© 2002 Paul Premsagar, MD
© 2002 The Urantia Book Fellowship
| Centering — A Method of Divine Embrace | Volume 4, Number 1, 2002 (Summer) — Index | Revelatory Mouthpiecing |
The Fellowship Herald of the summer of 2001 published an article entitled “Ethical Eugenics: A Modest Proposal for the 21st Century” written by Charles (Chick) Montgomery. I am writing this in response to it, pointing out where I disagree with Chick based on my understanding of the teaching of The Urantia Book. What follows is not a rebuttal, but another perspective. I have used quotes from The Urantia Book to support my arguments.
“The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. Man’s primordial ancestors were literally the slime and ooze of the ocean bed…in which the Life Carriers established the three independent life implantations on Urantia.” UB 65:2.1 Such a humble origin of man notwithstanding, it is the eternal plan of God to elevate him to divine status into the Paradise of the Universal Father, and to make him stand in his very presence.
From the time man appears on a planet to the time the planet attains the age of light and life many ages must elapse. This long period of time includes the reign of two rulers of divine origin, the Planetary Prince and the Material Son and Daughter. hi the regular course of events these divine beings design and plan for man’s ascent from little more than an animal to a God knowing person. The Planetary Prince and the Material Son exercise authority to bring about unity among the various people of the planet and rule on the biological fitness or otherwise of the inhabitants.
Urantia, the sentimental shrine of the whole of Nebadon, suffered double disasters in that the Planetary Prince rebelled and the Material Son defaulted. Thus our planet is irregular in its developmental course. If our planet had not suffered these disasters, we would have both the Planetary Prince and the Material Son resident on the planet; but as matters stand, they are absent.
Urantia is unique in the local universe in that the Creator Son bestowed himself here, and after his death and resurrection poured out the Spirit of Truth and released the Thought Adjusters to indwell all normal minds. There are probably many other planets in the local universe wherein a bestowal Son of the Avonal order incarnated and later released the Spirit of Truth.
In any discussion of improving the human species on Urantia by selective methods of procreation, three factors must be kept in mind: (1) absence of the resident celestial rulers in the persons of the Planetary Prince and the Material Son and Daughter, (2) Pentecost that sent the Spirit of Truth to help all those of honest heart, and (3) Thought Adjusters that indwell all men and women of normal minds.
There is one other important factor that we need to keep in mind in planning to improve the human species. There is in man an immortal soul—“the joint offspring of an adjutant mind dominated by a human will that craves to know God, working in liaison with the spiritual forces of the universe which are under the overcontrol of an actual fragment of the very God of all creation—the Mystery Monitor.” UB 111:2.10 The free will of an individual and the developing soul puts human beings far above the rest of the animals, and any consideration of manipulating genes in the name of eugenics must take this into consideration. The Urantia Book repeatedly states that God does not interfere with the free will in humans. No human being has any right to coerce others in matters of procreation.
Such judgment is the prerogative of gods and even they are forbidden to interfere with free will. The Urantia Book categorically states that there are no competent judges to determine the biological fitness or unfitness of the individuals on Urantia. UB 51:4.8 We ought not to arrogate to ourselves the divine prerogative of the Planetary Prince and the Material Son who in the ordinary course of events practice eugenics in their wisdom.
Such a situation does not obtain on Urantia at present.
In describing the Adamic default, The Urantia Book states that the biological uplift that Adam was to confer on the inhabitants of the planet miscarried and laments that by describing some human beings in very uncomplimentary terms. The implication is that the genetic endowment that Adam carried did not reach all the inhabitants in sufficient quantity and hence some are a drag and a bane on the planet. Do we as individuals have a role to play in improving the character of those The Urantia Book considers undesirable? If we have an obligation, how are we to accomplish this? Are genes responsible for some individuals’ undesirable conduct and if so, to what degree? How do they affect the health of human beings? What is their relationship to morality and crime? These crucial questions must be answered before preaching or practicing eugenics. I shall try to answer these questions in light of scientific knowledge of genetics and then use the teachings of The Urantia Book as a lens to examine what can be done ethically and morally to address the problems that we are facing.
In the beginning of the twentieth century Alfred Binet in France formulated a method to predict potential for academic performance of students. Since that time many methods of testing one’s intelligence have been devised, and they all measure the ability of an individual to succeed academically. The exact manner in which intelligence is inherited is not known. At present it is a matter of guesswork, and prediction of intelligence in the offspring is at best a probability. In recent years IQ as we understand it has been subjected to intense scrutiny and a new term called emotional intelligence has come into vogue. It appears emotional intelligence is a measure of a person’s social maturity and positive conduct such as respect for others and social harmony.
