creation Archives - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

April 26, 2024April 23, 2024

The Design of Peregrine Falcons

Human structures often upset the natural balance of birds. One example is the abundance of pigeons in urban areas, which disfigure statues and decorative stone buildings and spread various diseases. One solution to the pigeon problem has been the introduction of peregrine falcons. The design of peregrine falcons has allowed them to adjust to human structures and use their highly designed physical characteristics to defend themselves in both city and rural areas.

The peregrine falcon is not exceptionally large, but it is designed for high-speed flight and uses that ability to kill other birds, even eagles. The peregrine will fly high and dive on an intended prey at over 200 miles per hour. That speed produces many challenges for these birds. The change in pressure would cause the lungs of the peregrine falcon to burst, except for the design of its nostrils. The falcon has bony tubercles on its nostrils that guide airflow away from the nasal passages, reducing the change in air pressure.

Another problem with a high-speed dive is vision. Most of us have had the experience of having our eyes water when facing a strong wind, but the peregrine falcon has nictitating membranes that are essentially a third eyelid that keeps the eyes clear. Also, the design of peregrine falcons shows a dark area below the eye, which reduces glare.

In the city, pigeons comprise a large percentage of the peregrine falcon diet. The birds nest in the windows of skyscrapers, giving people in the offices a view of their lifestyles and the production of offspring. Several years ago, office workers in South Bend, Indiana, complained that peregrine falcons were killing pigeons and bringing their victims back to the nest. People in tall buildings were horrified when the falcons tore up the bodies of pigeons to feed their young. They didn’t realize that peregrine falcons help maintain the balance of birds in urban areas, meeting an important need for city dwellers. In the wild, peregrine falcons eat rodents and other small mammals.

Airplane designers have studied the design of peregrine falcons and copied many of their features. Like many other engineering problems, we can look to what God has created and copy the design to solve our own problems. Neither a jet airplane nor a peregrine falcon is a product of accidental change. Design requires intelligence and purpose, and the peregrine falcon is a classic example of both.

Reference: allaboutbirds.org, nationalgeograph i c.com, and wikip e dia.org

April 25, 2024April 23, 2024

The Precision of the Cosmos Shows Design

The Precision of the Cosmos Shows Engineering Design

One of the awe-inspiring scientific findings in astronomy is that the process of creating the cosmos is so exquisitely precise that it defies the notion of chance. In other words, the precision of the cosmos is a testament to an engineering design that leaves us in awe.

The latest measurements reveal a delicate balance in the cosmos. It is expanding at a rate that is precisely what is necessary for the Earth and life to exist. If the rate of expansion were a billionth faster, stars and planets would never coalesce. If the expansion were a billionth slower, gravity would pull everything together in a gigantic crunch with no stars or planets existing. The material universe is expanding at precisely the rate necessary for a planet able to support life to exist, a fact that fills us with wonder and appreciation for the Creator.

Even the leftover material of creation displays the precision of the cosmos. As of 2024, astronomers have observed 5008 comets, and the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA have determined their orbits. However, life on Earth has not been endangered by any of these space-going travelers.

Experts in the field are now writing about the implications of the recent understanding of astrophysics. Dr. Paul Davies, an Arizona State University astrophysicist, wrote, “The laws which enable the universe to come into being spontaneously, seem themselves to be the product of exceedingly ingenious design. If physics is the product of design, the universe must have a purpose, and the evidence of modern physics suggests strongly to me that the purpose includes us.” (Super Force: The Search for a Grand Unified Theory of Nature, Simon and Schuster, 1984)

James C. Peterson, writing in the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation (March 2024, page 1), writes, “So if the physical universe we can observe indicates that there is something not-material which is powerful enough to create the material; that is purposeful, smart, and generous enough to make it happen in a way that supports the development of conscious life; it might be expected that such a creator would have an interest in the resulting conscious life.”

These are scientists writing in scientific literature, not preachers writing in theological journals. The precision of the cosmos speaks loudly of its Creator. In the words of the Psalmist, “The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalms 19:1).

Reference: “Big, Indeed Epic, History” in Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith, March 2024, page 1.

April 24, 2024April 22, 2024

Rapid Evolution of the Florida Snail Kite

The Florida snail kite is a captivating bird found in southern Florida and the Everglades. Recently, researchers have seen a perplexing rapid evolution of the Florida snail kite. This bird, unlike any other, exclusively feeds on apple snails. These snails, with no significant predators, would overpopulate if not for the presence of the Florida snail kite, leading to a unique ecological balance.

