Some people ask, “Apples and pears are both original fruits ordained by God. If the two are grafted together to make an apple-pear, is that a negative thing? Should we eat it or not?” This is something that could be encountered in daily life, no? Tell Me, should you eat it or not? If you eat it, will you be poisoned? Will it cause you physical harm? Will it impact your lifespan? Will it affect how God views you? Will it affect your outcome? How should this matter be viewed? This tests whether you understand the truth principles, and whether you understand what we fellowshipped about earlier. If you understand this aspect of the truth, and you have grasped the truth principles in this regard, then when you encounter things in real life, you will know how to practice, you will know what actions violate the truth and what actions uphold the truth and are within the scope of the truth principles. Should you eat apple-pears? (No.) Is it that you wouldn’t dare to eat them, or that they shouldn’t be eaten? (We wouldn’t dare to eat them.) You say you wouldn’t dare to eat them, but haven’t you eaten quite a few of them in your daily lives? And what happened after you ate them? Were you physically harmed? First, let’s determine whether an apple-pear is a positive or a negative thing. You said that it should not be eaten. The subtext of this statement is that an apple-pear is a negative thing, and so it should not be eaten. Is that what you meant? (Yes.) Then is this understanding correct? Should the matter of apple-pears be perceived in this way? If I hadn’t given you the example to fellowship, you would have thought that apple-pears should not be eaten, that eating them would poison you—just like how Eve, when she violated God’s commandment and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was tempted by Satan into sin and fell inextricably into Satan’s hands. You would have thought that, especially given that now is the critical moment of God’s salvation of mankind, and time is running short, you must be careful and not eat things indiscriminately, that if you do, you might violate the principles and transgress the administrative decrees, leaving you without an opportunity to be saved, and by then regret would be useless. You cannot see through this matter; you have been stumped by such a small thing. You think that apple-pears should not be eaten and wouldn’t dare to eat them, that doing so would be violating the principles and transgressing the administrative decrees, which would be terrible! Isn’t this what you all think? So, should you eat apple-pears or not? (God, we just discussed this and think that we can eat apple-pears, because man is only improving apples and pears and has not changed the laws ordained by God for them. So eating apple-pears does not involve a transgression of the administrative decrees.) After your fellowship, you’ve gained some clarity, and now understand that the laws ordained by God have basically remained unchanged in relation to the apple-pear, so you can eat it. What you just said is accurate; it’s just that you didn’t explain it clearly. Let’s not discuss the question of whether apple-pears can be eaten or not for now; let’s first talk about why they don’t violate the laws ordained by God. Apple trees and pear trees are both plants created by God, and people can eat the fruit they bear. When these two plants are grafted together or cross-pollinated, another kind of fruit is produced. Whether this is done artificially or naturally, basically the origin of this fruit, the form of its survival, and the laws and rules of its survival remain unchanged from what was originally ordained by God. Even if man artificially grafts the branches of an apple tree and a pear tree together, it is on the basis of their original laws and rules of survival, on the basis of their original forms of life, that a fruit with the shared life characteristics of both is produced. This fruit is called an apple-pear. Man just uses his ability to survive and his way of thinking, his intelligence and cleverness, to graft two plants together to produce another kind of fruit, but this fruit, the apple-pear, does not go beyond the scope of what is ordained by God. This is one aspect. On the other hand, even without human intervention, if apple and pear trees grow together in the same forest, can they avoid cross-pollination? In very natural circumstances, when the flowering season arrives, they will be cross-pollinated, and their root systems underground will also intertwine. Whether the pollen is spread by bees or through the wind and air circulation, apples and pears will receive each other’s nutrients, and the apple-pear fruit will be produced very naturally. Then can you still say that this apple-pear is man-made? (No.) It’s a living thing that grows naturally in the natural environment ordained by God; it is something within the scope permitted by God, so this apple-pear does not violate any laws. Regardless of whether it has the characteristics of an apple or a pear, in short, it is not a negative thing; it is still a kind of fruit that God has prepared for mankind. You can set your worries aside and dig in—it will definitely not cause you any physical harm. However, when I just mentioned man artificially grafting apple and pear branches together, you couldn’t ascertain whether an apple-pear is a positive or a negative thing, and you wouldn’t dare to eat it, thinking, “An apple is an apple, without the genes of a pear, and a pear is a pear, without the components of an apple; only these can definitely be eaten!” Isn’t this way of comprehending things distorted? (Yes.) It is distorted. Various living things exist together in a common space; it is inevitable that they will influence and provide for each other, drawing from each other’s strengths to make up for their own weaknesses. Within this, there are many details, and there are mysteries. In short, the emergence, existence, and effect of all this is for the survival of the human race that God has created. This is the value and significance of the existence of positive things; ultimately, it is to maintain the normal survival of mankind and the reproduction and continuation of mankind. Is this matter clear now? (Yes.)

