This video should be a good follow up to the previous post that described how it is practically impossible for proteins and other molecular structures to form by chance. The complexity of something as “simple” as a cell is an amazing testimony to our Creator’s design.
Journey Inside the Cell
Posted: September 9, 2009 in CreationTags: Abiogenesis, Christianity, Creation, DNA
Have you ever heard of the idea of abiogenesis? Simply put, this concept suggests that long ago, spontaneous chemical reactions caused the formation of very simple life forms. In regard to evolution, abiogenesis is pretty much accepted as a fact. But does it make sense? Does abiogenesis fit reality?
Everyone knows about proteins. Not only are they quite popular, but they are also essential to the existence of life. On the molecular level, proteins consist of amino acids (the basic “building blocks” of a protein) that are linked together. In order for a protein to function properly and perform its specific job, all the amino acids in the protein have to link up in exactly the right order. If they don’t, the protein can’t perform its job.
Allow me to introduce you to Ribonuclease. Ribonuclease is the simplest protein necessary for the existence of life. This “simple” protein consists of 124 amino acids. In order for the idea of abiogenesis to explain how simple life forms originated, it also has to account for how the chemical components (including proteins) necessary to these life forms’ existence could be formed by random processes. Since Ribonuclease is a protein that is essential for life, abiogenesis must explain how it could form by pure chance. Let’s check out some odds.
Okay, so Ribonuclease is made up of 124 amino acids. Seventeen different types of amino acids are present in those 124. There are actually 20 types of amino acids that are present in life-essential proteins, but we’ll just work with the 17 necessary for Ribonuclease. The odds of the first amino acid coming into the right place are 1 in 17. That’s not too bad. The odds of the second specific amino acid linking to the first are 1 in 289. Hmm…Things aren’t looking so good now. Even worse, the odds for the next amino acid linking to the second are 1 in 4,913. By the time we get all the way to the last amino acid, the odds are 1 in 10 to the 152nd power. That’s a 1 followed by 152 zeros. To illustrate how ridiculous these odds are, the likelihood of Ribonuclease forming by chance is equivalent to a poker player drawing a royal flush 19 times in a row without ever exchanging cards. Let’s just say those are some pretty lousy odds. And that’s considering the simplest protein necessary for life. Some of the proteins at work in our bodies contain more than 10,000 amino acids! Even so, abiogenesis has to accept on faith the odds of these and numerous other reactions occurring purely by chance.*
If you believe in Biblical Creation, there’s good news. You don’t have to worry about explaining how such a complex and intricate element necessary for life could form on accident. Genesis 1 tells us Who the author of life is. He knows all about how to put Ribonuclease together.
For more information on this topic, visit www.icr.org/creation-enzyme/. You can also follow this link for a more detailed essay presenting evidence for the necessity of a Creator in molecular design.
* – many of the statistics listed in this post were referenced from Dr. Jay L. Wile’s Exploring Creation With Biology, 2nd Edition.
Worldview Reconnaissance: Identifying Hidden Agendas
Posted: July 23, 2009 in Apologetics, Christian Thought, Worldview“Nothing you can make that can’t be made
No one you can save that can’t be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It’s easy.
All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love.
Love is all you need.”
“All You Need is Love” – written by Lennon/McCartney
Love is all you need. If everyone would just love one another, we would live in a much better world. Man’s love for one another is the answer to our problems. Really? Would humanity be able to pull itself out of the sinful rut it’s stuck in if we all just loved one another more? Well, Jesus seemed to cover love quite a bit in his teaching. After all, it was out of His love for us that Jesus died on the cross. But I’m absolutely sure it wasn’t because of the same kind of love that the Beatles sang about.
Love has solved the world’s problem of sin. God’s love, that is. Check out what Ephesians 2:4-5 says:
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
According to the Bible, God’s love is indeed what we need. It is because of His love that we have hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ. Man on his own can’t provide the love that he needs for fulfillment, much less obtain the hope of eternal life by his own works. God has created a spiritual longing in every persons’ heart, and he is the only one who can truly satisfy it.
