Author: Nate Gross

By: Nate and Kat Gross, 30/October/2024

Contrary to the mainstream narrative, not all pediatric vaccines are completely safe and without drawbacks. As the usage of vaccines have become more common and the number of vaccines have increased so has the occurrence of allergies, autoimmune disorders and autism [1] [2]; though most of this is correlation, research is starting to immerge showing the causation.

SOURCE: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Correlation-of-autism-prevalence-and-glyphosate-use-in-the-United-States_fig1_356038863

The authors recognize that there are many factors that have the potential to negatively impact our children’s health these days, vaccines and their overuse being just one. As an example, the MMR Entered the market around 1975, RoundUp (glyphosate) herbicide entered the market in 1974 [3]; when graphed, immunizations, glyphosate, and autism all appear to corelate, rising from less than 1 in 1000 to 1 in 36 today [4]. It is our belief that parents have a duty to make informed decisions regarding the health and rearing of their children, and they should look at all aspects, but for this discussion we will only be considering the impact of vaccines.

CDC Recommended Vaccine Schedule [5]:

VACCINE	DOSES BY 18 YEARS
Respiratory syncytial virus	1
Hepatitis B (HEP B)	3
Rotavirus (RV)	2
Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis	5
Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB)	5
Pneumococcal conjugate	4
Inactivated poliovirus	4
COVID-19	1*
Influenza	1*
Measles, mumps, rubella	2
Varicella	2
Hepatitis A	2
Tetanus, diphtheria, & acellular pertussis	1
Human papillomavirus	3
Meningococcal	2
Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine	mother, during gestation
Dengue	3
Mpox	optional
Respiratory syncytial virus	1

* Recommend annual or bi-annual boosters.

Risk/Reward Analysis and List Narrowing:

Our first filter to narrow the list of vaccines we would keep was to look at the effect of the disease if the child contracted it in a first world country with access to hospital resources. If most cases result in medical intervention at a minimum or in hospitalization, then the vaccine was kept on the list. Another consideration was if the risk of the disease was moderate to low, and the vaccine risk was low such as Polio, then it was left on the list. The table below is our final list of vaccines to keep or consider further.

DISEASE	SEVERITY
Hepatitis B	(MEDIUM) Infants are more likely to develop long lasting complications, though risk of infection is low for most. In high insight, we would probably skip this one today.
Diphtheria	(LOW) Would not have made the list except that it was linked to Tetanus and there by required a look.
Acellular Pertussis (Wooping Cough)	(HIGH) Contracting this can easily lead to complications and in severe case the mortality is 34.2% [6].
Tetanus	(HIGH) without treatment, 1 in 4 infected dies [7].
Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV)	(MEDIUM) Death rate for Pneumonia is 5-7%, blood infection is 20%. This disease is common, but the use of the vaccine can be argued both ways.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB)	(MEDIUM) Death rate is 3-6%, 20% of survivors have permanent hearing loss and other complications [8].
Polio	(LOW) Severe infection only occurs in 1% of those infected [9].
Measles	(LOW) Highly contagious, but generally very treatable with anti-biotics and fever suppressants. According to the CDC, it can have a 1 to 33 in 1000 mortality rate.
Mumps	(LOW) The mortality rate is 1.6-3.8 per 10000 infections. However, orchitis is reported to occur in 25-50% of males, of with 30% leads to partial or full infertility; and oophoritis in 5% of women [10] [11].
Rubella	(LOW) Up to 85% of infants infected in first trimester will have birth defects, young women should get vaccinated before conception [12]. The risk to children with access to medical services is low [13].

Ethical Consideration:

As Christians, we are pro-life, anti-abortion, that rules out any vaccine developed directly or indirectly with fetal cell lines such as PER.C6, WI-38, HEK 293, and MRC-5 [14].

Some vaccines utilize fetal cell lines to test and manufacture vaccines, and sometimes even include the cells in the actual vaccination. Most of these fetal cell lines have been derived from babies that were electively aborted and their bodies redirected to medical use. If they had died of natural causes, we would not have a moral issue with their body being put to medical use.

One of the arguments used in favor of using these cell lines is that the evil was committed years or decades earlier and the cell lines are just being cloned today. But fetal tissue harvesting is a multi-billion dollar per year industry [15] and using the old cell lines funds and motivates the perpetuation of this evil.

Vaccine Technology:

Another filter was to investigate the technologies used in the manufacturing of the vaccines available in the U.S., that are authorized by the CDC/FDA.

TYPE	DESCRIPTION	EXAMPLE
Inactivated	Contain an inactivated or killed pathogen	Polio vaccine, influenza vaccine
Live-attenuated	Contain live pathogens from either a bacteria or a virus that have been “attenuated,” or weakened	Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, varicella (chickenpox)
Messenger RNA (mRNA)	RNA material teaches our body how to make a specific type of protein that is unique to the virus	Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Subunit	Made from a piece of a pathogen, not the whole organism	Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine (conjugate), pneumococcal vaccine (polysaccharide or conjugate), shingles vaccine (recombinant protein), hepatitis B (recombinant protein), acellular pertussis, MenACWY (conjugate)
Polysaccharide	Target an immune response to pathogenic bacteria that are encased in a layer of sugar
Conjugate	Contain a polysaccharide component, but that sugar is stuck to a protein
Toxoid	Use inactivated toxins to target the toxic activity created by the bacteria	Tetanus vaccine, diphtheria vaccine
Viral vector	use a harmless virus to deliver to the hosts cells the genetic code of the antigen you want the immune system to fight	Ebola vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson)

SOURCE: https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/understanding_six_types_of_vaccine_technologies

The main technology we had concerns over is mRNA. This technology is very new and relatively untested, especially over the long-term. Though popularized by the COVID-19 pandemic response, mRNA technology had concerns before and many have emerged quietly in the aftermath of the pandemic.

