Deep Spirits

Craig Venter and his team in the US have, using sequences of computerized genetic code,succeeded in assembling a completely artificial DNA of a bacterium and inserted it back into the shell of a similar organism. As a result, the new cell is self-replicating, controlled only by man-made genetic instructions. The achievement is probably one of the biggest breakthroughs of this century so far but as Venter himself puts it: “We definitely have not created life from scratch because we used a recipient cell to boot up the synthetic chromosome.”
Yet the announcement has thrown up complex moral issues. And while they may not admit it, religious authorities are worried. Should real lab made life ever live it would not have divine ancestry , would it ? No Fall; no original sin. Nor, for that matter, would it be carrying the baggage of good or bad karma to work out in its current incarnation. Where did this sudden extra soul pop up from? Does a second separate cycle of birth, death and rebirth begin again from here or what?
However, ancestry and descent — though important considerations — are not the main concern. The dilemma is ,how can something digitize out of artificially derived binary mathematical codes have a perception of some ultimate purpose or design — an end towards which its development continually strives, like most religions maintain all life forces do?
Its said the first life on Earth was also a single-celled organism fashioned out of ancient, inanimate chemical sludge. Its indwelling significance was cloaked at the outset by a dense material of inconscience into which the “obscure, mysterious creatrix” delivered its secret consciousness little by little in minute infinitesimal drops till it reached its climax and exceeded itself in Man who is now evolving into a superconscious being.
It lived, it knew, it saw its self sublime, Deathless, outmeasuring Space, outlasting Time. Maybe it's true, who knows. But as people like Venter and Mukul probably feel: it's worth a shot , aint it?

Hi Naveen!

I don't know about religious authorities being worried. They are free to worry though..

As for [color=#592f00]"carrying the baggage of good or bad karma to work out in its current incarnation"[/color], I don't really see a contradiction.
If it is the spirit that is old or new, then that spirit may enter this world in whatever form, in whichever way, theoretically. Karma doesn't come from the body and these people are only talking about alterations, basically, in that domain.
So, it doesn't matter whether it came from a lab or a womb.

That is my opinion.

Also, welcome to Deep Spirits. Interesting first topic!

Sabina

Thanks Sabina..

Appreciate your response!

Glad you found it interesting :)

Agree, we re all blessed ... Free to think , choose , voice our opinions and free for our own pursuits ..

Vanish, My Vanity !!

Gratitude..

[quote="Naveen"]Craig Venter and his team in the US have, using sequences of computerized genetic code,succeeded in assembling a completely artificial DNA of a bacterium and inserted it back into the shell of a similar organism. As a result, the new cell is self-replicating, controlled only by man-made genetic instructions. The achievement is probably one of the biggest breakthroughs of this century so far but as Venter himself puts it: “We definitely have not created life from scratch because we used a recipient cell to boot up the synthetic chromosome.”