Thoughts on...
"Survival of the Fittest"
(the doomed philosophy of eugenics)
(the doomed philosophy of eugenics)
Commentary by@DiamondHeadSDG
"Nebuchadnezzar" by William Blake
DARWINISM'S "DIRTY LAUNDRY"
At some time in your life you've probably heard the phrase "Survival of the Fittest ". It has been most closely associated to the late nineteenth century ideology of Social Darwinism, often in tandem with ideas involving eugenics, scientific racism and imperialism, and also genocidal policies. In order to try to justify the survival of one race or nation over another, genocidal policies based on Social Darwinism were invented. A truly ominous topic of discussion behind closed doors, men have emerged from such secretive meetings pronouncing dreadful, life-altering decisions which have affected millions of lives. Among the worst historical examples of the atrocities that Social Darwinism has led to, is the Nazi Holocaust and the attempted genocide of Australian Aboriginals, through forced captivity and the indoctrination of their mixed race children--children who have come to be known as the "Stolen Generation".
(Beginning around the turn of the century and up until the 1970's, the Australian government adopted genocidal policies, whereby tens of thousands of part Aboriginal, part white children were stolen from their Aboriginal mothers and forced to live separate segregated lives in white families or in white-run institutions. Often violently and forcibly taken from their mothers, these mixed race children were stripped of their native culture and taught to completely abhor and reject Aboriginal customs and spiritual beliefs. The Australian government considered the Aboriginal people an "embarrassment" and sought to forcibly indoctrinate part-white Aboriginal children to white culture, while removing all vestiges of Aboriginal life from them. The racist Australian policies were so extreme that darker, less white-appearing mixed race children were often rejected by the white Australians and returned to their Aboriginal mothers. The mixed race children who remained in captivity, were frequently subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of their captors. Nearly every Aboriginal family has been affected by these racist genocidal policies. As adults, most of the children of the Stolen Generation continue to suffer, having had their lives devastated by these eugenic policies. Given such events, it is reasonable to speculate that the Australian government did not want to see in the years ahead, the emergence of an Aboriginal mixed race population. The likelihood that a more advantaged mixed race population might one day challenge and eventually destabilize the status quo, by advocating for civil rights for all Aboriginal people, was quite possibly a scenario that the Australian government was willing to take incredibly extreme measures to avoid. If this is in fact the case, it is even more disturbing. As it stands, it will forever be known that the Australian government attempted to use Aboriginal mixed race children as human weapons against the Aboriginal people. In recent years the Australian government has apologized for the genocidal atrocities enacted by their policies. But as of yet the Australian government has refused to pay any compensation to the stolen children, their mothers or their families.)
Quote:"What is called for here is not genocide, the killing off of the population of incompetent cultures," Lynn wrote in 1972. "But we do need to think realistically in terms of the 'phasing out' of such peoples. ... To think otherwise is mere sentimentality."--Richard Lynn-believer in hereditary differences in intelligence based on race and sex (wrinkled old decaying man who is wrong)
"Stolen Generation" Children on Mission Island
Evil regimes and dictators throughout history have assumed the role of determining just who should survive ("To the right!") and who should not ("To the left!") based upon this ideology. However, what true strength is, and how it is correctly recognized has little to do with the physicality of men and women and more to do with the heart and will, and the determination of people...the enduring inner spirit of man. Hitler misled Germany to believe that real "supermen" were to be recognized by certain physical features which he believed set the German Aryan apart from the rest of the world. But based upon his crazy ideology when put to the test, they (the German Aryans) proved themselves to not be the "supermen" Hitler told them they were, but the beaten down, half starved, physically exhausted men who by that time, were weary of war and very aware of the road to destruction that Hitler led them down.
Eugenicists, in their misguided ambition to "improve" the human gene pool, thereby inventing...modifying those beings they have deemed to be the "most fit" to inherit the earth, have enabled the "Hitlers" of this world to set a false criterion for a human being's very worth. By placing their primary focus on the superficial; the impermanent; the changeable aspects of man's physicality, eugenicists have limited and constricted the scope and breadth and true potential of human life to a truly maddening myopic standard. In stark contrast to what they "claim" to want to do, I believe they actually cheapen life--but do so in their eyesight, certainly not in the eyesight of those who hold opposing views.
NOTHIN' BUT A GENETICALLY MODIFIED CAN OF WORMS
Historically, evil leaders of the world who have embraced eugenic ideologies--and acted upon them--have degraded human life in ways that are absolutely unthinkable. Today, with arguments from eugenics advocates of advancements in technology and new possibilities for human enhancement through inheritable genetic modification and human cloning, many could argue that these types of scientific procedures could not add to the value of human life either. This unholy super science not only has the potential to ultimately degrade human life, but to also impose unimaginable and uncorrectable problems upon society. Just imagine a world where people are divided into groups of "genetically engineered creations" and "naturally conceived humans", and the conflicts and hell on earth that would most likely result from this. Modifying human genes in this way would also place man in the very profane position of playing "god". If such a scenario were one day to be realized, little children created by cloning might be seen as "Frankenstein monsters"--alien man-modified creations to be feared and shunned by normal society. In a world where already, too many people can't seem to get beyond racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and other "isms", how in the world could they readily accept "genetically modified" laboratory human creations?
