DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY - Evidence for God In the Things He Has Made

November 6, 2024November 4, 2024

The Accents of Their Mothers

According to an article in American Scientist magazine, newborns cry in the accents of their mothers. They differ in their cries when they are first born, and this translates into speech later on. In the seventh week of pregnancy, the unborn baby begins to move and discover its body and world. The abortion issue is incredibly complex.

Doctors have told me that babies react emotionally to sounds that have been a part of the mother before the baby’s birth. If a woman has been abused by her husband during pregnancy, the child will scream and move away from the husband after birth. A mother singing to the baby in her womb will find that those same songs will calm the child after birth.

Many years ago, as a graduate student at Indiana University, I was privileged to attend a concert for music majors by the violinist Isaac Stern. During a break in his music, he introduced a tune that he called a mystery melody. The story goes that Stern was playing a piece while his mother was listening. She asked him where he got the piece, and Stern said he didn’t know. His mother said, “I wrote it when I was carrying you and played it over and over, but I didn’t save it, and it was never published.” Stern played it to honor his mother.

Stories like this one are numerous and remind us that a human embryo is not just an extension of the mother’s body. Morning sickness happens because the woman’s body recognizes there is a foreign object in her. We know that unborn babies are aware and react to what is going on in the outside world. Late-term babies will fight the intrusive medical hardware being used to do an abortion. Now, we know that newborns cry in the accents of their mothers.

The abortion issue is incredibly complex, but the “woman’s right to choose” argument has the wrong timeline. She chooses whether to have a child or not when she enters a sexual relationship. Denying that the baby is a human flies in the face of all the evidence.

Discarding God’s moral laws is the root of the abortion issue and also the complex end-of-life issues. The slippery slope is real, and we must discuss what we want our society to be like in the future. Survival of the fittest started with Darwin, and we see it today in these issues.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Baby Talk” in American Scientist magazine for November/December 2024, pages 368-374

November 5, 2024November 4, 2024

The Design of Cacti

There are 1,500 known species of cacti on our planet, and many live in places so dry and hot that it is hard to imagine any life surviving. Cacti can branch out as massive trees or be small enough to fit on a penny. Scientists are studying the design of cacti to find ways to apply their ability to survive heat and conserve water.

The saguaro cactus, which grows in the Sonoran desert of Arizona, California, and Mexico, can retain hundreds of gallons of water. These plants have pleats that expand to hold the water when rain comes. Saguaro cactus flowers bloom from mid-April to mid-June. They boom only once at night and close the next day, protecting them from the Sun’s intense heat. The flower buds are on the crown of the cactus and bloom in a counterclockwise migrating pattern from the east to the north, giving them more shade as the season becomes hotter.

Saguaros have a unique way of photosynthesis. Most plants lose water as they open their pores to absorb carbon dioxide. Saguaros do not open their pores until after sundown. Then, they absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into malic acid, which they store in their cells for the next day. The design of cacti shows great wisdom and efficiency in the use of resources.

Copiapoa cacti thrive in the Atacama desert of northern Chile, the driest nonpolar desert on Earth. Most copiapoa cacti are 5 to 6 inches in diameter and covered with spines. Every morning, as fog sweeps in from the sea, water condenses on the spines and skin of these plants. The spines have a series of tiny grooves that broaden at the base, enabling the cactus to channel moisture into itself. Scientists are looking at the possible use of this design for dew-collecting in areas with water shortages.

As scientists study cacti, they look for ways to use their hot and dry climate adaptations to solve some of the problems agriculture faces with extreme heat. Biomimicry is a process in which we study the plants and animals God created and use what we learn to improve our lives. Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” The principle is clear. We can learn by studying the design God built into all living things, including the design of cacti.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: National Geographic November 2024, pages 88-99.

November 4, 2024November 3, 2024

When Neutron Stars Collide

The periodic table has 94 elements that occur naturally and 24 others that exist only in particle accelerators, nuclear reactors, and atomic explosions. The natural elements include one group known as “rapid neutron capture process” or r-process elements. Most of those elements are created when neutron stars collide, giving off gamma rays.

