This presentation concludes our winter class with evidence and references for the creation vs. evolution debate. Knowing that we all have the same evidence to look at, we find the Christian Worldview provides the most reasonable conclusion to what science observes. It is also important to understand some of the deception that occurs in the defining, and teaching, of evolutionary theory as it pertains to the origin of life and complex life forms. There are major differences between observable microevolution (adaptation) and non-observable macroevolution (a change from one genetic barrier to another), yet evolutionist will promote that they are one and the same. We must be wise to understand that this deceptive teaching is embedded across all curriculums and be willing to ask important questions, as presented in this lecture.
Watch the presentation on this topic:
Overview Notes From the Presentation
Topic #2: Conversations About God
Part 1: How Do We Know God Exists?
Evidence for Creation vs. Evolution
“In grammar school they taught me that a frog turning into a prince was a fairy tale. In the
university they taught me that a frog turning into a prince was a fact!”
– Ron Carlson, U.C. Irvine Professor and Author
What are “Kinds”?
“And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:24-27 (NIV)
“You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” Genesis 6:19-21 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul said… “Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.” 1 Corinthians 15:39 (NLT)
Evolution – what does the term mean?
Evolution definition: “The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.” “The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.”
Evolution theory looks at the process of change in all forms of life over generations, and evolutionary biology is the study of how evolution occurs. Biological populations evolve through genetic changes that correspond to changes in the organisms’ observable traits.
The Oxford definition of science is: The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation, YET …
Evolution (used as the answer to the origin of life) is the only science theory that is treated as factual yet it does not follow the highly esteemed ‘Scientific Method’ for accepting theories. What is the problem with evolutionary theory for the origin of life?
Evolution is a misleading term because it is overarching and broad in its scope and definition…
Microevolution vs. Macroevolution
Microevolution:
Evidenced in the changes seen in nature and in the diversity of species that are measurable and observable (e.g. different types of plants, dogs, cats, horses, etc.). This is also referred to as adaption and natural selection or survival of the fittest. But does this observable evidence lead to the next conclusion?
Macroevolution:
Taking the evidence of microevolution and inferring that species evolved through a gradual series of changes eventually becoming newer and better species (e.g. humans and monkeys come from ape-like creatures, amphibians come from fish, or birds comes from reptiles etc….). Taken back far enough we all began as a single cell bacteria-like organism in a primordial fluid.
Macroevolution is unobservable
Macroevolution is not a theory that uses the scientific method, and contrary to popular belief, it does not have the required evidence in the areas that it claims to – such as the highly regarded fossil record.
Summary of terms
Microevolution:
changes within species, true based on observation
vs.
Macroevolution:
A change from one “Kind” of living thing into a new “Kind” of living thing, false because it cannot be, or has never been, observed
Who was Darwin and where did this theory of evolution come from?
In the mid 1800’s Charles Darwin, an English Naturalist, took the idea of evolution and wrote books called The Origin of Species and Descent of Man. In these books Darwin took his studies from the Galapagos Islands and transferred observable changes he saw within certain animals to the theory of the origin of all living things. This theory takes an awful leap of faith from the observable microevolution to the unobservable macroevolution.
Evidence that debunks Evolution’s Icons
- Galapagos finches:
No missing link to a change of kind - Haekel’s embryos
Misleading drawings in the textbook - Ascent of Man Chart
Falsely identified skeletons - Bones of Lucy
An artist’s rendition
Additional misleading icons of evolution - Fruit Flies
Mutations do not survive - Bacterial mutations
Result in genetic limitations not improvements - Peppered moths
They adapt and change color not species - Homologous structures
Same designer, not common ancestor - and many others examples…
Additional reasons evolution is not the answer to origin of life and the fossil record
Morphology: Study of the form and structure of organisms
Dr. David Berlinski, Mathematician and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, poses this question:
“How many changes should we see if a complex life form goes, for example, from being a sea dwelling creature to a land-dwelling creature?”
Berlinski’s answer:
“Most Morphologists suggest that even with a modest estimate you would need roughly 50,000 morphological changes to make that adaptation which requires specific changes in physiological features and evolutionists hold up maybe two (which are really their own unique species). What happened then, to the other 49,998 forms that we should see in the fossil record? We simply do not know, but neither do the other guys.”
Charles Darwin, said this about his own theory:
“Why then is not every geological formation and every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain; and this, perhaps, is the most obvious and gravest objection which can be urged against my theory.”
Charles Darwin also admitted:
“If it should be determined that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.”
As we now have available to us, through the abundance of evidence from modern science and technology, Darwin’s theory does absolutely break down.
Darwinian Evolutionists need to answer, or explain, the following (but they can’t):
1) The origin of first life.
Why is there something rather than nothing at all—where did it all come from originally?
2) Life does not consist merely of chemicals.
If this were true mixing the chemicals of life would produce life—What is the missing ingredient?
3) There are no known natural laws that produce specified complexity.
There is information in the cell that codes for the performance of specific functions—where does this information come from?
4) There are many human functions and actions that are immaterial.
In modern science the search for the cause of origin does not allow for anything immaterial or supernatural, it is built upon a philosophy or presupposition that there is no God. How then can you address the immaterial nature of life?