As previously mentioned, we are Christians and our faith teaches that we are “made in the image of God”, and there are questions as to how deep the mRNA changes the fundamental structure of what makes your body you (other than the soul) [16].

Even looked at from a strictly secular/scientific angle, mRNA is redirecting the operating system of your cells to perform a new un-natural task. Is this redirection temporary, what are the short and long-term consequences of this? When the COVID-19 vaccine was released, the authorities assured us that the mRNA only lasted about 48 hours in the body and that the new instructions it carried would only be present in the cells for about a month, but we now know that this is not always the case [17].

As of the writing of this article the only mRNA vaccine for children is the Pfizer COVID-19, but influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are in phase 3 clinical trials [18].

Vaccine Additives:

Vaccines contain many components [19] one of which is mercury. Thimerosal a methylated mercury molecule used as a preservative, though it has fallen out of common use in pediatric vaccines since the 2000s, parents should still be aware of its possible presence. Mercury exposure has been linked to neurodevelopmental issues and heart disease [20], prompting the NIH to set the normal blood concentration level to 20 mcg/L or lower [21].

The CDC recommends that a child receive their first Influenza (flu) vaccine by 18-months of age with boosters to follow. While not all Influenza vaccines contain thimerosal, about 80% do at about 25 mcg of mercury per dose [22]. This means that a 22 pound child is exposed to 25 times the amount of mercury considered safe [22], this issue is compounded by the fact that the half-life of mercury in the blood, the time it takes for half the mercury to be purged, is up to 7 days [23] and up to 45 days for the kidneys [24]. Oral thimerosal can take much longer than injected forms.

While most influenza vaccines contain mercury, not all do and not all other vaccines do either, you will have to investigate each one and ask your pediatrician what brand they use for each. One way to be more certain that Thimerosal is not an issue is to request a single dose version of the vaccine, since it is not required to keep the remaining contents of the vial sterile.

There are also other agents such as aluminum salts, also known as aluminum-based adjuvants (ABAs), are used as stabilizers in many vaccines to enhance the immune response. The most common types of aluminum salts used in vaccines are aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, and potassium aluminum sulfate [25]. Though aluminum is generally considered safe, there is research that indicates some risk [26] [27].

A list of vaccines and their ingredients is listed as footnote [19] and as appendix “A”.

Economic Incentive Bias:

One other aspect that parents need to consider is that your doctor may be biased, as patients and guardians, we should never blindly adhere to their advice. Pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and even the government all offer incentives to doctors and patients to take vaccines. Money is a powerful motivator and can lead many to blindly do and not stop to ask why [28] [29] [30].

Conclusion:

In the end, parents will have to weigh the risks and rewards and make a plan that works for them. While it is the authors opinions that some of these lines are firm and not up for discussion due to moral and religious beliefs, many of them are blurred and you will need to use your best judgement.

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References:

[1] A. J. Wakefield, “MMR vaccination and autism,” The Lancet, 11 SEPTEMBER 1999. [Online]. Available: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2805%2975696-8/fulltext. [Accessed 05 AUGUST 2024].

[2] A. Coghlan, “Autism rises despite MMR ban in Japan,” NewScientist, 03 MARCH 2005. [Online]. Available: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7076-autism-rises-despite-mmr-ban-in-japan/. [Accessed 05 AUGUST 2024].

[3] R. Mesnage and M. N. Antoniou, “Facts and Fallacies in the Debate on Glyphosate Toxicity,” National Library of Medicine, 24 11 2017. [Online]. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5705608/#:~:text=Glyphosate%20(N%2Dphosphonomethyl%20glycine),in%20the%20global%20agrochemical%20market.. [Accessed 24 10 2024].

