John N Clayton Archives

September 9, 2025September 8, 2025

Microbiomes in Living Tree Trunks

A study of microbiomes in living tree trunks reveals that the woody tissues of trees contain a trillion microbial cells in addition to the actual tree cells. This includes single-celled bacteria and archaea, which are specialized for different parts of the tree and for various tree species.

The research team, led by Jonathan Gewirtzman of Yale University, studied more than 150 trees across 16 species in the northeastern United States. The trees examined included red maples, black birches, and white ashes. They discovered that microbes can live in both the outer sapwood and the inner heartwood, with each region hosting its own microbiome. Sapwood is mainly inhabited by microbes that require oxygen, while heartwood contains anaerobic microbes.

The study shows that microbiomes in living tree trunks vary from species to species. But how do these microbes get inside the trees? It might happen through wounds or openings, or they could be passed through the tree’s seeds. Perhaps, there is another route scientists have yet to discover. Regardless of the method, Gewirtzman explains, “What looks like one thing is a trillion-in-one organisms living together.”

When you see a tree, you might not realize how intricate its design is. Genesis 1:11-12 states, “Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds,’ and it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seeds according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seeds in it according to their kinds.”

Like many other living things, scientists are only beginning to understand the complexity of microbiomes in living tree trunks. We can recognize that there is a God through the things He has made, including trees. (See Romans 1:20.)

Reference: dnyuz.com

September 3, 2025September 2, 2025

Neanderthal DNA and Humans

Neanderthal Fossils and Humans — Neanderthal Skull

Skeptics try to disprove the Bible by claiming that Neanderthal fossils invalidate the biblical account of humans’ special creation.

The Neanderthal story began in 1856 when remains were found in a cave in the Neander Valley, 8.1 miles east of Düsseldorf, Germany. A few years later, Charles Darwin’s work was published, and skeptics argued that the Neanderthal fossils demonstrate the truth of Darwinism. Because skepticism was popular at the time, the biblical claim that humans are created in God’s image was widely mocked.

One of the most serious implications of Darwinism was related to race. Slavery was justified by claiming blacks were mere apes and whites were more evolved. Applying “survival of the fittest,” racial prejudice reached an all-time high. As science advanced, the human genome was sequenced in 2003, and Neanderthal DNA was sequenced in 2010. This research showed that the human genome contain about 2 percent Neanderthal DNA.

The Bible does not specify what the first humans looked like, but it’s almost certain they were not blond, blue-eyed, and white-skinned. If a scientist found a skeleton of Adam, what could they know about the color of his eyes or his hair? Humans have adapted over time and climate changes, which we call “evolution.” But humans are still humans, and despite having some Neanderthal DNA, we are still created in the spiritual image of God.

Reference: “Finding our Neanderthal Side” in Discover magazine, September/October 2025.

August 27, 2025September 1, 2025

Reproductive Technologies: Proceed with Caution

As medical science becomes more advanced, it offers women new reproductive technologies. Older women can now have children even after menopause. Using a sperm donor, a single woman can become a mother. A woman with no eggs in her uterus can have an embryo transfer along with progesterone injections.

In vitro fertilization, which was introduced in England in 1978, has resulted in the birth of over 12 million children worldwide. The first successful egg-donor birth was also reported around that time. Efforts are underway to improve a process called in vitro gametogenesis, which involves creating gametes from stem cells and deriving an egg from another type of cell. This technique could enable same-sex couples to have children with genes from both partners. Another possibility is to develop a synthetic womb where a baby could be grown outside a woman.

The number of women choosing to have children through technological methods is increasing rapidly. What started as a way to help women who couldn’t conceive has now become an option for women of any age or situation in life to have a child. If a woman has the resources and the desire, she can pursue parenthood. One of my feminist friends has even said that males might eventually be eliminated from the planet.

There are many unknowns in this debate that make it difficult for Christians to determine where to begin. The human genome is incredibly complex, and we cannot fully understand what is in the past of a sperm or egg donor. Who is responsible if it turns out the baby has a genetic disease or a physical or mental handicap? What psychological issues arise if a child has no father figure, or if the single mother becomes sick, passes away, or changes her mind about having the child? Will older women be able to raise children to adulthood?

Humans are essentially playing “God” with something we are not equipped to control. As an adoptive parent of three children and someone who has witnessed the collateral damage of abortion, I believe we must proceed with caution in developing reproductive technologies.

