Evidence for God in Life Design Archives

December 4, 2025November 30, 2025

Horns and Antlers – What Are They Good For?

Ronald Johnson asked us a question we’ve heard from animal rights advocates before. Are horns on animals only useful for fighting, showing God to be war-like, angry, and sadistic? The God of the Bible is a loving, caring, merciful, and patient God. When there is violence, killing, and war, the cause is always human power struggles and selfish motives, not the will of God. So, what other purposes do animal horns serve? Here are four non-violent uses for horns and antlers:

1) Horns act as shovels that help animals access food sources they otherwise could not reach. Vegetation is often either too high or too far underground for many animals to reach. Horns allow animals to break off hard-to-reach vegetation or move logs or rocks to reach food sources.

2) Antlers store nutrients that other animals recycle. Many animals, birds, and insects eat discarded antlers to get the extra nutrients they contain.

3) Horns and antlers are used as communication tools with other animals of their kind. Those of us who spend a lot of time in the woods have seen “deer rubs.” This is when a deer uses its antlers to scrape a mark on a tree, signaling its presence, size, and how long ago it was there to other deer.

4) Horns serve as shields against predators like hawks, eagles, falcons, wolves, bears, lions, hyenas, tigers, cheetahs, dogs, and other carnivores. The animal with horns can protect itself and others nearby. I have seen musk oxen defend their young by forming a ring around them with all the horned animals facing outward. A pack of wolves circled the group but never tried to attack.

Animals certainly have other uses for horns and antlers, but the main point is that in most animals, they are rarely used for fighting. God has provided all living things with what they need to live on our planet, and we can see His wisdom and design in the things He has made (Romans 1:20).

December 3, 2025November 30, 2025

Kelp Forests Enrich the Earth

In our era of environmental threats, it’s reassuring to know there are solutions to some of the problems we face. God has created a form of life that purifies water and the atmosphere from pollutants, including human-made toxins and carbon emissions. At the same time, it supplies nutrients for marine life. We find this solution in the ocean’s kelp forests.

Kelp forests are 20 times more effective at absorbing carbon dioxide than similarly sized land-based forests. Kelp is plentiful along the west coast of the United States and grows on the coasts of Maine, Long Island, the United Kingdom, Norway, Tasmania, southern Africa, Argentina, and Japan. Kelp supports over 1000 species of marine plants and animals and provides roughly half of the oxygen we breathe. Kelp can also be used to make alternatives to plastics and chemical fertilizers used in agriculture. It can grow almost anywhere, including on abandoned oil rigs along various coastlines.

The Genesis account does not mention ocean life forms because the Fertile Crescent was far from an ocean coastline. Just as God knew humans would need coal, iron, copper, and other minerals, He provided kelp forests to shape the Earth for human survival. Science helps us understand how dinosaurs, diatoms, and many other animal forms not described in Genesis were God’s tools to prepare Earth for humans. We are in awe of God’s wisdom and creative power.

Reference: Smithsonian Magazine for December 2025, pages 76-86, and smithsonianmag.com.

December 1, 2025November 30, 2025

Helicopters and Dragonflies

Igor Sikorsky is recognized as the father of the modern helicopter, but what may not be as widely known is how he gathered the information that led to its development. This is the story of helicopters and dragonflies.

Sikorsky dedicated years to observing birds and insects to understand how to achieve stable, controlled flight. Dragonflies stood out because their wings operate independently, each capable of rotating, tilting, and shifting angles to produce quick changes in lift.

As helicopter technology has advanced, engineers continue to draw inspiration from the dragonfly. Its sideways dashes, backward flight, sudden stops, and precise hovering are still studied by engineers. Even the dragonfly’s timing patterns, rotational wing strokes, and quick lift adjustments have been emulated to improve the stability of helicopter rotor systems.

Dragonflies offer a blueprint for aerial agility, and their design is an engineering marvel. The big question is how the dragonfly’s design came about. It seems impossible to explain this complexity as the result of random chance. It appears to be a design from a Master Engineer.

Helicopters and dragonflies serve as another example of biomimicry and provide evidence that all life is a product of intelligence, demonstrating the truth of Romans 1:20 that we can know there is a God through the things He has made. as made.

November 18, 2025November 18, 2025

Camels Are Amazing Animals

You might think a camel is a funny and awkward-looking creature. The fact is, camels are amazing animals. Consider the properties of a camel:

1) A camel can drink freshwater or saltwater. Camels can even drink water from the Dead Sea without harm because their kidneys filter it, removing the salt and turning it into fresh water.

2) A camel can eat thorns with no damage to its stomach or intestines because its saliva dissolves the thorns.

3) A camel has two sets of eyelids: one is thin and transparent, and the other is thick and fleshy. When a sandstorm blows in the desert, it closes the transparent eyelid to prevent sand from entering its eyes.