[4] “Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder,” U.S. CentersFor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 MAY 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[5] “Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age (Addendum updated June 27, 2024),” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 NOVEMBER 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/child-adolescent-age.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[6] T. Shi, L. Wang, S. Du, H. Fan, M. Yu, T. Ding, X. Xu, D. Zhang, L. Huang and G. Lu, “Mortality risk factors among hospitalized children with severe pertussis,” BMC Infectious Diseases, 12 OCTOBER 2021. [Online]. Available: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-021-06732-1#:~:text=Severe%20pertussis%20mainly%20occurred%20in,months%20or%20even%206%20weeks.. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[7] “Tetanus,” Penn Medicine, 23 NOVEMBER 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/tetanus#:~:text=Outlook%20(Prognosis),lead%20to%20irreversible%20brain%20damage.. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[8] “Clinical Overview of Haemophilus influenzae Disease,” U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), 21 AUGUST 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/hi-disease/hcp/clinicians/index.html#:~:text=Between%203%25%20to%206%25%20of,other%20long%2Dterm%20neurological%20sequelae.. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[9] “Disease factsheet about poliomyelitis,” European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 28 NOVEMBER 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/poliomyelitis/facts#:~:text=Poliovirus%20infections%20can%20lead%20to,of%20the%20affected%20motor%20neurons.. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[10] S. Rubin, M. Eckhaus, L. J. Rennick, C. G. Bamford and W. P. Duprex, “Molecular biology, pathogenesis and pathology of mumps virus,” The Journal of Pathology, 17 SEPTEMBER 2014. [Online]. Available: https://pathsocjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/path.4445. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[11] “Factsheet about mumps,” European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 28 November 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/mumps/facts. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[12] “Rubella,” World Health Organization (WHO), 14 MAY 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rubella#:~:text=Once%20a%20person%20is%20infected,Vaccination. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[13] “Impact of U.S. MMR Vaccination Program,” U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), 23 APRIL 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/vaccine-impact/index.html#:~:text=During%20the%20last%20major%20rubella,2%2C100%20newborns%20died. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[14] J. Piper, “Can I Take a Vaccine Made from Aborted Babies?,” Desiring God, 4 JANUARY 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/can-i-take-a-vaccine-made-from-aborted-babies. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[15] “Birth Tissue Products Market Snapshot,” Future Marketing Insights, Inc., [Online]. Available: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/birth-tissue-products-market. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[16] C. Lin, “Gene-editing, Moderna, and transhumanism,” The Times Of Israel, 5 AUGUST 2020. [Online]. Available: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gene-editing-moderna-and-transhumanism/. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[17] M. Aldén, F. O. Falla, D. Yang, M. Barghouth, C. Luan, M. Rasmussen and Y. D. Marinis, “Intracellular Reverse Transcription of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 In Vitro in Human Liver Cell Line,” FEBRUARY 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359084279_Intracellular_Reverse_Transcription_of_Pfizer_BioNTech_COVID-19_mRNA_Vaccine_BNT162b2_In_Vitro_in_Human_Liver_Cell_Line. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[18] A. Billingsley and C. Aungst, “More Than COVID-19: 6 Other Promising mRNA Vaccines in the Pipeline,” GoodRx, 16 JUNE 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/vaccines/other-mrna-vaccines. [Accessed 25 OCTOBER 2024].

[19] U.S. Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), “Vaccine Excipient Summary: Appendix B,” ImmunizeBC, 1 NOVEMBER 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/b/excipient-table-2.pdf. [Accessed 30 OCTOBER 2024].

[20] M. R. Geier,M.D.,Ph.D. and D. A. Geier, “Thimerosal in Childhood Vaccines, Neurodevelopment Disorders, and Heart Disease in the United States,” Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons, vol. 8, no. Spring, pp. 6-11, 2003.

[21] B.-J. Ye, B.-G. Kim, M.-J. Jeon, S.-Y. Kim, H.-C. Kim, T.-W. Jang, H.-J. Chae, W.-J. Choi, M.-N. Ha and Y.-S. Hong, “Evaluation of mercury exposure level, clinical diagnosis and treatment for mercury intoxication,” NIH: National Library of Medicine, 22 JANUARY 2016. [Online]. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4724159/. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[22] R. Rutledge, “City of Milwaukee,” !@ NOVEMBER 2007. [Online]. Available: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/healthAuthors/DCP/PDFs/grsThimVacc/JSArticleMostflushotscontainmercury.pdf. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[23] “Thiomersal vaccines,” World Health Organization (WHO), 27 JULY 2012. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/groups/global-advisory-committee-on-vaccine-safety/topics/thiomersal-and-vaccines/thiomersal-vaccines. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[24] “Thimerosal,” Drugbank Online, [Online]. Available: https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB11590. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[25] “Common Ingredients in FDA-Approved Vaccines,” U.S. Food & Drug (FDA), 12 JANUARY 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-biologics/common-ingredients-fda-approved-vaccines . [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[26] M. F. Daley, MD, L. M. Reifler, MPH, J. M. Glanz, PhD, S. Kamidani, MD, J. Duffy, MD, MPH and F. DeStefano, MD, “Association Between Aluminum Exposure From Vaccines Before Age 24 Months and Persistent Asthma at Age 24 to 59 Months,” Academic Pediatrics, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(22)00417-X/fulltext. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[27] M. R. Rahimzadeh, M. R. Rahimzadeh, S. Kazemi, R. J. Amiri, M. Pirzadeh and A. A. Moghadamnia, “Aluminum Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Mechanism and Treatment of Intoxication,” NIH: National Library of Medicine, 11 JANUARY 2022. [Online]. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8767391/. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

[28] L. Levy, “Pediatrician Takes On Anti-Vaxxers’ Misconceptions With 1 Powerful Post,” PopSugar, 27 APRIL 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.popsugar.com/family/doctor-explains-why-he-gets-money-giving-vaccinations-42575027. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[29] A. T. Chien, . Z. Li and M. B. Rosenthal, “Improving Timely Childhood Immunizations through Pay for Performance in Medicaid-Managed Care,” Health Services Research (HSR), 17 SEPTEMBER 2010. [Online]. Available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01168.x. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[30] “Vaccination Programs: Client or Family Incentive Rewards,” OASH, [Online]. Available: https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/tools-action/browse-evidence-based-resources/vaccination-programs-client-or-family-incentive-rewards. [Accessed 28 OCTOBER 2024].

[31] S. R. Howie, “Blood sample volumes in child health research: review of safe limits,” NIH: National Library of Medicine, 10 SEPTEMBER 2010. [Online]. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3040020/. [Accessed 24 OCTOBER 2024].

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Appendix A:

15/December/2021

To whom it may concern, the following is the declaration of the sincerely-held religious beliefs of Nate Gross.

