I believe that trees are an important part of our global ecosystem.
I understand the truth that marine phytoplankton are much more important. I recognize the value of our coral reefs as the environment for unimaginable numbers of endemic species.
I understand that trees are living creatures created by God for a purpose that has for a long time been greater than our understanding. It is because a system that would be almost completely closed would have to be created by itself to be stable.
The universe is an evolving place. It is difficult to determine its purpose. The rules of creation are even greater than that for creating life. Because, I believe in God I believe he had a number of hours greater than my ability to assign a number to. It is for that reason, prophets in the Bible would say he always has been. To say that does not say he has always been how He is now. With knowledge greater than I am able to describe we could call him omniscient and who would argue. I believe that God has an understanding of physics that he can perceive time the way we perceive space. With a knowledge of all manner of science he could start the tiniest reaction that would have the greatest over all result. As an observer of his creation he could influence the overall reaction and yield.
I believe that it is more personal than just an experiment. I believe we are His children. I think that He has done things to help us. I think there have been a lot of people that have twisted and morphed the meaning of His directions. I think there have been too many wicked things done in His name. I think he would want us to do what we could to better our lives.
I think it is the best interest of our species to maintain a healthy planet. I believe all people have a responsibility to clean up after themselves. I value life. I believe that no matter what happens next; we should try to help those that will be happy to be happy. We should allow for life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Which means we should investigate where the answers to our health may be waiting. God allows us to be imperfect. If stem cell research is the answer then we should look where it goes. I recognize that it is a huge step from human cloning. (most religionists I know do not) I do not believe anything we can do with science is going to make God jealous. Let us examine King David. I believe that he ruled and his people accepted him as called of God. But, I know that if God is all knowing and would never choose to establish a monarchy. The people were just doing that. And, it was not going to wipe them out and was reasonable for the culture. So perhaps he was called by God directly our merely by him being a product of a system. I don't know. I wasn't there. I know that not every person who claims to be God or a prophet will be.
I think we have a responsibility to respect the rights of the people who would pay for that kind of research. We should consider what we can do with the research before we dive in. Because, if we chose health over the beliefs of the people who have concerns of any kind it should be so we can offer results. We must know more before we can start cloning. There is still so much to learn that we could not in good conscious create an intelligent person. I am not against it because God said so. I have only read one passage that concerns cloning and it was an example of God doing it. I just don't think we know enough about intelligence to have to tell someone they are an experiment that the world is watching. Unless you harvest a cell from a zygote and can preserve it to find out what kind of person it will be before the experiment you can't be sure of the genetic material. Until you can scan a person genome down to the last base pair in an instant you can't clone him/her.
The impression I get from most people is they will only believe in God if He/She fits what they want. Or they refuse to believe because the understanding they have does not allow for it. They understand God to be a certain way but it conflicts with something they believe so they choose not to believe. Either way that is your choice.
Some people think they have a right, given by God, to force peaceful people be a certain way. I don't think anybody has that right. Very rarely, for criminals and times of war, some people have that duty. But, it has never been about religion. Even when the war was over religion. The war is wrong but people on both sides have a duty to preserve life and liberty.
I believe God wants us to do the right thing and we should look for it. I don't believe we are supposed to sit and wait for God to come down and cure disease. He would never say "Hey your moving in on my turf. Quit with all that evil science! Unless it was evil. It shouldn't take God to tell us what is right and wrong. If we are to get anything after this life we need to take our talents and increase them. The guy who lost everything is the guy who buried his talents for fear of getting punished.
Now where can you demonstrate for me where my religion tells me I can't learn about and teach and live bioethics. You may not agree with my stands an some issues. But, you cannot say that it is because my religion is in the way.
