Great Evidences for Creation

 How does a person recognize intelligent design versus something that is naturally occurring? Arrowheads are commonly distinguished from naturally occurring rock forms. Experience and observation tell us that rocks do not “naturally” take the form of an arrowhead, with precise symmetry and obvious chip marks. Similarly, observing a pattern of sea shells on the beach in the form of “Susie loves Jimmy,” would naturally lead one to conclude the presence of an intelligent author. Observation and experience tell us that sand grains do not “naturally” fall into this pattern, no matter how much time is allowed. Such conclusions seem almost intuitive, but are based on observation, experience, and logical inference. Our understanding of materials and natural processes helps us determine what is formed naturally and what has come about as the result of intelligence and design.

Some of the clues that lead us to conclude the presence of intelligent design are symmetry, purposefulness (form and function go together), complex interrelationships of parts, and an understanding of how things “naturally” respond to outside forces (e.g. the way in which rocks normally chip or fracture; the way sand grains and sea shells normally fall). We look for patterns “imposed” upon the natural materials – patterns that would not occur “naturally” because of the inherent qualities of the material. All of these clues are clearly evident all around us if we open our eyes to it.

DNA and Language Systems: Everyone knows that placement of four letters such as STOP has significant meaning and indicates the presence of a language and intelligence behind that language. We also know that computer programs don’t just happen by accident. Our DNA is a very specialized computer code that is made up of combinations of four “letters” that spell specific instructions as well. This computer system and language is so complex and orderly that it taxes credulity to think it happened just by accident. Recent discoveries in genetic research are bringing to light even greater levels of complexity and order, compounding the problem for evolution. For example it is now believed that the DNA “ladder” not only encodes in one direction, but also encodes another message when read in the opposite direction. This would be like writing a book which can be read forward or backward, each direction telling a different, but equally fascinating story,  – a seemingly impossible task even for a genius. But the complexity goes beyond just the linear order of “letters.” DNA folds into a very specific three-dimensional structure based upon strategically placed connecting points. This folding is vitally important for proper functioning of the DNA. The case is getting worse for the atheist!  (See Genetic Entropy & the Mystery of the Genome, 2005, Dr. J. C. Sanford, for details of these and more very recent DNA studies).3

Dolphins’ Radiator System:  Like any warm-blooded animal, dolphins need to maintain a relatively stable internal temperature. A thick layer of blubber acts like an insulating coat to keep them warm in cold water. However, this coat could cause serious overheating in warmer water or when a dolphin generates much body heat during times of intense swimming. Fortunately, dolphins have a special system of blood vessels in their dorsal fin that acts like a car’s radiator to keep their blood at just the perfect temperature! If radiators can’t happen by accident, neither did the dolphin’s dorsal fin!

Bombardier Beetles: These unique insects have a highly effective system of defense. They mix special chemicals together within their abdomen to produce rapid-fire explosions that propel 212 degree (boiling water temperature) liquid and gases into the face of an enemy.  For this to work, a multitude of components all need to work in unison: the chemicals, storage compartments, mixing chamber, firing tube, sets of valves, and the discernment to know when and on what to use it. Just imagine evolution trying to produce such a system by trial and error! How many beetles blew themselves apart in the process? The whole system looks designed!

Woodpecker: This little “living jack-hammer” hits its head against a tree hundreds of times a minute with a force of de-acceleration up to 1000 times the force of gravity. Why doesn’t it break its neck or knock itself silly? Why doesn’t its beak fold up like an accordion or its eyes pop out of its skull? Woodpeckers have extra strong neck muscles and a special layer of cartilage in the skull that acts like a shock absorber. They also have extremely tough, chisel-shaped beaks and a special film, which closes over the eye, keeping the eyeballs in and the wood chips out. What amazing design! But that’s not all. Woodpeckers feed on insects that live in tunnels under the bark of trees. These insects would escape, except for the woodpeckers’ extra long, sticky tongues. The tongue is 4.5 times longer than its skull! But this poses another problem – what to do with the tongue when it’s not in use? Fortunately, woodpeckers have another special feature – a tongue storage compartment, which wraps around the skull and attaches in the beak region. Which came first, the storage compartment or the long tongue? Without the tongue, the birds would starve; without the storage compartment they would choke on their long tongues. Do woodpeckers look like the product of chance and accident? No way! They look designed by a master designer!