There are only two possible causes for life: A supernatural intelligent cause that demonstrates design and purpose, or a natural one that demonstrates randomness caused by chance conditions. Which one has the most reasonable evidence and could lead to the results we see in the design, purpose and diversity of life?
5) Spontaneous generation of life has never been observed.
How can something come from nothing? How can non-living materials give rise to living materials?
Genetic limits:
6) New information needs to be added to the DNA to create a new or different kind of living organism.
Adding information to the DNA or the cell itself is genetically impossible from an evolutionary perspective. Where is the evidence of new genetic information being added that creates a new kind of living thing from another kind?
7) Mutations in the genes do not make improvements in the species and almost always has a negative effect.
Mutations take away or cause the loss of information in the cell. Cancer is caused by mutations in the DNA of the cell, this is an example of a negative effect not a positive one. Where are examples of mutations creating new kinds of living thing or contributing in a positive direction?
8) Cyclical changes within species never produce a new life form.
Birds are still birds, bacteria is still bacteria, and fish are still fish. Where are the new kinds of living things created by beak size changes, wing size changes or other changes within a species?
9) Irreducible complexity in biological systems and their parts exist in all living things.
These transitional forms would be non-viable in this state and would die out. All pieces must be there simultaneously otherwise an organism would not survive. Where is the evidence of a living thing existing in a transitional stage with missing pieces in their functional parts?
10) Molecular isolation—outside similarities do no match up with inside similarities.
Similarity in structure on the outside does not support the dissimilarity of molecular structure internally. Even though they look similar on the outside, they are molecularly different on the inside. How do you get new molecules added to completely different molecules, and DNA codes, that are isolated inside different kinds of species?
The fossil record:
11) The fossil record is scare for transitional forms—Morphology suggests tens of thousands of transitional forms should be seen if evolution was true, and they are not.
The Cambrian explosion has exposed that the earliest fossils ever discovered. These fossils have body plans identical to what we see today. Where are the transitional fossils (missing links)?
12) Mathematical probability proves that even if you allow for billions and billions of years there is not enough time for random chance to cause first life; even after first life there is not enough time for evolutionary changes to produce new kinds of living organisms from other kinds.
Evolutionists keep moving their historical clock back and dating methods for the age of the universe and are all over the place depending on the institution. How does one account for the origination of first life? Can moving the clock back ever answer the origin question?
Mathematical Probability of evolution by chance:
Walter L. Bradley, Mechanical engineering professor at Texas A&M University and co-author of the book “The Mystery of Life’s Origins” has said…
“Since evolutionary scientists have estimated the age of the universe at 14 billion years old and the earth being less than 5 billion years old the mathematical odds of assembling a living organism, even if you optimize the conditions here on earth in those early days, wouldn’t work.”
“…If you took all the carbon in the universe and allowed it to chemically react at the most rapid rate possible, and left it for a billion years, the odds of creating just one functional protein molecule would be one chance in 10 with 60 zeros after it!”
What does that number look like?
That’s one chance in…
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000
Probability of evolution by chance?
Francis Crick, Nobel prize winner and co-discoverer of the molecular structure of DNA said…
“To produce the miracle of molecular construction, all the cell needs to do is string together the amino acids (which make up the polypeptide chain of DNA) in the correct order. This is a complicated biochemical process. Suppose the chain is about 200 amino acids long and, since we have just twenty possibilities at each place, the number of possibilities is twenty multiplied by itself some 200 times. This is conveniently written 20 to the 200th power, that is, a 1 followed by 260 zeros? This number is quite beyond our everyday comprehension.”
What does that look like?
To create this one single strand of DNA (by chance) is mathematically one chance in…
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,00,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
To simplify the astronomical odds of complex life forms developing over the course of the earth’s history, astronomer Fred Hoyle has said…
“The current scenario of the origin of life is about as likely as the assemblage of a 747 by a tornado whirling through a junkyard.”
Going Deeper:
See books and work by:
Michael Behe
Steven Meyer
Douglas Axe
J.C. Sanford
Jonathan Wells
Michael Denton
Phillip Johnson
And so many others…
Reflection
If you only had one minute for each question, to the best of your ability, give an answer in your own words: (Note – these are building from the notes each week)
- What are the four areas of our Christian walk that we should work on growing in? (From the Ministry Statement in the first session)
- What makes the ”Christian Worldview” unique, and how do we know it is true?
- Give an example (or two) for the existence of God from each of these areas: Biblical evidence, Philosophical evidence, Cosmological evidence, and the Teleological evidence from design in the Universe.
- Give two or three questions that evolutionists have to answer, but cannot.
- How confident are you that God is behind all we see, and what evidence would you use to make that argument? (Choose a few from the sessions we presented so far)
Bible Study
Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.
Daily Devotional:
This week look through the wisdom literature in the Bible (the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon) and choose one to use as a daily devotional. You can repeat the Proverbs if you’d like. We will have a discussion question or two on your choice when we start our new class.
We will also be starting the book of Philippians followed by the book of Colossians for our next class. You can get a head start by reading through each one in a single sitting to get the big picture before studying with us chapter by chapter (these books have four chapters each).
Join us as we continue our study in Christian Apologetics with our spring class that begins in two weeks. Next week we will have a special presentation.
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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15