How does intelligence relate to one’s spiritual life and his status before God? Jesus said, “There are only two groups of mortals in the eyes of God: those who desire to do his will and those who do not. As the universe looks upon an inhabited world, it likewise discerns two great classes: those who know God and those who do not.” UB 133:0.3
Mere intelligence is not a criterion for knowing God and choosing to do his will. On the contrary, there are a number of instances described in The Urantia Book where superior intelligence did not prevent its possessor from going astray. A prime example of this is Lucifer, who is described as brilliant; and yet in spite of this, or perhaps because of this, pride entered him and he lead a rebellion against God.
Spiritual nature is not correlated with superior intelligence. The Universal Father indwells all humans of normal minds, that is, every one who has the capacity to know God. The Alpheus twins are described in The Urantia Book as being stupid, albeit reverently. The teaching of Jesus on many points was beyond their comprehension. Jesus said that there are millions of such individuals in his universe and commended them for their faith. In his final admonitions to the apostles at the time of the last supper he told them, “. . .I will receive you on high, where in glory you shall tell of your salvation to seraphic hosts and to multitudes of the high Sons of God.” UB 181:2.19 In spiritual terms they fared a lot better than Judas, who for all his learning and talent as a superb executive, wrecked his life and proved a traitor.
When The Urantia Book talks about higher spiritual types, it does not tell us who they are; and to equate people of superior intelligence with them is not warranted. Perhaps by higher spiritual types it means those who trust God and submit to his will and not cerebral heavyweights who have no regard for spiritual matters. Intelligence is a measure of cleverness and The Urantia Book says, “Cleverness is not a substitute for true character.” UB 48:7.3
Although we know the patterns of inheritance for some diseases, we do not know how desirable traits such as kindness, love, trust, and humility are inherited, if they are inherited. There is good evidence in The Urantia Book that these qualities are not dependent on the genes. Adam and Eve possessed ideal and perfect genetic endowment directly imported from Jerusem. The conduct of Eve, that sexual indiscretion with Cano, brought chaos and misery to the whole of the human race. Her ideal genetic endowment did not prevent her from falling prey to vanity and impatience. She disobeyed the warnings of celestial beings not to stray from the right path. Her ideal genes notwithstanding, her conduct was delinquent. True, Eve was not indwelt by a Thought Adjuster, but she had celestial intelligences to consult.
Cain was the offspring of Eve and Cano, who is described as “a magnificent specimen of the survival of the superior physique and outstanding intellect of his remote progenitors of the Prince’s staff” UB 75:3.8 This admirable genetic endowment from his mother and father not-withstanding, Cain was bellicose and proved to be a murderer. He “had never been indtvelt by an Adjuster, had always been defiant of the family discipline and disdainful of his father’s religion.” UB 76:2.8 He later repented; and when he took Eve’s advice, he was indwelt by an Adjuster and became a great man.
Abel, the offspring of Adam and Eve, possessed an “ideal inheritance” and yet nurture overpowered the genes. His intolerance of his half-brother Cain and the taunts that he hurled at him brought about his own death. The Urantia Book states that inheritance in the absence of good nurturing is not very effective. “The observation of Abel’s conduct establishes the value of environment and education as factors in character development. Abel had an ideal inheritance, and heredity lies at the bottom of all character; but the influence of an inferior environment virtually neutralized this magnificent inheritance.” UB 76:2.6 When the book says that the heredity lies at the bottom of all character, I understand it to mean the foundation for subsequent behavior of all kinds, both good and bad. The life an individual leads is not entirely dependent on the foundation as the later description shows. This is a clear indication that we ought to pay more attention to nurture, over which we have control, than to manipulation of genes, over which we have little control.
There is no mention of eugenics in “The Life and Teachings of Jesus.” As a matter of fact, Michael was counseled by Immanuel to start a eugenics program “under no circumstances and not even in the least detail…” UB 120:3.5 Jesus in his love and wisdom invites all the Father’s children to share his faith and enter the kingdom of God. His incarnation and the subsequent bestowal of the Spirit of Truth has radically altered the equation for human behavior. When a man believes the gospel and enters into a relationship with God, extraordinary and great things happen. Simon Peter is an example. On the night of Jesus’ arrest a servant girl bullied him into denying the Master. He left the scene fearing for his life. Just a few weeks later he was so full of courage that the religious leaders of the Jews were astounded and were fear-struck at his boldness. Certainly there was no change in his genes. It was the Spirit of Truth that changed his cowardice into courage.