4) A camel can regulate its body temperature. If it’s cold, its temperature rises, and if it’s hot, its temperature drops. In the desert, temperatures can range from 120 degrees during the day to below freezing at night.

Camels are amazing animals, specially designed to live in the desert. There is no way that all of these abilities can come into existence by a “long series of beneficial accidents.” The camel’s amazing design provides thoughtful people with strong evidence for the existence of a creator God.

Reference: Our thanks to Gary W. Stephenson for sending us this information, taken from Quora.com.

November 17, 2025November 16, 2025

Bamboo Alarm Clock

Although bamboo grows in forests and can look like trees, it is actually the largest type of grass. Bamboos are also the fastest-growing plants in the world, with some growing 3 feet (91 cm) in just 24 hours! The most fascinating thing about this unique grass is the bamboo alarm clock.

Bamboo is an important building material in many parts of Asia because it has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick, or concrete, and a tensile strength that rivals steel. But perhaps the most interesting aspect of bamboo is its reproductive method, often called mass, gregarious, or synchronized flowering—the bamboo alarm clock.

Bamboo doesn’t flower or produce seeds every year. Depending on the species, it may take 20, 35, 65, or even 120 years to flower. Then, the entire forest blooms, produces seeds, and dies all at once. Even more amazing is that if you take one plant from the forest and move it halfway around the world to a different climate, it will still flower at the same time. Even if you transplant it just a few weeks before its normal bloom time, it will still flower, produce seeds, and die at the same time as its original neighbors.

This raises two questions: “Why?” and “How?” Survival needs may explain the “why.” Synchronized flowering ensures effective pollination. They flood the air with pollen, so even isolated plants have a high chance of pollination, as the pollen cloud can travel hundreds of miles. Additionally, synchronized pollination and fruiting prevent predators from consuming all the fruit, securing the species’ survival.

Scientists are still trying to understand the “how” behind the bamboo alarm clock. Various theories have been proposed and dismissed. What we do know for sure is that bamboo has an internal clock that signals when it is time to reproduce. Only the Creator fully understands how this mechanism works. All we can do is marvel at this system’s design, as it seems impossible to be purely the result of chance.

Reference: wikipedia.org

November 14, 2025November 11, 2025

Electric Rays in the Ocean

The oceans are home to many ray species. Some are more familiar than others. Stingrays are found almost anywhere in shallow beach waters, and manta rays can grow to enormous sizes. Most rays have a stinger, which they use to defend against predators or attackers. Steve Irwin, the Australian conservationist, was killed while swimming next to a large manta ray. Rays are generally slow swimmers, so their stingers serve as their main defense. A lesser-known group of rays that don’t use stingers is the electric rays, also called torpedo fish.

Larger electric rays can generate an electric shock of up to 220 volts. That’s enough to electrocute their prey or stun an adult human. Researchers have observed a large white shark approach an electric ray and turn away when it came too close. Electric rays primarily use their electric power to capture prey while hiding beneath the ocean floor, waiting for prey to swim by.

God has equipped all living things with survival and defense mechanisms. Some can run at high speeds, others use camouflage, and some have venom or toxins. Electric rays are among the few that use high-voltage electricity. The variety of designs in living things shows evidence of a Designer.

Reference: Ocean Conservancy for winter 2025, page 3, and wikipedia.org

November 13, 2025November 11, 2025

Inside a Tree Trunk

There is so much about the everyday things in our lives that we don’t understand. When we see a tree, we have no idea what lives inside that tree’s trunk. Recent studies by scientists have found that inside a tree trunk there are entire communities of bacteria. A single mature tree hosts about one trillion bacteria, with different communities living in various layers.

What is especially remarkable is that some of the bacteria living deep inside a tree trunk are anaerobic, meaning they don’t need oxygen and produce methane. The outer layers of wood may absorb some of the methane, but more research is needed on that. The study’s lead author said that the inside of a tree trunk is more like a wetland, where anaerobic bacteria and methane producers thrive in low-oxygen environments.

Poets like Robert Frost and Joyce Kilmer have written famous poems about trees. While we admire the beauty of a tree and enjoy its leaves and their fall colors when they lose chlorophyll and turn vibrant, we often don’t think about what it takes to create them. In a desert, humans seek an oasis where conditions permit trees to grow. Most of the time, we take trees for granted and never consider what’s inside a tree trunk.

Genesis 1:12 tells us that God formed trees (the Hebrew word “ets”) as a special creation, separate from grasses or gymnosperms. That simple statement hides how complex it really is to make a tree trunk. As Romans 1:12 states, “We can know there is a God through the things He has made,” and the trees we see in our yard or garden demonstrate how much intelligence is needed to create a simple piece of wood.

