In the Beginning, Man Created?

Craig Venter is a biologist and an entrepreneur. For the last 15 years, his company has been working on creating life. He claims to have succeeded.

By identifying the DNA of a tiny bacterium, he separated out the genes to see how it was formed. Then he substituted the genes with synthetic ones, until he had the first synthetic genome- and his claim that he has created life.

But let’s just remember a few things….

-He replaced the living genes with others created by him. But did he create from nothing? Of course not. He used ‘inanimate objects’ to create the gene. The ‘objects’, effectively DNA designed from scratch, are still ‘objects’.

-He’s an inventor and biologist. He learned this skill. He was born, went to school, and learned his trade. He didn’t come from nowhere. He was ‘created’ like everybody else. As a created being, he is, at best, copying his creator.

-He has not created life, only copied it. By following God’s instructions – the picture of the DNA, the structure of the genes- he has been able to mimic the original. But is that very different from us, say, painting the picture of a flower, copying the original? Sure this new synthetic bug has life- but it is a copied life. All very clever. But still a copy.

In the beginning man created? No. In the beginning God created. We have the privilege of discovery, of learning, and even of copying life. But creation is God’s prerogative and His alone.