God Archives

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023

Ecosystem Design and Stewardship

An ecosystem is a complex network of living and non-living things interacting with one another in a specific environment. It includes all the living organisms, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, as well as the non-living components, such as air, water, soil, and climate. These living components are adapted to the non-living components in an interdependent system, with each relying on the others. We see ecosystem design everywhere we look on planet Earth.

Ecosystems exist in water environments, from ponds to streams to rivers to the oceans. They exist on land in forests, mountains, and deserts. They vary from tropical rainforests to frozen tundra. Each ecosystem has a unique balance of species, with each species playing a specific role. This balance is maintained through various mechanisms, including competition, predation, and mutualism.

Ecosystem design provides many vital services affecting human life, such as water filtration, air purification, and food. At the same time, humans have a profound impact on ecosystem management through deforestation, destruction, and pollution. Careless actions of humans can disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems, leading to a decline in biodiversity, the extinction of essential species, and climate change.

Conservation and management efforts aim to protect and restore ecosystems and maintain their resilience. This involves protecting habitats, reducing pollution, and managing human activities to minimize ecosystem harm. It also requires monitoring and understanding environmental change and taking steps to reduce or correct human-caused impacts. As we protect ecosystems, they provide services critical to life on this planet. That is part of ecosystem design.

An ecosystem is an ecological system. As we think about the multitude of ecosystems, large and small, localized and widespread, we must realize that they are systems. Do systems happen by accident, or do they require intelligent planning? Can complex things come together to form an efficiently-functioning ecosystem on their own? Every living thing consists of many complex systems within the cells, organs, and whole bodies. Ecosystem design involves systems within systems within systems working together in balance.

Can efficient, balanced systems happen without a system designer? If there is a Designer of Earth’s ecosystems, as I believe there is, we owe it to Him to take care of what He has given for our existence and enjoyment. Genesis tells us that God gave humans the job of managing the creatures and ecosystems of planet Earth. (See Genesis 1:28.) We must avoid the rebuke the rich man gave to his unworthy steward in a parable Jesus told. “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward” (Luke 16:2).

February 11, 2023February 8, 2023

Chemical Bonds and Human Relationships

I have always enjoyed teaching units in my science classes that explore the design of chemical bonding and how it produces over 5000 naturally-occurring mineral species. We can learn some lessons by comparing chemical bonds and human relationships. Four different kinds of bonds form all those minerals:

IONIC BONDS. An ionic bond forms when two or more elements are held together by the giving and taking of electrons that exist in the outer energy levels of each atom. The classic example is sodium chloride, in which sodium gives up an electron, and chlorine takes on an electron. Both atoms are striving for stability, and they bond by one giving and the other getting. This kind of bond is not very strong. For example, halite, rock salt, is easily dissolved in water. Comparing these chemical bonds and human relationships, we see co-dependency as a similar type of bonding, and it, too, is not very strong.

COVALENT BONDS. Sharing of electrons creates this type of bond. This is the method of carbon bonding, which is the foundation of biochemistry. It is the bonding technique used to create life. In covalent bonding, the nuclei draw closer together, and the bond is very strong. A diamond is a classic example, and the contrast to halite is obvious. In human relationships, covalency is like marriage when both partners are respected and share in the bonding.

METALLIC BONDS. Elements in this bonding method have an outer layer of delocalized electrons that have fluid movement and are not tightly bound to individual atoms. This cloud of electrons gives a charge to the crystal and allows the material to be ductile, malleable, opaque, and a good conductor of heat and electricity. Copper is a classic example of this bonding. Humans with no solid attraction for others can be very singular in nature.

VAN DER WALLS BONDS. Rubbing a balloon on your shirt and sticking it to a wall exemplifies this very complex bonding. This bonding uses both ionic and covalent techniques. It has silicon-oxygen structures in layers with a variety of elements included in the layers. Examples are mica and clay. This layering prevents anything 90 degrees away from the plane of the layers from passing through it. That makes clay extremely useful in agriculture, landfills, and water reservoirs.

