creation Archives - Page 4 of 77 - DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

September 16, 2024September 15, 2024

Why Doesn’t the Bible Mention Dinosaurs?

The fossil evidence for the existence of dinosaurs is undeniable. Thousands of fossil remains exist, and no human remains have ever been found together with dinosaur fossils. You can go to various museums and see these fossils for yourself or go to this article to see how people dig up and assemble them. Then, if they actually existed, why doesn’t the Bible mention dinosaurs?

Remember that the Bible also does not mention bacteria, platypuses, penguins, parasites, or many other living things. It does not attempt to explain the creation of the millions of species of every living thing on Earth, even though people today want to know about them. However, the Bible was not written just for people living today but also for people living thousands of years ago without microscopes or global travel.

The Bible’s message is spiritual, not a physical history of life on Earth. Why doesn’t the Bible mention dinosaurs? Some people try to say that it does. The Hebrew “behemoth” in Job describes an animal known to Job that ate grass, had a tail like a cedar, and lay under shady trees (Job 40:15-24). None of those things apply to dinosaurs. The description of the “leviathan” of Job 41, Psalms 74:14, and 104:26 has nothing in common with what we know about dinosaurs.

What we do know about dinosaurs is that they were part of a very different ecosystem than what we have today. The world of the dinosaurs was hotter and had a different atmosphere. The time of the dinosaurs was perfect for plant growth, resulting in massive amounts of vegetation. We see the remains of that vegetation in coal and peat.

It is essential to understand that God used two methods to give us the world with the resources we have today. One method was the production of things by a miraculous act. Time, space, and matter/energy were created out of nothing by this method. Today, quantum mechanics helps us verify that. The Hebrew word “bara” describes this method and is correctly translated as “created” in Genesis 1 only in verses 1, 21, and 27.

The second method is to change what God had previously created. The Bible uses the Hebrew “asah” for that. You will find it in verses 7, 16, 25, and 31 of Genesis 1. Humans can locate resources such as coal and oil because God used this method. At the conclusion of the creation account, Genesis 2:3 tells us that He “rested from all His work which God created (bara) and made (asah).” Then why doesn’t the Bible mention dinosaurs? The Bible contains the story of God’s spiritual relationship to humans, and dinosaurs were part of God’s method of preparing the Earth for humans.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
References: “God’s Revelation In His Rocks and His Word” by John N. Clayton and “How to bring a 75-foot-long dinosaur back to life” in National Geographic

September 13, 2024September 12, 2024

Kakarraturls Swimming Through the Sand

Life in the desert has unique problems, requiring special plant and animal designs. Life forms, including worms, trees, grass, and insects, work together in non-desert environments. Who keeps the sand clean and aerated in a desert, allowing desert life forms to survive? Blind moles, known as Kakarraturls, swimming through the sand, spend almost their entire life beneath the dunes of Australia’s northern deserts.

Kakarraturls are very small, about four inches long, and weigh about an ounce. Their flipper-like front feet allow them to “swim” through the sand. Their oxygen requirements are small, so they can breathe the limited amount of air flowing between sand grains. They have silky golden fur to survive the cold temperatures of the desert while handling very hot conditions. Because they live underground, they have few predators. Since they are marsupials, they care for their young in a pouch. However, the pouch opens at the rear so it will not become filled by the kakarraturls swimming through the sand.

Every environment on Earth has a keystone species that allows it to sustain life. The desert is a very challenging environment, but the kakarraturl is designed to survive and maintain the quality of the desert sand. Just as our moles eat grubs and maintain the balance between worms and healthy vegetation above the ground, the kakarraturl also controls ants, beetles, and other insects by eating their larvae and pupae under the sand.

As scientists expand their research into remote areas where little has been mapped, they find unusual forms of life, such as the kakarraturls swimming through the sand. The design of our planet is not an accident. It is the handiwork of an intelligence that put much care into the creation of living things and diverse environments. The Bible tells us we can know there is a God through the things He has made, and the kakarraturl is another example of that.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Northern marsupial mole” in wikipedia.com and kakarraturl pictures on vimeo.com

September 12, 2024September 11, 2024

How a Delicate Root Can Penetrate Hard Rock

We have all seen plants growing through cracks in concrete or bedrock and wondered how a delicate root can penetrate hard rock. Recent research has shown that the root jackhammer process is highly complex.