When we observe bad conduct in people, we ought not rush to the conclusion that it is the result of had genes. If we look at these situations from our heavenly Father’s perspective, we will see things quite differently. Repentance and forgiveness are part of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Lives of many holy men and women attest to this. There have been many who turned to God after less than exemplary lives and led holy lives and proved an inspiration to many. The most desirable qualities are the fruits of the spirit. Jesus said, “And the fruits of the divine spirit which are yielded in the lives of spirit-born and God-knowing mortals are: loving service, unselfish devotion, cow rageous loyalty, sincere fairness, enlightened honesty, undying hope, confiding trust, merciful ministry, unfailing goodness, forgiving tolerance, and enduring peace.” UB 193:2.2 These are not consequent on genes.
The relationship of the will and the Thought Adjuster is exemplified in The Urantia Book thus: “Mind is your ship, the Adjuster is your pilot, the human will is captain. The master of the mortal vessel should have the wisdom to trust the divine pilot to guide the ascending soul into the morontia harbors of eternal survival. Only by selfishness, slothfulness, and sinfulness can the will of man reject the guidance of such a loving pilot and eventually wreck the mortal career upon the evil shoals of rejected mercy and upon the rocks of embraced sin. With your consent, this faithful pilot will safely carry you across the barriers of time and the handicaps of space to the very source of the divine mind and on beyond, even to the Paradise Father of Adjusters.” UB 111:1.9
We can also compare the genetic endowment to the foundation of a building and the superstructure to the result of life choices of the resident, the human will. True, the foundation limits the superstructure, but the builder is at liberty to build to suit his needs, and most importantly, to invite into his house guests of his choice. The divine fragment is his constant companion and never forces him. Man can enjoy the companionship of the Thought Adjuster and lead a divine life. He can also spurn the guidance of the divine spirit and make his home a source of evil. Certainly one cannot blame foundation for a man’s choice of house guests. “The material mind of mortal man is the cosmic loom that carries the morontia fabrics on which the indwelling Thought Adjuster threads the spirit patterns of a universe character of enduring values and divine meanings—a surviving soul of ultimate destiny and unending career, a potential finaliter.” UB 111:2.2
Jesus in his talk on self-mastery quoting the prophet Jeremiah, warned his listeners saying, “Did not the Prophet Jeremiah long ago tell you that the human heart is deceitful above all things and sometimes even desperately wicked? How easy for you to become self-deceived and thereby fall into foolish fears, diverse lusts, enslaving pleasures, malice, envy, and even vengeful hatred!” UB 143:2.5 In the same discourse, Jesus told his disciples, “By the old way you seek to suppress, obey, and conform, to the rules of living; by the new way you are first transformed by the Spirit of Truth and thereby strengthened in your inner said by the constant spiritual renew ing of your mind, and so are you endowed with the power of the certain and joyous performance of the gracious, acceptable, and perfect will of God.” UB 143:2.4 The mind indeed is to a certain extent dependent on the inheritance, but here Jesus is saying that it is transformed by the Spirit of Truth.
Jesus exemplified “…in his life what he taught in his religion: the growth of the spiritual nature by the technique of living progress. He did not place emphasis, as did his later followers, upon the incessant struggle between the soul and the body. He rather taught that the spirit was easy victor over both and effective in the profitable reconciliation of much of this intellectual and instinctual warfare.” UB 157:6.4 By instinctual we understand a pattern of behavior that is common to a given biological species and not the learned patterns of behavior. Spiritual guidance, not being of the genes, is the easy victor in this conflict. Spirit guidance is a matter of choice, the sovereign free will and not the genes. The Spirit trumps the genes.
Urantia suffers from more than its fair share of disease because the experiment of the Life Carriers went wrong; this situation was later compounded by the twin disasters of the Caligastia betrayal and the Adamic default. The description of this is found in the paper entitled “The Overcontrol of Evolution” in the section “Life-Evolution Vicissitudes” UB 65:5.1 Jesus, answering Nathaniel’s question about suffering, reiterated this by saying “the natural order of this world has been so many times upset by the sinful adventures of certain rebellious traitors to the Father’s will.” UB 148:5.2 Jesus spent a great deal of his time in ministering to the sick and suffering and in comforting them and healing them by superhuman means when he deemed it appropriate. In his charge to the apostles and the disciples he advised them to be ever mindful of the sick and to minister to them. It behooves us to make every effort to reduce, and if possible to eliminate, disease and suffering from the face of the earth.
It has long been known that some diseases are hereditary and the science of genetics has elucidated the pattern of inheritance and postulated laws as to how genes are responsible for many diseases. There are many diseases for which the pattern of inheritance is not yet worked out. The field of human genetics has thus far advanced to identify some disease-producing genes in prospective parents who carry these genes. This has enabled many prospective parent; to seriously evaluate their procreative choices depending on the probability of the disease occurring in their offspring. It is important to keep in mind that genetics predicts the probability and not certainty when gene-carrying parents are tested.
