must know what they doing. They must understand the consequences. They must have considered all of the possible effects of such an action and then they must have a fail-safe plan to cover any item they failed to consider. Despite there ability to do this, I think Dr Dahesh would have advised against such a risky enterprise. Not because man should not attempt to create a living thing to serve a useful purpose, but because God did not want mankind to go there yet.

Man has been innovating, inventing and building since Adam. Scientist have created vaccines out of living cells and look what good was accomplished there. I suspect, it is intended that mankind develop this capability just as they were enabled to invent the wheel. My hopeful self sees no prospect of doom. My other self is concerned. I hope this is no "Tower of Babel", a project for which mankind was supposedly punished because it violated God's preference for spiritual growth.

It is my personal belief, or maybe it is simply my hope, that God would not allow creation by man if it did not suit His purposes. My worse fear is that the purpose of such a success might be to teach man not to mettle.

[Mario]

I neither condone or condemn such action. I do hope that anyone who does such a thing obey one crucial rule. That is, they must know what they doing. They must understand the consequences. They must have considered all of the possible effects of such an action and then they must have a fail-safe plan to cover any item they failed to consider. Despite there ability to do this, I think Dr Dahesh would have advised against such a risky enterprise. Not because man should not attempt to create a living thing to serve a useful purpose, but because god did not want mankind to go there yet.

If we go by the premise that nothing is truly random then we might just as well accept that if Man can now create life by using the cellular membrane that was provided to him courtesy of (let's call Him) "God."

Ah, but what is sometimes a blessing in disguise can prove to be a punishment — when Man goes overboard and misses the whole point of the exercise.

Some of the "great" inventions that were ever "created" have taxed our natural resources to such a degree that it might just be too late.

If only every person kept their car for at least 10 years... Or didn't feel the need to purchase a new cell phone every year... and so on and so forth...

Granted, some inventions are crucial for saving lives and new equipment is definitely needed.

I know... if car manufacturers do not produce new cars, then how will the workers earn a living?

In my fantasy world, I often imagine all the countries of the world working together by studying key computer models and agree on what each of them should do or not do.

That way, we don't end up having one country using up a lot of resources and expecting other countries not indulge in the pursuit of "happiness" as well.

Who knows, if everyone tried to keep their car for at least 10 years, then — maybe — the fact that millions upon millions of bicyclists are (now) acquiring cheap cars, wouldn't be so bad.

Yes, I know, there are a multitude of issues... and that is is not "that simple" especially that the problem, now, exists.

But, here is what I believe: if the goal is to find a solution that favors community building versus wealth building alone, then I am sure a culture that was able to put a man on the moon, can devise sensible solutions. And solutions, I am sure, have been devised. But we know the score... don't we?

And by the way, all these car manufacturing workers? Weren't they once bundles of joy that were introduced into a system that was already doomed to be overcrowded the minute someone figured out that the car, ego, and Man are dis associable?

Arguably, the car had more impact on us all than all the inventions combined.

So, to go back to the issue discussed in this thread: it all depends on the hidden or latent intentions.

For all we know, the human species was "created" by a "sub-contractor" — a higher species who is part of mind-boggling network of species existing in dimensions imperceptible to our limited senses , all interconnect via spiritual fluids, transcending time and space, and all, ultimately, working for "GOD" and aspiring to rejoin HIM.

So the moral here is this: This is the Earthly realm. Every blessing is potentially a curse. All it takes for that instantaneous shift is following one's intuition — which is not always a good thing.

Doctor Dahesh wrote that when we doubt in the closest one to us we would begin to understand the mysteries of the world.

Who is closest to me than my own self?

[Loup Solitaire]

If we go by the premise that nothing is truly random then we might just as well accept that if Man can now create life by using the cellular membrane that was provided to him courtesy of (let's call Him) "God."

Ah, but what is sometimes a blessing in disguise can prove to be a punishment — when Man goes overboard and misses the whole point of the exercise.

"Overboard" is the correct term and I believe that greed is the motivation. In some people there is a need to maximize personal gain. The cruel thing about this is, those who don't maximize personal gain are trampled by others who do. And this I think is the lesson of the story, "The Tower of Babel". Man's desire for maximizing personal gain usually leads to a loss for others.

