I went to the school office to pick up the mail for the library, two magazines had come in: Time and National Geographic.
Now I would have to say that to me, these are world class magazines, to be on the cover of either makes a statement. So I was shocked to see the messages on each cover: “Is Truth Dead” and “The Next Human”.
My first response was to say out loud, to no one in particular, “Truth is surely not dead, Truth is a person and He is alive and well” (and that person is Jesus). Intrigued at their logic I had to read what was up and I got enlightened…..
The Time magazine, April 2017, was the “Is Truth Dead” article – it was an expose on Donald Trump – and statements he had and has made during his campaign and since his election. Well I was able to get past the article but not the front of the magazine.
The front was a take from April 8, 1966 when Time did a piece on – Is God Dead? Both covers put out there to the world – is there a God and is there Truth? On both accounts I want to shout a huge bellowing “YES.”
Can we please get another cover on Time magazine giving an emphatic “YES” with stories to go with it…. It is only fair to give the alternate view if they want to ask the question – just saying?
The National Geographic April 2017 magazine – the cover picture depicts a primitive ape man going forward to a robotic man. The one article – Beyond Human by D. T. Max “Like any other species, we are the product of millions of years of evolution. Now we’re taking matters into our own hands.” What a scary thought – mankind has not done well in history and now we are taking matters into our own hands?
The question they ask is “Is man still evolving?” Their answer – “Yes, under the influence of culture and technology.”
“Present Day and Near Future Do-It-Yourself Evolution” – for me this still does not prove evolution rather that man is trying to prove evolution by his own fix it methods…..
The article states: “Now we’re developing powerful new gene-editing tools that could bring about human-directed evolution. Most research has been on other organisms – for instance, attempting to change a mosquito genome so the insect cannot transmit Zika or malaria. We could harness the same techniques to “design” our babies – simply choose a preferred hair or eye color. But should we? “There’s definitely a dark side,” says bioethicist Linda MacDonald Glenn, “but I do think humanity-plus is inevitable. We are, by our nature, tinkerers.”
The whole article/section was long so I have just highlighted some parts but the following are items mentioned in the article: natural selection, human enhancements, embryo selection and choosing the most intelligent embryo, or the ability to choose which desirable traits – eye color, hair color, even being able to duplicate desirable embryos. The article does mention the scary fact of “who sets the bar?” (to decide what is desirable, will the country with the most money win?)
“More than 50 years ago two scientists coined the word “cyborg” for an imaginary organism – part human, part machine. It seemed science fiction, but today people have implants embedded into their skin that can unlock doors or log into their computers without touching anything. Neil Harbisson, who can perceive colors only by transforming them into sounds he can hear through an antenna implanted in his head.
From prosthetics to pharmaceuticals, humans have been using technology to alter their physical and mental capabilities for thousands of years. Now, with our rapid advances in technology, some people are embracing human augmentation as a means of expressing themselves and experiencing the world in a totally different way.”
One company – “Dangerous Things has sold over 10,000 RFID (Radio–frequency identification devices) chips as well as do-it-yourself kits. The people who buy them call themselves body hackers or grinders.”
I looked up Dangerous Things and was astonished at their product line: “Custom gadgetry for the discerning biohacker”. "We believe that biohacking is the next phase in human evolution."
They sell RFID's - 4 kinds to be exact. What can you do with them?
"Our x-series transponders are the most popular transponder implants because they are easily installed using an injection assembly (a needle). Because they are installed using a needle, we partner with professional body piercers to ensure our customers can get our products installed safely by a licensed professional in a sterile studio environment. Our flex transponders are more advanced, with better performance, but installation requires a medical doctor or a skilled and licensed professional body modification artist who is familiar with more advanced body modification procedures.
For humans, it typically means replacing keys and passwords... identity as applied to access control. Dangerous Things team members use their transponders to
enter their homes, unlock and start their vehicles, log into computers, etc. The specifics of how you can accomplish those actions depends on the thing you want to access, ability to hack/update it, and the transponder you have.” https://dangerousthings.com
For as low as $39.00 I can order an injectable RFID Kit – complete with the needle to place it under my skin or pay $200 for the Flex transponders and have a body piercer or Dr. place it there.
Reading these 2 magazines was almost traumatizing, we have arrived my friends. We have kicked God off the throne and decided it is time that mankind take over from baby making to human making and we have assisted suicide to choose when we end life. These have always been God decisions, but I guess we think we know better.
I know my Bible well enough to know that God will only allow us to go so far before He decides it has to stop, so the questions rolling around in my mind ..… what will He do and when and heaven help us if He does not.