Does God Exist Archives

March 4, 2026March 3, 2026

Water Into Wine Controversy

The “News and Notes” section of our fourth-quarter 2025 Does God Exist journal included an item about the Cana wedding feast where Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). Our skeptic friends have been quick to challenge this biblical event, claiming it is impossible from a chemical standpoint. John Lankford, a chemistry teacher in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and supporter of this ministry, sent the following comment on the matter:

In the last journal, you addressed this event of “water into wine.” While teaching AP chemistry, a student asked me, “Wouldn’t H₂O changing into all the organics needed for flavoring require a nuclear event?” I explained a POSSIBLE scenario to the class.

Since we don’t know many details of the event, we can logically SPECULATE some things. First, the “water” was not pure (a misnomer itself) but contained gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen. So, all the basic atoms were in the water. In fact, CO₂ + H₂O + energy —> a sugar + O₂. So, no nuclear reaction is needed to get carbon for grape sugars or flavorings. But an external energy and organizational force is required (which was Jesus, the Word). The oxygen, as a by-product, could give the “wine” a “bubbly effect” that might enhance the taste (similar to how people buy “oxygenated water” today).

This, of course, is just SPECULATION, but basic FACTS about ancient waters and the chemical reaction we see in photosynthesis suggest that Jesus called into play what was already available in nature to perform a miracle. (PS-even the assumed clay jar may have acted as a catalyst). The fact that a miracle can have a “mechanism” does not negate its being a miracle.

At any rate, this SUPPOSITION lets the student know that a “nuclear reaction” need not be what “must happen.”

Thanks to John for his explanation of the water into wine miracle from a chemistry teacher’s perspective.

March 3, 2026March 2, 2026

Hubble Constant and Gravitational Waves

For years, many scientists were reluctant to accept that the universe had a beginning. Looking through a telescope in the 1920s, Edwin Hubble observed that other galaxies were moving away from us. Going back in time, this suggests that at some point, they were much closer together. If we go far enough back, all matter and energy in the universe would have started from a single point called a singularity. For years, many scientists dismissed this idea, and Fred Hoyle mockingly named it the “big bang.” This leads us to the Hubble constant and gravitational waves, but I am getting ahead of the story.

In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson accidentally discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMBR or CMB), which is leftover from the cosmic creation event (aka “big bang”). The CMB scientifically proved that the universe had a beginning. Further evidence in the 21st century made it impossible to deny that the universe had an origin. Since 1998, science has shown that the universe’s rate of expansion is accelerating. They hypothesize a mysterious force called “dark energy” to explain this acceleration, even though they have never detected this mysterious force.

To measure how fast the universe is expanding, scientists look for what they call the Hubble constant. They have two methods for measuring it: one involves using supernovae, and the other is based on physics principles within the standard model of cosmology. Explaining these methods is beyond the scope of this discussion, but the key issue is that they produce different results. This discrepancy is known as the “Hubble tension.” This leads us to a connection between the Hubble constant and gravitational waves.

In a March 2026 research paper, scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago have proposed a third way to measure the Hubble constant using gravitational waves. Albert Einstein’s 1915 theory of general relativity predicted gravitational waves, but they remained undetected for a hundred years. Then, in 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States detected a gravitational wave for the first time. Since then, with international collaboration, more detections have followed.

Gravitational waves are produced by the collision and merging of black holes or neutron stars. The new theory suggests that by measuring the speed at which these collisions are moving away from us, it may be possible to determine the Hubble constant more precisely. Achieving this will require more sensitive gravitational wave detectors than the current ones. According to Daniel Holz at the University of Chicago, this could help us “learn more about the age and composition of the universe.”

The Hubble constant and gravitational waves give us new insights into creation. Ever since science was compelled to accept that the universe had a beginning, we have learned more about the power and wisdom of the Creator. The more we discover, the more we realize we can know there is a God through what He has made (Romans 1:20).

Reference: space.com

March 2, 2026March 1, 2026

Junk DNA and ERVs

Every cell in the human body contains a molecule called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). We often hear about DNA being used in crime investigations because each person’s DNA is unique. The DNA molecule holds a code that determines many characteristics of an individual. It also contains some seemingly non-coding sequences that scientists have called “junk DNA.” Evolutionists suggest that this “junk” proves humans are simply the result of evolution because an intelligent creator would not have inserted ERVs or useless sequences into our DNA.

The most notable of these so-called junk sequences are endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). “Endogenous” means they originate from within the cells, and “retroviruses” because they were believed to be remnants of ancient viral infections that affected the genomes of our ancestors. The theory was that ERVs were inherited through the evolutionary process. However, recent studies paint a different picture.