There are always predators in the natural world to keep any species from totally wiping out its food supply and becoming extinct. Problems arise when humans upset the balance by eliminating the predators or introducing a species that has no natural enemies. That has happened in many places. For example, in Australia, many years ago, people introduced rabbits and eradicated the dingos that would have controlled the rabbit population. That allowed the rabbits to multiply in massive numbers, resulting in various environmental problems.

In the case of the Florida snail kite, a larger apple snail was introduced, posing a challenge as the bird’s beak was not designed to extract such snails from their shells. Consequently, the apple snail population surged due to the absence of predators, while the Florida snail kite population dwindled. However, in a remarkable turn of events, a mutation in the Florida snail kites led to the development of a larger and longer beak, enabling them to open the shells of the larger snails. This rapid evolution of the Florida snail kite restored the balance between the birds and the snails.

The problem for evolutionists in this situation is that it requires several mutations. A rapid change like this does not fit classical evolutionary theory, which says that genetic changes take a vast number of years to become totally distributed throughout a population. The change in the Florida snail kite population happened within ten years.

Many geneticists and other scientists are baffled. Dr. Robert Fletcher of the University of Florida has been studying the Florida snail kite and hopes to find an explanation for this rapid change. Whatever the explanation, it is a great testimony to the God who created all living things. His design is so complex that it takes humans a long time to understand. The rapid evolution of the Florida snail kite is just one of many cases where classical evolutionary theory doesn’t fit the evidence.

Reference: pbs.org

April 23, 2024April 22, 2024

A Very Tiny Frog

How small can a vertebrate get? The Brazilian flea toad (brachycephalus pulex) is the smallest known amphibian and the smallest known vertebrate. Despite its name, it isn’t a flea or a toad but a frog. This very tiny frog is small enough that two of them could sit side-by-side on your pinkie fingernail. From snout to rump, the males average about 7 millimeters and the females 8 millimeters.

The Brazilian flea toad’s name can be misleading. These frogs were actually discovered and named in 2011, but it wasn’t until a decade later that they were studied in detail. While both toads and frogs are amphibians, there are some key differences. Toads have drier, bumpier skin and are typically found in dry environments, while frogs have smoother, more moist skin and tend to live near water.

Brazilian flea toads have a bright yellow-orange color, which is probably an aposematic signal to potential predators. Aposematism in animals is often a warning that their skin may contain toxins that make them unpleasant or dangerous to eat. A creature this small needs some way to protect itself.

Why would such a very tiny frog exist? They are endemic to a few forested hills in the southern coastal area of Brazil. Researchers have not studied them enough to understand the niche they fill in their environment, and studying such creatures as this very tiny frog is challenging. Luci Kirkpatrick of Bangor University in North Wales said that tiny creatures are “ecosystem engineers” that are “critical in making sure the food web functions properly.”

God created an ecosystem with organisms that allow life to exist in a balanced environment on Earth. The very tiny frog known as the Brazilian flea toad can teach us a lot about the small world that sustains us.

References: earth.com, mymodernmet.com, bbc.com, and onlinelibrary.wiley.com

April 22, 2024April 21, 2024

Total Solar Eclipse and the Matthew 27 Account

We received comments from two men who related the recent total solar eclipse and the Matthew 27 account of darkness coming over the land when Jesus was crucified. One of the enquirers was a Christian who wondered about it, and the other was from an atheist who tried to use it in his attack on the Bible. Here is what we read in Matthew 27:45: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.”

This is an age-old skeptic attack, suggesting that later Christian writers manipulated the account to transform a natural phenomenon into a religious miracle. These critics also argue that the miracles of Jesus, as described in the Bible, are not historical events but rather fictional tales concocted by later Christian writers.

The first point we need to make is that the duration of a total solar eclipse and the Matthew 27 account have no common ground. The sixth hour to the ninth hour would indicate about three hours. The most extended duration of a total solar eclipse is three to four MINUTES. History records an eclipse near the traditional time of Jesus’ crucifixion, but the scriptures do not give us the date of the crucifixion.

The second point we must make is that the miracles Jesus performed are not just fiction written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Many Christians and opponents of Christianity recognized that Jesus performed miracles. You can try to explain them scientifically, but they are beyond any scientific explanation. A total solar eclipse and the Matthew 27 account are not compatible.

In an era rife with fake news, skepticism, atheism, and secularism, the role of evidence in substantiating the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testaments becomes paramount. While we don’t claim to possess all the answers, evidence supporting the Bible’s accuracy and the historical facts of Jesus’ life is readily accessible to those who seek it. Our video series, “Beyond Reasonable Doubt,” meticulously examines the evidence for biblical accuracy. You can view it free of charge on doesgodexist.tv, or purchase it with a study guide from powervine.store. We also offer a free correspondence course of the same name upon request.

