Case-Making 101: Is There Evidence In the Universe For The Existence of God? Part 3 Evidence from Biochemistry

God and DNA

I remember as a child looking forward to shrinking down to the size of an atom riding Disneyland’s ‘Adventure Thru Inner Space,’ the first attraction to utilize Disney’s Omnimover system. It opened on August 5, 1967 as part of the New Tomorrowland, and closed in 1985 moving on to more imaginative rides. I wonder what a ride like that might look like in the future with all of the new discoveries science continues to make?

As a High School Biology Teacher I have always been fascinated with the immensity of the microscopic world. How far can we peer into inner space, how small can we go and what do these microscopic particles show us? Is this just the result of chemicals working by blind chance as evolution would teach, or are these discoveries allowing us to peer into the creative mind of God? If God created us are there any clues from biochemistry in the way our bodies are built?

In our previous posts we have presented evidence for a Theistic God who created the Universe by Intelligent Design through…

  • Cosmological Evidence
  • Teleological Evidence

And now we are adding…

Biochemistry Evidence:  Evidence from inside our bodies and the information codes contained therein.

Richard Dawkins, noted Biologist and atheist, in his book “The Blind Watchmaker” said that, Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been *designed for a purpose.

Francis Crick, Nobel prize winning scientist for the discovery of the structure of DNA has said: Even though things often give the appearance of being *designed, we must constantly keep in mind that what we see is not designed but rather evolved.

*Notice how evolutionists can’t help but use words like design and purpose. Could it be that things appear designed for a purpose because they really are?

 

An Argument for Intelligent Design From Biochemistry:

Premise #1:

Machines and information can only come into existence from the will and design of an intelligent being, and intelligence implies a mind.

*Premise #2:

Our cells and cellular structures have irreducibly complex machines with coded information that work with extreme precision for a specific purpose.

Premise #3:

Therefore, there must be an intelligent designer and code maker responsible for their construction.

*Remember we must provide evidence for premise #2 for premise #3 to be true.

 

The evidence of irreducibly complex molecular machines in cells:

Michael Behe’s theory of irreducible complexity:

Book- Darwin's Black Box by Michael Behe

Michael Behe shook the evolutionary scientists’ world when he wrote his book called “Darwins Black Box.” In this book he presented evidence showing microscopic structures in living things that must come into existence all at once, and not by gradual evolutionary changes, for the organism to survive. Something with irreducible complexity would be…

A single system composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning… Any precursor to an irreducibly complex system that is missing a part is, by definition, nonfunctional.

Behe uses the simple illustration of a mousetrap:

Parts of a mousetrapmouse and mousetrap

If any one of the small parts required for it to work is missing then the trap cannot work at all. Because all the parts are required to be there at the same time (they cannot slowly or incrementally come to be, or be added) the trap by definition is irreducibly complex.

One of the best examples of irreducible complexity is seen in the tail (flagellum) of a bacteria. Behe demonstrates how the design of the bacterial flagellum mimics that of an outboard motor, a highly manufactured and irreducibly complex structure. This fascinating comparison brings to light the detail involved in the creation of even the smallest microscopic part. (See Matthew chapter 6:25-34)

BacteriaFlagellum motor

For more information on this topic:

Go to this link on J. Warner Wallace’s website to read an excerpt from his book, God’s Crime Scene: “Can Evolution Explain the Appearance of Design in Biology?”

 

Other examples of things that are irreducibly complex include:

The structure of the eye: Sight could not be possible during a transitional phase of evolution, it all has to be there at the same time for us to see

Structure of the eye

The blood clotting factor: If this process came about in slow incremental phases the organism would bleed to death and could never come into being

blood clooting feedback loop

The cochlea of the ear: Similarly the ability to hear, one of the animal kingdom’s most important factors, would not be available until the evolutionary process had reached this phase

Cochlea of the ear anatomy

 

Information, the evidence from DNA:

What is DNA?

  • DNA is found in the cells of all living things.
  • A cell is the basic unit of life and a complicated molecular machine (a tenth of the size of the head of a pin) it is made up of about three billion units of DNA.
  • DNA contains information encoded on strands that make up our genes—these genes are found on chromosomes located inside the nucleus of the cell.
  • DNA has coded instructions on how to build and maintain the systems of the body.

DNA structureDNA RNA structural differences

Where did this code come from? Evolution surely does not have a mechanism for intelligence. Information can only come from intelligence and intelligence can only come from a mind.

To the skeptic, the proposition that the genetic programmes of higher organisms, consisting of something close to a thousand million bits of information, equivalent to the sequence of letters in a small library of one thousand volumes, containing in encoded form countless thousands of intricate algorithms controlling, specifying and ordering the growth and development of billions and billions of cells into the form of a complex organism, were composed by a purely random process is simply an affront to reason. But to the Darwinist the idea is accepted without a ripple of doubt – the paradigm takes precedence!”
Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory In Crisis

 

What is Laminin?

To the skeptic it is just “a fibrous protein present in the basal lamina of the epithelia,” it is a protein adhesion molecule that helps bind our cells. To a Christian who sees God’s signature in our very bodies laminin is a tribute to what the God of the Bible promised to do for us from the very beginning. It is the symbol of what Jesus accomplished in defeat of death and it is the very symbol that helps us remember that we are His children and we have an eternal home with Him. (John 14)

LamininLaminin what is does

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  –Colossians 1:16-17

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.  –Psalm 139:13-16

Additional Video Resources:

Click here to watch Louie Giglio’s presentation (that includes Laminin) called How Great Is Our God.

Click here to view J. Warner Wallace speak on the topic of Design in Biology: Why the Appearance of Design in Biology is Best Explained by the Existence of God and click here for his presentation on How the Biological Evidence in the Universe Points to the Existence of God.

Click here to watch A Case for the Creator, by Lee Strobel


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 this year 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

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