My objection to getting the Covid-19 “vaccination” is primarily religious in nature and stems from my sincerely-held Christian faith. I am a member of the denomination known as the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Church denominations vary in style of preaching, order of worship, and social structure, but all have at their core the Holy Bible as their foundation. I chose the PCA denomination because it best fits me, and though it establishes the guidelines for the practice of my faith, there are times where my convictions do not completely align with the PCAs, or drive me to have stronger convictions then they [1]. As a Christian, the Holy Bible and the teachings it contains are the lens through which I view all aspects of life, faith, current affairs, and science, etc.; it colors all of my opinions and beliefs.

I was born into a Christian family and raised by my parents to be a Christian, following the tenants of my faith as laid out in the Holy Bible. It was not until I was about 6 years old that I would say I started making the transition from having the faith my parents imparted to me and transitioning to having a faith of my own. I have continued practicing and increasing my knowledge of the Christian faith continuously for the past 32 years. I have been actively involved in my church in roles such as greeter, usher, soundboard operator, and youth counselor, in addition to small groups and Bible study groups.

One of the chief tenants of my faith is that all humans were created by God in His image “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26 NIV), this also requires that we believe all human life is sacred “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV) and to be protected, regardless of their age or state. The current Covid-19 shots available to me utilized fetal stem cells either in the development phase or in the final product [2] [3]. These fetal stem cells are from cell lines that were harvested from electively aborted babies, since I believe all human life has been created by God and is thus sacred, I cannot knowingly participate in nor benefit from the murder of innocent life. “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17 NIV). I have already written an essay [3] on this subject and it can be found in the attached appendix.

Another area of great concern rises from the fact that the current Covid-19 “vaccines” are based on mRNA technology, a new cutting-edge field with limited, if any, long-term data on the effect it has on the recipient. I believe that Humans are created in the image of God, this “vaccine” is in fact gene-therapy [4] [5] and alters the very building blocks by which God has made me. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV)

Initially, the “experts” said that the mRNA would cause temporary changes and would not make permanent changes to our bodies or DNA, but science has already identified viral genes in the human genome [6] [7]. Viruses are just protein-wrapped packets of RNA or DNA [8] [9] and they are capable of genetic transfer into a host genome. As previously stated, I believe I have been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26 NIV) and that “[He] created my inmost being; [He] knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made… My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths… Your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Psalm 139:13-16 NIV), I believe that based on the teaching of the Holy Bible and my interpretation of the science, that injecting the mRNA based Covid-19 shots into my body will permanently alter the very building blocks of what makes me who I am and doing so would be contrary to God’s intended order.

I believe that God created me and the rest of creation as stated in the Holy Bible, and that He designed me with the ability to survive in his created order for as long as I am meant to. ”…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16 NIV) As part of His design, He has given me an immune system that is capable of detecting, fighting off, and building future defenses for innumerable pathogens. Traditional vaccines were built based on knowledge of how the immune system functioned and focused on efficiently programming it without harming the host. The traditional method of building a vaccine is to denature or break a pathogen’s ability to harm, then introduce it to a person’s body, enabling their immune system to develop antibodies to fight future infection of that pathogen and its potential variants. The Covid-19 shot works in a fundamentally different way than traditional vaccinations in that it injects mRNA into the body attempting to elicit a favorable immune response. I believe that this runs contrary to God’s created natural order and tampering with it in a way that circumnavigates the normal processes has dire consequences, both spiritually and physically.

Altering our DNA, that which fundamentally makes us human, leads us to a point where we cease to be human and instead are transhuman [10], no longer created as God intended [4], but made in our own image. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man… [they] changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.” (Romans 1:22-25)

On December 29th of 2020, I tested positive for Covid-19 [11] after starting to experience mild symptoms, I took my vitamins, rested, and trusted that the immune system God design in me would do its job and after 3 days I was feeling pretty much back to normal. Eight months later on August 9th of 2021, I had an antibody test [12] performed and as expected, and God designed, I tested positive for naturally acquired SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies. According to Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of the mRNA technology, he says that those who have already had Covid-19 should not get the “vaccine” since there is currently a lack of data on the potential risks for that demographic [13]. Second, since I have already had a mild case of Covid-19 and still possess SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, many studies suggest that I have equal or greater immunity compared to those who have received the “vaccine” [14] [15] [16].

Even if I did not have unsurmountable religious and ethical objections to the current Covid-19 shots, I would still be struggling to justify receiving it based on the facts that I have natural immunity, I am not in an at-risk category, and the lack of long-term data on a new medical technology. It would not be the first time that an FDA-approved product was recalled due to unintended side effects in the long-term [17]. Because of my personal sincerely-held religious beliefs as a Christian, following the teachings of God contained in the Holy Bible and the freedoms afforded to me by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States [18] and by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act [19], I am seeking exemption from the requirement that I receive the Covid-19 shot as a contingency for my continued employment.

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REFERENCES:

[1] J. Piper, “Can I Take a Vaccine Made from Aborted Babies?,” Desiring God, 04 Jan 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/can-i-take-a-vaccine-made-from-aborted-babies/. [Accessed 11 Dec 2021].

