John N Clayton Archives

August 28, 2023August 27, 2023

The Tragic Fires of Lahaina

The tragic fires of Lahaina destroyed the train station — Lahaina train station before the fire

Those who have not been to Maui may be unable to comprehend the tragic fires of Lahaina and what happened there. I lectured on Maui several times, visited Lahaina, and even lived in the area for a short time in Kehei. Knowing the area, I can understand the conditions leading to the wildfire that destroyed the town and killed so many people.

Maui is a beautiful island. There are two huge mountains and two primary sections of the island. Haleakala is a popular tourist area with a road to Hana on the east side of a volcanic mountain where there are many gardens and lush vegetation. The other side is a barren area of relatively recent lava flows.

On the island’s northern side, a mountain area known as Kahakuloa has an observatory at the top. Lahaina is located on the west side of this mountain. I worked with a church on the east side of Haleakala, a wet area with lush vegetation. Between these two mountains is a relatively flat area with the villages of Waikapu and Pounene and the main shopping area for locals and tourists.

Unlike Haleakala, Kahakuloa has weathered igneous rock on its west side, which has led to soil capable of supporting crops, primarily sugar cane. When we were there, the growers used fire to remove the processed sugar cane. The area was very dry, with a vast cattle ranch and people living in open houses and sheds because rain was infrequent.

What we have described here is a classic example of a rain shadow. Moist air moves up the sides of the two mountains, and as it cools, it drops its water as rain. All the moisture is gone by the time it gets to the top of the mountains. As a result, very dry air goes over the mountain and cascades down the other side, creating desert-like conditions. This is not an area to attract tourists, but with irrigation, it’s a productive agricultural area.

A fire on the mountain’s east side would not spread since lush green trees and grass do not burn easily. On the mountain’s west side, any dead cane, grass, or bushes would be great tinder. People must plan for climate changes, avoiding towns where drought conditions can produce the tragic fires of Lahaina.

Agriculture must use places to plant crops based on understanding the movement of air and water. The tragic fires of Lahaina were not an act of God but the result of human mismanagement of what God has given us. The question is whether we will learn from our mistakes or repeat them.

August 25, 2023August 24, 2023

An Unnecessary War

There are many causes of war in our world today. Territory, natural resources, politics, and racial issues are the primary ones. However, one of the oldest is the war over the Temple Mount or Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. This is an unnecessary war.

Muslims know the Dome of the Rock as Haram al-Sharif. They regard it as hugely important, only exceeded by Mecca and Medina. To Jews, it is known as the Temple Mount, and the mosque standing there is an abomination that must be destroyed to make way for a new Jewish temple.

The Dome of the Rock is a beautiful architectural wonder that National Geographic made the centerpiece in its September 2023 issue. Sheikh Omar Kiswani, the director of the 36-acre complex, is quoted as saying, “Any church or synagogue in the Holy Land is a place of peace, only here is it a war zone.”

Complicating this picture even further is the action of various Christian denominations who view Christ’s second coming as a political event in which David’s throne will be re-instated and Christ’s enemies defeated in a military conflict. Like all groups involved in this issue, failing to understand God’s will fuels an unnecessary war.

In Matthew 24, Jesus Christ talks about the future, warning His listeners that there will be wars and rumors of wars. He said, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,” and warned about natural disasters. When Pilate asked Jesus about His kingdom, Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Over and over in His ministry, Jesus taught that He came to establish a spiritual kingdom and not a physical one.

The history of the Israelite nation is replete with rejecting God’s instructions and suffering the consequences. The ultimate result, predicted in Daniel and Revelation, was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. In John 4:21-24 Jesus makes it clear that worshipping God in the future would not be confined to any physical place or structure.

Jesus taught that church and state are separate entities. We see that in Matthew 22:21, where He said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God’s.” The conflict over the Dome of the Rock and Jerusalem is an unnecessary war resulting from failure to understand the message of Jesus. The world’s rejection of Jesus Christ and His spiritual message continues to cause war, heartbreak, poverty, and division. The only hope for peace is listening to the words of Christ and acting on what God has told us to do.

Reference: National Geographic

August 23, 2023August 31, 2023

Purpose in the Evolutionary Process

Evolutionists such as Richard Dawkins tell us that life has no purpose and results from mindless, unguided evolution. That is the accepted doctrine of evolutionary biology. However, Dr. Gunter Bechly writing in the Evolution News website, reports on a review by Dr. Richard Buggs, giving some hope of at least one scientist finding purpose in the evolutionary process.