Artist's concept of an abomination
EUGENICS...TO "SERVE" MAN
One of the more disturbing aspects of the argument for the science of eugenics-- especially in regard to human genetic modification--is its assumption that the design of man, as it is, is "not good enough" and therefore must be changed. Yes, humans are flawed. No one would dispute that. But we are flawed in ways that transcend flesh and blood. No one can dispute this fact either. The problem with the eugenicist's argument can in part, be summed up with the question, "Can flawed man "fix" human flaws...and do so with "science?" In other words, is it man's place to attempt to eliminate the weaknesses of humankind, and to do so by producing genetically altered so-called, "super humans" based on a belief that enhanced human intelligence and physical "perfection" alone will improve mankind? Eugenicists will either outright deny or they will dispute any validity or acceptability of G-d's ongoing work within man--as G-d Himself works to shape the hearts and minds of men into new and perfect creations of His own design. And where physical perfection is concerned, how about immortality? Is that perfect enough? Once again, G-d is the one and only one who has both the power and authority to bestow this gift upon man. So while bio-engineering researchers are busy fumbling around in their laboratories, searching in vain for the "scientific" key to human immortality, G-d has already made it clear to man through His words, that he will have immortality. The only question that remains is where? According to G-d's word, some people will spend their immortal lives with G-d, while others will spend their immortal lives apart from G-d, based on their personal acceptance (or rejection) of Yeshua (Jesus Christ, Jewish Messiah) as their savior. As it is written:
"For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[h]
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[i]--1 Corinthians 15 verses 52-55
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[i]--1 Corinthians 15 verses 52-55
ENOUGH TO TURN OUR HAIR GRAY
For all of man's talk of extending human life to any significant number of years (let alone to immortality), man has yet to truly understand what even causes aging. Yet G-d has already given the promise of immortal youth and health (incorruptible bodies...the real "Fountain of Youth") to those who believe in L-rd Yeshua , awaiting only its proper time for this divine promise to be fulfilled. Most people regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof, hate the idea of aging and the effects it can have on the body--and with good reason! The effects of aging that we are all familiar with are not natural. There's absolutely nothing "normal" about growing decrepit. And so we humans resist it, some of us going kicking and screaming into old age.
Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, and along with it, the effects of aging in sin and finally, death. Because G-d gave man dominion over all creatures upon the earth, everything under man (including animal and plant life) also show the effects of aging and eventually die, just as man does.
"Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Something within the heart of all people understands almost instinctively, that there's definitely something wrong with the signs of aging... the physical effects of aging as we now know it (and please note that I said the signs of aging and not the process of living a long life and growing older, which is not only good, but in fact a blessing!). One of the key goals of so-called "positive" eugenics is to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of aging in man...to "scientifically" allow man to live longer lives, free of the debilitating signs of aging. But again, I want to stress that according to G-d's word, the symptoms of aging as we now know it are a direct result of sin...man's disobedience to G-d. Therefore, it is not actually "normal" to grow decrepit as we grow older. More importantly, this condition is something brought on by sin and connot be corrected by "positive" eugenics, "well-meaning" eugenics or any type of eugenics. Had it not been for the disobedience of Adam and of Eve, mankind would never have been subjected to the sad state of becoming physically corrupt and frail as we increase in age. Had the first man and woman on earth obeyed G-d and passed this simple test, all of mankind would have from then on been forever young.
MAN'S GOT THE SICKNESS, YESHUA'S GOT THE CURE
With sin being the cause of man's physical corruption, sickness and ultimate death, there is nothing that genetic engineering will ever be able to do to counter this. Man simply does not have the divine authority to override the universal law concerning sin, that G-d has put in place. In other words, man cannot go over G-d's head and scientifically (or otherwise) attain the attributes of life as it would have been lived (free of sickness, physical corruption and death), had sin not been introduced into the world. Man simply does not have that power and authority. G-d however, does have the power and authority to extend a man's life; to heal his sicknesses and to resurrect his dead body. When the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua was on earth, He healed the sick and the blind and he raised up the dead back to life. One such man Lazarus, had been dead and buried in a tomb for three days, when Yeshua resurrected him. After Yeshua's crucifixion and his own resurrection from the dead, he appeared to apostles Peter and John on the beach, and in conversation with them, indicated that it was within his power and authority to keep John (therefore, obviously anyone) alive until his return...his Second Coming. When it comes to man's longevity, G-d could also say, "Been there, done that." For in the days before the Great Flood, G-d did in fact keep man alive for hundreds of years at a time. Before the flood men (and women) lived their lives into the hundreds of years. Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, is known to have been the oldest man on earth who lived to be a whopping 969-years old. To him, life must have truly seemed endless. But as long as Methuselah lived, his life did eventually come to and end. Long life is not the same as eternal life--which is life without end. After the Great Flood, G-d shortened the years of man on earth, saying,
“My Spirit shall not strive[a] with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”--Genesis chapter 6 verse 3
WISDOM and BRILLIANCE
It is precisely because of the symptoms we now associate with advanced aging and the corruption of the human body that is brought on by aging, that I personally believe that G-d Himself, does not and cannot have the physical appearance of an "old decrepit person". Since sin is what causes people to become decrepit, frail and sick as they age, then the opposite must be true for G-d Who does not sin. For years people around the world have often envisioned G-d as being some aged figure who, "just like man", bears the signs of advanced aging. Only with G-d, man figures, it must be even more pronounced since G-d is so "old". Yes, G-d is eternal, but G-d is not of a sinful nature. Therefore, G-d is not subjected to physical corruption that, due to sin, man is. And I can imagine that G-d has an appearance of splendor beyond anything that we could ever imagine. The book of Revelation, chapter 1, actually confirms this belief, in John's description of the L-rd. The apostle John, who at the time was on the island of Patmos, describes an appearance of Yeshua that can be described as being glorious, with a brilliance of his face that John compared to the brilliance of the sun. John states:
12 "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."--Revelation 1 verses 12-16
MAN'S OBSESSION WITH EUGENICS: PEERING INTO THE GENETIC ENGINEERING LOOKING GLASS
Genetic engineering for the elimination of disease in humans is still very controversial because it can involve the elimination (destruction) of living organisms such as embryos. Gene therapy in humans has so far, not been very fruitful. Human cloning is even more controversial for ethical and religious reasons, and will most likely remain so. And the realization of broadly practiced human genetic modification (the "great new white hope" of eugenics) is most likely, something that will never come to see the light of day. Moreover, genetic engineering at this stage, is not geared for average citizens of the world, who, as history has demonstrated, are more likely to become victims of eugenics rather than beneficiaries of it . As noble as the intentions of some "new" eugenics advocates may seem, the reality has been and continues to be, eugenics as a weapon against the black and brown peoples of the world and against the poor. This begs the question, if genetic engineering would one day actually be perfected, who would this "super" science serve? Given the history of eugenics in regard to non-Aryan, black and brown people and the poor, are these people actually suppose to believe that this obsession eugenicist have with eugenics, and their argument to continue research in this field, is this ultimately intended to "benefit" them or rather eliminate them? It has been said that another Nazi Holocaust could never happen. But where is the evidence that man has fully learned from his past mistakes?
