Cloning Jesus
With
Turin Shroud DNA?
Lance M. Wilhelm
From: Lance
M. Wilhelm
To: "Positive Atheism" <editor@positiveatheism.org>
Subject: Positive_Atheism_Letters_Section
Date: Monday, August 21, 2000 8:59 AM
Dear Cliff,
In browsing through your Apocalypso section, I came across a bit from Chuck Shepherd from 1993 about cloning Jesus from DNA from the Shroud of Turin. This would, of course, be difficult to to get a hold of.
I have a better idea. There is a limitless supply of Jesus DNA easily obtainable. Just go to any Roman Catholic church at Mass. Wait for the priest to say his magic words over the crackers and wine, and now (since these have now been transformed into the very flesh and blood of Jesus) you have more DNA than you know what to do with! If one attempt fails, there's more where that came from. This could easily make for not only the Second Coming, but the Third, Fourth, etc.
Oh, on second thought -- forget it!
Lance M. Wilhelm
Cliff Responds:
Let's suppose they cloned me with some my DNA from (say) a flake of dandruff or a booger in an old handkerchief, etc. Would that be me in there, or someone else with the same DNA (such as with a pair of identical twins -- they are not the same person, but two individuals with different memories and life experiences and so forth).
Now let's suppose that really was Jesus's DNA on the Shroud and that they could clone Jesus with it. It wouldn't be the same Jesus, would it?
This is my main objection to the resurrection involving reconstructing the body: how could that be me if such an integral part of being me involves the continuous experience of my life, my memories, having grown into becoming who I am, etc.
But let's suppose they worked around that problem and could actually re-create me (it's really me) from (whatever) after I died. If they could re-create me later, they could do today. Could you imagine being "me" in two bodies at the same time?
As much as I'd like to live forever (or again), the logistics of it become absurd (any way you look at it) -- to the point of strongly suspecting that the whole thing is probably just a bunch of wishful thinking that got out of hand.
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