We can compare clay to God’s love for us. We see God’s genius as we use an electron microscope to examine clay crystals that are 1/256 mm or less in diameter. We can see the bonding God calls each of us to realize we don’t all bond in the same way. Our bonding with God gives us an understanding of the unique nature He has given us and everything around us. Geologist Jeffrey Greenberg wrote, “We do not worship Nature in Creation, but we worship the Creator and certainly should love the created as He does.”

Reference: “Bonding” by Dr. Jeffrey Greenberg in God and Nature, Winter 2023

February 10, 2023February 8, 2023

Ayahuasca Drug Use in Churches

As our culture turns away from God and the Christian system of living, we have a vast void that many people fill by turning to recreational drugs. Drug promoters try to convince people that they offer solutions to the negative human experience. For example, we now see “churches” that advertise a quick way to have a spiritual experience using a psychedelic brew known as ayahuasca. The promoters of ayahuasca drug use in churches claim it will give spiritual enlightenment and bring the user closer to God.

The government of New Mexico has allowed the ayahuasca church the right to use the drug as a sacrament even though the main ingredient is illegal under U.S. federal law. In Oregon, a U.S. District Court ruled that a church is free from prosecution for the use of ayahuasca because of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Hummingbird Church, with locations in California and Utah, regularly conducts ayahuasca services.

Ayahuasca came to the U.S. from South America, where it has been used in religious rituals for many years. It is usually consumed as a tea. The active ingredient is N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), with harmala alkaloids added to prevent the hallucinogenic drug from breaking down in the digestive system.

The risk factor for ayahuasca is very high and similar to the LSD craze. It raises the heart rate and blood pressure. Many users experience seizures, and most lose muscle coordination resulting in falls. Respiratory arrests have happened, especially with people who have had the COVID virus. One complication is HPPD (hallucinogen persisting perception disorder), which, along with persistent psychosis, results in flashbacks long after discontinued use. New data also links serotonin syndrome disorder to the drug.

With ayahuasca drug use in churches in the United States, we can expect it to become more widely distributed. In addition, we can expect to see use among high school and college kids, especially those who have rejected their parent’s church and Christianity in general.

A person who throws God out of their life will desperately seek something to fill the void. Ayahuasca, like LSD, is a bad choice. The body of a Christian is the dwelling place for God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), and any attempt to find a substitute is destined to fail. Ayahuasca drug use in churches and on the street will bring pain and, ultimately, death to the user. Worse than death, eternal separation from God is the ultimate tragedy for any human being.

Reference: AP News and wikipedia

February 9, 2023February 13, 2023

Design of Sunflowers for Optimum Pollination

Everyone knows that sunflower heads turn to follow the Sun throughout the day, allowing them to get the maximum amount of sunlight. However, researchers have found another feature that helps sunflowers to thrive. Plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, have published a report showing the incredible design of sunflowers for optimum pollination.

The sunflower head has hundreds of tiny florets. The newest florets are at the center of the bloom, and the most mature are at the edges. Their design forms a distinctive spiral pattern from the center to the edge. Each floret blooms over two days. On the first day, the male part of the bloom opens, presenting pollen. The female stigma unfolds to receive the pollen on the second day. In some way, the florets coordinate their opening, beginning at the edge and moving toward the center. This progressive opening leaves a ring of female flowers outside the earlier stage of pollen-bearing males.

Pollinating insects (primarily bees) tend to land on the edges and walk toward the center. In that way, they pick up pollen after they have walked over the female florets. Then they carry the pollen to a different flower head for cross-pollination. This coordinated opening design attracts as many insects as possible and makes pollination as efficient as possible.

The sunflower’s circadian rhythm, influenced by sunlight, controls the opening of the sunflower’s florets. People, animals, and plants have a built-in circadian clock as part of our design. We see it in the design of sunflowers for optimum pollination.

Understanding how to develop plant cultivars that can optimize pollination is essential since the bee population has been declining. We have much to learn about God’s design in the plant and insect world. Studies like this can help us meet the food shortages affecting many people on this planet.

