Double Helix: Our Destiny

By Ahamed Kutty

Human beings generally attribute any physical, mental, or financial catastrophe to the random punitive decree of God, including death. All religions speak about destiny. In this book, I have demonstrated that whatever happens to us are determined by our genetic makeup and the DNA. Of course, the genes and DNA are created by God Himself who is the cause of all causations. In different religions, there is mention of an angel of death, whether this angels causes death or just receives the soul at the time of death is not clear. I have pointed out that natural cause of death is a function of the deteriorating telomere at the end of the chromosome. The other deaths due to accidents, epidemics, famine, and natural disasters are due to natural causes and is self-explanatory. I have mentioned the influence of epigenetics in our gene expression. The influence of epigenetics was recently confirmed in space travel as reported by NASA. This book also alludes to the fact that God does not interfere in our day-to-day activities and that is left for our free will.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645448440

Book preview

Chapter 1

Predestination/Destiny

Predestination : In religious circles, it means an individual’s fate is already decreed long before he or she is conceived in the womb, and some believe even before the universe was created by the Almighty God . This concept, predestination or fate, is mentioned in all religions in one fashion or the other. It is based on the belief that Almighty God is aware of anything and everything from the beginning of the universe or even before till the end of the universe. And God can evaluate and see anything and everything that each person does or even thinks of doing in the future and create a record of his or her activities during the entire life.

This belief is based on the assumption that human beings are restricted in their vision and knowledge of events beyond the present moment. We cannot predict what will happen next moment or tomorrow. But God is beyond time and space, and He can observe and see what has happened from the initial creation of the universe and even before and what will happen till the end of the universe. This specifically relates to the future of a human being’s soul, particularly concerning its fate. This concept has led many to believe in the futility of doing any good deeds, as he or she might have already been condemned to hell.

God can see and evaluate the sum total of a person’s activities, even if he or she will be born one hundred or ten thousand years from now and make a report card, at any time, long before the person’s birth. This does not mean God is making a person do bad or good deeds against the person’s free will, since all the deeds are determined by his or her genetic makeup (DNA) and free will. God is only doing an evaluation of a person’s life. Since God can see far into the future including the death and resurrection, where all good and bad deeds will be evaluated and judged, God is capable of making that judgment now. But the good deeds that one does will always be rewarded and that will influence God’s final judgment.

Human beings can only evaluate our activities of today and the activities of the past, and from that, he or she can make some assumption of his or her potential fate. But we cannot evaluate what we will be doing in the future, which may be good and can influence God’s scoreboard and judgment and therefore doing good things is always beneficial.

Whether it is good karma, as in Hindu philosophy, repentance and remedial activities as described in Abrahamic religion, all will have beneficial effects on the genetic expression because of the influence of epigenetics as described in later chapters.

Under predestination or destiny, all events have been willed by God, including our physical existence and eventually the fate of our soul. Often this brings into focus the free will of human beings and the involvement of God in our day to day life. God is knowledgeable about everything about the human being’s physical and mental faculties. And God has predetermined everything pertaining to an individual before his or her birth. Everything that he or she does or even his or her thoughts and the eventual fate of the person’s soul are predetermined.

But God is beyond time and space, and He can observe and see what has happened from the creation of the universe and till the end of the universe and all events that can happen, or that had happened to all living creatures. Of course, there have been debates as to what aspects of our life are included under the broad field of predetermination. Are good and bad deeds involved or only good deeds are predetermined and bad deeds are purely determined by the individual’s actions or free will?

The Arabic word for predetermination is Al-Qadar and it is included in the traditional belief among Muslims-Al-Qada-wal Qadar (the divine decree and will), and to some it is the sixth pillar of Islamic faith. During the Umayyad dynasty from AH 41-132 (CE 661-750) they believed that everything man does is predetermined by God. But opponents argued that good deeds are from God and bad deeds were caused by human beings and further they said in that Umayyad rulers wanted to hide their bad deeds under the guise of predetermination decreed by God, and they introduced the concept of free will with predetermination (5).

Even in pre-Islamic Arabia, the pagans held a firm belief in predestination to include all aspects of life, whether poverty, illness, death, or fortunes. This is evident in the poetry written by the Arabs during that time. Some interpreted this as a mechanism to cope with adversities, as it was interpreted as an act of God and therefore people should be content with it and nothing can be done about it. Even today most believers do the same. Whether good or bad, all events will be explained on the basis of divine decree, and they find no benefit in complaining about it, as all are preordained by the Almighty. This belief gives them some mental satisfaction when faced with adverse events.

There are different meanings for the Arabic word Qadar (predetermination), however, depending on the circumstances and context where the word is used.

Most Arabic words have multiple meanings depending on what context it is used. Qadar means, among other things, predestination. The root of the word is Q-D-R and the meaning includes determine, decide, decree, make a thing according to its measure, ability to do, accomplish, or achieve or attain a goal or power or ability to do something. Moreover, Qadar also means to measure, to assess, and to determine.

The related word Taqdeer refers primarily to making a thing according to predefined measures, standards, or criteria (plan). Some references to Qadar and the deeds of God explain the meaning of Qadar. Quran 25:2, He to whom belongs the dominion of heavens and earth, no son has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His dominion. He has created all things and ordered them in due proportions. The quote implies accurate planning or measure.

Quran 30:38, And the sun: it runs its appointed course. Such is the making of things by the Almighty. The knower, according to his self-defined measures (taqdeer).

Quran 40:57. The creation of the heavens and earth is even more awesome than the creation of human beings, but most people do not know.

Quran 13:2, God is the one who raised the heavens without pillars that you can see, then assumed all authority. He committed the sun and the moon, each running in its orbit for a predetermined time.

Quran 54:49. Surely we have created everything with predetermination. (according to proportion, measure, certain purpose)

Qadar and taqdeer denote creation of something with a design, structure, and function, whether the universe, heaven, earth, or human being.

About the Creation of Man

In the Bible: Genesis 2:7 says, Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed in to his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.

In the Quran 28:12-14, Verily we created man from a product of wet earth, then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging, then we fashioned the drop into a clot then we fashioned the clot into a little lump then we fashioned the little lump into bones, then clothed bones with flesh and produced it another creation. So blessed be God, the best of creators.

This is Qadar of human beings-the design (plan) stages of development (fertilization, cell division, development of organs), structure and function, and the end product being the infant.

So this plan and the execution of the plan resulting in our birth is predetermination. Whether a child is born normal or with deformity or other biochemical abnormality is also predetermined (see scientific explanation that follows). We the human beings are content with the idea that everything is predetermined by God whether good or bad and what is the point of doing good deeds and becoming good social individuals, and consequently some believe in spending life in total enjoyment and relaxation as they believe that their fate is already decided and sealed.

Can we explain this concept of predestination or fate on the basis of science, specifically DNA and genetics? I believe we can clearly see the correlation between what we see in our physical manifestations and events in life or mental manifestations that we ascribe to fate, and the involvement of DNA and genes. Before we embark on a