WHERE ONE BELIEF CLASHES WITH ANOTHER
When we stop to consider mankind's greatest accomplishments in that people live and love everyday, often finding the strength to rise above their weaknesses to do good, can eugenicists not see a greater purpose in this? In their collective tunnel-visioned "protest march" for the genetically enhanced human...their "new and improved" Frankenstein creation, who will have "super intelligence" and "super strength" and perhaps even a "noble" character (noble... really?), perhaps eugenicists should stop to consider the ages old proverb that it is by our weaknesses that we struggle and emerge stronger; and it is by our faults that we learn and grow wiser. It is intolerance on their part, that they want a future society where everyone (or nearly everyone) shares a common level of "higher" intelligence, all at once. Without often difficult challenges in life, how would any person mature--and mature in important ways that transcend intelligence? There are other attributes to be highly desired, besides having a high IQ. Thus, the eugenicist's vision of a future society where so-called, "super" men and "super" women have come to exist through genetic modification, and selective breeding and not through a learning process--is not true advancement, in my opinion. Any such eugenics based, scientific efforts towards moving mankind forward can not address the very real afflictions that hinder mankind's progress--afflictions such as war, racism, oppression of lower classes, oppression of women and children, greed, corruption, conspiracy...HATRED! The flaws in mankind...the things which prevents the world from progressing forward, and remaining on a stable course of advancement, have more to do with what is inside of a man and not what is on the outside. The philosophy of eugenics concerns itself mostly with the outward appearance of man (physical beauty, physical strength, physical perfection), and with intelligence--which, eugenicists don't believe or even realize, can be bestowed upon any individual at any time by G-d. When Solomon became King of Israel, G-d appeared to him in a dream, and said to Solomon to ask of Him what he will. Solomon asked G-d for an understanding heart to judge Israel and to be able to "discern between good and evil." G-d was pleased that King Solomon asked for wisdom rather than selfish gifts. And G-d answered King Solomon's request in a HUMONGOUS way, giving King Solomon exactly what he asked for, and even great things that he did not ask for:
"The Lord was so pleased with Solomon's request that he said; "See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you." (Verse 12) Solomon became the wisest man that ever lived. But that isn't all. God told him that because he had asked for wisdom instead of long life, riches or the life of his enemies; "I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days." --I Kings chapter 3 (Verse 13)
Can "eugenics" do more to make a man wise and intelligent and physically healthy and beautiful than G-d can do?
This same useless eugenic philosophy has little regard for improving upon those universal human qualities which all of us have regardless of the package we came in...human qualities which most normal people see as vital and irreplaceable components of any civilized and truly advanced society--qualities such as mercy, forgiveness, righteousness, empathy, love, caring for other regardless of their station in life. Few would argue against these later human traits being necessary parts of a solid foundation of an advanced society--few except for certain right wing extremists, who's political viewpoints are more closely aligned with the ideology of Social Darwinism ("survival of the fittest") and eugenics.
The eugenicist's belief of what traits ultimately make men superior, is fundamentally flawed and ultimately, anti-intellectual. The destructive nature of humankind as a whole, has not seen in "superior intelligence" or "physical perfection" a kind of "messiah" that could save us from our predilections to hurt and destroy one another. Therefore, no man could truly be superior to his brother who transgress against his brother. Judging humankind by this standard, all men really are unarguably equal because all men transgress. Genetic modification and selective breeding never can and never will change the destructive nature of man, which is spiritual--having nothing to do with his physical nature or with genetics.
EUGENIC MODIFICATION: THE QUEST FOR "INTELLIGENCE" RATHER THAN INTEGRITY
The L-rd G-d of Israel...the Architect of the mind, can give both knowledge and wisdom to a man. HE can increase a man's knowledge of things. HE can bless a man with talent and endow him with skills. HE can empower a man with tremendous strength, as with Samson. HE can bless a man with sound judgement and uncanny discernment, as with the Judges. The L-rd G-d Almighty can give a man dreams and visions and knowledge of the future. G-d can lift a man up to Heaven without him ever having died, as with Enoch and Elijah--who was taken up to Heaven in a chariot of fire. G-d can give incredible beauty, as with the daughters of Job. And the L-rd can heal the sick and deformed.
In 1 Corinthians 2 the Apostle Paul said...
"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit."--1 Corinthians chapter 2
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What good is "intelligence" without integrity? What good is "knowledge" without righteousness? Is not the Devil and all of his legions like that? And of what good, is it for flawed, sinful men (eugenicists) to condemn any of his fellow man to a non-existence when he (the eugenicist) is no more righteous than his brother...the people that he condemns?! HYPOCRITE! Take the beam out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brother's! For you are not justified before G-d by your "innate intelligence".