— John N. Clayton ©

References: the National Science Foundation and elifesciences.org

February 8, 2023February 7, 2023

Bugs and Cars Colliding

When I go on a summer road trip, I always return with hundreds of insects smashed on the front of my car. Those bug remains are a real challenge to remove. So why don’t those little critters have enough brains to get out of the way? Bugs and cars colliding is a great summertime nuisance.

Okay, I know those insects that lost their lives playing a game of chicken with my vehicle don’t have very big brains – if they have any at all. I also realize that my car is much bigger than they are and probably traveling at a faster speed, so it’s hard for them to get out of the way. I also realize that the consequences of our brief encounter are much more tragic for them than it is for me. But I have never seen two bugs crashing into each other in mid-air. They can swarm in great numbers and never crash and fall from the sky. They must have some kind of collision avoidance system.

God gave insects the ability to avoid collisions with each other long before cars entered the scene. That fact led scientists at Penn State University to do some research on bugs and cars colliding. They probably can’t do much to give bugs the ability to avoid cars, but they wanted to give cars the ability to avoid hitting each other. Since bugs somehow avoid mid-air collisions with such skill, can their technology be applied to cars?

Even though only a fourth of driving occurs in the dark, half of all traffic fatalities happen at night. (It’s also when many insect species are most active, but that’s beside the point.) Present vehicle technologies for avoiding collisions use Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) or image sensors running sophisticated software. The systems are expensive and use lots of energy. The researchers wrote, “…task-specific obstacle avoidance algorithms allow insects to reap substantial benefits in terms of size and energy.” They wanted to learn how the bugs do it with tiny brains and micro-energy.

We have often talked about how scientists studying God’s creatures and creation have discovered ways to accomplish tasks more effectively and efficiently. For example, this new research shows ways to avoid vehicle collisions in a simpler, less expensive, and more energy-efficient way using a new algorithm based on the neural circuits of bugs.

God told Job, “If you want to learn, then go and ask the wild animals and the birds, the flowers and the fish. Any of them can tell you what the Lord has done” (Job 12:7-9 CEV). This research may not solve the problem of bugs and cars colliding, but it can help to solve the much more dangerous problem of cars colliding with other cars. Of course, you will still have to keep the scrub brush and bucket of cleanser handy.

References: acs.org and popsci.com

February 7, 2023February 6, 2023

Venomous or Poisonous – What’s the Difference?

People often think of venom or poison as the same thing, but they are not. Even though people may use those terms interchangeably, there are differences in their origin, delivery system, and effects on the body. So, when is it correct to say that something is venomous or poisonous?

Venom is a toxin produced by animals, usually in specialized glands. It’s delivered to the victim through a bite or a sting. Animals use venom to capture prey and for defense from predators – and sometimes humans. For example, snakes, spiders, scorpions, and some species of fish, frogs, and insects produce venom. Venomous animals have specialized structures, such as fangs or stingers to deliver the venom into the victim’s body. The effects vary from mild pain and swelling to severe muscle paralysis and even death.

In contrast to venom, poison is a toxic chemical produced by plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, or humans in a chemical lab. Poison is usually ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. For example, many plants produce poisons to protect themselves from herbivores and other potential threats. Poisonous mushrooms, toxic berries, and certain types of flowers are examples of plants that produce poisons.

The effects of poison can depend on the type and amount consumed. Some common effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and even death. Many everyday household items are poisonous and must be secured so children or animals can’t ingest them. Medicines that promote healing or fight disease are often poisonous if taken in the wrong quantities or in the wrong way.

So, if someone talks about a poisonous snake or scorpion, they are using the wrong term. Those animals are venomous. Poison does its damage when ingested, inhaled, or touched. For example, a poison dart frog is poisonous, but wasps, spiders, and snakes can be venomous. Some animals or insects are poisonous if eaten but venomous if they bite or sting. Monarch butterflies are mildly poisonous to potential predators, but box jellyfish are highly venomous and deadly to humans. If in doubt, the word “toxic” covers both, but it’s not as precise.

