Bible News Prophecy, July 12, 2026
Bible News Prophecy with Dr Bob Thiel
Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Red Meat, and a Prophetic Warning
Continuing Church of God 53
A Tick-Borne Allergy Enters the Prophecy Discussion
Steve Dupuie opens the Bible News Prophecy Program by asking Dr. Bob Thiel about Alpha-Gal syndrome, which Thiel describes as a serious and potentially life-threatening tick-borne allergy. He explains that the condition may trigger reactions to red meat and other mammal-derived products, including milk, gelatin, and certain ingredients used in lotions. Possible symptoms, according to the information he cites, range from indigestion and heartburn to anaphylactic shock. Thiel also reviews prevention guidance from the report discussed in the program, including protective clothing, insect repellent, checking for ticks after outdoor activity, and careful removal with tweezers.
How Alpha-Gal Syndrome Affects the Body
Thiel explains that Alpha-Gal is the molecule galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, which occurs naturally in most mammals but not in humans. According to the information he cites, a tick may transfer Alpha-Gal from its saliva into a person’s bloodstream, prompting the immune system to identify the molecule as a threat. This can produce an allergic reaction after eating red meat or encountering other mammal-derived ingredients, which is why the condition is also called red-meat allergy or tick-bite allergy. Thiel says the syndrome is associated primarily with the lone star tick in the United States, while blacklegged and western blacklegged ticks have been linked less commonly. He also notes that not everyone bitten by these ticks develops the condition and that researchers do not yet fully understand why.
Reported Cases, Risk Areas, and Prevention
Thiel cites more than 110,000 suspected cases reported between 2010 and 2022 and says the broader estimate may approach 450,000 affected people. He explains that Alpha-Gal syndrome is not nationally notifiable, making the true total difficult to determine. Most reported American cases, he says, have occurred in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, although people of different ages and in other areas may also be affected. The hosts use humor while discussing the unpleasant idea of ticks both biting and transferring saliva, but repeatedly return to prevention. Thiel advises listeners to avoid tick bites, protect pets, reduce ticks around the home, and cover exposed skin when walking through tall grass or similar environments.
A Bioethics Argument the Hosts Reject
The discussion changes direction when Thiel introduces a peer-reviewed paper published in Bioethics. As Thiel summarizes it, the paper argues that if eating meat is morally impermissible, then efforts to prevent the spread of tick-borne Alpha-Gal syndrome would also be morally impermissible. He says the authors describe the condition as a potential “moral bio-enhancer” because it may motivate people to stop eating meat. Thiel strongly rejects that argument and objects to what he sees as the paper’s minimization of the allergy’s dangers. He and Dupuie characterize the proposal as unethical because it treats illness and involuntary suffering as useful tools for changing behavior.
Biblical Teachings on Meat, Judgment, and Mercy
Thiel responds by citing passages from Second Timothy, Proverbs, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Romans, and Isaiah. He argues that Scripture permits the eating of certain animals, particularly those described as having divided hooves and chewing the cud, while identifying other animals as unclean. He also cites Romans 14 to say that vegetarians should not judge meat eaters and that meat eaters should not despise those who abstain. In his interpretation, encouraging illness among people who eat biblically permitted meat conflicts with teachings about loving one’s neighbor, avoiding vengeance, and refusing to rejoice when another person suffers. He also invokes Romans chapter 1, arguing that approving what he regards as harmful reflects a debased moral judgment and a refusal to retain God in one’s understanding.
From Medical Condition to End-Time Pestilence
Dupuie asks whether Alpha-Gal syndrome could relate to end-time prophecy, and Thiel answers that it may fit within the larger category of pestilence described in the Gospels. He cites Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, where Jesus speaks of wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilences, troubles, and fearful signs preceding His return. Although he acknowledges that the condition is noninfectious, Thiel says it resembles a form of pestilence and informally calls it the “Alpha-Gal pestilence.” He combines the medical condition with the ethical debate surrounding it, arguing that approving or discouraging prevention reflects the kind of moral confusion he associates with the last days.
Precaution, Redemption, and the Kingdom of God
The program closes by returning to practical prevention and theological hope. Thiel advises listeners to cover their legs, consider wearing socks over pant cuffs, and take other precautions in tick-prone areas. He reiterates his belief that people should not be involuntarily prevented from eating meats that, in his interpretation, Scripture permits. The ultimate solution, according to the hosts, will come with the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God, which they present as the answer to disease, suffering, moral confusion, and the broader problems facing humanity. Dupuie then directs listeners to Bible News Prophecy and Continuing Church of God resources.
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