In the periodic table above, you can see the r-process elements in lavender. Without those elements, life would be very different, if not impossible. Two of the r-process metals are thorium and uranium. Earth’s strong magnetic field that protects us from deadly solar and cosmic radiation exists because of radioactive thorium and uranium inside our planet. Those elements are also the reason for plate tectonics, which transformed the planet from a water world (Genesis 1:2) into a world with oceans and continents (Job 38:8-11).

Other valuable metals in the r-process group include silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and osmium. Those metals are essential for electronic components and catalysts that make our high technology possible. They are also involved in medical treatments, including chemotherapy.

The precisely fine-tuned properties of neutrinos and the weak nuclear force make the rapid nuclear capture process possible. When neutron stars collide, we are also blessed by the fact that they are far away from our planet, so the gamma rays pose no risk to our survival. The closest detected collision was in a galaxy 130 million light-years from Earth. We see evidence of God’s creative wisdom in all of these things and many more.

Reference: salvomag.com

November 1, 2024October 28, 2024

The Violation of Parental Rights

A struggle with faith connections in America today is the violation of parental rights. By a parent, we mean more than the woman who gave birth to a child and the father who impregnated her. I am the father of three children who are not biologically related to me. They came into our home as infants, and my wife and I raised them. Their birth certificates identify my wife and me as their mother and father. We love our three children as much as any parent can, and they refer to us as mom and dad.

We are seeing a disturbing violation of parental rights in America. In some cases, the government can take children from their parents if they refuse to promote gender ideology. Reported instances of adults telling kindergarten students that there are more than two genders or that they may have been born in the “wrong body” cause concern among parents. Government agencies can tell people of faith that they cannot adopt a child or raise a child in a foster home because they won’t promote the current craze of trans-genderism.

Some public schools have adopted “secret social transition” policies requiring school staff to treat children with gender dysphoria as the opposite sex without telling the child’s parents. The long-term effect of hormone drug treatment is still unknown, but all available evidence is that it has a negative impact on a child’s longevity. Secret transition policies are a violation of parental rights.

In the Bible, Proverbs contains many admonitions to children, fathers, and mothers. (See Proverbs 22:6, 23:13-14, and 22-25.) The New Testament addresses parents directly, charging both mother and father with parental responsibility. (See Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20-21, and 1 Timothy 3:4.) The biological process of conception and having a baby is a small part of being a parent, and God’s plan works and produces the very best long-term results.

October 31, 2024October 28, 2024

The Ouija Board Scam

Scams, lies, and fakes are nothing new—they have been around for centuries. An example is the Ouija board, which dates back to the early 1800s. Originally a parlor game, the “ouija” name was an amalgamation of “oui” and “ja” from the French and German words for “yes.” Today, you can buy a Ouija board from Walmart for $19.99. The Ouija board scam uses well-known psychological principles to do interesting things that depend on the human mind.

The Ouija board originated when life expectancy was very short compared to today. Almost a third of children did not live to see their fifth birthday. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, everyone was touched by the loss of a loved one. Many people wanted to communicate with their dead relatives, resulting in seances, disembodied voices, automatic writing, and other scams involving communicating with a loved one in the spirit world. In 1891, Elijah J. Bond received a patent for a “talking board,” which he sold to William Fudd, who made a fortune selling them.

The Ouija board scam is an example of automatism, doing something without feeling we are doing it. People have used automatism in hypnosis, dowsing, automatic writing, and many fake psychic events. Those of us who have been around for a while have seen things like this repeated over and over. Who can forget “Clever Hans,” the horse who could do complex mathematical calculations? It turned out to be a function of the mind of his owner, a mathematician, who could transmit commands to the horse by subtle physical gestures.

Another scam is religious spiritualism, in which a preacher claims to have special powers coming from God. Religious scams have also gone on for a very long time. In 1 Samuel 28:3-14 Saul went to a woman known as the witch of Endor and asked her to contact Samuel, who had died. Witchcraft was outlawed in Israel then, so the woman was reluctant to conduct a séance. When she did the scam séance, the real Samuel appeared through a miracle from God. The witch was shocked and screamed, obviously surprised because she had a scam going, and the real thing appeared.