[2] P. David Prentice, “Charlotte Lozier Institut,” 30 Sep 2020. [Online]. Available: https://lozierinstitute.org/update-covid-19-vaccine-candidates-and-abortion-derived-cell-lines/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[3] N. Gross, “A Christian’s Consideration of the Morality of the Covid-19 Shot,” 09 Feb 2021. [Online]. Available: http://www.misbeehayvin.com/nates-notes/a-christians-consideration-of-the-morality-of-the-covid-19-shot/.

[4] J. Bingham, “Bayer executive: mRNA shots are ‘gene therapy’ marketed as ‘vaccines’ to gain public trust,” Life Site, 10 November 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bayer-executive-mrna-shots-are-gene-therapy-marketed-as-vaccines-to-gain-public-trust/. [Accessed 17 November 2021].

[5] W. H. Summit, “KEY 01 – Opening Ceremony – World Health Summit 2021,” YouTube, 24 Oct 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJFKBritLlc&list=PLsrCyC4w5AZ8F0xsD3_rzLcfxHbOBRX4W/. [Accessed 11 Dec 2021].

[6] J. H. Wildschutte, Z. H. Williams, . M. Montesion, R. P. Subramanian, J. M. Kidd and J. M. Coffin, “Discovery of unfixed endogenous retrovirus insertions in diverse human populations,” Sci News, 21 Mar 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.pnas.org/content/113/16/E2326/. [Accessed 11 Dec 2021].

[7] J. H. Wildschutte, Z. H. Williams, . M. Montesion, R. P. Subramanian, J. M. Kidd and J. M. Coffin, “Discovery of unfixed endogenous retrovirus insertions in diverse human populations,” Sci News, 21 Mar 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.pnas.org/content/113/16/E2326/. [Accessed 11 Dec 2021].

[8] T. McNeil, “What Are Viruses and How Do They Work?,” Tufts Now, 03 Apr 2020. [Online]. Available: https://now.tufts.edu/articles/what-are-viruses-and-how-do-they-work/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[9] “This Is What Happens When A Virus Enters The Human Body,” Fifarma, 15 Oct 2020. [Online]. Available: https://fifarma.org/en/this-is-what-happens-when-a-virus-enters-the-human-body/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[10] C. Lin, “Gene-editing, Moderna, and transhumanism,” The Times Of Israel, 5 Aug 2020. [Online]. Available: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gene-editing-moderna-and-transhumanism/. [Accessed 29 Sep 2021].

[11] “SARS-CoV-2 Test Results,” 2020.

[12] “SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test Result,” 2021.

[13] C. Eberhart, “Inventor of mRNA vaccines says young adults and teens should not be forced to take COVID vaccine,” Daily Mail Onlin, 24 Jun 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9719891/Inventor-mRNA-vaccines-says-young-adults-teens-not-forced-COVID-vaccine.html/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[14] S. Gazit, R. Shlezinger, G. Perez, R. Lotan, A. Peretz, A. Ben-Tov, D. Cohen, K. Muhsen, G. Chodick and T. Patalon, “Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections,” medRxiv, 25 Aug 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.21262415v1/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[15] C. Melore, “Mild COVID-19 cases can lead to antibody protection for life,” Study Finds, 25 May 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.studyfinds.org/mild-covid-19-antibody-for-life/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[16] M. N. Ly, “Previous COVID-19 Infection Protects Against Delta Variant Better Than Pfizer Vaccine: Study,” The Epoch Times, 27 Aug 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.theepochtimes.com/previous-covid-19-infection-protects-against-delta-variant-better-than-pfizer-vaccine-study_3967844.html/. [Accessed 28 Sep 2021].

[17] J. Christensen, “Past vaccine disasters show why rushing a coronavirus vaccine now would be ‘colossally stupid’,” CNN: Health, 1 Sep 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/01/health/eua-coronavirus-vaccine-history/index.html/. [Accessed 27 Sep 2021].

[18] The Constitution of the United States, 1787.

[19] “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, [Online]. Available: https://das.ohio.gov/Portals/0/DASDivisions/EqualOpportunity/pdf/AAEEO_TitleVllCivilRightsActof1964.pdf/. [Accessed 11 Dec 2021].

By Nate Gross, 09/February/2021

Let me start by saying that the following has been written to those who claim to be Christians and/or pro-life, (e.g. protecting the unborn child). If neither of these labels apply to you, then this debate will most likely not be of interest to you.

The Covid-19 shot has been lauded as a miracle of science and many Christians are singing its praises for the salvation it will bring [1]. However, there is a dark side to this story for which every Christian must be aware so that a morally informed decision can be made as to whether one should be getting the shot or not. Christians are to be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16) and trained to discern good from evil (Heb. 5:14). Yet it seems Christians increasingly choose to be intellectual lemmings, ignoring how soaked in the mire of this world we have become. They have little clue how to parse scripture against the world beliefs that surround them.

Some groups have been voicing the health and scientific concerns of the Covid-19 shots and their underlying technology, but for this discussion we will be ignoring those concerns and only focus on the moral issues.

Let’s get a little background. Stem cell technology has been gaining traction in the development and treatment of various diseases, and though you may have heard the term, you may not actually understand what stem cell technology is. Put simply, there is a type of cell that is, essentially, blank, but contains all of the genetic code to become any type of cell found in the human body. These cells are found in abundance in unborn babies because their bodies are in the process of developing the numerous specialized parts which differentiate the various organs, bones, and tissue. Scientists have discovered that they can harvest, clone, and then use these stem cells to make any tissues they need. The dark side is that out of the numerous lines of stem cells one can order, almost all have been harvested from “electively aborted” babies, this means that a baby was killed and cut up to be used for science.