Reference: Scientific American, November 2025, pages 20-21.

November 12, 2025November 11, 2025

Paranthropus boisei – The Media’s Man

A Reuters article by Will Dunham claims that bones linked to an extinct human relative have been discovered in Kenya. Soon after this article was published, we received emails asking if this supposedly disproves the biblical account of Adam and Eve. Paranthropus boisei is another example of the media seizing an opportunity to undermine the Bible. Let’s examine the evidence:

1) The fossils have been assigned to the species Paranthropus boisei. The first discovery of this species was made in 1959 by Mary and Louis Leakey, who described the specimen as “gorilla-like.” The brain volume is 450 to 550 cubic centimeters, which is chimp-sized. By comparison, the average human brain is 1,300 to 1,400 cc. In 1959, the media nicknamed Paranthropus boisei “Nutcracker man” because of its large teeth and powerful chewing muscles.

2) Hand bones of the specimen indicate it could make and use stone tools. Today, we know that tool use does not necessarily demonstrate a direct connection to humans. Even birds use tools to extract insects from holes, and monkeys break open coconuts with large rocks.

3) The fossils show that Paranthropus boisei could walk upright on two legs. Many animals can walk on two legs, including birds, kangaroos, some monkeys, and some dinosaurs. An erect posture has nothing to do with whether a fossil is from a human ancestor.

The biblical definition of a human is a life form created in the image of God. This is a spiritual likeness, not a physical one. In Genesis 2:7, we read, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” The Hebrew word translated “formed” is “yatsar,” meaning to shape or mold, as an artist shapes a statue. If God used physical prototypes to house His spiritual creation, that is not a problem.

Paranthropus boisei has no bearing on the biblical account or the human spiritual nature in God’s image. This is simply another desperate attempt by the media to discredit the Bible.

Reference: reuters.com

November 11, 2025November 10, 2025

Apex Scavengers Have a Purpose

People often react with disgust when they see videos of hyenas eating decaying remains of a dead cow or deer. Vultures have long been viewed negatively because people associate them with feeding on the carcasses of dead animals. However, these apex scavengers have a purpose in the natural world. They help control diseases that could otherwise spread uncontrollably.

The list of diseases that apex scavengers help prevent is extensive. Diseases like anthrax, botulism, salmonella, E. coli, and rabies are just some of the illnesses that could be avoided if healthy populations of apex scavengers were maintained. Between 1992 and 2006, the use of a veterinary drug caused India’s vulture populations to crash. This led to an increase in feral dogs consuming carrion, resulting in over 48,000 rabies deaths from dog bites.

Humans generally see apex scavengers as evil and have often destroyed them. The Red List of Threatened Species, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, states that 36% of apex scavengers are threatened or declining. Without their presence, smaller scavengers like rats thrive and spread zoonotic diseases that apex scavengers could help prevent.

Millions of people die each year from zoonotic diseases, and that number will rise if apex scavengers are eliminated. God created everything for a reason, and apex scavengers have a purpose. Their intentional destruction of scavengers (and predators) is a classic example of how human ignorance has caused human misery. When we look at the problems facing humanity today, many stem from the violation and misuse of the good things God created.

Reference: Discover magazine, November/December 2025, page 10, and discovermagazine.com.

November 10, 2025November 9, 2025

Human Hibernation Research

One of the most fascinating aspects of the natural world is how different animals survive the winter. Hibernation allows various animals to enter a state for weeks or even months in which their body functions slow down, and they return to normal when warm weather arrives. Researchers in medical science are exploring ways to induce human hibernation. Besides enabling long space journeys, it could also be very useful in treating heart attacks and strokes.

Among the animals being studied are Arctic ground squirrels and grizzly bears. Arctic ground squirrels have a body temperature of 99 degrees F (37 °C) from April to October. From October to April, their body temperature drops to 27 degrees F (-3 °C), and their heart rate can drop as low as one beat per minute. A hibernating brown bear doesn’t experience such drastic temperature changes. The bear’s temperature drops to around 90 degrees and stays at that level from November to March, then rises back to summer levels. The bear undergoes a 5-month period of torpor that conserves energy and supports normal functions. For female bears, this includes giving birth and nursing cubs.

The effectiveness of these and other hibernation strategies is clear. Small animals like squirrels can’t store enough body fat to survive the winter, but bears can accumulate enough fat to sustain them for five months. Bears lose this weight so that when they emerge from the den at the end of winter, they are very lean and very hungry.

Medical scientists are investigating how to induce human hibernation because it could extend the window for critical care of stroke and heart attack patients. The research focuses on how humans might benefit from changes in body temperature to fight various diseases. Like everything else, we aim to develop medical treatments by learning from what God has already created.

References: nationalgeographic.com and wikipedia