G-d has, in fact, said that all mankind has sinned.
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,..."--Romans 3:23
Let's now look at history where one can see glaring examples of some of the worst atrocities ever committed against people by highly intelligent men and women. It happened in Nazi Germany, it happened in Harbin and it has happened right here in America.
"...you are incapable of believing, you don't believe it. And the things that went on in Auschwitz...the gas chambers—nobody would have believed that. And then the houses that the crematoria had—you know, brick houses, windows, curtains, white picket fences around the front. And people never thought of anything—regardless of chimneys smoking. They could not believe it...There was a touch of diabolic genius."
——An Auschwitz survivor.
731部隊の真実 the truth of Harbin Unit 731(English Narration) 1/5
Eugenics In Japan
[Social Darwinism has influenced political, public health and social movements in Japan since the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally brought to Japan through the works of Francis Galton, Ernst Haeckel and German orthodox mendelian, United States, British and French Lamarkian eugenical written studies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eugenism as a science, was hotly debated at the beginning of the 20th, in Jinsei-Der Mensch, the first eugenics journal in the empire. As the Japanese sought to close ranks with the west, this practice was adopted wholesale along with colonialism and its justifications.]--Wiki
From the Crusades, to the Spanish Inquisition, to the Jonestown massacre, to the Middle East conflicts, it can be said that countless people have been killed in the name of religion. Still countless others have been killed or maimed in the name of scientific research, politics, eugenics or a variety of other causes--often by intelligent people with high IQs, who were highly skilled and considered to be among the brightest minds in their fields.
[The infamous Unit 731 located in Harbin in Northeast China, was the site of ghastly human experimentation for the purpose of bio-chemical warfare research. This unprecedented yet entirely hellish research was performed on men, women, children...even on infants, by Japanese medical professionals and scientists. All the experiments at Unit 731 were done under the veil of secrecy.]
Eugenicists still today judge (and condemn) individuals and even entire populations, based primarily upon their level of intelligence even though history has proven time and again, that intelligence alone is not a safeguard against a regressive society. Nor does it alone hold the promise of an advanced society. Yet eugenicists mark people up and mark people down, as if people were "products" in a store, based upon how much "brain power" they have. Arrogant eugenicists pompously determine the worth of a human based on an assumption that innate intelligence alone (the eugenicist's "god") is the "almightly supreme trait" by which the value of a human being can be calculated. Although the ideology of early 20th century eugenics movement in America (the movement that inspired Hitler) has been widely rejected since the mid-20th century, eugenicist continue to hold tenaciously to a fantasy that a future society filled with intelligent people bearing high IQs, (the new "pod people") will usher in a brave new advanced world in which they will no doubt, solve the problem of global warming, get a manned ship beyond the Van Allen radiation belts landing it on Mars, and find a cure for the common cold!
Edwin Black's War Against The Weak
--End of part I of Thoughts on... "Survival of the Fittest"--
Thoughts on..."Survival of the Fittest"--Part II
FLAWED MEN "HOLDING COURT"
For years eugenicists have, as if "sitting judges in a high court", pronounced verdicts upon mankind. They have concealed their contempt for and malice towards segments of humanity behind smokescreens of "concern" for the future of civilization, claiming to only have the "well-being" and "advancement" of civilization at heart. In the form of scholarly conversation they have discussed the dismantling of races, the phasing out of entire groups. In their hearts they have damned people...human souls to the status of personae non gratae, in the home of their birth, the only home that for the present, The L-rd Almighty gave to us all--the Earth. Reading their bull, I am somehow reminded of the concentration camp Theresienstadt where a great deception also took place.
[An elderly woman receives a "hot" bowl of soup upon arrival at the Nazi concentration camp Theresienstadt. Such concern!]
["Here" a phony washroom--with pictures on the wall, no doubt! Visit: Jewish Virtual Library to learn more about Teresienstadt.]
Abraham
(Click on photo for account of Abraham)
In his 1882 work The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Charles Darwin actually lamented that with the help of medicine, the weaker members of society have the ability to "propagate" themselves. He stated:
"Thus the weak members of civilized societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but excepting in the case of man himself, hardly any one is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed." --Charles Darwin
"We must therefore bear the undoubtedly bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their kind; but there appears to be at least one check in steady action, namely that the weaker and inferior members of society do not marry so freely as the sound; and this check might be indefinitely increased by the weak in body or mind refraining from marriage, though this is more to be hoped for than expected."--Charles Darwin
Children are a blessing from G-d
Ancient Babylon
Eugenicists aren't the only ones who have a way of determining who should inherit the earth. G-d also has a way. But unlike the scheming eugenicists, G-d has the authority and the power to bring His plan to fruition. And G-d does not conceal His true intentions behind smokescreens or anything for that matter. As for intelligence--the primary trait that eugenicist measure (read, cross-examine) in determining the value of a person--let's take a very quick look at how the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) views intelligence and its place in the bigger picture. To do this, we're going to go back to our earlier account of Adam and Eve, in Eden, to take a closer look at events which took place there.
INNOCENCE LOST
After Adam and Eve had sinned by disobeying the L-rd G-d and eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, G-d upheld the judgement which He had warned Adam and Eve would come upon them. G-d declared that now, they must not be allowed to eat from the tree of life and live forever. This very severe judgment, which had a seismic impact upon them and all of mankind after them, had absolutely nothing to do with their race or color (of which we are not certain of). It had nothing to do with their IQs or level of intelligence and it had nothing to do with their physical perfection (which we can assume was already at the very peak of perfection, since they were the first man and woman on earth that G-d Himself had designed and made, who were without sin, which is the cause physical corruption, and were therefore unblemished, not sick, beautiful, energetic and probably amazing in appearance. Adam and Eve were in a state of physical perfection that, for all of his madness, Hitler could only have dreamed of attaining for his "Aryan" people. In a word Adam and Eve were physically the original human molds that the rest of we cookies were cut from).