In a paper published in the journal Current Biology, a group of researchers discovered some of the secrets of how a delicate root can penetrate hard rock. For one thing, the optimum angle for the root tip to attack is 90 degrees. Striking the hard object at a different angle could cause the root to deflect. A protein called OsAUX1 keeps the root tip pointed down.

Another way that roots are similar to a jackhammer is that the root hairs provide an anchor for the root, and OsAUX1 causes more root hairs to grow. If you have ever seen a worker using a jackhammer, you know that someone has to hold it tight, or it will bounce on the material’s surface instead of penetrating.

Another protein that helps explain how a delicate root can penetrate hard rock is PIEZO1. If the root continued to grow quickly when it contacts a rigid material, it would likely bend or break. PIEZO1 signals the root to slow down when it encounters a hard barrier. This “touch-sensitive” protein shows more engineering involved in root growth. In all, 14 proteins, plus genes, promoters, hormones, and tissues enable roots to perform their amazing stunts.

The importance of this design is Earth-shattering, or should we say rock-shattering. It explains how soil is produced in an area where rock dominates Earth’s surface, as in a lava flow or an intrusive rock like granite. The process is like a jackhammer in which root caps use weaknesses in the host rock to penetrate and break the rock into smaller pieces so plants can secure the nutrients they need.

Some plants in unusual environments don’t use roots in the same way. Plants living in ocean environments or along sand bars, such as mangroves, have a different process to sustain themselves. Air ferns and epiphytes don’t have the same kind of root system as a maple tree. The diversity of plant life and how each type of plant handles its environment is a great testimony to design and the wisdom of the Creator.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: Evolution News & Science Today

September 10, 2024September 9, 2024

Protecting Parasites from Extinction

We tend to view parasites as destructive, even repulsive, unwanted nuisances. However, scientists are finding that parasites often perform beneficial roles in the ecosystem. Some scientists think we should be protecting parasites from extinction.

Scientists are concerned that we have not studied the roles of parasites in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. For example, a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii infects mice, causing them to lose their fear of cats. Cats have an acid in their gut that Toxoplasma gondii needs to reproduce, so the mouse is an intermediate host for the parasite to get into the cat. This appears to be a highly designed system in which a parasite controls the mouse population through cats.

Kayce Bell of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum said, “If you remove something from an ecosystem, we cannot foresee what the consequences will be.” That is true of familiar plants and animals but may also be true of parasites. Moreover, it seems that some parasites keep other parasites under control. In 2020, scientists who study parasites published a paper in the journal Biological Conservation calling for protecting parasites from extinction, beginning with a study of what parasites exist.

Scientists estimate that 40% of all known animal species on Earth are parasites. The bottom line is that we don’t understand the role parasites play in the natural world. The fact that we don’t know what beneficial things parasites do is a challenge as we struggle to conserve ecosystems worldwide. Everywhere we look, we see a system design that testifies to a Designer.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “The Problem with Parasites” in Discover magazine for September/October 2024, pages 21-28

September 4, 2024September 3, 2024

Problems Our Ancestors Had in Securing Food

In our day of domesticated cattle, we may not appreciate the problems our ancestors had in securing food and other essentials. The Bible and the fossil record agree that the first humans were gatherers, eating only things that could be secured by hand, primarily plants. Genesis 4:2 indicates that Abel was a keeper of the flocks, probably sheep. In Genesis 9:3, God says, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you,” but verse 2 says that all the animals will be afraid of humans. Like many biblical passages, we are left with questions, so we can look to other methods for clarification. The fossil record and archaeological evidence do that for us.

There is a great deal of evidence that humans were gatherers before hunting animals became a method of getting food. The Bible does not tell us how Abel secured the flocks of Genesis 4:2, but the domestication of wild goats and sheep clearly occurred. Genesis 15:9 is the first mention of goats in the Bible, but recent DNA evidence shows that goats were domesticated in significant numbers by 8200 B.C. Goats provided milk and meat, but they also provided other valuable materials, including hair, hides, and sinew for use as clothing. Ancient people used goat bones as tools and their dung as fuel for fires. Goats were much easier to raise than sheep or other animals. Goats can eat about anything and survive in virtually any terrain. They were the perfect animals to meet the needs of early humans.

Despite the problems our ancestors had in securing food, the message here is plain. God has met every NEED that humans have. We are talking about needs, not wants. Some things we might like to have are not needs, and needs can sometimes be secured only by work. God told Adam, “In the sweat of your face, you will eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). God has made it available, but we must work to secure what we need. We know that God will bless us when we do the work He has given us to do.

