基因決定論
基因決定論認為基因的結構決定了生命的一切。這個理論是片面的，不正確的。它不僅割裂了心與物的相互關係，而且也忽視了結構變異是基因生存的方式。信佛的人都知道心物是不二的，萬物唯心，心與物是相互影響，相互作用的。染色體和基因的結構與性能會隨著人心念的變化而變化。將生命現象完全歸結於物質性是偏離真理的。人的各種特徵及健康，不光是與基因結構有關，而且是與人的心性及生活的環境有關。因此，從基因決定論出發，是不會走向真理的，它只是唯物主義的一種。不光是這一生的心念活動，過去生的心性也會給人的新陳代謝過程帶來極大的影響，而遺傳基因只是起次要作用。
雖然染色體和基因是合成蛋白質的藍圖，但在這麼長的 DNA 鏈上，並不是所有部份在合成中均起作用，真正起作用的僅是一小部份。在不同的器官中以及在不同的環境下，起作用的部份是不一樣的。蛋白質的合成、細胞的再生是一個極複雜的過程，並不是由單一 DNA 鏈所決定，它取決於各種條件的緣起和合。人的心理因素，如情緒、習性等在其中就起了相當大的作用。人的健康與衰老與其心的負擔太重有密切的關係，生氣或憂傷都會使新陳代謝過程產生不正常，有時甚至是決定性的作用。基因工程所許諾的改進人類質量與健康是不可能實現的。有大量的心理學例子可說明這一點。
舉一個例子，去年我碰到一位從某個國家來的心理研究院長，他告訴我這樣一件事。心理研究院向政府要了一個死刑犯來作試驗。在到執行死刑那一天，他們將這個人束縛在椅子上，並告訴死刑犯，說今天執行死刑是將你血管割開，使你血流光而死。然後將死刑犯的眼蒙上，用刀在他手臂上劃了一個口，但馬上止血，另放上一個熱水管，讓溫水流在他手臂上，使他感到血在流（實際上血沒有流）。這樣模似了流血的感覺後，心理學家告訴死刑犯，現在血開始流了……，流了三分之一了……，流了一半了，這時死刑犯的臉就變得很白。當告訴死刑犯，你的血已經流光了，他頭一歪，就死了。
基因決定論的另一錯誤之點是基因結構不變論。但是最近 20 年的生物科學研究表明，基因的結構是動態的，能在與外界接觸中改變結構。而且能將這種結構改變傳給下一代。如果基因結構是經常變動的，那麼設計結構的意義就不大。從基因的性能與心理的關係，基因結構隨外界影響而變異的事實上，我們可以得出結論﹕人為地設計或改造基因結構是很難達到預期的目的。進一步看，目前人類對遺傳機理的理解是這麼淺薄，所謂的「預期的目的」只不過是一些揣測而已。在這樣層次上的基因工程怎麼能給人類帶來那些所宣揚的利益？也許更多的是災難吧！雖然在大量的試驗下，基因工程家得出不易腐爛的西紅柿（番茄）及一些其它產品，但這些產品對人類長期健康的影響目前並不清楚。許多農藥在剛發明時，人類也並不知它的危害。
基因工程之潛在危害
基因工程會帶來哪些可能的危害？其主要潛在的危害集中在人為平行基因轉移的試驗上。平行基因轉移本是大自然中普遍存在的現象。基因可以在不同的生物種類之間相互轉移。但是這種自然轉移的頻率卻被生物各自的自衛系統所限制。這些自衛系統通常稱為免疫系統。免疫系統將那些對生物體有損害的外來基因、病毒等加以排除，以保持生物體自己的特性以及正常的新陳代謝。基因工程中的人工平行基因轉移利用穿透或削弱生物的免疫系統來實現基因轉移。為達到這個目的，就必須用那些可致病的病毒基因作為運載工具。即將轉移基因與病毒基因結合起來達到穿透免疫系統的目的。這就使得那些有害的病毒基因，特別是具有抵禦抗生素能力的病毒基因向大自然中擴散。這種做法有兩個極嚴重的後果：
一）加快了產生具有抵禦多種抗生素的病毒基因於自然界中，如果這類基因與致病基因結合，形成新的病源體，將會給人類帶來災難。
二）平行基因轉移的頻率將大大加快。生物體依賴免疫系統來限制平行基因轉移的頻率，以維持自己的特性。如果那些能穿透免疫系統的病毒基因向自然中大量散布，平行基因轉移的頻率就不可避免地會增快。如果基因能在生物體之間自由交換，那麼生物體的特性就會漸漸消失。目前在基因工程實驗室中試驗出來的畸形昆蟲不正是暗示了這一點嗎？基因工程的另一個潛在危害存在於人類的食物供。基因工程使得生物的多樣性漸漸消失。人類食物營養的全面性是依賴於生物的多樣性，從長遠來看，基因工程起了破壞人類食物結構的作用。而且由基因工程生產的食物以及蛋白質對人的健康是否無害，
現在並沒有任何科學證據。因此，潛在危害的可能性無法排除，在自然食物充份供給的今天，去開發那些具有潛在危害的基因工程食物，並不是一件非常理智的事。
宣公上人的預言
以前曾聽上人預言，肺炎與愛死病病毒結合會殺死大量人類的生命。這個預言在科學上是站得住腳的。這樣的事件發生須有二個條件：
一）病毒須藉空氣傳播。
二）發病要有潛伏期（潛伏期太短，使得寄生體死亡，大面積傳播就不可能）。肺炎與愛死病的結合正好滿足這二個條件。現在的基因工程中，用了類似愛死病病毒結構的基因作為運載工具。使之與基因聯接，然後穿透生物的免疫系統。所以基因工程的工作使得上人預言實現的可能性大大增加。
我們應當採取什麼態度？
很明顯，基因工程能帶來的危害遠大於益處。我們應當運用各種管道施加影響。而且也要反對那些處理動物的殘酷手段，反對食物不標明基因過程的做法。但是我們對科學報導要有一個清楚的認識。在美國，相當多的科學報導因為競爭的逼迫，常言過其實，所以我們應當先觀察清楚，然後再發表意見。另一方面，我們也不必擔心科學家會很快地製造出許多怪物來。遺傳機理是一個非常複雜的過程，基因工程家很快就會知道自己的有限性，我們仍有充份的時間阻止可能發生的災難。
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Gene Determinism