"The Temptation and Fall of Eve" by William Blake
At this point what made Adam an unsuitable candidate for eternal life, was that he had rebelled against G-d and by doing so, had forever become aware of both good and of evil--without question, powerful forces to have to deal with. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they lost their innocence. They had sinned before each other and before G-d. Their eyes were open and for the first time, they were aware of their nakedness. And for the first time, it bothered them. They were afraid to be seen naked and tried to cover themselves up with leaves. (Here I'm reminded of how when criminals are caught and escorted from buildings by police, we often see them covering themsleves up...placing a jacket or something over their head to keep from being exposed.)
When a man and a woman are married and they stand before each other naked, they both feel no shame and no fear in being completely exposed before one another...(unless perhaps if they have a troubled marriage). Love, loyalty and devotion usually banishes all fears. I would imagine that in a similar way, this is how Adam and Eve felt being naked before one another, before G-d and before they sinned in the presence of each other and before G-d.
However, when they disobeyed G-d, they placed enmity between themselves and G-d. Their act of disobedience placed them in opposition to G-d. Something that could get worse with time. It seemed also like an act of disloyalty, as Adam placed his own will and his own desire above G-d's, even though he had to have known his position and G-d's position in the scheme of things. Is it any wonder then that Adam was afraid to face G-d? For now, he was facing G-d not as a confident and completely loyal family member and friend, but as an opponent who had turned himself by his own disobedient act, against God. And what man is willing to stand completely naked before his opponent? Generations later, G-d would give another such test (an even harder one) to a man named Abram, to see if Abram would put G-d's will above his own. Only this time the man would pass the test and go on to be the patriarch of Israel.
When a man and a woman are married and they stand before each other naked, they both feel no shame and no fear in being completely exposed before one another...(unless perhaps if they have a troubled marriage). Love, loyalty and devotion usually banishes all fears. I would imagine that in a similar way, this is how Adam and Eve felt being naked before one another, before G-d and before they sinned in the presence of each other and before G-d.
However, when they disobeyed G-d, they placed enmity between themselves and G-d. Their act of disobedience placed them in opposition to G-d. Something that could get worse with time. It seemed also like an act of disloyalty, as Adam placed his own will and his own desire above G-d's, even though he had to have known his position and G-d's position in the scheme of things. Is it any wonder then that Adam was afraid to face G-d? For now, he was facing G-d not as a confident and completely loyal family member and friend, but as an opponent who had turned himself by his own disobedient act, against God. And what man is willing to stand completely naked before his opponent? Generations later, G-d would give another such test (an even harder one) to a man named Abram, to see if Abram would put G-d's will above his own. Only this time the man would pass the test and go on to be the patriarch of Israel.
Abraham
(Click on photo for account of Abraham)
Intelligence (the trait which eugenicists often point to as the reason for a person's "worthiness" to continue his or her genetic line) quite ironically has much more to do with the original downfall of man. As incredible to some as it may seem, it was Eve's desire for wisdom, for knowledge and the desire to be "like god", that tempted her, and then her husband Adam to disobey G-d's commandment. From this we can see that from the start, G-d established a very different criterion for determining a man's worthiness of life. Man values intelligence. It stokes the human ego for one man to be able to boast of having a higher intelligence than another man. Eugenicists attribute the very worth of a human being by the level of one's intelligence and by outward physical appearances. But G-d clearly makes a distinction between intelligence and obedience to Him.
Of man's "intelligence" and man's "wisdom", this is what G-d has to say:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[c]
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[c]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."--1Corinthians chapt 1 verses 19-25
Obedience is obviously what G-d was looking and waiting for in the test of Adam and Eve in the garden. And should we wonder that man's obedience to G-d is of greater importance than our innate intelligence? Keep in mind the earlier mention of King Solomon, and how G-d could and did give Solomon more wisdom, more knowledge than any man that came before him, and any man that would come after him. Why therefore, should G-d be "impressed" with man's intelligence or even, with man's wisdom? G-d is the author and granter of both. Again, we can look back at the events of the Nazi Holocaust and the events at Unit 731 in Harbin to further see why G-d places man's obedience to Him as being paramount. If man had been obeying G-d...His second greatest commandment to" love your neighbor as you would yourself"...
...the atrocities that took place in Harbin and in Germany would never have happened. Given this, why also should any man or any race or any group be so harshly judged (and by arrogant racists[!]) and condemned for lacking a greater degree of innate intelligence? In the case of Adam and Eve, "brain power" was not the problem. It was not at all the issue. Yet, according to G-d Himself who is the greatest Judge of all and final authority, they could not in their sinful state, be considered fit to live forever. This, according to G-d who is the greatest Judge of all, is the thing that made them unfit--not "innate intelligence". And this deadly flaw came from what they felt in their hearts--not what they lacked in their heads. Sadly, their acts of disobedience towards G-d brought upon themselves and finally the rest of mankind, the most severe of judgements--toil and death.
...the atrocities that took place in Harbin and in Germany would never have happened. Given this, why also should any man or any race or any group be so harshly judged (and by arrogant racists[!]) and condemned for lacking a greater degree of innate intelligence? In the case of Adam and Eve, "brain power" was not the problem. It was not at all the issue. Yet, according to G-d Himself who is the greatest Judge of all and final authority, they could not in their sinful state, be considered fit to live forever. This, according to G-d who is the greatest Judge of all, is the thing that made them unfit--not "innate intelligence". And this deadly flaw came from what they felt in their hearts--not what they lacked in their heads. Sadly, their acts of disobedience towards G-d brought upon themselves and finally the rest of mankind, the most severe of judgements--toil and death.