April 18, 2024April 15, 2024

The Nature of Time Is a Mystery

The nature of time is one of the great mysteries of life. Time is not three-dimensional; in other words, we can’t describe it as left-right, up-down, or back-front. Time is a created thing, and thanks to Einstein’s relativity theory, we know that it is not constant. At very high velocities, time changes.

In quantum mechanics, we discuss things that happened “before time began.” In Proverbs 8:22-23 Wisdom speaks about being with God before the world began, and 2 Peter 3:8 tells us that “with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” Acts 1:7 tells us, “It is not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by His own authority.”

Many questions arise because people fail to understand the relationship between time and God. The way God answers prayers is radically affected by time. Humans tend to want our requests instantly gratified, but God frequently acts in a different time frame than we desire. God also does not answer prayers or produce actions that would violate our freedom of choice. We can pray for someone to do a certain thing, and God may make it possible, but He will not violate a person’s ability to choose. We are here for a purpose in the war between good and evil, and we can choose what we will do. God makes it possible but does not force us to accept His will.

Those who try to predict the time of Christ’s second coming fail to understand that all things are embedded in God’s independence from time. The question of the Earth’s age is also rooted in a poor understanding of the nature of time. Changes in stars and galaxies take very long periods of time, including how long it takes for the light from distant stars to reach the Earth.

How long did it take to produce the land masses we live on, and by what method did God make them? Those who want instant gratification have God miraculously zapping the entire geologic column instantly. That is not what the evidence from geology tells us. The record in the rocks of our planet tells of God’s careful preparation of the natural resources He knew we would need. God could zap oil into existence in an underground storage formation, but the evidence is that He has taken a long time with many different agencies to produce the fossil fuels of coal, oil, and gas, as well as the minerals we depend on.

The nature of time is a mystery to us, and we create conflict when we force our concept of time on a God who created time and is not limited by it.

April 17, 2024April 21, 2024

Nudibranchs in a Dazzling Array of Colors and Shapes

The diversity of life on planet Earth is astounding. One of the life forms that most of us are not aware of is the order nudibranchia. Nudibranchs are marine gastropod mollusks that shed their shells after the larval stage. The name “nudibranch” means “naked gills.” They are found worldwide in around 3,000 species, and they can be as small as a thumbtack or as long as 20 inches. Oceans contain nudibranchs in a dazzling array of colors and shapes.

What makes the nudibranchs important is that they help keep in balance some dangerous lifeforms that humans have a hard time handling. Nudibranchs will eat sponges, corals, anemones, jellyfish, and just about any stinging life forms that live in the ocean. There have been times when a species of jellyfish or stinging coral have threatened human use of an area of the ocean, but the nudibranchs have brought these creatures under control.

From the Arctic to the tropics, we find various species of nudibranchs in a dazzling array of colors and shapes, keeping balance in the ocean. However, you might assume they are just sea slugs of no value unless you know what they are. Climate change can alter the ocean’s ecological balance, but nudibranchs help control overpopulations of destructive agents in reefs and estuaries.

Most of the marine world has not yet been explored, and we have much to learn. Humans have done more to explore space than the floor of the ocean. As better technology allows us to travel into deep ocean trenches, underwater volcanoes, and isolated reefs, we will gain more understanding of what God has designed to allow life to exist in all parts of planet Earth.

Reference: Smithsonian Magazine for April-May 2024, pages 40 -48.

Nudibranch expert Gary Cobb maintains a Facebook group called Nudibran c h Central, where you can see more examples of these dazzling creatures.

April 12, 2024April 10, 2024

Then It Would Be Alive!

Origin of life research has occupied scientists for years. The media often exaggerates claims that science is getting close to creating life. “Creating RNA life in a lab” is a headline in a recent issue of The Week magazine. The story is about the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, developing a molecule of ribonucleic acid (RNA) “that could generate accurate copies of another type of RNA.” The article went on to say, “This brings the researchers one step closer to their ultimate goal of creating an RNA molecule that can make accurate copies of itself.” The study’s co-author Gerald Joyce said, “Then it would be alive.”

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential for most biological functions. It has a structure similar to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which carries the genetic information in every living cell. The scientists have created the macromolecule RNA in the laboratory by combining smaller molecules. To say that if an RNA molecule could reproduce itself, “then it would be alive” is an exaggeration.