To further simplify our discussion, we are only going to look at two of the Covid-19 shots now available manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna. Highly simplified, the shots work by taking mRNA, wrapping it in a lipid (e.g. fat or oil), and injecting it into a person. Once injected, the lipid droplets stick to cells and the mRNA is taken inside. What is mRNA? It is messenger RNA, a single-stranded copy of a gene copied off DNA. Think of it like this. If one were to build a skyscraper, does the builder take the master plan for the building out to the construction site each day where it can get ruined or blown away by the wind? No, one makes a copy and simplifies it by removing any information that could confuse the construction foreman. In the case of the Covid-19 shot, the mRNA is used to program the ribosomes in the cells to make a specific spike protein, which eventually leads to a way for the immune system to identify and destroy the SARS-CoV-2 virus [2].

The moral dilemma is that Pfizer and Moderna have disclosed that they used stem cell lines HEK-293 [3] and PER.C6 [4] in the research and development phases [5]. HEK-293 was derived from the kidney of a healthy baby in the Netherlands electively aborted in 1972 and PER.C6 originated from human embryonic retina cells from a normal 18-week baby aborted baby in 1985 [6].

Both Pfizer and Moderna have noted that they do not “require” the use of fetal stem cells in the production of individual doses [5, 7]. Of course, this is semantic wordplay as the original research did use stem cells taken from the aborted babies, it just means that you will not be injecting any of those cells into your body.

The moral question remaining for each Christian to answer is this. Is using a technology that was made possible by the murder of two babies to harvest their cells for cloning morally acceptable?

Proponents of the shots argue that since the abortions happened decades ago and the aborted baby stem cells were only used in the testing and development, this makes it morally acceptable.

If the use of old stem cell lines today does not promote or encourage the harvesting of more fetal tissues from aborted babies tomorrow then, arguably, we might justify it for the “greater good.” An additional question must, therefore, be asked, “Are electively aborted babies being used to generate new research and medical products today?”

In the cases of the HEK-293 [3] and PER.C6 [4] stem cell lines, two babies were electively aborted at a hospital or clinic, and their bodies used for research. However, due to the pressure from the pro-life movement, this form of harvesting stem cells has fallen out of favor today and many point to this fact as a reason that it is morally acceptable to continue the use of these stem cell lines. To get ahead of the aborted baby stem cell controversy, stem cells are now created and harvested in the lab. The embryonic sources are derived from human eggs and sperm (no human womb) in which the embryo is conceived via in vitro fertilization with the sole purpose of harvesting tissue for new cell lines at days 4 and 5 [8].

The Bible teaches that life begins at conception [9]. Thus, a 4 to 5-day old petri dish baby is no different from one conceived in the womb – and this directly answers our original question: Yes, electively aborted babies, via petri dish culture, are being used to generate new research and medical products today. The only distinction between abortions of 30-40 years ago versus today is the age of the child at the time of harvest. No matter how far removed, both fetal and embryonic stem cell technologies do encourage further development of the technology and perpetration of new evils on the innocent [10].

How will you, the reader, answer our original question: Is using a technology that was made possible by the murder of two babies morally acceptable?” Is moving the harvest to the petri dish more acceptable? Christian, the facts have been presented and now it is up to you [11]. Will you choose to trust in God and follow His ways, or blaze your own trail and trust in science?

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REFERENCES:

[1] D. Crary, “Anti-abortion faith leaders support use of COVID-19 vaccines,” PBS, 10 JAN 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/anti-abortion-faith-leaders-support-use-of-covid-19-vaccines. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[2] J. C. Carl Zimmer, “Explained: a visual guide to how the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine works,” The Irish Times, 17 DEC 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/explained-a-visual-guide-to-how-the-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-works-1.4436433. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[3] “HEK 293 cells,” Wikipedia, 02 FEB 2021. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEK_293_cells. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[4] “PER.C6 Cell Lines,” Creative Biolabs, 04 FEB 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.gmp-creativebiolabs.com/per-c6-cell-lines_74.htm. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[5] N. D. Health, “COVID-19 Vaccines & Fetal Cell Lines,” 29 DEC 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20Vaccine%20Page/COVID-19%20Vaccine%20Fetal%20Cell%20Handout.pdf. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[6] C. Novielli, “A guide to human fetal cell lines from aborted children used in vaccine development,” Live Action, 30 DEC 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.liveaction.org/news/guide-fetal-cell-lines-aborted-vaccine-development/. [Accessed 09 FEB 2021].

[7] R. Randall, “3 Bioethical Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines,” Christianity Today, 13 JAN 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-web-only/covid-19-vaccine-christian-ethical-questions-fetal-cells.html. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[8] “Myths and Misconceptions About Stem Cell Research,” CIRM, FEB 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.cirm.ca.gov/patients/myths-and-misconceptions-about-stem-cell-research. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[9] D. T. Mitchell, “When Does Life Begin?,” Answers in Genesis, 26 AUG 2010. [Online]. Available: https://answersingenesis.org/sanctity-of-life/when-does-life-begin/. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[10] “Stem Cells Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Adult Stem Cells, HESC), By Application, By Technology, By Therapy, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 – 2027,” Grand View Research, FEB 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/stem-cells-market. [Accessed 04 FEB 2021].