"For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”-Galatians 5
Depiction of the good Samaritan
What good is "intelligence" without integrity?
[VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED.]
--End of part II of Thoughts on... "Survival of the Fittest"--
Thoughts on..."Survival of the Fittest"--Part III [Final part]
"No truly strong man is ever burdened by the weak , that he is spiritually strengthened by service to them "
WHAT MAN DECLARES "WEAK" G-D MAKES STRONG--WHAT MAN DECLARES "STRONG" G-D MAKES WEAK
In his 1882 work The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Charles Darwin actually lamented that with the help of medicine, the weaker members of society have the ability to "propagate" themselves. He stated:
"Thus the weak members of civilized societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but excepting in the case of man himself, hardly any one is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed." --Charles Darwin
This was not Darwin's call to make. His words are also ironic when we look at demographics both national and global to see exactly who is "propagating" their own kind and who is not. The very people who eugenicist like Darwin and Galton, hated so much, may be the very one's who will inherit the earth.
The war against the weak...the war against the so-called "undesirables" of this world is precisely a war, because they are strong enough and smart enough and able-bodied enough to pose a threat to those that hate them. It is because they are viewed as a formidable enemy to the arrogant who hate them, that they come under attack in some way or another--even when it is only a war of words. Who wages a decades-long "war" against truly weak people? (There is so much that can be said on this topic alone--especially in regard to certain groups, who have been declared "undesirables" or "unfit" for life, and have been beaten down, terrorized or warred upon generation after generation, and yet have had the strength to not only survive but to thrive.) In his work, Darwin continues:
The war against the weak...the war against the so-called "undesirables" of this world is precisely a war, because they are strong enough and smart enough and able-bodied enough to pose a threat to those that hate them. It is because they are viewed as a formidable enemy to the arrogant who hate them, that they come under attack in some way or another--even when it is only a war of words. Who wages a decades-long "war" against truly weak people? (There is so much that can be said on this topic alone--especially in regard to certain groups, who have been declared "undesirables" or "unfit" for life, and have been beaten down, terrorized or warred upon generation after generation, and yet have had the strength to not only survive but to thrive.) In his work, Darwin continues:
"We must therefore bear the undoubtedly bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their kind; but there appears to be at least one check in steady action, namely that the weaker and inferior members of society do not marry so freely as the sound; and this check might be indefinitely increased by the weak in body or mind refraining from marriage, though this is more to be hoped for than expected."--Charles Darwin
As "noble" and "generous" as Darwin (tried) to be in his assessment of the "weaker", it was not and is not his or any eugenicist's place to condemn whole groups of people. Eugenicists are not gods. For all of their worthless talk about who is and is not "fit" to continue in life, they are perhaps the least fit to continue in life. For they are not justified before G-d...not by their race, or their wealth or their freaking "innate intelligence". Their trust in Social Darwinism, this doomed philosophy of "survival of the fittest", all hinges and depends totally upon their complete disbelief in GOD. Today, in our society, the democratic; the liberal; the merciful among us have compassion on the weak and handicapped. And we try in various ways to assist them to live lives as fully as possible--not hinder their progress or their happiness. If it can be said that "no truly strong man is ever burdened by the weak...that he is spiritually strengthened by service to them ", then it can also be said that "strong men" who consider only their kind to be strong, should in fact, have nothing to fear from the weak.
Following the events of 9/11, reports began to emerge of victims in wheelchairs being trapped on the upper floors of the Twin Towers, on the floor above the flames and smoke. When I heard of these reports on the news, my heart sank knowing the awful situation they were in, and that they could not have even tried to make it down the stairs to escape. But then, I also heard reports where people who were able to walk, lifted disabled people on their backs, and with difficulty and risk to their own lives, selflessly carried these people down to safety. In our very worst hour, the very best was brought out in many. And it is to the credit of these people that in that hour, they recognized and respected the humanity of the weaker among them. When one compares their attitude to the inhumane attitudes of eugenicists, the difference is outstanding and the lesson crystal clear.
Following the events of 9/11, reports began to emerge of victims in wheelchairs being trapped on the upper floors of the Twin Towers, on the floor above the flames and smoke. When I heard of these reports on the news, my heart sank knowing the awful situation they were in, and that they could not have even tried to make it down the stairs to escape. But then, I also heard reports where people who were able to walk, lifted disabled people on their backs, and with difficulty and risk to their own lives, selflessly carried these people down to safety. In our very worst hour, the very best was brought out in many. And it is to the credit of these people that in that hour, they recognized and respected the humanity of the weaker among them. When one compares their attitude to the inhumane attitudes of eugenicists, the difference is outstanding and the lesson crystal clear.
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."
Clearly Darwin and his fellow eugenics colleagues, who sat with him in The Council of Foolish Men (COFM), came to look upon not only people with severe handicaps as being "unfit" for life, but also upon the poor, the blacks, the Jews, people of mixed race and others. If left unchecked...unchallenged by society, these madmen would have no doubt come to also condemn those with brown hair and black hair, brown eyes, black eyes, pug noses, round chins, short people, fat people...on and on and on. Josef Mengele "Angel of Death", had a sick obsession with eye color, for which he injected toxins into victim's eyes. (Peter's Letter)
When G-d gave the command to Adam and to Eve (and therefore all of mankind) to "be fruitful and multiply", it did not come with the stipulations that they must first hold themselves up to the Social Darwinists of the world to be inspected, or that they must be "Aryan" or "rich" or possess a high "IQ". Unlike man who judges by outward appearances, G-d is not a respecter of someone's race. And why should He be? He created the physical traits of man. Eugenicists boast about what they consider to be the "superior" physical attributes of man, as if they are the creator of these things. To the injury of mankind, they have worshiped the "created" instead of the Creator. And they have done this without knowing the power of G-d. The L-rd G-d has power to make strong, what they would consider weak. To briefly demonstrate this point, I'm going to go back to our patriarch Abraham.
Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, was a man who was righteous before G-d, but for a time he did not have any children. Sarah, his wife had grown older with time (like her husband Abraham) and had gone past the childbearing age--still without bearing any children. But G-d had made a covenant with Abraham that He would give both Abraham and his wife Sarah a child of their own, and of their own flesh and blood. They grew older--still no children, until Abraham had reached the age of 99 (that's NINETY-NINE), when finally his wife who was again, old herself and beyond childbearing age, became PREGNANT. And NO doctors. No in-vitro fertilization. NO test tubes and NO freaking clones! It was by G-d's power that at the age of 100-years old, Abraham became a father, Sarah became a mother, and the promise of G-d became fulfilled. This demonstration of G-d's power can probably best be summed up with the verse:
Abraham, the patriarch of Israel, was a man who was righteous before G-d, but for a time he did not have any children. Sarah, his wife had grown older with time (like her husband Abraham) and had gone past the childbearing age--still without bearing any children. But G-d had made a covenant with Abraham that He would give both Abraham and his wife Sarah a child of their own, and of their own flesh and blood. They grew older--still no children, until Abraham had reached the age of 99 (that's NINETY-NINE), when finally his wife who was again, old herself and beyond childbearing age, became PREGNANT. And NO doctors. No in-vitro fertilization. NO test tubes and NO freaking clones! It was by G-d's power that at the age of 100-years old, Abraham became a father, Sarah became a mother, and the promise of G-d became fulfilled. This demonstration of G-d's power can probably best be summed up with the verse:
"Is anything too hard for the LORD?"--Gen 18:14
What place in the presence of G-d, does such an arrogant, futile idea as "survival of the fittest" have? It has no place. It falls away.
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it..."--Gen 1: 28
Children are a blessing from G-d
You don't have to be an "Einstein" to figure that one out.
LESSON OF A GREAT KING--King Nebuchadnezzar (Boasting)
Ancient Babylon
As wrong as he was in boasting (and he was wrong), at least King Nebuchadnezzar looked around from the rooftop of his palace to take in the view of his kingdom, and it was that of which he boasted. He did not boast about his race or about his intelligence--of which this great king probably never even thought twice about. No, Nebuchadnezzar boasted about something which he saw as a great accomplishment. As wrong as Nebuchadnezzar was in boasting, he somehow seems more justified than the vain, self-absorbed, race-obsessed, eugenicists of this age, who continually boast about what they consider to be a "superior" race or someone's "appearance"...what people "look like" and their "intelligence" (things for which King Nebuchadnezzar would probably have had such detestable men fed to the lions.) If the dumbing down of society has truly progressed, then it must have done so at the alter of "The Ever-Boasting "god" of Race"--a stupid "god" to be sure! Eugenicists are no more responsible for the inherited characteristics of any race than they are for the sun up in the heavens. They did not design human DNA; they did not create human DNA; they do not own it. Ownership signifies being able to do with something what one pleases because they own it. It belongs to them and they can do with it what they wish. Eugenicists do not own human genes or DNA. It is not theirs to do with as they wish. This is fundamentally why genetic engineering and cloning is so controversial. But to further illustrate, I'm going to go back to the account of the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, using his experiences as a reference.
May you prosper greatly!
2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers[b] and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger,[c] coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.
“‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times[d] pass by for him.
17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’
18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
Daniel 4
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree
1 "King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth:May you prosper greatly!
2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. 7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers[b] and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me. 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.
13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger,[c] coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.
“‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times[d] pass by for him.
17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’
18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Daniel Interprets the Dream
19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”
The Dream Is Fulfilled
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."--Daniel 4
--------------------
When King Nebuchadnezzar ascended to the rooftop of his palace and boasted, perhaps he would have been much better off saying something like, "Yes G-d, I built up a glorious kingdom but You L-rd made all of it possible. It is therefore, for Your glory more than mine." If Nebuchadnezzar had said something like this rather than extolling himself in such self-aggrandizing way, perhaps G-d would have credited it to him as righteousness. And he might have been spared the 7-year exile to the animal kingdom. (It's interesting to note that there's a certain sharp irony in what G-d did, in that Nebuchadnezzar went from being the exalted king of what was one of the greatest kingdoms on earth of any time, to--after his boast--living like one of the animal kingdom, complete with wild feathery hair and long claw-like nails. In addition, even though G-d punished or corrected Nebuchadnezzar due to his pride, G-d also showed him mercy while demonstrating His power and authority. G-d restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingdom, bestowing upon the king even more glory than before.)
One can see clearly from King Nebuchadnezzar's first-hand experience with the Most High, that G-d is no respecter of persons. G-d did not show favoritism towards King Nebuchadnezzar when he boasted of his greatness and in doing so, failed to honor G-d. If G-d is not a respecter of great kings, neither is He a respecter of great wealth or great intelligence, great talent or great physical beauty--all of which G-d can give to whomever He chooses. The book of Job tells of how G-d gave such great physical beauty to the daughters of Job, that they were renown for this beauty. Considering this, the "doctrine" of eugenics (which boasts of dishonorable things) can be seen clearly, as the doctrine of fools.