The Bible presents a rational, accurate description of the normal process of human affairs. Miracles are identified as such and cannot, by definition, be proven. Jesus offered evidence through miracles during His physical time on Earth. Religious leaders today claiming the ability to perform miracles are like the Witch of Endor or the Ouija board scam.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: smithsonianmag.com

October 30, 2024October 28, 2024

Termites Building Heuweltjies

The more we learn about insects, the more we see design and purpose in their creation and survival methods. Researchers recently studied termites building heuweltjies (“little hills”) in South Africa and Nambia. These termite mounds cover labyrinthine tunnels and chambers that extend 11 feet underground. In addition to their size, they are impressive for their age, with various dating methods showing they are up to 34,000 years old.

These termite colonies have survived for a long time because they are covered with a hard layer of calcite that their main enemy, Aardvarks, cannot penetrate. Termite soldiers and workers go into emergency mode to repair any damage caused by the researchers studying them. The same defensive action would be activated to quickly reseal any break in the calcite layer caused by an aardvark predator. The soldiers guard the tunnels while the workers repair the breach.

In the natural world, termites perform essential services. Termites building heuweltjies break down plant material, producing topsoil, sequestering carbon, and reducing erosion. In some parts of the world, such as Australia, it is virtually impossible to use wood in construction because of termites’ actions. However, termites play an essential role in areas where human structures are not involved.

We sometimes struggle over conflicts with insects, but they remain successful because God designed them with functions and protections to survive. The termites building heuweltjies in South Africa and Namibia are a classic example.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Termite city from Neanderthal era” in The Week for 10/25/24, page 21

October 29, 2024October 28, 2024

What Nothing Is

It may seem strange that we would have an article about “nothing,” but this is a serious topic. The dictionary defines nothing as “not any material or immaterial thing” (Oxford English Dictionary). Cosmologists like Stephen Hawking won’t accept that definition. Do we really know what nothing is?

Hawking argues that “nothing” can result from cyclic processes – quantum fluctuations in the very early universe. Cosmologist Lawrence Krauss explained his understanding of what nothing is this way: “For surely “nothing” is every bit as physical as “something,” especially if it is to be defined as “the absence of something.” The cosmologists’ speculative attempts to redefine nothing is an attempt to eliminate God from the process of creation.

If I have a bill for $10.00 and $10.00 in my pocket, is my net worth “nothing”? If matter and antimatter combine, they destroy each other. Does that produce “nothing”? The answer is clear. They produce energy, which is not nothing. This is not a scientific discussion because you can’t observe “nothing,” and you can’t devise an experiment to test “nothing.” Hawking and Krauss are scientists, not philosophers, but they are attempting a philosophical argument to eliminate God from the creation process.

There is strong evidence of a beginning to time, space, and matter/energy. It was not eternal and was not created by “nothing.” We can talk about dimensions beyond the ones we live in and the ones scientists can do their experiments in, but ultimately, God comes to the creation process from a dimension beyond the three we know. String theory suggests eleven spatial dimensions, but that is not good science; it is only speculative guesses about the nature of reality.

“In the beginning, God created the heaven (space, time, and matter/energy) and the earth.” That statement in Genesis 1:1 gives purpose, direction, and realism to all of us. Let us not argue about what nothing is.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Quotes and data from John C. Lennox’s book God and Stephen Hawking – Whose Design Is It Anyway? pages 30-33.

October 28, 2024October 27, 2024

Leaves Must Die to Save the Tree

As I write this, we are at the peak of the beautiful fall colors. This week’s forecast calls for strong winds and rain, which will probably take down most of the leaves. I hate to see the beauty fade, leaving the naked branches pointing to the sky all winter, but I know it’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree.

Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn. “Deciduous” refers to something falling away after it completes its purpose. In our area of southwestern Michigan, some of the most colorful trees are maples and oaks that get their nourishment from the photosynthesis taking place in the green leaves. The trees supply the leaves with moisture and minerals from the ground. The leaves need moisture, in the form of sap, to carry on the complex photosynthesis process, which nourishes the tree for growth.

The sap is mostly water, so it can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). Because water expands when it freezes, it could burst the tree’s cell walls, causing it to die. So, to save the tree, the sap travels down into the roots for the winter, where the ground insulates it from the cold. Without the sap to nourish the leaves, they die and fall to the ground.

It’s God’s design that the leaves must die to save the tree. Jesus told His disciples multiple times that He would have to die, but they could not understand it and even chose to ignore what He was saying. When the time came for it to happen, the disciples were shocked and fled in despair and fear. They could not see that it was God’s plan. It was God’s design to save the world.