As an analogy, let’s suppose I want to make a new car, which I would call a Claytonmobile. I get an engine out of a Ford, a transmission out of a Honda, a chassis out of a Chevy, and an interior out of a Royals Royce. I put these together and announce to the world that I have created a car. In reality, what did I do? I took things already created and assembled them, but I didn’t create anything. Some of you old timers may remember the Tucker automobile, which was very much like what I just described.

This same process is happening in the scientific community attempting to create life. The goal of the group at La Jolla is to form an RNA molecule that can make copies of itself. The researchers say, “Then it would be alive.” That means they are changing the definition of life that most of us learned in biology classes from high school through graduate school. That definition says life is that which can move, breathe, respond to outside stimuli, and reproduce. When researchers can get RNA to reproduce, they will have satisfied one of the parameters, but they certainly will not have created life.

The more we know of the creation, the more we understand the wisdom and power of the Creator. In Proverbs 8:17-23, Wisdom, personified as a woman, says that those who seek her will find her and that her fruit is better than gold or silver. In verse 22, she says, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning before the earth was.” The complexity of RNA and DNA and of life itself is a great apologetic for the existence of God. We need to listen to the words of Wisdom.

Reference: The Week for March 29, 2024, page 21, reporting on a Washington Post story.

April 11, 2024April 9, 2024

Paddlefish Have a Third Eye

North American waters are home to a most interesting fish known as the spoonbill or paddlefish (Polydon spathula). These fish have an enormous bill, which is actually an antenna studded with thousands of sensory cells to detect electrical signals produced by the plankton on which they feed. The 12—to 15-inch long bill gets so much attention that people overlook another oddity: these paddlefish have a third eye.

Paddlefish have an opening between the bones of the skull called a foramen. It is located at the base of the bill between the eyes and covered by a thin skin and cartilage layer. The foramen allows light to pass through onto a nerve that goes directly to the paddlefish’s brain. It serves as a third eye, allowing the paddlefish to experience changes in light direction and seasonal changes. The third eye cannot form detailed images, but it influences biological changes in body temperature and hormone production in the fish.

As biologists study various life forms, they find common threads that run through all living things. Researchers have found barely visible vestiges of similar structures in frogs, lizards, and some sharks. Since paddlefish have a third eye, they must have a use for it, but the last detailed study of it was in 1896.

There are many things that science does not yet know about living things, but diverse features allow animals to live in Earth’s wide-ranging environments. Evolutionists assume that all life originated from a single cell in the distant past through an unguided chance process. The paddlefish bill with its sensory cells and third eye is difficult to explain by that process. God used the best plan in creating life, and part of that is the capacity to change as the environment changes. Romans 1:20 tells us that “we can know there is a God through the things He has made.”

Reference: “Third Eye of a Spoonbill” in In-Fisherman magazine for May 2024, pages 8-9.

April 9, 2024April 8, 2024

Lessons from America’s Total Solar Eclipse of 2024

Watching yesterday’s news reports of the total solar eclipse, I was impressed by how many people called it a “spiritual” experience. People said that it made them realize how small we are. Many indicated that it brings people together to remind us that we need each other. Some spoke about it being a testimony to the existence of God. Lessons from America’s total solar eclipse of 2024 teach us about God’s power and the brevity of life.

In 1815, American novelist James Fenimore Cooper wrote, “…never have I beheld any spectacle which so plainly manifested the majesty of the Creator, or so forcibly taught the lesson of humility to man as a total eclipse of the Sun.” Modern eclipse chaser Kate Russo said about the total solar eclipse,” You don’t need to know anything about it to feel that overwhelming sense of awe.” She is a clinical psychologist who has studied how eclipses affect people and wrote a book titled “Being in the Shadow: Stories of the First-time Total Eclipse Experience.”

Multiple news commentators remarked about the amazing coincidence that the Sun is 400 times the size of the Moon but 400 times as far away. That “conincidence” allows the Moon to exactly block out the Sun, allowing us to see see its corona. That fact is one of many “coincidences” that enable us to study and learn about God’s orderly creation.

Many people experienced awe as they watched the eclipse. Dacher Keltner of the University of California, Berkeley, is described as a “pioneer in the science of awe.” He defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” Lessons from America’s total solar eclipse of 2024 fill us with awe.

My wife and I took my brother, his son, and grandson to southern Illinois to view the total eclipse of 2017. We agreed to return to the same area in seven years to observe the 2024 total eclipse. We were unable to do that because my brother and his son passed away. My wife and I could not make the trip due to health issues and had to enjoy a partial eclipse from our home. It will be two decades before a total solar eclipse crosses the United States again. There is no question that lessons from America’s total solar eclipse of 2024 teach us about God’s creative power and the brevity of life.

References: Involarium.org and nationalgeographic.com