When saying that an animal is venomous or poisonous, remember this. A poisonous animal, such as a poison dart frog, is always poisonous and does not choose to be. A venomous animal, such as a snake, must choose to administer the venom. Humans can choose to avoid poison, but often they do not. People can take poison by mouth or inject it into themselves or someone else. We call that foolishness or murder. Alcohol is a poison that people consume as a drink, sometimes resulting in death. Self-inflicted poisoning by illegal drugs such as fentanyl is causing many deaths in the United States.

Some people ask, “Why would a good God create venomous or poisonous animals?” There is a good reason because those toxins serve as a defense mechanism or a method to capture prey for food. The more troubling question is, “Why would intelligent humans choose to put poisons into their bodies?” When asking that question, remember that it all started with Adam and Eve. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:16-17). The good news is that God provided the cure for the poison of sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

February 6, 2023February 5, 2023

The Uniqueness of Planet Earth

One of the positive things about science is that its methodology allows change. When new data become available, theories are either supported or discarded, resulting in the constant evolution of what scientists believe to be true. This applies to our understanding of the uniqueness of planet Earth.

Experts from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre have announced that a widespread assumption about life on other planets is not valid. Science has assumed that other stars similar to our Sun in size and type also have similar stability. The Sun has not changed significantly in brightness and temperature in the hundreds of years that scientists have been observing and measuring it. Recent measurements of similar stars show that three-quarters of them go through changes in both brightness and temperature.

Dr. Noah Tuchow of NASA says that the number of alien worlds that could contain life has been “vastly overestimated.” The planetary zone where water could exist as a liquid is known as the “Goldilocks Zone.” A planet would have to be orbiting a star with relatively constant heat output to be in such a zone. Planets that formed too close to be in the star’s habitable zone would have their water boiled away. Those that began beyond the habitable zone would have frozen water that would take a long time to melt. Either way, they would have a relatively short time to support life. This shows the uniqueness of planet Earth.

NASA has created a new label for planets that enter the habitable zone after their formation due to orbiting a changing star. They call it the “Belatedly Habitable Zone” (BHZ). Dr. Tuchow says, “A planet’s history dictates its current potential to host habitable conditions and life.”

Our point is the uniqueness of planet Earth, not whether it is the only place where life exists. However, if life exists elsewhere, God created it. Every discovery scientists make shows that Earth is an extraordinary place and our Sun is an exceptional star. Considering what we have learned about the cosmos, the statement of Psalms 19:1 is more meaningful today than when it was written thousands of years ago: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky shows His handiwork. Day to day they utter speech, and night to night they show knowledge.”

Please go to our doesgodexist.org website to see a chart titled “Evidence for Design in the Universe,” listing 47 of the vast number of variables required for a life-sustaining planet. The constancy of the parent’s star adds one more limiting variable to what it takes to have a world able to support life.

References: ARXIV and MSN.com

February 4, 2023January 31, 2023

Collateral Benefits of Worship

When dealing with people who have no church affiliation, we often hear the line, “I don’t need to go to church to be good.” This frequently comes from someone who has had a bad experience with the hypocrisy of a church-goer. However, new research data shows collateral benefits of worship and involvement in a church. The study by Johns Hopkins researchers shows a connection between being socially isolated and dementia.

The study involved 5,022 dementia-free U.S. adults aged 65 or older with an average age of 76 and not living in a residential care facility. The data showed that socially isolated adults have a 27% higher chance of developing dementia than those who are not socially isolated. The study defined social isolation as “having few relationships and few people to interact with regularly.” That included whether the person attended religious services or participated in social events. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reports that social isolation is responsible for other serious health conditions, including heart disease and depression.

These studies are not designed to validate attendance at worship or involvement in church activities. However, they show the collateral benefits of worship in a corporate setting. Meeting together in a church setting meets the criteria for preventing social isolation. Worship and Bible study are always on a regular schedule, so participation is not sporadic and allows a person to associate with the same group of people regularly. If the group is following the instructions of Jesus and the example of the first-century Church, participation provides the ideal environment to avoid social isolation.

