Vatican Looks At Genetically Modified Food

[son_of_angels]

While I don't like the idea, the chances that I haven't eaten genetically modified foods, and enjoyed them, seem rather slim. I just think that they take away from a basic holistic natural society, such that these things leads us to think that we should improve everything natural (food, animals, humans, reproduction). Yet the more natural we live (not the more carnal) the closer we are to communion with the Creator of nature.

[morostheos]

Cross-bred plants and GMOs are not the same thing. For the first, you take the pollen from one plant and use it to fertilizer a different type of plant. For GMO foods, you take a gene that is "favorable" such as resistance to a fungus, and inject it into the genes of the plant you are growing, and hope it gains the trait you want it to.

Another problem, in addition to the patented seeds (which I think is the biggest problem) is that if genes from say, a peanut, are added into wheat, or tomatoes. If you are allergic to peanuts, there is a chance that you will be just as or more allergic to plants with peanut genes in them. The worst part of it is, there is no way to tell which foods are GM foods, and what genes were added to them.

Also, if we make "superplants" that are resistant to infestation by insects, who's to say we won't get "superinsects" that will be resistant to all the pesticides we can use on them?? It has happened in the past with pesticides, and if pesticidal traits are bred into plants, the insects will be exposed to them much much more and could very well develop a resistance to them much much faster.

Overall, the court is still out on GM foods, but there is enough evidence out there to make one weary of the idea and proceed with caution, if at all.

[MichaelFilo]

I think it's good that the Vatican is starting to look into this potential aid with the food shortages around the world. The Vatican never ceases to make good decisions about aiding the third world, whether it be by increasing food or giving sexual education and promoting abstinence until marriage.

God bless,
Mikey

[Don John of Austria]

I am agianst genetic modification of anything. I firmly believe that altering the DNA of creatures in an unnatural way ( sexual reproduction alters DNA [sort of] but it is a natural process] is inherintly wrong. I will not eat anything I know is geneticly modified, nor will I eatthe meat of cloned animals or their progeny.

[Mary's Knight, La]

i definitely understand the allergies point, there would need to be genetic accounting for crops which could be a problem, setting standards and keeping people honest. as for not eating GMO foods, well hey it's your choice and you have the right and ability to not buy them, or not investigate if you don't want to know, but there are some who would gladly eat gmo food because it means they get to eat.

cloned animals perhaps i can see your point we'll find out when it becomes an issue but i'm of the camp that it's not different than crossbreeding(which is gmo done clumsily)

[Dreamweaver]

[quote name='Don John of Austria' date='Sep 10 2005, 11:39 AM']I am agianst genetic modification of anything. I firmly believe that altering the DNA of creatures in an unnatural way ( sexual reproduction alters DNA [sort of] but it is a natural process] is inherintly wrong. I will not eat anything I know is geneticly modified, nor will I eatthe meat of cloned animals or their progeny.
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What about the case of inserting genetically modified plasmids into bacteria which can produce human insulin? Should diabetics use only bovine insulin despite the cost and side effects?