# Chimera



## VirginiaHuguenot (Feb 27, 2007)

I recently saw a documentary called _The Twin Inside Me_. The subject was human chimeras. Chimerism is extremely rare but it has implications for forensic science, paternity cases and other areas, not the least of which is theological. Any thoughts on this?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 1, 2007)

The Stranger Within


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## tcalbrecht (Mar 1, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I recently saw a documentary called _The Twin Inside Me_. The subject was human chimeras. Chimerism is extremely rare but it has implications for forensic science, paternity cases and other areas, not the least of which is theological. Any thoughts on this?



Not sure what you see as the theological implications. They are still human beings, even if their DNA is a bit funny.

This is an issue that has always been known to a certain degree:



> *For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb*, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it. (Matt. 19:12)



The issue really seems to be with the suitability of modern DNA testing for establishing relationships in an amoral world. Sounds like science doesn't have certainty in their measurements.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 1, 2007)

tcalbrecht said:


> Not sure what you see as the theological implications. They are still human beings, even if their DNA is a bit funny.



I guess one question to ask is, Are they one human being or two? 



> This is an issue that has always been known to a certain degree:
> 
> Quote:
> For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it. (Matt. 19:12)
> ...



I'm not sure what the connection is between eunuchs and chimeras. Chimeric individuals can procreate.


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## etexas (Mar 1, 2007)

Looked that up......very X-Files! As to Theology it seems rare enough to not really be too important.


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## tcalbrecht (Mar 1, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I guess one question to ask is, Are they one human being or two?



Unless you can determine somehow they have more than one soul I don't see it as an issue.

If you get a transplant of someone else's heart (different DNA) do you suddenly become two human beings?



VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I'm not sure what the connection is between eunuchs and chimeras. Chimeric individuals can procreate.



My point was simply that "genetic defects" have been known since Bible times and don't seem to pose any significant theological problems.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 1, 2007)

Tissue is not a soul, but two human beings completely merged together (chimera) seems to suggest two souls who become associated with one body.

The example of chimeras has been raised by some to suggest that the destruction of embryos is not really murder.


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## etexas (Mar 1, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Tissue is not a soul, but two human beings completely merged together (chimera) seems to suggest two souls who become associated with one body.
> 
> The example of chimeras has been raised by some to suggest that the destruction of embryos is not really murder.


PERFECT EXAMPLE.........of heathens using a rare example(very rare) to promote their agenda.


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## etexas (Mar 1, 2007)

At least they are creative..........


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## bradofshaw (Mar 1, 2007)

How is the merger of two embryos into one (theoretically resulting in the destruction of one of the conceived persons) different than a natural abortion or miscarriage as far as its impact on the abortion debate? 

Perhaps God has allowed one twin to die, and his genetic material to be absorbed into the other. Interestingly, the one article suggests possible health benefits of chimerism. As God allows some children to die in the womb, and the status of their soul is in His hands, I would only assume the same would be true for a chimera.

I wonder though, do we really have to be able to pinpoint the moment a fertilized egg receives a soul and takes on personality in order to argue that the destruction of embryos is taking a human life?


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## tcalbrecht (Mar 1, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Tissue is not a soul, but *two human beings completely merged together (chimera) *...



You are assuming what you have yet to prove. (I'm not speaking of you personally.)

There is something in the defintion of _chimera_ what seems to not have been established conclusively.


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## MrMerlin777 (Mar 1, 2007)

I follow Jesus said:


> Looked that up......very X-Files! As to Theology it seems rare enough to not really be too important.



Still... As a medical laboratory technician I find the article facinating.

It does throw some wrenches in forensics as far as the legal side of the house is concerned. But as stated before it's a rarity.


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## ChristianTrader (Mar 1, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Tissue is not a soul, but two human beings completely merged together (chimera) seems to suggest two souls who become associated with one body.
> 
> The example of chimeras has been raised by some to suggest that the destruction of embryos is not really murder.



I love it when some try to justify abortion based on ignorance. "We do not know what in the world is going on, therefore abortion is okay."

How does the author go from, "living remnants", therefore neither died? If I die and have my heart transplanted, then am I therefore still alive?

This is all basically the reverse of the "twinning" argument. When one embryo divides into two and twins are the result.

It really does not matter if it is hard to identify if we are looking at two that will be one or one that will be two. Unless one can justify that one has none, there is no hope of justifying abortion.

CT


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