Galatians 6:2 tells Christians to “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” In Acts 2:42-47, we read that the early Christians were together daily (verse 46) and shared food and fellowship. The acts of worship encourage people not to be socially isolated. Singing together (not listening to someone else) is a recognized tool for avoiding social isolation. Who hasn’t enjoyed singing with others around a campfire? The communion service is not just vertical with Christ but horizontal as we join in a common act of spiritual oneness.

Tragically, many churches have fallen into the same trap as the Corinthian Church did by letting human power struggles produce social isolation. (See 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.) According to the Bible, true worship provides a way to be at peace with God while living with others and avoiding isolation. God has given us many ways to improve our lives, and we should not overlook the collateral benefits of worship and avoiding social isolation.

References: NPR.com and the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

February 3, 2023January 31, 2023

Mountain Chickadee Brains

One interesting scientific question is whether brain cells can be increased or replenished. People say the brain is the only body part where the cells are not replaced every seven years. That seems reasonable since replacing brain cells could cause us to lose stored memories. Doctors are limited in what they can do to help people with brain injuries because of the inability to repair or replace brain cells. Scientists have found some interesting facts in a recent study of mountain chickadee brains.

The study at the University of Nevada has shown that brains can change when environmental factors demand it. Researchers comparing the brains of chickadees separated by a few kilometers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains found substantial differences in the brains of the two populations. Chickadees living at an elevation of 7800 feet showed significant brain differences compared to those living at 5900 feet. The hippocampus of the higher-elevation chickadees was larger, and the neuron density was greater. Tests showed enhanced spatial cognition at higher elevations, so caching and recovering food will be better for the higher mountain chickadee brains.

If you assume that both populations of chickadees came from a common ancestor, then brain development genetic change has been catalyzed by environmental factors. For example, a greater need for food caching and recall has led to physical changes in mountain chickadee brains.

The question is, could we apply this to humans with brain injuries? Is the brain designed to allow this kind of change? The brains of chickadees living in the harshest environment must develop better spatial memory to survive. Does this mean human intelligence can be affected by life challenges and environments? We need to point out that intelligence is not necessarily related to brain size because a bigger brain does not mean you are more intelligent.

Studies like this demonstrate the flexibility God designed into the DNA of living things. So maybe being called a “bird brain” is not as derogatory as people previously thought.

Reference: Living Bird magazine from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for the winter of 2023, pages 46 – 53, and “Harsh Mountain Winters Have Made Chickadees Smarter” at allaboutbirds.org

February 2, 2023January 31, 2023

Echidnas Are Extremely Sensitive to Heat

One of the most curious animals on our planet is the short-beaked echidna found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. This animal is a monotreme, a mammal that lays eggs. The echidna and the duckbill platypus are the best-known animals in this grouping. Echidnas eat ants, so they are also known as spiny anteaters. What you probably don’t know is that echidnas are extremely sensitive to heat.

An echidna’s body temperature is normally 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit). If the environmental temperature hits 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), it can be fatal for echidnas. This may sound like an impossible situation since Australia can be very hot, especially in the Dryandra Woodland and Boyagin Nature Reserve. That is where a large echidna population lives about 170 km (105 miles) south of Perth.

Research published in Biology Letters studied 124 echidnas to see how the animals could handle the heat since they can’t dissipate it by panting, sweating, or licking. The researchers found that echidnas blow bubbles from their noses. The bubbles burst and wet the nose tip. As the moisture evaporates, it cools the animal. The evaporation of water at 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit removes 540 calories per gram of water evaporated. Even though echidnas are extremely sensitive to heat, evaporation protects them from injury.

In addition to the bubble-blowing snout, echidnas have quills to protect them from predators. The echidna’s unique design is very difficult to explain by chance evolution. Instead, God has designed creatures to survive as they deal with the varied conditions around the planet. Everywhere we look, we see that a wonder-working hand has gone before.

Reference: Biology Letters and “This egg-laying mammal blows bubbles to cool off” by Ashley Strickland posted on CNN World January 18, 2023