Next, let’s discuss another matter, something people often encounter in their daily lives. Take a look and consider how it should be discerned and approached. To meet mankind’s demand for food, people invented nonorganic grains, increasing yield by modifying the genes of various seeds and fruits. Initially, the goal was actually to reduce pests and diseases, avoid using more pesticides, and thus grow various plants needed by mankind while reducing labor and avoiding interference from pests and diseases, and at the same time increase yield to supply mankind’s need for food, which resulted in such a product being made. What is this product called? Nonorganic food. The emergence of nonorganic food has greatly satisfied mankind’s demand for food. People believe that the yield of organic food is relatively low and cannot meet mankind’s needs. Since the emergence of nonorganic grains, the yield of grains has greatly increased, people’s income has also increased, and the problem of hunger for many people has been resolved. Thus, mankind has “fortunately” been able to eat nonorganic food. So, is nonorganic food a positive thing or a negative thing? Does it violate the principle of “what is ordained by God” or not? Should nonorganic food be eaten? What are your viewpoints and opinions on nonorganic food? How do you define the positivity and negativity of organic and nonorganic food? (Organic food is natural, and is ordained by God. It’s a positive thing. Nonorganic food is produced through scientific processing and genetic modification. It goes against the original laws created by God. So nonorganic food is a negative thing.) (The original genes in nonorganic food are damaged, and it goes against the laws created by God. Moreover, the original nutritional value of food has been undermined in nonorganic food; eating it provides no benefit to people’s health. Nowadays, the appearance of health problems is widespread in lots of people who have been eating nonorganic food for many years, so I think if conditions permit, we should try our best not to eat it. But in today’s society, most food is nonorganic, so in order to survive, we definitely have to eat nonorganic food.) What you have said is all in line with the principles, and the key points are correct, but it’s too simplistic, and there are some details that have not been explained clearly. Some people say, “Nonorganic food and organic food look similar on the outside, and taste more or less the same. Nonorganic food is basically not any different from the original forms of food ordained by God. Some nonorganic food even looks better and has a higher yield than organic food, and the taste is not necessarily much worse than organic food. So why is organic food a positive thing and nonorganic food a negative thing?” Although you just said you are certain that organic food is a positive thing and nonorganic food is a negative thing, you don’t understand why they are distinguished in this way; you still don’t understand the details here. There is a key point you must know: Why is it that, with two things that look the same on the outside, one is a positive thing and the other is a negative thing? Some people say, “That’s because nonorganic food is scientifically processed and has been damaged by science.” Is this statement correct? In terms of doctrine, it is correct. It sounds like this is the case. But people still don’t understand after hearing it. So, in terms of their essence, just what is the difference between organic and nonorganic food that allows them to be defined as positive and negative things, respectively? What is this definition based on? How does God view it? What is the truth in this? This gets to the essence of the issue.

Organic things come from God. They are what God created, and man has named them “organic.” Let’s not concern ourselves for now with the origin or source of the word “organic” or why people named it so. We still need to look at this from the perspective of God’s creation and ordination. Within God’s creation and ordination, there is a subtle yet crucial point, which is that when God created a seed, He put into it all the nutrients and components it should have, as well as its functions. What is the basis for the principles of determining what things were put into the seed? They were based on the needs of the human body, on the receptivity of the functions of the human body’s internal organs and the nutritional components required by these organs. Since the food grown from such a seed is for human consumption, then the effects this food will have on the human body after it is eaten, and the nutrients humans can absorb from it to maintain their normal physical growth and survival, and to prolong the life of their body, are all things that God must consider when creating a seed or a type of food. It’s not casually creating a seed that can grow in the soil and leaving it at that, no, God has put thought into it. As for what effects the skin, pulp, and germ of this kind of seed will have on the human body, what results these things can achieve, what the human body needs, and what nutrients humans should absorb from this type of food after eating it, these are all things God must consider. Since God has such considerations, when He creates this type of seed, He must create it according to the nutritional proportions humans need, and this seed thus comes into being in God’s thoughts. This is looking at the impact of a seed on humans from the