British plant biologist Richard Buggs wrote in Ecology & Evolution about a BBC science series called “Earth” in which the host, Dr. Chris Packham, made some very “non-Darwinian” statements suggesting purpose in the evolutionary process. Instead of viewing evolution as a natural process without purpose, Packham expresses it as an intentional process with direction.

Packham anthropomorphizes plants suggesting that they “have agency and intention.” He says they don’t “give up easily”; they “developed a new trick” and “were ready to start conquering the world.” He also points out something we have discussed on this site, that plants communicate with one another.

Packham finds purpose in the evolutionary process of plants. He suggests the greening of plants was not a purposeless, unintended process, but early photosynthesis was “something miraculous.” He describes the world as a “bountiful, blooming miracle” and the symbiosis between plants and fungi as “a match made in heaven.” The BBC promotes the series Packham hosts by saying, “Chris Packham tells the miraculous story of how plants turned Earth from a barren rock into a vibrant green world.”

In my graduate work at Notre Dame, an atheist taught our class on the historical development of planet Earth. He repeatedly pointed out that it takes enormous faith to believe that the complexities we see in Earth’s biological history leading to humans resulted from mindless chance processes. However, he justified his atheist faith by maintaining that given enough time, it could be possible.

Dr. Bechly concludes his article by saying he hopes this is “a new trend that would feel like a breath of fresh air amidst all the materialist and atheist propaganda in popular science media.” The current theories of how life developed on Earth by chance are so complicated and unlikely that evolution has become a faith for many. Finding purpose in the evolutionary process is a step toward recognizing that life is not an accident.

For over 50 years, we have said that evolution is a tool of God, designed to allow life to exist on a changing planet. God has indeed built into living things the capacity to change, so we have many varieties of dogs, cattle, grains, and fruit trees. Without this capacity for species to evolve and adapt, humans would have long ago run out of food.

With the verified climate changes in Earth’s history, many global mass extinctions would have occurred. There is a vast difference between the fact of evolution and the neo-Darwinian theories of naturalism and macro-evolution. Many conflicts would be eliminated if both sides could admit to that fact.

Reference: “On the BBC, a New Openness to Teleology in Biology?” by Dr. Gunter Bechly In Evolution News and Science Today for August 2, 2023.

August 22, 2023August 21, 2023

The Design of Mass Spawning

In Alaska, female moose have their calves at about the same time, so carnivores can’t eat them all, allowing enough survivors to maintain a healthy population. Many other animal species reproduce at the same time to overwhelm their predators. We see this survival method in the design of mass spawning of defenseless marine animals.

Palolo worms are an example of mass spawning. They live in tropical areas of the Pacific Ocean, including Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Indonesia, Vanuatu, and some islands of the Philippines. These worms spend their lives hiding in the crevices and cavities of coral reefs. An interesting event takes place in Samoa seven days after the first full moon in October. The heads of the palolo worms remain in the coral reef, but their tails break off and swim to the surface by the millions. Those tails are filled with sperm and egg cells that are released into the ocean.

Because there are literally millions of palolo tails, and the release of sperm and eggs happens so quickly, the survival rate is very high. Other marine animals feast on them, and Samoans gather them using nets and buckets. Considering them a delicacy, the Samoans eat them raw or cooked in various dishes. Despite the consumption by humans and natural predators, there are so many palolos at once that their population survives. Their only real threat is loss of the coral reefs.

Another example of the design of mass spawning is the grunions off the coast of California and Mexico. Millions of female grunions ride a wave along the coast and lay their eggs on the beach. The next big wave brings the males who fertilize the eggs. The fertilized eggs remain in the tidal zone where sea birds and some other fish eat them, but the sheer numbers ensure the species continues.

The design of mass spawning indicates planning and coordination. Evolutionary chance models involve too many assumptions to be the best explanation. God has provided many systems that allow life to survive, and it is up to humans to protect the living system for future generations.