The Mallee Fowl: This “Incubator Bird” digs a huge hole in the ground, fills it with vegetation, buries it with sand, lays its eggs, and then covers them with more sand. This seems like a silly thing to do except that when the vegetation rots, it produces heat, which incubates the eggs. Using its specialized heat sensitive beak as a “thermometer,” the bird then adds or removes sand to keep the nest temperature constant, despite changes in external temperatures and amount of solar radiation. How did this bird learn to do that? Looks like a lot of intelligence designed this bird!

The design arguments appear to be great evidence for creation by an intelligent designer; however, according to most proponents of naturalistic evolution, mutation and natural selection are the mechanisms which equip an animal so well for life in a particular environment. In other words, somehow the genetic information coding for these specialized structures has evolved from less highly specialized structures by changes in the genetic structure of the organism (mutations). Favorable mutations are then saved (or “selected”) by natural selection, and passed on to the next generation. Thus, mutation and natural selection, taken together, are believed to be “creative” forces.  Let’s examine these processes in a little more detail.

Mutations are random changes in the genetic structure at the chromosomal level or within the genes themselves. They may impact chromosome structure or numbers, or they may affect the structure of proteins or other biologic molecules. They can occur in reproductive cells (egg or sperm) or in somatic (body) cells. Those occurring in reproductive cells could be passed on to the next generation, while those occurring in somatic cells might affect that particular individual, but would not be passed on. In order for mutations to be a creative force in evolution, there would need to be an abundance of beneficial, inheritable mutations producing something “new.” However, research indicates that many mutations seem to be neutral with no immediate apparent effect on an organism’s fitness. Of those mutations which have a “non-neutral” effect, most have been shown to be detrimental to the organism, causing disease, death, or some level ofdecreased fitness. Even the few that seem to have a “positive” effect in a very specialized situation, appear to decrease the overall fitness if the organism is placed in a more general environment. Thus, mutations do not appear to have what it takes to create the “new” traits and genetic information needed to drive evolution, at least not in the vast numbers needed to explain the diversity of life seen today.

Natural Selection, or “survival of the fittest,” is the other mechanism proposed as an evolutionary force. It seems obvious that those organisms, which are more “fit” in a particular environment or under particular conditions, will be those that survive. However, by itself, natural selection has no power to “create” anything. At best, all it can do is “choose” between organisms that already exist. Thus, it has no power to explain the origin of a new trait. Furthermore, since survival depends upon a whole suite of traits, selection for only one particular specialized trait would be rare. In addition, observations have shown that highly specialized organisms may have an advantage in a very specialized environment, but are much less likely to survive in less specialized environments or under changing conditions. Thus, as an evolutionary force, natural selection does not seem to have what it takes to explain the origin or diversity of the vast array of organisms observed on this planet.

The creation model recognizes both mutation and natural selection, but doesn’t rely on them ascreative forces. This model proposes that a diverse array of living organisms was created with a diverse genetic structure. New “traits” arise primarily by normal genetic recombination of existinggenes. Since the time of creation, mutational changes have occurred, most of which are harmful or have no immediate noticeable effect. (This would be expected since observation shows that random changes to a functional, ordered system normally do not produce something “better.” For example, a two-year old typing randomly on this manuscript is quite unlikely to produce anything more intelligible. The fact that so many mutations have no noticeable effect is a tribute to the genius of the designer in producing systems that are self-correcting or have many “back-ups” to ensure survivability under changing conditions.) Natural selection might be viewed primarily as a conservative mechanism – “weeding out” organisms which are less “fit” and preserving the fitness of the population as a whole. However, recent research is bringing into question the effectiveness of natural selection, showing statistically that it is not able to keep up with observed mutational rates and the build up of harmful mutational load. This results in extinction over time rather than improvement. Thus, mutation and natural selection cannot be the mechanisms so sorely needed by evolution. The evidence seems to fit better with the idea of original design by an intelligent designer. (See Dr. Sanford’s book, Genetic Entropy & The Mystery of the Genome, for more information relating to cutting-edge research on genetics, mutation and natural selection.)

Read more here: 3 Nails in the Evolutionary Coffin