perspective of its nutritional components and structure; this is one aspect God considers when creating this seed. Additionally, God considers the size and shape of this type of seed or fruit, the length of its germination time, its form of survival, the type of soil it is suitable for growing in, how many nutrients it absorbs in which type of soil, how many nutrients humans can absorb from it when they eat it, and so on. All these details are things God has to consider. The various factors that God considers when creating a seed ultimately boil down to one point, which is to provide for mankind’s need for food, to achieve the normal physical growth and survival of mankind. This is the most important point. There is another point that is also crucial. If a seed has no life force, and it’s a dead thing, like a grain of sand or a stone, unable to sprout when planted in the soil, then this means that after people eat this food this one time, it won’t be available again. Such a seed is far from being able to satisfy mankind’s need for food. Therefore, in addition to the components it should have, such as its skin and kernel, this seed must have a germ. Of course, this germ may not be a characteristic of life present in all seeds. In short, in addition to its skin and kernel, this seed must have life force. In human language, it is called life force, but in God’s terms, it means that this seed must have life. What does “having life” mean? It means it can continue to reproduce; through sprouting and growing, it must be able to bear fruit. A seed, through sprouting, growing, and flowering, must be able to produce more fruits, and like the seed itself, its fruits must also have life force, and be able to reproduce and bear more fruits, as only in this way can it supply mankind’s need for food without end. These are the two most basic and most important things in God’s creation and ordination of a seed: One is the various nutrients it contains and its functions, and the other is that this seed must have life force, that is, this seed must be living. In human terms, if something is “living,” it is called “organic.” This organic food, from the time God created it, actually has life. If you bury it in soil, and water and fertilize it, it will sprout, grow, flower, and then bear fruit, and each of its fruits has the same function it has. This same functionality ceaselessly provides for mankind’s need for food, for the physical survival of mankind, and for the reproduction and continuation of mankind. In addition, this seed integrates with the soil and bears fruits, and these fruits—like the seed itself—bear more fruits to supply mankind, and go through the same process of reproduction and flourishing, generation after generation. In this way, mankind has an endless supply of food. With a supply of food, with a source of food, the physical life and survival of mankind continues without end, and they will never be without food. From this fact, it can be seen that for mankind to have survived to this day, the contribution of the various seeds created by God cannot be overlooked. The root of their being able to make such a contribution to mankind is God’s creation and God’s ordination. But if the two most important things ordained by God for a seed are destroyed—one being the nutrients and functions of the seed, and the other being its original life force—if these two things are gone, when the seed falls into the soil, it will no longer sprout, no longer grow, no longer flower or bear fruit. It can only disappear into the soil, and the source of mankind’s food will be lost from then on. What will mankind face then? (Death.) They will face hunger, famine, and then death, and they will not be able to reproduce and continue. This is one aspect, and it is very serious. Another aspect is that, when a seed is artificially processed, its nutrients are greatly reduced, from originally containing many kinds of nutrients to only a small amount. In addition, its functions also change. For example, a certain kind of food used to be able to nourish the brain, replenish physical strength, and give people vitality, but now, after undergoing artificial processing, these functions are greatly reduced, or even lost. Even if someone eats a lot of this type of food, they feel physically exhausted, their thinking becomes sluggish, and their memory declines. Although they’re not old, they become like an elderly person. Their legs feel heavy, their body becomes stiff, and their skin ages. They appear to have grown physically larger, but inwardly, they feel different from those who eat organic food. If the original functions of a food are weakened or even lost, not only does it not positively aid or benefit the bodies of people after they eat it, but it also has many negative effects on them. The various nutrients needed by the body cannot be replenished in time, and at the same time, many functions of the body gradually degenerate and disappear. As a natural consequence, on the basis of this vicious cycle, people’s thinking becomes sluggish, and they may even develop some extreme behaviors or ideas. Such manifestations are some of the negative effects and consequences brought upon people by nonorganic foods. Nonorganic foods have lost the components they should have as created by God, and they have also lost their original functions. They are different from the original things created and ordained by God. They have all been artificially processed and changed.