Some of the "great" inventions that were ever "created" have taxed our natural resources to such a degree that it might just be too late.

If only every person kept their car for at least 10 years... Or didn't feel the need to purchase a new cell phone every year... and so on and so forth...

Granted, some inventions are crucial for saving lives and new equipment is definitely needed.

I know... if car manufacturers do not produce new cars, then how will the workers earn a living?

In my fantasy world, I often imagine all the countries of the world working together by studying key computer models and agree on what each of them should do or not do.

That way, we don't end up having one country using up a lot of resources and expecting other countries not indulge in the pursuit of "happiness" as well.

Who knows, if everyone tried to keep their car for at least 10 years, then — maybe — the fact that millions upon millions of bicyclists are (now) acquiring cheap cars, wouldn't be so bad.

Yes, I know, there are a multitude of issues... and that is is not "that simple" especially that the problem, now, exists.

But, here is what I believe: if the goal is to find a solution that favors community building versus wealth building alone, then I am sure a culture that was able to put a man on the moon, can devise sensible solutions. And solutions, I am sure, have been devised. But we know the score... don't we?

And by the way, all these car manufacturing workers? Weren't they once bundles of joy that were introduced into a system that was already doomed to be overcrowded the minute someone figured out that the car, ego, and Man are disassociable?

Arguably, the car had more impact on us all than all the inventions combined.

So, to go back to the issue discussed in this thread: it all depends on the hidden or latent intentions.

For all we know, the human species was "created" by a "sub-contractor" — a higher species who is part of mind-boggling network of species existing in dimensions imperceptible to our limited senses , all interconnect via spiritual fluids, transcending time and space, and all, ultimately, working for "GOD" and aspiring to rejoin HIM.

So the moral here is this: This is the Earthly realm. Every blessing is potentially a curse. All it takes for that instantaneous shift is following one's intuition — which is not always a good thing.

Doctor Dahesh wrote that when we doubt in the closest one to us we would begin to understand the mysteries of the world.

Who is closest to me than my own self?

Mario, you couldn't be more correct. The automobile is an excellent example of the desire people have for increasing personal status. We as a species, can't be satisfied with effective transportation. But instead we, humans, must have something that makes our material existence, exceptional. I myself have fallen for the charms of a sexy automobile.

It is true that the automobile industry provides desired employment in an industrialized society. But if we worked to build industry that benefits society by enhancing the living standards of the masses, instead of the elite, we might find it would provide peripheral benefits that would actually improve the environment instead of degrading it.

To some I may sound like I am espousing communism or socialism, but I'm not. Great motivation comes from the ability to make oneself distinct. I'm not saying that we should remove all things of status. But it might be better if we practiced moderation. And maybe the status should be more of a non-material nature.

I need to be careful about what I'm about to say or rather the example I'm going to use. A person like Bill Gates has made significant efforts to disburse his wealth to benefit many who can not fend for themselves. But the fact that one person can gain so much wealth is a problem.

As an extension of my point, take Apple Computer. Just recently in the news, it was stated that people in China that play a significant role in producing one of their products have only recently, through an extraordinary increase in salary, reached an annual salary of about $293. And, in addition, now, overtime may be optional for these people. I don't recall the exact number of hours these people work, but I think it was something like 80 hours per week. Why did this company that employs 800,000 people increase salaries? Because of a string of suicides brought bad publicity to the company and endangered potential future business. Even in China, how much can $293 a year buy. But Apple is one of the sexiest companies out there. And containment of cost and profit margin are really important for companies like Apple.

And how could we rectify this problem? If we are going to do it without turmoil, it will need to be done one tiny step at a time. It can only be done through individuals upgrading personal standards of performance and fairness. This is a major reason why God is so important. He is a major impetus for maintaining high morals. I am fully aware of the past abuses by organized religions. Dr Dahesh evidently was very aware of it, but as individuals we all have a responsibility to consider the impact of our personal behavior on others. If we are associated with a church, synagogue or mosque, we need to participate to provide insurance against abuses. Apathy was probably one of the greatest contributors towards the problems encountered by the Catholic Church, that of sexually abusive priests. But that is a subject that could be discussed for a long, long time.