Gene determinism says that gene structure determines everything about life. This theory is based on an incomplete view of things. It not only denies the mutual interaction between the body and mind, but also neglects the fact that genes survive through mutations. Buddhists know that body and mind are inseparable. They interact and influence each other. The structure and function of chromosomes and genes can change as the mind changes. It would be erroneous to reduce life to its material aspects. A person’s traits and health depend on his/her state of mind and environment as well as on gene structure. Thus the theory of gene determinism is merely a form of materialism and does not reflect reality. Not only a person’s thoughts and actions in the present life, but also his past life history exerts a great influence on his metabolic processes, and his genetic inheritance is only of secondary importance.
Although the chromosomes and genes are the blueprint of protein synthesis, not all parts of such a long chain are used in the synthesis of protein. Generally, only a small segment of the chain is essential. In different organs or under different conditions, different segments are used in synthesis. Protein synthesis and cell reproduction are extremely complicated processes that are determined not by a single DNA chain, but by various other conditions working together. Human mental factors, such as emotions and habits, play an important role in these processes. Sometimes they become the decisive factors. Therefore, it is impossible for GE to fulfill its promise of improved health and quality of life for humankind. A large number of examples in psychology can be used to prove this point.
For instance, last year I met the director of an Institute of Psychology in a certain country, who related the following incident. The Institute had requested that the government provide it with a criminal sentenced to death for use in an experiment. On the day of the execution, they tied the man to a chair and told him that they were going to cut one of his veins and let him bleed to death. They blindfolded him and made a cut on his arm but immediately stopped the blood. They placed a hose that dripped warm water next to his arm, so that the warm water running down his arm felt like blood flowing. Then the psychologist told the man that he had started to bleed...that a third of his blood was gone...that half of his blood was gone... By that time the man’s face had turned ashen. When the man was told that his blood was all gone, his head rolled to one side and he died.