Although people create nonorganic food to satisfy mankind’s demand for food, such food introduces all kinds of adverse factors to human health and reproduction, which affects the procreation and survival of mankind. Therefore, you must have discernment regarding nonorganic food. For thousands of years, mankind has been enjoying organic food. Why do we say that organic food is a positive thing, while nonorganic food is a negative thing? What is the greatest point of distinction? What is the crux of the matter? The crux is that organic food is prepared for mankind by God; it is ordained by God. It possesses the original components and functions created by God, and most importantly, it has the life force that God has endowed it with, whereas nonorganic food has lost those original components and functions, and also lacks the life bestowed by God. Because it lacks these two most important things ordained by God, it violates the principles of the positive things created and ordained by God. Nonorganic food is a type of thing that has been processed, damaged, and altered by human science, and no longer possesses the characteristics of a positive thing. This is because it lacks the components and essence of the positive things created and ordained by God, and instead goes against the functions and essence of the positive things created and ordained by God. What does it mean to go against the functions and essence of positive things? It means that when God created a certain seed, its function was for mankind, it was to serve and benefit mankind, and to sustain the normal physical needs and survival of mankind, whereas nonorganic food damages and disturbs the normal survival of mankind, and at the same time brings a series of irreversible negative effects and consequences to people’s normal lives and survival. So, it’s not at all unjust to call nonorganic food a negative thing. Isn’t that so? (Yes.) Is this issue clear now? (Yes.) Why is organic food a positive thing, while nonorganic food is a negative thing? Broadly speaking, organic food comes from God, benefits and serves humanity, and contributes to human life and survival; it serves an irreplaceable function in man’s life and survival—nothing can substitute the role it plays. But is nonorganic food beneficial to human health? (No.) Quite the opposite: It is not beneficial to human health; rather, it harms human health, and brings much pain and trouble to the physical lives and survival of human beings. For example, it causes various discomforts in the body, such as slowing of blood circulation, limb stiffness, heaviness in the legs, and wooziness, and leads to the premature onset and flare-up of many diseases; people’s allergic reactions are also becoming more and more severe. Adverse reactions of varying degrees affect a range of things from the skin to the internal organs. These are the various troubles and pains brought to the physical life and survival of mankind by nonorganic food. Since the human body was created by God, only God best understands its structure and needs. Thus, God created all kinds of food for mankind based on the structure and needs of the human body. From south to north, from east to west, God created various foods that are conducive to the life and survival of the local people. The original forms of all the foods created by God are meant to provide the necessary food sources for human life and survival; they are all essential for the physical lives and survival of human beings. That is to say, for a person’s body to live and be sustained, it cannot be without these plants created by God. As long as these plants and seeds come from God, they are in their original forms, possessing the necessary functions and components created by God, as well as the life force endowed by God. No matter where a seed is—even if it falls into the cracks of rocks where there is no soil—as long as it has life force, it can sprout, grow and mature normally, and produce more seeds. Only in this kind of broader environment where all things reproduce and survive can people obtain a source of food for their bodies, continuously engage in various activities, and continue to reproduce and live on. If various plants and seeds lose the original functions created by God, it is equivalent to mankind being deprived of food, and the source of mankind’s food being taken away. Even if people create and produce some foods which are not in their original forms that can temporarily satisfy their hunger, because the original forms of the foods are changed after undergoing processing and they lose their original functions, after people eat them, their physical functions and sensations will change accordingly. Over time, people’s bodies will also experience some adverse reactions; they will develop some illnesses and pains, and there could even be some serious consequences. This goes against God’s original intention in creating food for humanity, and it also goes against the laws and rules of survival that God ordained for mankind. So, no matter how you look at it, as long as something goes against God’s original intention in creating a living thing and the laws and rules ordained by God, it has lost the function God created it with and the role it should play, as well as the life force bestowed upon it by God, and so its essence has changed. The emergence of nonorganic food goes against God’s original intention in creating food; when scientists scientifically process and alter the seeds of food, it causes the essence of the food to change. Thus, nonorganic food is a negative thing. Regardless of whether its appearance becomes more vibrant and beautiful, or it becomes larger, or its quantity increases—no matter how it changes, so long as it goes against God’s original intention in creating it and loses its God-given functions and life force, then it is a negative thing. This is certain beyond all doubt. No matter what it is, and no matter in which period or by whose doing it emerged, so long as it was not created or ordained by God, but rather goes against God’s creation and ordination, then it is a negative thing. Is this matter clear now? (Yes.)