References: The Sirene Project and palolo and California grunion in Wikipedia

August 19, 2023August 18, 2023

Love for One Another

Jesus Christ brought many new concepts that could solve the world’s problems today. The most important thing is His emphasis on having love for one another. In today’s sex-saturated society, people have lost the true meaning of love. If you only understand “love” as “sex,” you miss the most essential meaning. The New Testament was written in Greek, which is far more helpful than our English translations in understanding what God wants us to know about love.

The Greek language has various words we translate as “love” in English. The Greek word for sexual love (“eros”) is not used in the New Testament. “Phileo,” referring to the love of a friend, is used 22 times. “Storge” refers to family love between spouses and siblings, parents and children. “Agape” is the most common New Testament word for love, used 196 times.

In classical Greek writings, “agape” was rarely used, yet it is the dominant word for love used by Jesus and the New Testament writers. The Bible dictionary says, “Agape is the highest and noblest form of love which sees something infinitely precious in its object.” That’s what it means to have love for one another.

The unique Christian concept of love offers the solution to most of the world’s problems. When Jesus tells His listeners to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), He urges them to consider all humans infinitely precious. If everyone would do that, all war would cease. In writing about marriage in Ephesians 5:28-33, Paul uses the word “agape,” not “eros,” when he refers to a man’s love for his wife. In verse 33, he repeats this admonition to men and combines it with the message to wives to respect their husbands.

The key to ending divorce, infidelity, racism, broken homes, abandoned children, and gender confusion is for everyone to “agape” all other humans. Jesus has given us the solutions to life’s biggest problems, and the wisdom of His teaching speaks of His divine nature. The best way to oppose selfishness, greed, abuse, prejudice, and conflict is to follow what Jesus told His followers: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love (agape) one another … by this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35.

Reference: The Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary, Eerdman Publishing, Grand Rapids.

August 18, 2023August 17, 2023

Feathers – Complex Structures of Ingenuity

We take many things for granted without realizing the complexity of their design. That is undoubtedly true of bird feathers. American biologist Thor Hanson correctly wrote that feathers are “complex structures of ingenuity that defy the most advanced human technologies.”

Feathers are made of keratin, which is a protein. They are connected to blood vessels like our hair is connected to our vascular system. Once a feather reaches its final stage, it is disconnected from the blood vessel that has nourished it, reducing the weight of the feather. When molting occurs, and old feathers are discarded, the vascular system is re-connected by tiny muscles surrounding the feather follicles to grow a new feather.

These same muscles allow a bird to move its feathers for various purposes. Feathers serve the bird by providing insulation, waterproofing, color, display, and flight. Birds accomplish each of these functions in remarkable ways. Peacocks can present colorful displays, but so can parrots, pheasants, and various tropical birds.

Feathers provide insulation by trapping air, which is a poor conductor of heat. Down feathers trap air efficiently while adding very little weight to the bird. This same feature gives waterfowl their buoyancy while giving them insulation. Birds preen their feathers by treating them with oil from a gland just above the bird’s tail. The tight interlocking barbules in a bird’s outer feathers make them impenetrable to water. Birds use down to produce an environment that allows eggs to hatch and to keep chicks safe. Modern technology can’t match the heat-to-weight ratio of feathers.

Flight is possible because each wing feather has the shape of an airfoil to provide lift and minimize drag. Since the feathers are flexible, they can move to reduce drag, and their tips are designed to minimize turbulence making smooth flight possible. They really are complex structures of ingenuity.

Color in bird feathers is accomplished in several ways. For some feathers, melanin gives color to the feather’s keratin, and the structure of keratin is such that the bird’s diet can control its color. A flamingo’s pink color comes from eating algae that have carotenoids in it. Rather than using pigments, many brightly-colored bird feathers use structural color produced by manipulating light waves to create blues, greens, and iridescent colors.

Considering the complex structures of ingenuity we know as bird feathers brings to mind Psalms 9:1, “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will show forth all your marvelous works.” Feathers are among those marvelous works.

References: For more amazing information about feathers, see Thor Hanson’s book Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle, published by Basic Books © 2011, and Noah Stryker’s book The Thing With Feathers, published by Riverhead Books © 2014.

August 16, 2023August 15, 2023

The Growing Suicide Problem

On August 11, 2023. the Centers for Disease Control released data for 2022, showing 50,000 suicides, a 2.6% increase over 2021. The governmental response to the growing suicide problem has been chiefly hand-wringing, with no reasonable attempt to understand why it’s happening. Those of us who work with young people and talk with them regularly can see several causes.