Reference: January 2024 issue of National Geographic (pages 68 -93)

August 26, 2025August 25, 2025

Church Properties for Sale

As America becomes increasingly dominated by people who say “none” when asked about their religion, the properties owned by churches are being sold. In 2019, Protestant church closures exceeded new church openings. Some estimate that more than 100,000 church properties will be sold by 2030. This data comes from a book titled Gone For Good by Mark Elsdon and was gathered from Protestant churches. We have not been able to get data for Catholic churches, but we see similar activity in our area.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a sign of the times. The Church during the first century did not own property. All of the Church’s donated money went to feed and clothe the poor, not investing in real estate or the cost of a building. Acts 2:42-47 describes the early Christians using existing physical structures like the temple for meeting together and describes Church activity as operating from their homes. In today’s world, small groups meeting in homes have become an effective way for the Church to fulfill its mission. The costs of building, maintaining, heating, cooling, and decorating a physical structure are poor uses of donated money.

The donations that allow this ministry to exist mainly come from individuals who see how much can be achieved without spending money on church properties. Part of the “Restoration Movement” involves changing how and where to meet for worship. When young people see what the Bible actually says about Christian worship, they will free the church from dependence on buildings and focus more on serving the disadvantaged. This change is already happening in many places and is the wave of the future.

August 22, 2025August 21, 2025

The Church of Satan

The Satanic Temple is an active philosophical religious organization founded in 2013. It does not recognize any concept of the supernatural but instead promotes a negative response to fundamental religious beliefs. The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America foundation states that the Satanic Temple has opened a new abortion facility and is sending abortion drugs through the mail, avoiding legal issues by claiming that abortion is one of their “religious rites.” The existence of organized satanic churches like the Satanic Temple is not new, but the unorganized church of Satan has always been around, making these claims about Christian beliefs:

PRAYER – “Prayer is useless and distracts people from useful activity. No god ever answered any prayer at any time, nor ever will.” (From a poster distributed by Madalyn O’Hair.)

DEALING WITH OTHERS – Satanists claim that “survival of the fittest” offers a more fulfilling and practical answer to everyone’s needs.

MORAL CONDUCT – “Practice with joy the ‘seven deadly Christian sins.’ Engage in sex freely in accordance with your needs, be it heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or with one or more consenting adults.” (Frank Zindler in a lecture at Ohio State in 1995 and in the American Atheist Magazine, which he edited from 1995 to 2009.)

The Christian Response to the church of Satan:

PRAYER – God’s answer to prayer is usually spiritual, not physical. 12 Step programs work, and prayer molds personality and attitude. James 5:16 explains this, and James 4:1-3 tells us why prayers for the physical are not answered. Isaiah 55:8 and John 9:3 give a practical purpose for prayers.

DEALING WITH OTHERS – What happens when you are no longer “the fittest”? Do any of us want to be discounted when we get old?

MORAL CONDUCT – What are the results of practicing the “seven deadly Christian sins”? What effect does immorality have on our kids, mates, parents, and society as a whole? How does an immoral lifestyle give a purpose to our existence?

We live at a time when over 40% of the population answers “none” when asked about their religious affiliation. You can’t be a “none.” You have only two choices – either be a Christian or be a member of the church of Satan. Read Matthew 12:30 (or Luke 11:23) and think about what you really want to use as a guide to your life.

Reference: Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was an anti-slavery campaigner and a suffragist who was instrumental in obtaining women’s right to vote. She was honored by having her image on the U.S. silver dollar and half dollar minted from 1979 to 1981 and again in 1999.

August 18, 2025August 17, 2025

The Story of Clementine Breen and Gender Transition

The issue of gender transition for children is one of the great tragedies in today’s world. Not only is this a biblical issue with Genesis 2:15-24 making it clear that God’s design was a product of His wisdom and purpose, but it is a scientific issue with transgender children having a shortened life full of drugs and medical procedures. The story of Clementine Breen is an example.

A young lady named Clementine Breen is suing the medical establishment for inflicting irreversible damage upon her. She was just 12 years old when counselors and doctors told her she was really a boy. Clementine was sexually abused as a child, leaving her terrified of growing into womanhood. This led to “weird behavioral issues.”

Instead of receiving help with the damage of her past, Clementine was rushed into “transition” drugs and the removal of her healthy breasts. Medical providers scared Clementine’s parents into believing she was “high risk” for suicide. They asked her parents a cliché question we have heard many times, “Would you rather have a dead daughter or a living son?”