An example of this is the disease cystic fibrosis. It is now possible to study the genome (the sequence of the DNA in the cells) and determine who carries the gene and who does not. Prospective parents who have blood relatives with cystic fibrosis are offered this test. The pattern of inheritance of this disease is that each pregnancy has a one in four chance of producing the offspring with disease and a one in four chance of producing a healthy offspring. There is also a one in two chance of producing offspring who carry the gene for the disease but will not have the disease itself. Genetic counseling is now available for prospective parents to be screened. Now that tests of genetics are available and prospective parents can make procreative choices depending on their convictions, it is probable that this disease will disappear in several generations. The important thing to remember is that the choice of the parents is respected and there is absolutely no coercion. This is eugenics at its best.
It is now possible to detect by genetic testing individuals who are at risk for some types of cancer. Genetic counseling offers them various choices of treatment for themselves and advice regarding their transmitting the gene to their offspring. When individuals and prospective parents are advised about all their options and they give informed consent to any treatment, only then is their free will respected.
The argument for eugenics is premised on the fact that physical features such as the color of the eyes or a disease are inheritable. To consider a disease inheritable, it must be demonstrated that it has occurred in several generations in a pedigree. There is no crime or negative behavior that I know that is inherited. The relationship between criminal predisposition and the genetic makeup is not clearly established. The studies of identical twins reared apart are rare and do not permit any definite conclusions. Even if a gene or genes are proven as a causative factor, it only establishes that in that particular individual they are responsible and only when and if the gene is identified in parents or offspring of that pedigree can it be considered as hereditary.
A fundamental question that arises is, what role if any do genes play in criminal conduct? Genes certainly determine the physical traits of organisms such as the skin color and the eye color. Because the genes determine the physical structure, does it follow that criminal conduct is also determined by the genes? I do not believe so. Here is an example to clarify the issue. Genes determine the sex of an individual and also the attainment of sexual maturity and sexual behavior through the hormones. Sexual activity has a wide range—from the loving embrace of one’s spouse to the violent act of rape. Hormones are a crucial link in all sexual behavior exhibiting both proper and improper sexual conduct, and these hormones are chemically identical. At one end of the gamut of sexual behavior is the normal act and at the other end is the crime. Both are dependent on choice. The genes are indeed responsible for manufacturing the hormones that form a crucial link in sexual behavior, both proper and improper.
The hormones of man are chemically identical, but the act differs in context and choice of expression and not in the biological manifestations, one of which is appropriate and the other is not. The genes are morally neutral. A criminal act is the result of deliberate choice and man must he held responsible for his criminal actions for the society to survive. The choices that a man makes are dependent on his belief system and his environment.
What role do the genes play in substance abuse and addictions? Here again, it is dependent on the choice a man makes. Some researchers have pointed out the predisposition of certain individuals for alcohol abuse. They have pointed out that there is a familial tendency, thus implicating genes. Perhaps there is a predisposition, although no one has as yet found the gene for alcoholism. The course of events in substance abuse start as a habit, leading to a dependence and finally an addiction, when the will is paraly2ed; a stage is reached where the patient is helpless and is enslaved. This stage is reached after a series of choices that a’ man makes, and a man must take responsibility for his choices.
During the ministry of Jesus, he helped such people. “Jesus was increasingly sought by the victims of moral enslavement and mental harassments, and he invariably taught them the way of deliverance.” UB 149:2.6 Please note the word victims. It is unfortunate that The Urantia Book does not describe the methods used by Jesus in his treatments of the victims. We can only speculate.
Using genetics to rid our species of all inherited diseases is commendable and must be encouraged. This is genetics at its best, when the free will of the individuals is respected. There is no evidence that character can be improved by manipulating genes. To the contrary, there is an abundance of evidence that faith and the Spirit of God can and do accomplish this.
The central message of The Urantia Book is the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. We are enjoined to live this gospel and to serve our fellow human beings with love. When a man believes in the fatherhood of God and consecrates himself to doing his will, the Spirit of Truth joins with the Thought Adjuster and transforms him into a true spiritual son of God, bound for heaven and triumphing over the vicissitudes of the mortal career. When we have this gospel of Jesus to offer the world, preaching eugenics is a distraction.
Paul is a native of India and is a naturalized citizen. He received his medical degree from the University of Madras. He came to the US in 1964, trained as a Pediatrician, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
| Centering — A Method of Divine Embrace | Volume 4, Number 1, 2002 (Summer) — Index | Revelatory Mouthpiecing |