This week we are continuing the topic of the last two week’s on the Bible and its authenticity when it comes to science. We will look specifically at the controversial debate between creationists and evolutionists on the origin of biological life by presenting twelve questions evolution cannot answer but the Biblical account, and the truth of God’s intelligent design as Creator, can.

Watch this week’s presentation on this topic:

Overview Notes From the Presentation

How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? Part 7 continued…

Creation vs. Evolution – Things evolutionists cannot answer, but Biblical Creationists can!

MAPS-S

The acronym MAPS-S give us a snapshot of the evidence for the inspiration, inerrancy and reliability of the Bible.

M = Manuscript evidence

A = Archeological evidence

P = Evidence from Prophecy fulfillment

S = Evidence based on Scientific authenticity

S = Evidence from Saved Lives over the centuries

The “S” = The Bible has Scientific authenticity, and the evidence shows us just that!

In a debate over the origin of biological life, evolutionists must be able to answer these questions, and they cannot:

1) The origin of first life. There are things that exist rather than nothingness. Why is there something rather than nothing at all—where did it all come from?

2) Life does not consist merely of chemicals. If this were true mixing the chemicals of life would produce life—and it does not. 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, specific to each organism—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 the immaterial or supernatural, it is built upon a philosophy or presupposition, that there is no God. How can you address the immaterial nature of life (for example consciousness, intentionality, emotions etc.)?

5) Spontaneous generation of life has never been observed. Even though there have been experiments trying to do this, it turns out they never have the right “formula” for what is needed for life, and this needs to include an experiment that shows something that can come from absolute nothingness. How can something come from nothing, and how can non-living materials give rise to living materials?

Genetic limits:

6) New and beneficial 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, or beneficial, 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 have a negative effect. Mutations take away or cause the loss of information in a 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 direction that is positive or beneficial for the organism?

8) Cyclical changes within species never produce a new life form. Birds are still birds, bacteria are 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. Transitional forms would be non-viable 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 some organisms 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 organisms?

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 have body plans identical to what we see today. Where are the transitional fossils (missing links)?

Dr. David Berlinski, Mathematician and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, Poses this question about transitional forms not found in the fossil record:

“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? 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. 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.

Mathematics—the nail in the coffin:

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 do you account for the origination of first life—can moving the clock back ever answer the origin question?

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, 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

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 200^th 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,

000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

To simplify the astronomical odds of complex life forms developing over the course of the earth’s history, astronomer Fred Hoyle and mathematician Chandra Wickramasinghe have 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.”

Phillip Johnson, U.C. Berkley Law Professor and Author of “Darwin on Trial” has said: “Darwinism is based on an ‘a priori [prior] commitment to materialism, not on a philosophically neutral assessment of the evidence. Separate the philosophy from the science, and the proud tower collapses.”

Evolutionary Biologist and Harvard Professor Richard Lewontin admits: “We take the side of science in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises…because we have a prior commitment to materialism…Moreover that materialism is absolute for we cannot allow a divine foot in the door.”

Our Creator God has warned us:

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

Colossians 2:8 (NASB)

Going Deeper

Theses are video links, but many of these authors have hard copy books as well:

“Ten of the Top Scientific Facts in the Bible,” by Ray Comfort

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2sMJMXDiH4&t=384s

“The Case for A Creator,” Full Documentary, by Lee Strobel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bice8EnJFsU

“Evolution debunked in thee minutes,” by That’s A Fact Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=ELMa7uwMdy0

“Evolution vs. God,” by Ray Comfort and Living Waters Productions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=124&v=U0u3-2CGOMQ

“Understanding Intelligent Design,” by Sean McDowell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqEzRapv5LU

“Icons of Evolution,” by Jonathan Wells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=AZh-VJ20uC8

“Human Evolution, (a brief presentation)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=B9taCPkleWo

“Darwin’s Dilemma,” by Stephen Meyer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=xxh9o32m5c0

And, you can check the “References and Resources” section of this website where you’ll find a lot more on this topic…

Reflection

If you only had one minute for each question, to the best of your ability, give a quick answer in your own words, (note – these are building from the presentation notes each week – focus mainly on #10 through #18)

What are the four important areas for Christian growth?
What are the twelve points that will help you tell the Bible’s Big Picture?
What are the two most important questions you can ask when someone makes a claim about Christianity, or a belief that they hold to be true that is in conflict with the Christian Worldview?
What is the Moral Law argument for the existence of God? Give an example.
How is evil defined from a Christian Worldview? Give an example.
What are the three factors in identifying sources of evil?
What three characteristics does Satan possess that he wants to bring out in us?
What does it mean for a Christian to have a proper perspective of eternity?
What is a miracle, and how is it different from natural occurrences?
What does the acronym MAPS-S stand for, and how does it help us confirm the Bible’s reliability?
There are seven lines of evidence for the “M” in MAP-S. What are they?
What does the “A” stand for? Give a few examples from the Old Testament.
What is the significance of New Testament archeology? Give a few examples from the New Testament
What does the “P” stand for, and why is it important?
Give a few examples from “general prophecy” and a few examples from “Messianic Prophecy.”
What does the “S” stand for, why is it important, and what are one or two examples where the Bible makes scientifically authentic statements?
What is the difference between microevolution and macroevolution, and why is it important to know?
Pick one or two of the twelve issues that evolutionists cannot answer and write it out to help with your apologetics on this topic.

Bible Study

Note: Basic answers will be posted mid-week for your review, and to make a leader’s guide for future studies!

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.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

1. Review of Class Topic:

With your table group, discuss today’s presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Read 2 Thessalonians 1-12 with your group then, to the best of your ability, answer the following questions:

The Hermeneutics:

2. Who is the author and audience, and what is the genre and dating of this book?

3. What was the setting and purpose for the writing?

Chapter 1:

4. What praise is given the Thessalonians, and why?

5. What is said about who will receive God’s “retribution,” and why?

6. What does Paul say about how they pray for the Thessalonians?

7. Discuss: How vital are our prayers for others, and what should be some of the most important things we can pray over them?

8. Memory verses: Recite – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (the importance of specific prayer).

Join us next week as we continue our study in Christian Apologetics with more conversations!

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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