Eugenicists boast about things which they have no right to boast about. For all of their boasting about physical beauty, they cannot create physical beauty but merely reproduce it. When a farmer plants seeds into the ground, and the seeds which he planted grow to the point of being ready for harvest, the fruit of the earth which the planter harvests is a reproduction born from the seed. And the farmer has merely played the role of a steward who plants the seeds, cares for them then harvests what he has planted. G-d is the one who has created the farmer's seeds, sent the rain and sunshine, created the soil in which the seeds were planted, and created all of the DNA and properties which go into making all of the elements work in order to bring forth the harvest from the ground. None of these things did the lowly farmer create. He is merely the worker. To better understand, if you'll think of a large factory, such as a big auto manufacturer, the factory itself--including the innovative ideas for the design of the cars--was conceived of and established by the owner. The people who labor to assemble the cars are the workers...the laborers (like our farmer), but the workers can not claim ownership to the design of the cars they assemble or the factory. Eugenics advocates speak arrogantly with an authority as if they could create human DNA, genes and people. They can do no more than the next person--which is to reproduce. G-d gave mankind only the ability to reproduce, not to create. We are not "gods". Neither do they have the moral authority to declare to average citizens who is "dysgenic" and therefore, who should not be able to continue their family line. And I'm sorry but where genetic engineering is concerned, rearranging human DNA and creating monstrosities (such as the one above depicted in the sculpture) is not true creation. It is profanely tampering with what G-d has already CREATED. Eugenicists would be wise to take a lesson from King Nebuchadnezzar, and realize if they want to correctly "boast", then they would boast about G-d who has created the tangible things which they value so much, adore and fawn so much over. But to their discredit they worship that which is "created", not the Creator.
Eugenicists boast about things which they have no right to boast about. For all of their boasting about physical beauty, they cannot create physical beauty but merely reproduce it. When a farmer plants seeds into the ground, and the seeds which he planted grow to the point of being ready for harvest, the fruit of the earth which the planter harvests is a reproduction born from the seed. And the farmer has merely played the role of a steward who plants the seeds, cares for them then harvests what he has planted. G-d is the one who has created the farmer's seeds, sent the rain and sunshine, created the soil in which the seeds were planted, and created all of the DNA and properties which go into making all of the elements work in order to bring forth the harvest from the ground. None of these things did the lowly farmer create. He is merely the worker. To better understand, if you'll think of a large factory, such as a big auto manufacturer, the factory itself--including the innovative ideas for the design of the cars--was conceived of and established by the owner. The people who labor to assemble the cars are the workers...the laborers (like our farmer), but the workers can not claim ownership to the design of the cars they assemble or the factory. Eugenics advocates speak arrogantly with an authority as if they could create human DNA, genes and people. They can do no more than the next person--which is to reproduce. G-d gave mankind only the ability to reproduce, not to create. We are not "gods". Neither do they have the moral authority to declare to average citizens who is "dysgenic" and therefore, who should not be able to continue their family line. And I'm sorry but where genetic engineering is concerned, rearranging human DNA and creating monstrosities (such as the one above depicted in the sculpture) is not true creation. It is profanely tampering with what G-d has already CREATED. Eugenicists would be wise to take a lesson from King Nebuchadnezzar, and realize if they want to correctly "boast", then they would boast about G-d who has created the tangible things which they value so much, adore and fawn so much over. But to their discredit they worship that which is "created", not the Creator.
"All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”--Daniel 4
Why therefore, should any human "boast" that certain whites are somehow "more fit" to survive and inherit the earth? Likewise, why should any judge an entire race by suggesting that blacks are somehow "inferior" and should, as a race, be "dismantled"? And does anyone with a sound mind believe that any of the victims of 9/11, clung to such ideas as they fell to their deaths on that dreadful day? Of course not! The reality of events beyond their control were what they were struggling with. And on that fearful day, whites struggled for life or died with the blacks and other races as well. Black hands reached out to white hands, and white hands reached out to black hands and all were welcomed in the struggle to save lives.
CONCLUSION
Survival of the fittest may be a necessary order for the animal kingdom, however, as history points out where humans are concerned, such ideas are dangerous. Eugenicist have used the philosophy of "survival of the fittest" (Social Darwinism) as an excuse to condemn whole groups of people as "unfit" to live although they, the eugenicists who have done this, were among the least worthy to live when judged by G-d's standards. It is of little wonder that these Darwinists would prefer to believe as they do--believing in "the natural order of things." Believing in G-d and that He created man, immediately dooms their philosophy of eugenics and everything associated with it. Like King Nebuchadnezzar, the eugenicist has no more ability to escape G-d's will than the poorest, most non-Aryan or least intelligent man of this world. It is the height of arrogance and stupidity for eugenicists to boast about the superficial, the transitory, the impermanent traits of man, when clearly, mankind shares more in common than not. If they think that certain groups are "superior" to another, then they should consider this, that no person who is aged and decrepit is superior. And no flawed human being could ever be justified or considered as morally "superior" than another based on superficial aesthetic traits or even higher intelligence--certainly not by G-d.
As far as "survival of the fittest" and the "natural order of things" is concerned, it seems to me that G-d and only G-d is in a position to make such a claim. For only G-d is eternal. And G-d possesses the power and the authority to ensure that we, His created, will be survivors and inheritors of the earth. Why boast of intelligence and racial superiority? Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest and most powerful ruler of his days could not defeat G-d’s will and restore himself to his former glory. How then, will vain, haughty, lesser men of today insure the survival of their particular race? Eugenicists do not "own" people. And how will truly evil men manage to accomplish the dismemberment of another race, in the full sight of G-d?
By who's authority do mere men "play god"?
By who's authority do mere men "play god"?
[Thank you for stopping by and reading my commentary!]
Additional Media:
excellent educational documentary
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