[11] J. Piper, “Can I Take a Vaccine Made from Aborted Babies?,” Desiring God, 04 JAN 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/can-i-take-a-vaccine-made-from-aborted-babies. [Accessed 09 FEB 2021].

By Nate Gross, 11/Jan/2014

To kill, or not to kill? I think Jesus means exactly what he says in Luke 22:36 when tells His disciples “to buy a sword.” Two verses later we see that He told them that the two swords they already possessed would be “enough.” Here are a couple of points that I take away from this passage. One, as Christians we are to be ready and able to fight and defend. Two, arming ourselves is not to be our main focus; after all, there were just two swords for eleven disciples and that was “enough.” I also find it interesting that Jesus was not surprised by the fact that the disciples already had a couple of swords, perhaps He expected them to, after all the Jewish people have had a long-standing need to defend themselves (Nehemiah 4:17).

Defense, not Offense – Scripture repeatedly sets the precedent for the use of lethal force in the defense of others, mainly the defenseless (Nehemiah 4:14, Isaiah 1:17, Esther 8:11-12, Ezekiel 33:2). The Bible also teaches that our body is a temple of The Lord and as such we have a responsibility to protect and preserve it (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). One example is that of a woman fighting-off an attacker intent on raping her, the Bible clearly teaches that sex is reserved for the one we marry and no other. So in a case such as this self-defense is permitted, but more on self-defense versus defending others further on.

Just War – There are a few cases in the Bible when offensive defense (just or righteous war) is practiced. One is found in the book of Esther 9:1-5, where the Jewish people pursue and kill those who plotted to kill them and Joshua 8:1-2 is another example. Here are a few considerations taken from “War: Four Christian Views by Robert G. Clouse” for Christians when weighting the justness of a war:

“Just cause. All aggression is condemned; only defensive war is legitimate.
Just intention. The only legitimate intention is to secure a just peace for all involved. Neither revenge nor conquest nor economic gain nor ideological supremacy are justified.
Last resort. War may only be entered upon when all negotiations and compromise have been tried and failed (Deuteronomy 20:10).
Formal declaration. Since the use of military force is the prerogative of governments, not of private individuals, a state of war must be officially declared by the highest authorities.
Limited objectives. If the purpose is peace, then unconditional surrender or the destruction of a nation’s economic or political institutions is an unwarranted objective.
Proportionate means. The weaponry and the force used should be limited to what is needed to repel the aggression and deter future attacks, that is to say to secure a just peace. Total or unlimited war is ruled out.
Noncombatant immunity. Since war is an official act of government, only those who are officially agents of government may fight, and individuals not actively contributing to the conflict (including POW’s and casualties as well as civilian nonparticipants) should be immune from attack.”
Defense of Property – The Bible does not make an allowance for taking a life in the defense of property. All life, including the life of a thief is sacred to God and being of eternal substance should not be valued above the things of this world which will soon pass away (1 John 2:17, Luke 21:33, 2 Corinthians 4:18). There is one passage in Exodus 22:2 were it says, “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed…” and many I have read take this passage to mean that you can protect your home. However, I believe this passage is more about protecting those in the home than it is about defending ones property. In the heat of the moment you cannot always determine the severity of the threat posed by the intruder and in this case the Scripture make the allowance for you to shoot first and ask questions later.

A Time and A Place – There is a right time and place for the use of force and as Christians, we have to be especially discerning. John 18:10-11 is a perfect example where we read, “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”” Peter made several mistakes here and we would be wise to learn from him. The first is that he attempted to defend someone who neither wanted nor required defense, we should take care that we are coming to the aid of those who actually need or require it. The second is that he attacked the servant of the high priest, a man who was not in charge or in a position of authority and may have been there for no other reason than his master ordered it so. When we do decide to act we need to make sure that we know who we are taking action against and what our objective is. In Matthew 26:51-53 we read another account of the same incident: “And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus tells Peter that those who live by the sword will die by the sword; what does this mean? Not long before this incident Jesus told His disciples to buy a sword and now he is telling them that if they use it, they will die by it. Here are my take-away conclusions for this passage. First, Christians often have (and should as Christ has) an elevated sense of wrong and injustice. “To err is human” but a Christian must be cognizant of his sin nature and tendency to try to purify and correct by use of the sword rather than prayer and living by example (Psalms 44:6, 1 Samuel 17:47). Second, taking a life changes and often twists a person’s soul and there is a spiritual price to pay. We read in 1 Chronicles 22:8 and 28:3 that God did not permit King David to build the temple because he had “shed…blood” and had “been a man of war.” Now David had committed murder which the Bible does differentiate from killing in defense, but non-the-less we should not take the issue lightly.

Self Defense, What Would Jesus Do? – In my studies of the Scripture I have not found a single verse where it condones self defense, though it stops short of condemning it. I read in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin;” and in Hebrews 2:17-18, “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Jesus has lived as we have lived, He has felt as we have felt and I think that this is the reason that the Scripture lays out such a broad path. The ideal (Jesus) has walked the middle of the road, but He has made and allowance for us to stray a little without going of the road. What a merciful and loving Savior! In Matthew 5:39 we read, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Jesus is the standard that each one of us if to strive to live up to, a high one indeed. Even as He was being tortured and crucified He forgave and too should we.