Now that the matter of nonorganic food being a negative thing has been fellowshipped clearly, there is another issue that needs to be fellowshipped. Some people ask, “Since nonorganic food is a negative thing that goes against God’s creation and ordination, how should we treat it? Should we eat it? Is it that we shouldn’t eat it, or only eat a small amount? What is the appropriate way to practice?” Some of you just pointed out, “Most of the food in society today is nonorganic, and it’s not easy to find organic food if you want to buy some—in some countries and regions you can’t even buy it at a high price. Even if we know the benefits of organic food and the harm of nonorganic food, what can we do?” This is just how the broader environment is. This is Satan’s world, and it prevents people from eating the food endowed with life force that God created. Some people say, “We know that eating nonorganic food is harmful to our bodies, but we don’t have the means to eat organic food. What should we do? Are we supposed to just starve to death?” You cannot starve to death. For the sake of living, you still have to eat nonorganic food. Even if eating it is harmful to the body, it still beats starving to death. Even if you continue to live with such difficulty, as long as you don’t die and can fulfill your duty, hanging in until the last moment and attaining salvation even if you are sickly, then you have triumphed over this world and prevailed over Satan. Others say, “Since nonorganic food is so harmful to people and the effects are irreversible, I simply won’t eat it. I’ll find a way to grow some organic food in my own yard.” If you have the means, that’s of course fine. But what if your home has no yard and you can’t grow vegetables and grains, and you are an ordinary person who can’t afford organic food? Then all you can do is eat nonorganic food. Some people say, “If I eat nonorganic food, it can at least keep me going for some years, and I won’t die in a short timeframe. Even if I get some weird diseases from it, there’s nothing to be done about it.” Are you afraid of getting all kinds of weird diseases and having your lifespans shortened? (Yes.) What should be done about this? Some people say, “Then we can only resort to the last option—settle for what we can. In order to survive, we have no alternative but to eat nonorganic food.” Is this principle correct? (Yes.) Is it? You can’t discern whether it’s correct or incorrect. Is doing this settling for what you can, and having no alternative? It’s not settling for what you can, nor is it having no alternative. Rather, this is living by faith. Isn’t there a line from God’s words? “So long as you still have one breath, God will not let you die.” People’s lives are in God’s hands. How long a person lives and their physical condition depend on God’s ordination, not on what they eat. It is enough for people to have the correct thoughts and viewpoints about nonorganic food and to have discernment of it. However, people should treat the objective environment that exists correctly. If you lack the financial means or the environmental conditions for growing your own food, then eat whatever is available. So, will you worry about getting sick or dying? There is no need to worry. Why? We have the truth of God’s words in our hearts as our support and basis: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,” and “So long as you still have one breath, God will not let you die.” A person’s life, physical condition, and lifespan are all held in God’s hands. Whether a person gets sick, when they get sick, and when they die—all of this is in God’s hands. There is no need to worry or be afraid. If you can’t get organic food and can only eat nonorganic food, then eat it with peace of mind. Eat whatever is available. Some people say, “If You said that nonorganic food is a negative thing, then why are You telling us to eat it with peace of mind?” How can you live if you don’t eat? If you eat too little, can your body really get what it needs? Nonbelievers now also say that nonorganic food is far less nutritious than organic food; although you eat a lot, it doesn’t provide much nutrition. This is also a fact. There is another point they don’t know: The proportion of nutritional components in organic food is appropriate. After you eat it, it will help your body produce many nutrients, promote blood circulation, and perform its original functions inside you to ensure good health. However, nonorganic food lacks nutritional components, so your body can’t use it to synthesize nutrients to meet its needs. Most importantly, nonorganic food does not possess life force and lacks many nutritional components; it cannot make you healthy. After eating it for ten or twenty years, people will develop all sorts of illnesses and weird diseases, and some will even lose the ability to reproduce. Such consequences are too severe. That is why some people feel, “I’ve eaten plenty of food and vegetables, so I shouldn’t be lacking in nutrition. But why do I feel weak all over?” This is the difference between organic and nonorganic food; in fact, you have already felt it. Why do you have this feeling? It is because nonorganic food has no life force. You eat a lot of it, but it doesn’t bring much nutrition, so you feel physically weak and lacking in vitality. But anyway, you still have to eat; if you don’t, you’ll go hungry and be unable to work or survive. People mustn’t do foolish things, nor should they go to extremes. They should approach everything according to God’s words and practice according to the truth principles in all things. This is what people should be clear on and understand. In short, it all comes down to how people should treat nonorganic food. After understanding the negative effects and subsequent impacts that nonorganic food brings, people should not be constrained by it, nor should they worry or be fearful, because everything is in God’s hands. People’s lives and everything about them are all held in God’s hands, subject to God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Right? (Yes.) If you comprehend it this way, your thoughts and viewpoints are correct. Having heard all this, do your hearts feel brightened and liberated? (Yes.) This is a real-life issue that people should see. If you can’t see through this matter, you are too foolish. Regarding whether or not to eat nonorganic food, we just discussed several principles of practice. You should treat it accordingly based on your objective environment and actual conditions. In short, you should view all things according to God’s words, and you should also act according to God’s words. As long as your motive is to ensure your normal physical survival and function, so that you can do your duty normally, not deviate on the path of following God, and fulfill your duty and embark on the path of pursuing the truth, then what you’re doing is correct. This is the content of our fellowship on the aspect of what God ordains.