If ERVs had been random viral insertions in our ancestors’ DNA, they would likely have no important functions. A recent study shows that they are “essential” on a “widespread” scale during the earliest stages of human development. Without them, the human embryo would not survive. Earlier research indicated that ERVs are crucial in our immune system, perform vital cellular functions, and help regulate gene expression.

Scientists should be cautious before assuming that so-called “junk DNA” has no purpose and that humans are simply products of blind evolution. One thing we have been told before is that God doesn’t make junk. Intelligent design predicted that we would find this “junk” has a purpose.

Reference: scienceandculture.com

February 27, 2026February 23, 2026

My Chinny Chin Chin

“Little pig, little pig, let me come in. Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.” That familiar line comes from “The Three Little Pigs,” published in The Nursery Rhymes of England in 1886. It shows the piggy’s response to the wolf’s request to gain entrance to the pig’s home for nefarious purposes. The clever response of the pig could be stated in the less poetic way, “Absolutely not!”

To analyze this quote scientifically, we might ask whether pigs actually have chins. According to the scientific definition of chins, the answer is “absolutely not.” According to a recent scientific study, neither do other mammals, not even chimpanzees. Only humans possess chins. The respected science journal PLOS One published a study exploring why humans have chins. The researchers aimed to determine whether our chins resulted from direct natural selection or are merely a by-product of other factors.

The issue is that my chinny chin chin serves no clear survival purpose and thus cannot be directly explained by the evolutionary process of natural selection or survival of the fittest. Because the human chin is unique, anthropologists use it as a distinguishing feature for identifying our species, Homo sapiens, in the fossil record.

Evolutionists have proposed several explanations for why we humans have chins. One suggestion is that they help facilitate chewing, but many mammals without chins can chew foods that humans cannot. Another idea is that the chin provides more space for our thick tongues, which are crucial for speech. Even sexual selection of mates has been proposed as an evolutionary explanation for chins. However, according to the article in PLOS One, “none of these hypotheses have received strong support” for various reasons.

The study’s author, Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel, a professor of anthropology at the University at Buffalo, suggests that the uniqueness of the human chin “does not mean that it was shaped by natural selection to enhance an animal’s survivability.” As for this animal—or human—I believe my chinny chin chin is part of God’s unique design for His creatures, created in His spiritual image.

References: journals.plos.org and discovermagazine.com

February 26, 2026February 23, 2026

The Reason for a Multiverse Hypothesis

Science fiction writers love multiverses, and so do many scientists. In science fiction stories, characters step through a portal and emerge in a parallel or inverted world. In the minds of some physicists, multiple universes exist in what is known as the multiverse hypothesis. According to that hypothesis, an almost infinite number of universes exist, each with radically different physical laws and properties. There is no evidence for this, and it is impossible to prove or falsify. So, what is the reason for a multiverse hypothesis?

Agnostic scientists who theorize a multiverse do so not because of evidence but because they cannot explain the apparent fine-tuning of the universe. Why are the particle masses and force strengths in our universe perfectly fine-tuned for us to be here? Slight changes in any of those factors would make it impossible for life to exist and likely for a universe with stars and planets to form.

Speculation about “bubble universes” in a frothing multiverse is pure science fiction at present, so what about another option? Some have proposed an idea based on quantum mechanics. This theory of particle physics states that particles can exist in a “superposition” of possible states until someone measures the particle’s position, at which point it collapses into a single state. It’s difficult to see how this could explain alternate universes, since quantum theory deals with the very small, not entire universes. That brings us back to the reason for a multiverse hypothesis. But, wait! Isn’t there another possible explanation for the fine-tuning of our universe?

Yes, there is another possible explanation for the astonishingly fine-tuned parameters of our cosmos. However, it is one that many stubbornly refuse to accept, or even consider. What about the possibility that the universe was designed by an infinite Intelligence that exists outside of time and space? Isn’t that a more reasonable explanation for the precise design that makes our existence possible?

Quantum fluctuations can’t explain it. Even an infinite number of universes could not explain how we happen to be lucky enough to live in a universe with the right combination of all the exact factors needed for life. Luck and chance are not scientific explanations. Even if there were an almost infinite number of universes, there would still need to be an explanation of how they originated. The design we observe in the cosmos can best be explained by a Designer. Isn’t the only reason for a multiverse hypothesis the desire of skeptics to avoid the most obvious and logical explanation?

Reference: Science News magazine for February 2026, pages 62-63, and sciencenews.org

February 25, 2026February 22, 2026

The Public School’s Job

The February 13, 2026, issue of Time magazine featured an article titled “Censored in the Classroom,” which told the story of Summer Boismier. She was dismissed from her position as a librarian and English teacher in Oklahoma public schools after she made controversial books available to her students. The article is quite biased, portraying Boismier as a victim and implying that the public school’s job is to have every book on every subject in its library.