There are two things that need to be pointed out in reference to this discussion. The first point was already covered in the above paragraphs: the only love that can provide ultimate satisfaction to the spiritual longing in every human beings’ heart is God’s love. The second point concerns our responsibility to search out and understand the meaning conveyed by the song. It’s not mature in any respect for Christians to simply ignore the messages they hear. They need to seek out the messages conveyed in songs, movies, art, etc., understand what those messages are saying, and decide whether they line up with what God says is true. 2 Corinthians 10:5 provides direction:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We’ve got to realize that no message is neutral. Every message that is presented has an agenda, and it is every Christians’ responsibility to identify, understand, and compare these agendas to the standards Christ has established. There are no excuses for inactivity. It is our duty to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”, and to do so without being captured ourselves.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
No Ignorant Christians
Posted: July 15, 2009 in The Christian LifeTags: Apologetics, Christianity, Faith, Scripture, St. Augustine, Thought, Worldview
Until recently, I had never realized the crucial importance of the intellectual aspect of the Christian faith. Isn’t it interesting how the truth about something can be right in front of you, but it takes a wake-up call from God before you finally see it? Well, the Lord gave me one of those experiences regarding how I view the Christian faith. He even went so far as to back it up with Scripture! (Imagine that.)
Romans 12:2 is a key verse that He opened my eyes to:
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
I had read this verse before and understood its meaning on a surface level, but I hadn’t really grasped the deeper meaning. Same story with verses like 2 Corinthians 10:5 and 1 Peter 3:15. Eventually, I caught on to the message. All Christians, regardless of their maturity in the faith, are called to think. And I don’t mean whimsical daydreaming. I’m talking about thinking deeply and critically about their faith and how it applies to the world around them.
You might be thinking, “Man, that sounds kind of hard. Do Christians really need to think about their faith?” Yes, it is hard, and yes, Christians do need to think about their faith. But we need to realize that we can’t quit on something just because it’s difficult. When you really hone in on the thinking aspect of Christianity, all kinds of amazing insight into the faith and reality is stunningly revealed! Christians aren’t just called to a spiritual focus in their faith, but to an intellectual one as well. Please understand that when I say intellectual, I don’t mean that everyone has to go out and earn a Ph.D. from some prestigious seminary. On the contrary, a thinking Christian is not measured by how much he knows, but rather by how much he thinks (with a Biblical perspective) about his faith and the world around him. Knowledge naturally results from analytical thought and research.
So here’s the bottom line: Christians are called to think critically about their faith and the issues that the world constantly throws in their faces. There is no easy way in when becoming a thinking Christian. It is hard and it won’t always be fun. But you’ll be stronger and better equipped by becoming one. We can’t just ignore the issues and circumstances around us and hide in a safe spiritual bubble. We need to be willing to roll our sleeves up, get a little dirty, and ring the truth out of all the agendas that challenge our faith. I think the best way to sum this up is with a quote by Saint Augustine:
“Involuntary ignorance is not charged against you as a fault; but your fault is this – you neglect to inquire into the things you are ignorant of.”
Let’s not be ignorant Christians. Let’s become thinking ones.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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There are two basic six-word questions that are of crucial importance to the foundation of any worldview. These two questions are:
1. What is the nature of God?
and
2. What is the nature of man?
So what’s so big about these two questions? Well, essentially every other assumption a person’s worldview makes will hinge on their answers. Let’s start from the top.
The first question concerning the nature of God is whether or not He exists. If a worldview claims that He does not, then you have Atheism. If He does exist, then the next question will be whether or not He is identical to or distinct from the universe. If He is identical, then you have Pantheism, which basically holds that the universe IS God. The New Age movement holds to this type of thinking. Everything – the stars, the trees, rocks, people, is God. However, if God is distinct from the universe, the next question is whether He is involved in it or not. If He is uninvolved, the result is Deism. This belief assumes that there may indeed be a God, but if there is He is simply uninvolved in the universe. If God is involved, then another question pops up: Is God incarnate in the universe or not? If He is not, the result is Unitarian Theism. The two major worldviews that have this position are Islam and Judaism. On the flip side of the question, (if God is incarnate) the result is Trinitarian Theism. This is the nature of God as defined by Biblical Christianity. God does exist, He is distinct from the universe, He is involved with it, and He is incarnate. The Westminster Larger Catechism puts it like this:
“God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in
being, glory, blessedness, and perfection;
all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible,
everywhere present, almighty; knowing all things,
most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”
Okay, so we’ve covered the first question. Now for the second: What is the nature of man? Well, this question has only two answers. Either man is inherently good, or he is inherently flawed. If man is inherently good, then man’s only hope is in man. There is no room for God; if man is basically good, he doesn’t need God. Man doesn’t need a savior, because there is nothing he needs salvation from. This is the position, apart from Christianity, that essentially every worldview takes. Christianity holds that man is inherently flawed. When Adam and Eve turned their backs on God and chose to chart their own course, (Genesis 3) they rejected their perfection and allowed sin to enter the world. As a result of sin’s entry,the only hope man has is through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-24, John 3:16).