September 3, 2024September 2, 2024

Elephant Communication System

Every animal has a way of communicating with others of its species to find food, for defense, or for mating. Each animal’s design includes a unique method of communication, and some of the methods are astounding. One of those is the elephant communication system. Recent studies show that African elephants engage in a type of communication previously unknown in nonhuman animals.

Elephants can hear sounds that humans cannot hear. Physics books tell us that humans can hear sounds between 20 hertz (cycles per second) and 20,000 hertz. This varies from person to person, with smaller humans hearing higher frequencies but not hearing lower ones and vice-versa for larger humans. In my physics classroom, I demonstrated this by producing frequencies between 20 and 20,000 hertz and noting that different students heard different sounds – sometimes painfully. I rarely had a student who could hear 20 hertz. Elephants can hear sounds as low as 5 hertz.

How does this low-frequency ability affect the elephant’s communication system? High-frequency sounds do not travel very far. Some bird species use high frequencies for a wide range of communications, but the sound travels only short distances. The low frequency of an elephant can travel over 1.5 miles. Elephant herds frequently split up to find food or water, and they convey their location to other groups from a distance.

The aspect of the elephant communication system that was previously unknown in animals is that they can attach vocal labels, similar to names, to individual elephants. They use a specific low-frequency sound to address a specific elephant. Their communication is so fine-tuned that they can send out a sound that only one elephant in a nearby herd responds to. Other elephants in both herds continue grazing and ignore the message.

The design of the elephant communication system is incredible and unique. Researchers are studying their apparatus to hear and send sounds, leading to a new understanding of how all animals communicate. Romans 1:20 tells us, “We can know there is a God through the things He has made.” Elephants and their communication system testify to that fact.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “Elephants Call Their Relatives By Name Across the Savanna” in the September 2024 issue of Scientific American

August 30, 2024August 27, 2024

Dinosaur Fossils and Human Values

By the end of July 2024, I had personally received 98 written requests for financial help to address human needs. That is in addition to numerous phone calls and emails, and I am sure most of the needs are real. Pathetic pictures of starving children, people needing medical attention, and people victimized by war and greed tug at the heartstrings, but on a teacher’s pension, I cannot solve all of these issues. At the same time, we live in a world of corruption and badly distorted values, as demonstrated by the price of dinosaur fossils.

The largest and most complete stegosaurus fossil ever found was sold to a private collector for $44,600,000. A “mystery buyer” paid $12.4 million for a velociraptor skeleton, and in 2020, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as Stan sold for $31,800,000. While the academic community laments that these skeletons are lost to science, the more significant issue is what the price of dinosaur fossils says about human values. The Christian concept of love expressed by the Greek word “agape” permeates the teachings of Christ, but today, people vilify Christianity and ridicule the plea to love one another.

The media takes great delight in stories of the abuses of some who have claimed to be Christians. Sadly, some religious leaders spend massive amounts of money on religious structures, airplanes, cars, and personal homes, as non-believers spend excessive amounts on dinosaur fossils and entertainment.

Most of the people feeding needy children are motivated by their understanding of Jesus’ teachings. Digging wells so people aren’t forced to drink polluted water is almost entirely the work of people who express their faith in Christ and His teachings. Many followers of Jesus quietly take what little they have and use it to relieve human suffering.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus indicates how God looks at our situation. Dedicated Christians who have the hope of eternal life prioritize addressing human needs. Those who use what God has loaned them to have a dinosaur skeleton in their private collection will learn that their lives are just as dead as the dinosaurs on which they spent their resources.

August 29, 2024August 27, 2024

Trees Are Affected by Smoke

Smoke from wildfires has been a fact of life for virtually everyone. Even here in Michigan, we have seen smoke from the fires on the West Coast. At times, it has been dense enough that some folks with respiratory illnesses have had to stay inside and use air purifiers to breathe. Researchers at Colorado State University have found that even trees are affected by smoke, but they have a system designed into them to avoid damage that smoke can cause.

Plants have pores called stomata on their leaves, which do the opposite of our lungs by taking in carbon dioxide and expelling oxygen. However, taking in smoke could interfere with this process. The researchers found that when smoke wafted across ponderosa pines, the trees responded by closing their stomata, essentially holding their breath.

Smoke in the air is not a new feature in the natural world. Fires are expected whenever there are forests and dry weather, even without human carelessness. Since trees are affected by smoke, they have a designed response to what might damage their ability to take in carbon dioxide. This is just one more example of the incredible thought and planning that went into the creation.