In Closing – This is why I believe that Christian can and even have a responsibility to be armed and ready to defend the defenseless. However, self-defense is a decision remains a personal decision between each person and God. I personally have decided that I will not take a life in defense of my own as long as there is not another relying on me for protection and wellbeing. As a single guy, I really do not have anyone who solely relies on me; I do have parents who, as they age, will increasingly rely on me as well as my unmarried sisters. This is where each person must choose for himself if there are others counting on them and how far they are willing to go . This tough choice and many others are one of the reasons that the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 7:8 saying, “But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am.” When others rely on us, our responsibilities shift and often our responses are limited, thus, making our choices that much more difficult. At the end of the day “…I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved [me] from [my] enemies, And have put to shame those who hated [me]. In God [I] boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. SELAH” – Psalms 44:6-8

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REFERENCES:

Luke 22:36 – Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Nehemiah 4:17 – Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.

Nehemiah 4:14 – And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

Esther 8:11-12 – By these letters, the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women and to plunder their possessions, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Ezekiel 33:2 – “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Esther 9:1-5 – Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.

Joshua 8:1-2 – Now the LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. “And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”

Deuteronomy 20:10 – When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.

John 2:17 – Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

Luke 21:33 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

2 Corinthians 4:18 – while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Exodus 22:2 – If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.

John 18:10-11 – Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

Matthew 26:51-53 – And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

Psalms 44:6 – For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me.

1 Samuel 17:47 – “Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

1 Chronicles 22:8 – “but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.

1 Chronicles 28:3 – “But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’

Hebrews 4:15 – For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 2:17-18 – Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Matthew 5:39 – “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

1 Corinthians 7:8 – But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;

Psalms 44:6-8 – For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us. In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah

By Nate Gross, 19/May/2012

Bio-engineering and especially that which pertains to the creation of GMO foods is at best unwise and at its worst a nightmare waiting to happen. The primary concern over GMO products is in the area of “horizontal gene transfer” wherein some of the modified genes in a plant are transferred to another species. Besides the dangers of this process happening between two species of plant, there is also the danger of a transfer to bacteria, insects, or animals. As these recipients were not the intended target of these gene changes, there is the danger of undesirable or even catastrophic outcomes.

One of the earliest and probably one of the most well known GMO crops is that of the Roundup Ready® soybeans. Roundup is a glyphosate-based toxin that is designed to block a plant’s ability to synthesize an enzyme called 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3-phosphate synthetase or EPEPS [1]. This enzyme allows the plant to synthesize aromatic amino acids, without which the plant dies [1].

Roundup was developed and introduced by Monsanto in 1973 [1]. From that time, up to the mid to late 1990s, despite the global widespread use of Roundup, not a single glyphosate-resistant plant had developed [2]. After the introduction of Roundup Ready crops instances of superweeds began to accumulate. These superweeds include Palmer amaranth (2004), Conyza biotypes (2008), Ryegrass, Johnsongrass, and Coca [3].

When Monsanto set out to develop a glyphosate-tolerant seed line they were unable to find a suitable gene from another plant species so they turned to bacteria. It was found that the bacterium Agrobacterium species (strain CP4) had the desired gene sequence [1]. Also, due to the method employed in the gene splicing several other genes were also incorporated. These genes include the “cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, the EPSPS chloroplast transit protein (CTP) sequence from petunias, and the 3′ untranslated region of the nopaline synthetase gene (NOS3′)” [1]. The method Monsanto used to insert the new genes was a bacterial plasmid vector using E. coli bacteria [2]. By using a parasitic gene injection method, they were able to effectively make a chimera. A part plant and part bacteria life form.

Yet another example of horizontal transfer of genetic information is outlined in a 4-year study by Professor Hans-Hinrich Kaatz a German zoologist of the University of Jena’s Bee Institute [4]. His study has yet to be published and he has been reluctant to talk about his research until it has been published in a research journal, but the main topic is as follows [5].

In his study, Professor Kaatz has found evidence that genes used to modify crops can jump the species barrier and cause bacteria to mutate [5]. He looked at GMO oil seed rape and found that genes used to modify the plant had transferred into the genome of bacteria living in the digestive tracks of bees that visited the fields of the modified crops [5]. “The study reveals that novel genes from genetically engineered crops and food may cause changes to take place in the intestinal tracts of people and animals” [4]. The results of which are yet unknown.

In conclusion, the creation and widespread use of GMO crops do have an impact on the environment around them. The results of this impact are yet to be determined. “Genetic engineering creates vast arrays of transgenic DNA that could spread, not only through cross-pollination with the same or related species but also through the direct uptake of the transgenic DNA by cells of unrelated species, a process called horizontal gene transfer” [6]. Playing god is a role we were never intended to play, and a dangerous one at that.

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REFERENCES:

[1] “Organic or GMO?,” psrast.org/, [Online]. Available: http://www.psrast.org/subeqau.htm.

[2] L. A. Moran, “Roundup Ready® Transgenic Plants,” Sandwalk, 14 MAR 2007. [Online]. Available: http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2007/03/roundup-ready-transgenic-plants.html.

[3] “Roundup (herbicide),” Wikipedia, [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_(herbicide).

[4] “Gene 48,” Progress, [Online]. Available: http://www.progress.org/gene48.html.

[5] A. Barnett, “GM genes ‘jump species barrier’,” The Guardian, 27 MAY 2000. [Online]. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2000/may/28/gm.food?cat=science&type=article.

[6] “Horizontal Gene Transfer from GMOs Does Happen,” Science in Society, [Online]. Available: http://www.i-sis.org.uk/horizontalGeneTransfer.php.