The term “worldview” is going to be used extensively throughout the Themelios Project blog, so it would probably be a good idea to define it, just to clear things up. In essence, a worldview is the “lens” through which a person sees reality. That lens is made up of all sorts of answers to questions about reality, and the answers one provides will determine whether they can see reality clearly or not. Out of all the questions that could be asked concerning a worldview, there are two basic questions that must be answered: “What is the nature of God?” and “What is the nature of man?” (You can see more on these two questions in the upcoming post Two Fundamental Questions That Worldviews Must Answer.)
So who has a worldview? Everyone does. In fact, not only does everyone posses a worldview, but they are also responsible for the consequences of following it. Therefore, a good worldview brings good consequences, but a bad worldview brings bad consequences. How do you determine what a good worldview is, then? By how well it explains reality. If a worldview is able to explain the world’s reality well, then it is worth pursuing.
Understandably, the next step would be to present a list of good worldviews. It’s quite a short list, because there is only one member:
1. Christianity
Just one worldview? What about all the other options out there? Can’t they explain reality clearly? To answer this query, we need to take a look at a crucially fundamental topic that all worldviews must cover. That topic is the nature of man.
You see, every other worldview other than Christianity claims that man is basically good and can therefore achieve a higher state of being (in an afterlife, nirvana, utopia, etc.) on his own power. The Christian worldview stands alone, proclaiming that man is inherently depraved and unable to achieve goodness on his own. This worldview further explains that because man is depraved, he is doomed to eternal punishment and separation from God. However, God provides hope for all mankind through his Son, Jesus Christ, whom he sent to die in payment for man’s sin. As a result, if anyone accepts Christ as their Savior, they are freed from the eternal punishment sin requires.
So Christianity is exclusive in saying that man is inherently depraved. But is man really that bad? How about some evidence? Well, a great place to start is pretty much any news source. If you need more convincing evidence, just visit your nearest police station or prison. If even that isn’t enough, perhaps the best testimony to man’s depravity would be an honest look into our own hearts. Man is a messed up and sinful creature. That’s reality. And the Christian worldview makes sense of that reality. But the Christian worldview also provides the best hope for the world’s very real depravity. That hope is found in the redeeming work and person of Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:23)
For more information on different worldviews and worldview terminology, visit www.summit.org/resources/. At the bottom of this site there are links to a worldview dictionary, a chart depicting six major worldviews, and other helpful tools.
“Truth is relative.” “Life is an illusion.” “What’s right for you may not be right for me.” “God is dead.”
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Every time you turn on the TV, surf the internet, listen to music, or interact in any way with society, messages promoting all sorts of agendas are going to be thrown right in front of you. The question is, what are you going to do with them? Keep in mind that following these agendas is going to produce consequences. Are you going to ignore the agendas or absorb them? Or would you be willing to accept the challenge of thinking through them? If you’re going to try and effectively defend your faith, thinking through the world’s countless messages is a battle you will have to fight. But don’t go into the battle unarmed.
A wise soldier who understands his enemy’s tactics will naturally choose the best weapon to fight that enemy with. It turns out that the most effective weapon you can use in this battle of the mind is not offensive, but rather defensive. The Greek word πολογία (apologia) translates as “answer” or “defense”. In this context, an “apology” would be considered as an answer or a defense in support of a particular position. For Christians, developing a sound apology for the faith is not an optional endeavor. It is a mandate. In 1 Peter 3:15, Christians are instructed to “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”
Alright then. It looks like Christians are supposed to “be prepared to give an answer” for questions about and attacks against their faith. So how does someone go about building a defense for their faith? Well, the best place to start is God’s Word. Read the Bible with passion and devour what it says. Really think about what you read and let it sink in. The wisdom and knowledge contained in the Bible explains reality better than any book ever written, past or future.
Another way to construct a sound apology is to search out quality information and teaching from a Christian perspective on crucial topics. Such topics could include the origin of life, man’s purpose, the role of morality, the search for truth, etc. In addition, there are numerous resources and websites that present practical, applicable, and apologetically-minded information. In fact, one of the primary purposes of this site is to provide links to these resources.
That’s a little bit to get started with. If you’re looking for some resources, check out some of the links in the blogroll and at the bottom of this post. A great site that provides apologetic answers to a host of different topics is www.carm.org, and I would definitely recommend making it one of your first stops. As the Themelios Project blog grows, additional links will be included, corresponding to topics covered in future posts.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
