CRISPR, the New Eugenics, and Transhumanism; References

Dianne N. Irving
copyright November 17, 2019
Reproduced with Permission

I. Introduction:

The purpose of this article is to provide the public with enough documentation and references on any and all "germ line gene editing" methods -- including CRISPR -- so that they can appreciate the incredible "tangled web" of dangerous issues that intersect and are inherently involved, do more of their own research into these issues, and thus be able to speak up immediately in the "public square".

The issues surrounding CRISPR and similar "germ line gene editing" methods have been reported on ad naseum for many years now, yet with little impact. But a new article published recently might show some "interesting" light on these gene editing techniques: see, "Book Review: Altered Inheritance - CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing", by Gina Maranto, in Center for Genetics and Society's BioPolitical Times, at: https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical-times/book-review-altered-inheritance-crispr-and-ethics-human-genome-editing.

To quote from the article, "Baylis is convinced that a new eugenics is baked into heritable genetic modification. If green-lighted, the goal of human transformation - now expressed mainly by fringe groups - would become more mainstream." I have suggested that her comments are a nice way of warning the public that inherent in such a new eugenics is the persistent (but quiet) agenda of, e.g., Transhumanists to create a "post-human" species (who are thus capable of fusing into and becoming part of Cosmic Consciousness, etc.!!) -- and that it is the public who will suffer the consequences if they don't get involved and speak up ... [Re even the incredible lack of accuracy of and errors in the DNA scientific research studies already reported, see Irving: "Growing Scientific Consensus Human DNA Research Is Erroneous, Need Vigorous Debate!", at: http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irv/irv_245researcherroneous.html]

The following is a short explanation of what "germ line gene editing" is, and how it has been understood to be inherently connected to Transhumanism (and thus to ancient Gnosticism) -- with lists of just a few articles documenting these connections (the tip of the iceberg!).

II. What is "Germ Line Gene Editing"?

Human germline gene editing -- including the controversial genetic engineering technique called CRISPR -- is one of THE most critical and urgent issues that needs to be understood and addressed today. The cells of the human body are categorized into two groups: somatic cells, and germline cells. Most of the cells of the human body are "somatic" cells. Genetic alteration of those is of concern enough, on various levels, but theoretically such genetic alterations are not passed down through the future generations of the "adult" human being or of the experimental older human embryo or fetus produced (although there is documentation that such genetic alterations intended only for a person's somatic cells leak out into his/her system and can also genetically alter mature sperm and "eggs" as well!).

On the other hand, germline cells are the primitive cells in the early human embryo that will later form sperm and oocytes ("eggs"). Thus genetic alterations of the early human embryo -- from the single-cell embryo through several weeks of development -- will alter that embryo's germline cells, and those genetic alterations will therefore be passed down through future generations of that experimental embryo. And there is even research that genetically alters mature sperm and oocytes ("eggs") so that when they are used in fertilization (or even in a-sexual reproductive processes) the resulting experimental embryo, including his/her germline cells, will automatically be genetically altered. The possibilities are endless.

But precisely who will be determining the genetic sequences of such "editing" of these human beings' DNA, and why? And given the global rejection of such gene editing by reputable geneticists -- not to mention that rough scientists involved with gene editing don't really know what they are doing or the full very real, very destructive, and profound consequences of their genetic manipulations -- how could such genetic manipulations be allowed, much less funded?

An excellent source of information, scientific details and critical "pro" and "con" arguments concerning human germline gene editing is from the Center for Genetics and Society. They have been very critical of human germline gene editing and specifically of CRISPR for a while now (note their blog, BioPoliticalTimes, is also a great resource for good solid articles re the science involved): "About Human Germline Gene Editing"; "Human germline modification means deliberately changing the genes passed on to children and future generations – in other words, creating genetically modified people. Human germline modification has for many years been widely considered off-limits, for both safety and social reasons. It is formally prohibited in more than 40 countries", at: http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=8711

III. The "New" Eugenics Involves Transhumanism and Gnosticism References

The reason why the "new" eugenics involves Transhumanism is because both are historically grounded in the same ancient Gnosticism -- historically the original source of Eugenics! All forms of Gnosticism are pantheistic, polytheistic, paganistic "cosmologies" -- all based on MYTHS -- which have grounded eugenics, anti-Semitism, population control, deconstruction of the natural sciences, etc., going back in formal documents to at least 5000 BC and the ancient myth of Okeanus.