As a retired public school teacher who spent 41 years at James Whitcomb Riley High School in South Bend, Indiana, I understand the struggles faced by teachers and parents raising teenagers into responsible adults. Oklahoma has tried to prevent easy access to pornographic material for adolescents, which was the cause of Boismier’s issues.

The question is, what is the public school’s job? I would suggest that public schools serve several key functions. One is to teach young people vital skills. Learning to read, write, do math, and understand science, history, and health should be their main priorities. Promoting knowledge of every LGBTQ sexual activity is not the job of the public school’s duty.

As a parent, I want my children to learn life skills that prepare them to become productive, stable, and happy adults. If they have questions about LGBTQ topics, I prefer they find answers at home. The root of this issue is that many parents wish to hand over parenting to schools and dismiss any standards based on religious beliefs. Consequently, concerned parents who can afford it send their children to private schools, while public schools tend to serve students from low-income families. Funding these schools with tax money raises additional concerns for parents. Various experiments are underway to address this, including charter schools, private school vouchers, and scholarships for students from low-income families.

Complicating the public school’s job and parental responsibility is the fact that much online material promotes harmful behaviors. The most important responsibility of parents is to raise their children to lead successful, productive lives that are pleasing to God (Ephesians 6:1-4).

Reference: Oklahomavoice.com

February 24, 2026February 22, 2026

Irresponsible Comments About Dark Matter

We are seeing some irresponsible comments about dark matter in both religious and secular articles. The fact is that dark matter is a designed feature of the cosmos and demonstrates the Creator’s wisdom.

The story of dark matter begins nearly 100 years ago when a Swiss astronomer named Fritz Zwicky observed that the Coma Cluster of galaxies contained galaxies moving so fast that they should have flown apart. About 40 years later, American astronomer Vera Rubin noticed that stars along the edges of spiral galaxies were moving so fast that centrifugal force should have sent them flying into intergalactic space. In recent years, astronomers have observed gravitational lensing—the bending of light by gravity—in regions of space without visible matter. These facts point to the presence of unseen or dark matter.

Despite these irresponsible comments about dark matter, it is not where hell is located. It is not a product of celestial evolution and will not destroy the Earth, at least not in the next 1000 years. It is simply a designed feature that allows us to live on this planet in the solar system within this galaxy.

What would the universe look like if dark matter did not exist? Galaxies would need to be much larger to prevent them from collapsing into their centers due to gravity. If you visit NASA’s daily website apod.nasa.gov, you will see that space is full of galaxies. That would not be possible without dark matter.

Psalms 19:1 finds David looking at the sky, unobstructed by modern lights, and stating, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night, they reveal knowledge.” That was true in the clear skies David could observe, and it remains true today as astronomers use modern telescopes to see God’s wisdom displayed in the heavens.

Reference: Wikipedia.org

February 23, 2026February 22, 2026

Birds’ Eye Design

A group of biologists has finally solved one of the great mysteries of biology. For decades, scientists have wondered how birds can have keen eyesight without blood vessels to supply oxygen to the retina. Blood vessels provide vital oxygen to the retinas of other animals, but the birds’ eye design is different.

Without blood vessels that scatter the light reaching the retina, the birds’ eye design enables sharper vision. How can the retinal cells function without dying from lack of oxygen? The answer, according to researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, is anaerobic glycolysis. “Anaerobic” means without oxygen, and “glycolysis” refers to the process of breaking down the sugar glucose. Anaerobic glycolysis is less efficient than oxygen-based metabolism, and birds’ eyes need a lot of energy. How can they get enough energy with this less-effective method?

The birds’ eye design features a unique structure that no other species has. A comb-like network of blood vessels called the pecten oculi protrudes from where the optic nerve enters the eye and moves freely within the vitreous humor, the fluid filling the eyeball. The pecten oculi transports glucose into the vitreous humor while removing carbon dioxide and lactic acid that could harm the retina.

This discovery explains how birds like bar-headed geese can fly at elevations over 6000 meters, where oxygen is scarce. The DNA of these birds is coded to overcome specific environmental challenges while maintaining sharp vision. Encoding requires an intelligent programmer who understands what birds need to survive. Bird’s eye design, like every scientific discovery, gives us a window into the creation of life on planet Earth.

Reference: “Briefings” in American Scientist for March/April 2026, page 77.

