Everyone has a blood type. Normally when asked, “what is your blood type?” we respond with a simple letter: A, B, AB, or O. But there are many more "types" of blood. One is Rh factor. The Rh factor is a type of protein found in red blood cells. If the Rh factor is absent from your blood, you are Rh negative. The factor was discovered 60 years ago and named after the rhesus monkey. After discovering the Rh factor, scientists published a small article in the New York Times in 1944. It didn’t seem like that big of a deal, until Rh negative patients started having problems. As it turns out, the lack of the Rh factor potentially causes trouble with birth and blood transfusions. Hemolytic disease, for example, is a condition where the immune system attacks an Rh positive baby if the mother is Rh negative. Lack of understanding about what the Rh factor is has spawned many different "popular" ideas about why it occurs.
The "Nephilim" view attributes the Rh negative blood to the Nephilim bloodline. In Genesis 6:4, we're told about the Nephilim: "The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.” If we break it down, fallen angels came down, mated with humans, and had half-human, half-angel offspring. According to the Book of Enoch, these fallen angels were rebelling from God and thus were evil and had to be destroyed. God sent the Flood to destroy the Nephilim and their offspring. Somehow, some Nephilim survive and continued to reproduce. We can recognize the Nephilim bloodline by the Rh factor. That's the Nephilim story, anyway. So what does that view think of people with Rh negative blood? If these Nephilim were evil, doesn't that make their decedents evil as well? In a study to find genetic links to sexual orientation, scientists found a high proportion of homosexuals were Rh negative. If you think that the Bible sees homosexuality as an evil, perhaps it makes sense: the Nephilim shouldn’t have survived the Flood and now their descents are going around doing detestable things. Another theory is that the Anunnaki, found in the Mesopotamian culture, were extra-terrestrial beings that came to earth to modify humans and create a slave race, altering our genetic structure and creating the Rh negative bloodline. Today, apparently some Rh negative people believe that they are not completely of this earth. They say that the trait causes them to have higher IQs, reddish hair, and supernatural powers, such as physic abilities and alien abductions. There is no science to back up these claims, but people have made an effort to find similar characteristics for their “race.” Neither of these ideas about Rh negative blood hold up to scrutiny, of course. In reality homosexuality is related to both genetic and environmental factors; nature and nurture, not just Rh negative blood. Scientists believe that the occurrence of Rh negative blood is related to a mutation that is more likely in European populations. In people with European ancestry, there is a 40-45% frequency for the Rh negative allele, while in other peoples the frequency is much lower (only 15% of the world overall has the Rh negative trait). But if the Rh mutation has negative effects (such as hemolytic disease), why does it survive in relatively high frequencies? It may be because it is actually beneficial under some circumstances: the Rh negative mutation has been found to protect against the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite can cause damage to the eyes, brain, and other organs if left untreated. The "mystery" of Rh negative blood has a strong appeal to those who want a supernatural story. Those who believe these stories have folded Rh negative blood into them, sometimes describing it as “the blood of the gods.” Scientists have made a great deal of progress learning about the Rh factor since it was discovered in the mid-20th century. Studies and experiments have shown that the Rh negative gene is understandable through natural science.
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AuthorThese blog posts were written by students in Forbidden Archaeology (Fall 2016) ArchivesCategories
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