Another erroneous assumption of gene determinism is that the structure of genes rarely or never changes. Scientific research in recent years indicates that the structure of genes is dynamic and subject to change during interaction with the environment. These changes can also be passed on to the next generation. If the gene structure is dynamic, then the design of gene structure becomes insignificant. Given the correlation between gene function and psychological factors as well as the influence of the environment on gene structure, we may conclude that attempts to design or alter gene structure will not achieve the “expected goal.” Furthermore, the “expected goal” is only a blind guess since we know so little about the genetic mechanism. Under such circumstances, how can GE bring the benefits it has promised? In fact, it may bring more harm than good. Although genetic engineers have through extensive experimentation invented some GE products such as tomatoes that do not spoil easily, their side effects on human health are unknown at present. When many pesticides were first invented, people didn’t know their detrimental effects either.
The Potential Harm of Genetic Engineering
What harm could GE bring? The main potential harm of GE is associated with artificial horizontal gene transfer experimentation. Horizontal gene transfer occurs commonly in nature. Genes can be exchanged between different bio-species. But the frequency of these natural transfers is limited by the defense systems, i.e. immune systems, of each bio-species. The immune system serves to prevent invasion by harmful foreign genes, viruses, and so forth, so that the bio-species can maintain its characteristic traits and normal metabolism. The GE method of artificial horizontal gene transfer works by penetrating or weakening the immune system and using virulent genes as delivery vehicles. That is, the gene to be transfered is combined with a virulent gene to effect penetration. This method allows harmful virulent genes, especially those with resistance to antibiotics, to become widespead in nature. This results in two severe consequences:
1) The production of virulent genes with multi-resistance to antibiotics will be accelerated. If such virulent genes combine with the genes of harmful viruses to form new viruses, it will be disastrous for humankind.
2) The frequency of horizontal gene transfer will greatly increase. Bio-species rely on their immune systems to limit horizontal gene transfers. If virulent genes with the ability to penetrate immune systems spread widely in nature, the frequency of horizontal gene transfers will inevitably increase. Once genes can freely transfer between species, bio-species start to lose their distinguishing characteristics. The mutant insects producted in GE laboratories are a strong indication of this trend. GE is also a potential threat to the human food supply. GE reduces biodiversity. The nutritional level of our food depends on its diversity. In the long term, GE leads to the destruction of the human food supply. At present there is no evidence that GE food and GE protein is harmless to human health. The possibility of harm cannot be eliminated. To develop potentially harmful food when there is an adequate supply of natural food is not a wise thing to do.
The Venerable Master Prediction
The Venerable Master said early on that the combination of pneumonia and the AIDS virus would kill a large number of people. This prediction is a definite possibility from the point of view of science. For such an event to occur, two conditions must hold:
1) A virus must be transmitted by air.
2) There must be a latency period for the disease (a short latency period would prevent extensive spreading of the disease). The combination of pneumonia and AIDS satisfies these two conditions. In current GE experiments, a virulent gene similar in structure to the HIV virus is used as the delivery vehicle. Thus, GE greatly increases the possibility of the Master’s prediction coming true.
What Should Our Attitude Be?
Clearly, GE brings more harm than benefit. We should use various channels to influence the direction of research, oppose the cruel treatment of animals used in GE experiments, and oppose the policy of not labeling GE food products. However, care is needed in reading scientific reports. Many scientific reports in the United States have been exaggerated for the sake of competition. It is advisable to observe clearly before offering criticism. On the other hand, there is no need to worry that scientists might soon create a horde of freaks and monsters. The genetic mechanism is an extremely complex process. Genetic engineers will quickly realize their limitations. We still have enough time to avert potential disasters.
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