Doctors gave Clementine puberty blockers when she was 12 years old, testosterone at 13, and a double mastectomy at 14. During this time, her mental health worsened, and she struggled with bouts of psychosis and even attempted suicide. At age 17, Clementine was encouraged by her providers to have a hysterectomy, but she refused. In 2024, Clementine stopped taking testosterone and found a counselor who helped her understand how her past had led her to become a trans person. She is now a college student and says, “I am a woman.”

Some children have found a temporary peace with their gender change, but ultimately, the negative results of the drugs and surgeries become obvious. There is a massive need for the story of Clementine Breen to be known by families, counselors, and doctors, who must understand that gender change procedures are not a positive way to meet the needs of troubled children. Humans should not be playing God with children’s lives when the results are catastrophic.

Reference: Alliance Defending Freedom newsletter for August 2025.

August 15, 2025August 14, 2025

Not a Forced Religion

The teachings of Jesus Christ are radically different from those of other religions. Perhaps the most notable are the teachings about how to gain converts. In the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5–7), Jesus clearly states that those who follow Him do so voluntarily. Following Him is not a forced religion, and Christ’s disciples emphasized this as the Church rapidly grew.

In Acts 17:22-34, Paul describes the Christian faith and concludes in verses 29–30 that people should not think God’s nature is physical. In Acts 17:30, Paul writes, “God has looked with indulgence on the days of man’s ignorance, but now He is announcing to everyone everywhere the need to think differently.” Paul uses the word “repent,” meaning to think differently. Following Christ is a personal decision, not a forced religion or cult. This contrasts sharply with other religious belief systems.

Some individuals claiming to be Christians have violated Christ’s teachings by resorting to violence to force others to convert. The Crusades, the teachings of the Mormon Church, and various cult leaders all engaged in violence that directly contradicts Christ’s teachings. There is not a single statement by Christ or the Apostles advocating the use of force to gain converts.

An English translation of the Koran by N.J. Dawood, a Muslim, is available from Penguin Classics. Reading it reveals a stark contrast to Christ’s teachings. Mohammed 47:3-5 instructs Muslims to strike off the heads of unbelievers. The passages in 2:178 and 2:179 state that fighting and bloodshed are ordained for Muslims. Repentance 9:4-7 and 122-125 command Muslims to wage war. Claims that these are mistranslations are untrue; Muslims have followed these teachings for centuries, and fundamentalists still do today.

Hinduism also involves coercion. Since 2014, India’s Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power, arresting individuals they believe are proselytizing Hindus. Government violence against non-Hindus has led to the killing of Christians and Muslims and the confiscation of their property.

The teachings of Christ shine brightly in a world filled with violence. The word “gospel” means “good news,” and the good news is that Christianity is not a forced religion. Jesus Christ offers the freedom, peace, and hope that people desire to have in their lives.

August 13, 2025August 12, 2025

Global Warming in the Past

We all need to be concerned about the impact of human activities on climate change, but the media hype suggesting that global warming is something new is simply not true. Science News magazine reported data on global warming in the past, going back to the Paleozoic era over 485 million years ago.

The data show that temperatures reached nearly 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) three different times in Earth’s history. The time of the coolest temperatures is the period in which we are living. Earth cooled about three million years ago, reaching 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius). According to NASA, the present average global surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). It appears that our planet is heading into a warm cycle, which humans contribute to, but they are not the only cause.

The media and politicians sometimes present an alarmist view of the future to attract more attention. There has been global warming in the past, and while humans will be affected by future climate change, there are many contributing factors.

Reference: Science News magazine for August 2025 (page 35)

August 12, 2025August 11, 2025

Honey Is a Wonderful Gift

Honey is a wonderful gift from God, who created the agents that produce this amazing substance for our benefit. It has been a food source for people throughout history, but it is more than just food. Honey offers many health benefits, serving as an antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and anti-anxiety remedy. It has also been shown to improve memory disorders, heal wounds, and reduce allergy symptoms.

Honey is mentioned 61 times in the Bible. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery, He described the land as “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). John the Baptist lived on locusts and honey (Matthew 3:4 & Mark 1:6). When Solomon wanted to describe the beauty he saw in his lover, he said, “Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue…” (Song of Solomon 4:11).

The agents God created to produce this wonderful substance are bees. It takes twelve bees their entire lifetime to make a teaspoon of honey, visiting 50 to 100 flowers daily flights to gather nectar. This incredible substance and the tiny insect that produces it are no accident of nature; they were created by God’s design. The psalmist wrote that if God’s people would listen to His words, “with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (Psalms 81:16).

Reference: Guideposts magazine article by beekeeper Jeannie Blackmer, August 8, 2025