{"id":29986,"date":"2021-03-17T15:27:34","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T15:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/?p=29986"},"modified":"2021-03-17T15:29:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T15:29:51","slug":"uk-consulting-on-gene-editing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/uk-consulting-on-gene-editing\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Consulting on Gene Editing"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_29988\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29988\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Countryside_GOVUK.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Countryside_GOVUK.jpg\" alt=\"Countryside\" width=\"400\" height=\"260\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-29988\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">What effect might gene editing have on the countryside (DEFRA picture)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Freed from EU constraints, the UK Government wants to allow gene editing in agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>They started a &#8216;consultation&#8217; in January which ends tonight, Wednesday 17th March 2021.\u00a0 You may wish to respond.<\/p>\n<h2>Consultation Link<\/h2>\n<p><a title=\"Opens in a new tab or window\" href=\"https:\/\/consult.defra.gov.uk\/agri-food-chain-directorate\/the-regulation-of-genetic-technologies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>HERE is the link to the Consultation<\/b><\/a>: &#8216;The regulation of genetic technologies.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Opens in a new tab or window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/gene-editing-creates-potential-to-protect-the-nations-environment-pollinators-and-wildlife\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>The Government are at pains to point out<\/b><\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0&#8216;Gene editing is different to genetic modification where DNA from one species is introduced to a different one. Gene edited organisms do not contain DNA from different species, and instead only produce changes that could be made slowly using traditional breeding methods.&#8217;\u00a0 It&#8217;s a longish article which sets out their thinking.<\/p>\n<p>In the Bible, we find Jacob doing a bit of selective breeding to improve his stock:<\/p>\n<p><b>Genesis 30:40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban&#8217;s cattle.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, taking a short-cut by gene splicing seems a little bit too close to playing God.<\/p>\n<h2>A slippery slope<\/h2>\n<p>Gene editing in agriculture could also be the start of a slippery slope to gene editing on humans, using the same sort of DNA sequences known as &#8216;CRISPR&#8217; (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats).<\/p>\n<p>Bits of DNA are taken out and other bits put in their place. Scientists can do this, but that does not mean they should.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Opens in a new tab or window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2020\/10\/29\/lab-tests-show-risks-of-using-crispr-gene-editing-on-embryos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Statnews carries an Associated Press article<\/b><\/a> headed &#8216;Lab tests show risks of using CRISPR gene editing on embryos.&#8217;\u00a0 It&#8217;s worth a read<\/p>\n<h2>What could possibly go wrong?<\/h2>\n<p><a title=\"Opens in a new tab or window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2018\/06\/18\/is-gene-editing-dangerous-4-things-you-should-know.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>The Motley Fool website<\/b><\/a>, which is targeted at those intending to invest in the companies behind these technologies, carries a dispassionate article about the possible risks. It says:<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Perhaps the biggest fear of all about gene editing is that it could be used to change what it means to be human. It&#8217;s one thing to cut out sequences of DNA that cause genetic diseases, but making genetic changes that are passed down to all later generations is another thing altogether.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Tinkering with the human genome, with the very best of intentions? Saving or improving human life &#8211; and making a few quid at the same time? Or just improving crops and livestock?\u00a0 What could possibly go wrong?<\/p>\n<p><b>Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2>PRAY &#8211; and contact your MP<\/h2>\n<p>Pray into this matter and pray for those who lead us to seek the Lord and his wisdom:<\/p>\n<p><b>Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Prov 14:12\u00a0(cf 16:25) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Even after the consultation has finished, you can still <b>use this link to the UK Parliament website<\/b> to email your MP to be a point of witness about the perils of gene editing.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>We appreciate your support &#8211; without it we can&#8217;t do our research and help inform your prayers.<br \/>\nSo click below to join Christian Voice and stand up for the King of kings<\/b><br \/>\n<a title=\"Opens in a new tab or window\" href=\"http:\/\/wp.me\/P1OVTZ-gb\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3940\" style=\"border: 0px;\" title=\"Join Today!\" src=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Join_donate_Logo2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"185\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em><b>Click on the social media links below to share this post:<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Freed from EU constraints, the UK Government wants to allow gene editing in agriculture. They started a &#8216;consultation&#8217; in January which ends tonight, Wednesday 17th March 2021.\u00a0 You may wish to respond. Consultation Link HERE is the link to the Consultation: &#8216;The regulation of genetic technologies.&#8217; The Government are at pains to point out:\u00a0\u00a0&#8216;Gene editing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Stephen","author_link":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/author\/stephen\/"},"rttpg_comment":1,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Uncategorised<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Freed from EU constraints, the UK Government wants to allow gene editing in agriculture. They started a &#8216;consultation&#8217; in January which ends tonight, Wednesday 17th March 2021.\u00a0 You may wish to respond. Consultation Link HERE is the link to the Consultation: &#8216;The regulation of genetic technologies.&#8217; The Government are at pains to point out:\u00a0\u00a0&#8216;Gene editing&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29986\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christianvoice.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}