The leaves must die to save the tree, even though we may not fully understand it. Jesus’ disciples did not understand why He had to die, but it was to save them and all who would choose to accept His sacrifice on their behalf. As the leaves die, we have the promise of new leaves and new life in the spring. Today, we have the offer of new life in this world and eternal life hereafter. Fortunately, we don’t have to fully understand it, deserve it, or earn it. We merely have to accept it as a free gift.

October 25, 2024October 21, 2024

Eagle Eyes and Design

Eagles are some of the most amazing creatures in today’s world. We are familiar with bald eagles and golden eagles, but there are eagles everywhere on Earth, and they have similar designs. Eagle eyes are incredible examples of design that is not easily explained by any chance hypothesis.

The human eye has two kinds of receptors in the retina – rods and cones. Rods are more sensitive and give vision in dim light. Cones provide us with color vision. We don’t see color in dim light because only the rods are sensitive enough to function. Cones are concentrated in the center of our retina in an area called the macula to help us see fine details.

A typical section of the human eye has roughly 200,000 cones, while eagle eyes have over 400,000. That means an eagle can see fine details that the human eye cannot detect. The reason for this design is obvious. Eagles are carnivores, and to see their prey while in flight, they must have incredibly sensitive vision. Experiments with pet eagles have shown they can see a rabbit in a field while flying 1000 feet above the ground.

The problem with this sensitivity is how to keep direct sunlight from damaging the cones. To solve this problem, eagle eyes are protected by an eyebrow ridge that shades the cones. All eagles have this feature and use it in hunting their prey, including small mammals and fish, which are a mainstay of the diet of most eagles.

Eagles are designed to be apex predators. They are the perfect carnivores with talons to grasp prey, wing feathers that allow amazing flight abilities, and powerful wings to lift heavy prey. Eagles keep a balance in nature and are essential in the stability of life forms worldwide.

October 24, 2024October 21, 2024

Superstar Lucy and Anthropology

American Scientist magazine called Lucy “Paleoanthropology’s Superstar.” Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) is a hominid fossil found in 1974. Paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson named it Lucy because the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was being played on the radio that year. Lucy had a brain size of 450 cc. A modern human’s brain is between 950 cc and 1800 cc, depending on sex and location. What is special about superstar Lucy?

Lucy stood about three feet seven inches tall, weighed around 60 pounds, and had a pelvis similar to a chimpanzee. Lucy’s limbs were close to the ratio of a monkey, with the femur and humerus being about the same size. In humans, there is a 2:1 ratio between these two bones. The opening into the skull through which the spinal column sends its messages to the brain is called the foramen magnum. In a human, that opening is centered in the middle of the skull, allowing a normal vertical position. In a monkey, the foramen magnum is in the back of the skull, so vertical standing is difficult. In the case of Lucy, the foramen magnum is not in the center of the skull and not in the very back of the skull. Vertical motion and standing would have been possible, but walking long distances would be difficult.

Graduate students and anthropologists have used superstar Lucy for fundraising, with many getting support for field research. In the 50 years since Lucy’s discovery, researchers have found many other hominid fossils in better condition than Lucy. The theory of human evolution 50 years ago was a tree with something like Lucy at the base. The newer models are that hominoid history is more of a bush than a tree.

So, where do Adam and Eve fit into all of this? The Bible says that man was formed “from the dust of the Earth … and man became a living being”. The Hebrew used here is “nephesh,” which the Hebrew lexicon says means “animal soul.” The passage does not say how long God took to do that or what process He used. We can understand some of what God did by looking at the fossils. What separates the first human is not his body. Our body chemistry is the same as other forms of life. What sets us apart is our creation in God’s image.

Genesis 1:26-27 describes the unique creation of man – not his physical body. “Let US create man in OUR image” refers to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.” In other words, the image of God refers to our spiritual makeup. It isn’t our brains or our bodies that make us unique and special. All humans are created in God’s image with a spiritual aspect that can last eternally. The physical body will return to the dust from which it came (Genesis 3:19), but our spiritual body (soul) is not subject to the physical laws that govern all other life on Earth.

As anthropologists focus on superstar Lucy, The big question is, “When will we recognize the unique beauty of all humans and stop killing each other?”

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Paleoanthropology’s Superstar” in the November/December issue of American Scientist magazine (pages 326 -327).