Genesis 1:11-12 tells us that God created the fruit tree, but as we look deeper into the makeup of trees, we see the handiwork of God displayed in this remarkable design. Research is ongoing to see if this is true of all plants, including those we depend on for food. This question becomes very important with the increase in wildfires in the past two years.

August 28, 2024August 27, 2024

New Data on Neanderthals

In 1864, a research paper was distributed in the scientific community announcing the discovery of a form of ancient humans called Homo neanderthalensis. The artistic reconstructions showed ape-like humans, and evolutionists called it a missing link proving human evolution from apes. The artistic reconstructions were inaccurate. More advanced scientific tools have given us new data on Neanderthals, providing a better picture of what they were like.

Past research has not shown that Neanderthals lived together in communities. However, Neanderthal DNA in Siberia indicates a possible community, and some 600 footprints recently found near Normandy, France, indicate a group of adults with children and teenagers. The new data on Neanderthals gives evidence that they formed tight-knit communities. Another interesting discovery is that the communities cared for individuals with deformities or severe injuries for many years. Neanderthal burials indicate that they showed special care to children.

We can learn many lessons from recent studies that provide new data on Neanderthals. One thing we learned is to avoid jumping to conclusions too quickly. One of my favorite lines I heard during my graduate work was, “Always be sure your data conforms to your conclusions.” The point was and is that people take what they already believe and then work to find ways to support that belief. The media jumped on early finds of Neanderthals, and their depictions gave an unclear picture of what they were like.

For people who have religious convictions about the history of humans, the same problem exists. The fact that Neanderthals clearly lived more than 6,000 years ago flies in the face of some denominational teachings. The point is that the Bible is silent on how long ago Adam lived. There is also a tendency to make Adam in our physical image when the Bible says Adam was created in God’s spiritual image. Biblical literature may show Adam with light skin and blue eyes, but that is almost certainly not what Adam looked like.

You and I are created in God’s image. That means we all have equal value and demonstrate spiritual characteristics and talents. These include creative ability in art and music, the capacity to worship, empathy and sympathy, and guilt, which have nothing to do with our physical or racial makeup. New data on Neanderthals shows that they demonstrated some of those characteristics, and we have some Neanderthal markers in our DNA.

August 26, 2024August 25, 2024

“Plant Neuroscientists” and Plant Consciousness

“Plant Neuroscientists” Claim Plant Consciousness

Several “plant neuroscientists” have written papers claiming that plants have intelligence and cognition and experience pain and other feelings. This is not the work of crackpots but of reputable scientists writing in professional journals.

It started in 2006 with an article in the scientific journal Trends in Plant Science by E.D. Brenner titled “Plant Neurobiology: An Integrated View of Plant Signaling.” In 2009, Frantisek Baluska claimed that root tips were “a brain-like command center.” In 2016, Monica Gagliano claimed to have demonstrated Pavlov-type classical conditioning in pea plants. The following year, she wrote that plants have an “internal value system” and use “feelings” to “motivate their choices.”

Plant neuroscientists accuse scientists who reject their claims of being “animal chauvinists.” The reality is that if you reject eating plants because they have feelings and experience pain, you will also have to reject eating insects or animals of any kind, such as fish, birds, or even farm animals. That leaves you with nothing to eat.

Genesis 1:29 finds God telling Adam and Eve, “I have given you every herb bearing seed … and every tree in which there is fruit for food.” In Genesis 9:3, God told Noah, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you even as the green plant I have given you.” God gave humans the capacity to have adequate food and challenged us to manage His environment with intelligence and respect.

Scientific evidence shows that what plant neuroscientists interpret as consciousness is a misunderstanding of the design God built into plants. It is well known that sunflower blooms will turn to follow the Sun from sunrise to sunset. Are the sunflowers thinking and acting on their thoughts? Of course not! This function is programmed into the plants to give them maximum sunlight exposure.

We have all seen plants wilt when they are too dry or hot. Is this the result of feeling pain or thinking out the need to reduce leaf area? An intelligent Creator hard-wired these responses into their DNA. Animals have consciousness because of a complex nervous system and a brain system that oversees the neural pathways. Conscious responses to pain help animals and humans survive.

I have known people who talk to their plants and claim that it makes the plants grow better. I must admit that I have talked to my car when it wasn’t working. Whether plants or cars, our conversations are really for our own benefit, not the thing we are taking to. We tend to anthropomorphize plants and cars, giving them human attributes. God has designed plants to feed us, shade us, and show us beauty, but they are not created like us and are not to be worshipped.