February 20, 2026February 18, 2026

Information Is Fundamental to Everything

At the core of everything is information. DNA carries information in every cell of the human body, as well as in the cells of animals and plants. Without the information in our genes, we could not exist. DNA is a physical molecule, but it contains information that is not physical. We write words with physical ink on physical paper, but the information in those words is not physical, and it is far more valuable than the paper itself. Information is fundamental.

Ancient Greek Stoic philosophers used the word “logos” (translated as “word” in English) to refer to the rational principle behind the universe. The apostle John gave that term a deeper meaning when he used it to refer to the One who created all things. John’s gospel begins with, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” He goes on to say that the Word created all things.

When you read the Genesis creation account, you find, “And God said let there be light” (verse 3). The phrase “And God said” recurs in verses 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, and 29. Hebrews 11:3 tells us, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Words are not visible. Information isn’t visible. We can put information on paper by writing visible words, but the information behind those words is not visible—yet it is more important than the paper on which it is written.

Information is fundamental, immaterial, and invisible. God is spirit (4:24), meaning that He is not material. The cosmic creation event, popularly known as the Big Bang, involved the creation of matter/energy, space, and time. That means the Creator of matter/energy, space, and time must be immaterial and outside of space and time. Matter/energy cannot create itself. God’s Word created everything we see as God spoke the universe into existence. The Bible doesn’t specify when God created the universe, what physical processes He used, or how long it took. Since God is not limited by our time dimension, time means nothing to Him (2 Peter 3:8).

After the physical creation, God used information to create life, with a DNA code far more complex than any human-made computer code. There could be no life without information to guide the production of proteins necessary for forming living cells and to direct the metabolism that sustains life. Information comes only from intelligence.

The bottom line is that information is fundamental, and it’s built into every living cell. If someone says, “I will not believe unless I can see it,” they are not being honest. Everyone believes in things they cannot see. Information is fundamental, and we cannot see it. The Word created all things (John 1:3). At the right time, the Word became visible: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Those who refuse to believe in God because they can’t see Him should remember that “the things that are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (See 2 Corinthians 4:13-18.)

February 18, 2026February 11, 2026

What Troubled Darwin?

In 1831, Charles Darwin, a recent Cambridge University graduate, helped experienced geologist Adam Sedgwick excavate rock layers in northern Wales. They discovered fossils in shale rocks dating to the Cambrian period of Earth’s history. At age 22, Darwin didn’t realize how significant their findings were. It wasn’t until many years later, when he published his book On the Origin of Species, that he was troubled by the “explosion” of Cambrian fossils. What exactly troubled Darwin about these fossils?

Scientists call the sudden appearance of Cambrian fossils the “Cambrian explosion.” These fossils come from a time when Earth’s first major animal groups appeared abruptly, with no clear predecessors. This challenges the idea of gradual evolution. That’s what troubled Darwin. The Cambrian explosion was a rapid appearance of most of the major animal groups that ever lived on Earth.

Darwin published his famous book On the Origin of Species in 1859, twenty-eight years after helping find the first Cambrian fossils. He believed life’s history would look like a branching tree, starting with single-celled organisms and each branch gradually becoming more complex. He thought that life evolved in small steps over long periods through natural selection. What troubled Darwin was the sudden appearance of Cambrian fossils without ancestors, but he expected future fossil discoveries to show gradual evolutionary changes.

However, things didn’t go as Darwin expected. In 1886, during the construction of the Canadian Pacific railroad across Canada, new Cambrian fossils were found in the Rocky Mountains. In 1909, Charles Walcott discovered fossils of soft-bodied Cambrian animals without predecessors in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia. These new animal forms were more complex than the ones Darwin knew, yet they still appeared suddenly without showing gradual evolution.

In 2014, another site in British Columbia, called Marble Canyon, revealed more troublesome fossils. In 1988, paleontologists uncovered exceptionally well-preserved specimens in Chengjiang, China. Now, another site in Huayuan, China, has revealed even more soft-bodied fossils with remarkable soft tissue preservation. Researchers have collected over 50,000 fossils and identified 153 animal species, 59% of which were previously unknown. These fossils span 16 animal phyla.

Some evolutionists suggest that missing links are hard to find because soft animal tissues don’t fossilize well. But this new discovery at Huayuan preserved delicate soft tissues in detail, from worms to jellyfish, showing gills, guts, and even nerves. They were preserved because they were buried quickly in a muddy slurry that turned into shale.

The key point is that many animals from the Cambrian period appear suddenly on opposite sides of the planet, with no signs of gradual change. They show no clear evolution over time. Darwinism cannot fully explain this puzzle, but those who believe in an intelligent divine Creator see these discoveries as making perfect sense. What troubled Darwin in 1859 would trouble him even more today.

Reference: scienceandculture.com