See, e.g., Irving articles:

See Also These Articles:

In describing transhumanism as "the world's most dangerous idea", political scientist Francis Fukuyama noted:

The seeming reasonableness of the project, particularly when considered in small increments, is part of its danger. Society is unlikely to fall suddenly under the spell of the transhumanist worldview. But it is very possible that we will nibble at biotechnology's tempting offerings without realizing that they come at a frightful moral cost. Francis Fukuyama, "Transhumanism: The World's Most Dangerous Ideas", Foreign Policy (October 23, 2009) 2004), at: http://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/23/transhumanism/ (note, original 2004 article now off line).

Note especially the Russian Transhumanist Party (ZOYS), at: http://2045.com/. The historic roots are not Soviet Communism but rather Russian "cosmism", which was the Russian rendition of ancient gnostic "religion" for centuries until recently (based on mythology of how to become "immortal" by becoming "posthuman"). See ZOYS' "story" re brain/computer transfer by 2045 given at: http://2045.com/tech2/. Advocates here in the US hail from Silicon Valley, especially The Singularity "University" -- where we still send our brightest CEO's, officials and students to learn how to become "posthuman", co-founded by Ray Kurzweil (Google) and Diamandis (NASA) -- and overtly dedicated to transhumanism/futurism/posthumanism: https://su.org/.

Google's co-founder Sergey Brin's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Brin] wife, Anne Wojcicki, is founder of "23andMe" [http://allthingsd.com/20130828/google-co-founder-sergey-brin-and-23andme-co-founder-anne-wojcicki-have-split/#]. See articles on the fallacies of "personal genomics", including that of 23andMe, at: https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=NpzRXbr9Maet_Qbejo6wAg&q=%22Genetics+and+Society%22+%2223andMe%22&oq=%22Genetics+and+Society%22+%2223andMe%22&gs_l=psy-ab.12..33i299j33i160l2.27108.38228..42563...1.0..0.941.5579.19j10j1j5-1j2......0....1..gws-wiz.....6..0i362i308i154i357j0i131j0j0i3j0i22i30.3GU9SWvBPGE&ved=0ahUKEwi68I2v-vHlAhWnVt8KHV6HAyYQ4dUDCAw E.g., for "23andMe", see: http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=7350; also, http://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=8063.

Similarly, other "gene kits" have been rejected, e.g., Lincoln Cannon, a graduate of The Singularity University [http://lincoln.metacannon.net/p/about.html], is one of the founders of the Mormon Transhumanist Association [https://transfigurism.org/board-of-directors], also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Transhumanist_Association. Cannon (and several others at the Mormon Transhumanist Association) also works for Ancestry.com [http://lincoln.metacannon.net/p/about.html] where he is their Director of Engineering [http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Lincoln-Cannon/-1916536448].

Note also that BIOethics Founder (the Belmont Report 1979) Art Caplan is a member of the Board of Trustees of the transhumanist/futurist/posthumanist Institute of "Ethics" and Emerging Technologies, [see https://ieet.org/index.php/IEET2/more/caplanbot09; see listed under "fellows", at: http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/staff; see also, http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/caplan20140325]. See also, "Art Caplan, Department of POPULATION Health, NYU, at: http://www.med.nyu.edu/pophealth/faculty/caplaa01; Fellow bioethics founder Jonathan Moreno was/is the "ethics" consultant for DARPA [http://www.jonathandmoreno.com/about/mind-wars/], as was/is Art Caplan.

Then there's the "Christian" version of transhumanism, especially that of French archeologist Jesuit Fr. Teilhard de Chardin, who openly advocated for "designer babies", even at Vatican conferences (see, e.g., https://www.bing.com/search?q=%22Teilhard+de+Chardin%22+%22designer+babies%22&form=QBLH&sp=-1&pq=%22teilhard+de+chardin%22+%22designer+babies%22&sc=0-39&qs=n&sk=&cvid=65EBC7B7421D4B9EAE58C8B41C5CD830

IV. Conclusion:

In short (!), CRISPR, like all germ line gene editing scientific research methods, is a tool for a "new" eugenics and is already fully grounded in Transhumanism -- and both eugenics and Transhumanism are fully grounded in Gnosticism. A "tangled web" it is indeed, but hopefully the issues outlined and referenced above will help the public realize how dangerous this is, what is at stake, and that they must speak up and do something about it quickly.

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