Mental health issues begin at an early age. Children are born with no control over the actions of their parents or the condition of their home situation. The life plan Jesus gave, and which the Bible clearly teaches, is the nuclear family with a mother and father having clear-cut responsibilities in a loving, stable relationship. It is difficult to misunderstand passages like Ephesians 5:28-6:4. We hear “experts” and popular figures saying that marriage is an outdated tradition, but collateral damage from alternatives to the nuclear family includes badly disturbed children leading to the growing suicide problem.

Kids react to the instability in their homes in various ways. Some want to change their gender thinking that will improve their lives. Others rely on substances that affect their mental state. Whether marijuana, alcohol, or a hard drug, the effect is temporary, and the damage is long-lasting. Kids without a stable family at home look for a substitute at school or in a club or in a gang with peers who have the same problems. All of those choices are temporary and in most cases a dead end. For many, suicide is an easy option.

Instead of supporting the efforts of Christians to address these issues, the government is making it harder for churches to do what Jesus has called us to do. Even prison ministry, which we are heavily involved in, is being subjected to increasing rules and requirements. Governments are regulating Christian adoption and foster care programs out of existence by conditions that violate Christian principles.

Voters must start asking questions about the beliefs of political candidates and how they will address the needs of families and young adults. The alternative is a continually growing suicide problem and other social issues among our young people.

Reference: cdc.gov

August 14, 2023August 13, 2023

Ronald Numbers and Creationism

Dr. Ronald Numbers died on July 23, 2023, at 81. Numbers had an interesting journey from being a Seventh-Day Adventist to an agnostic and supporter of Darwinism. He is best known for his studies and books on Adventism, Creationism, and the history of science.

In 1976, Dr. Numbers wrote an excellent expose’ of Adventism titled Prophetess of Health: A Study of Ellen G. White. His study of the topic led to his leaving the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. This book remains an excellent source for those wanting to know the weaknesses of that denomination.

In 1992, Ronald Numbers wrote The Creationists: The Evolution of Scientific Creationism, a scholarly study of the history of the creationist movement. He revised it in 2006 with the subtitle changed from “Scientific Creationism” to “Intelligent Design.”

Although Ronald Numbers disagreed with the faith of the creationists he wrote about, he showed respect for them and presented factual history. Dr. Numbers was Hilldale and William Coleman Professor of the History of Science and Medicine at the University of Wisconsin from 1974 to 2013. Among other writings, he co-edited the eight-volume Cambridge History of Science.

In our exchanges with Dr. Numbers, he was always polite, interested, fair, and understanding. He had his own beliefs, some of which I disagreed with, but he strived for accuracy and fairness and set a model that the evolutionist and creationist camps should emulate.

Data from Wikipedia, the NCSE journal for August 2023, and his obituary from the Wisconsin State Journal. For more information on Creationism and Dispensationalism, click HERE, HERE, or HERE.

August 11, 2023August 10, 2023

What Jesus Looked Like

What did Jesus Christ look like? In my travels, I have seen pictures of Jesus with Asian features, caucasian features, Hispanic features, and features of people of color. We don’t know what Jesus looked like, and we really shouldn’t care. The fact that He could slip through a crowd unnoticed (Luke 4:28-30) and Judas had to use a kiss to identify him (Matthew 26:48-49) indicates that He must have looked pretty much like a typical Jewish man of His time.

The important thing about Jesus is not His appearance but His message. If you read Matthew 5, 6, and 7, you won’t see a picture of Jesus, but you will get a good look at the uniqueness and practical value of His teachings. Time magazine recently (August 24, 2023) reviewed the various cover images of Jesus they published over the years. They would have done better to publish what Jesus taught in those chapters of Matthew’s gospel. That is what our society needs today.

Read Acts 2:37-42 and notice how the people who listened to Peter’s message about Jesus responded to God’s invitation. They weren’t concerned about what Jesus looked like. They were changed by what Jesus taught and what He did. They were baptized, not as an emotional response to a speaker but to receive the gift God offered to them through Jesus.

Read Romans 6 and notice what baptism is about. It isn’t like joining a club and isn’t dependent on hearing a preacher. Baptism is a personal response to God and a change in one’s life. It is also the way to bring God’s Spirit into our feeble human existence so we can live a new life. Reading and acting on God’s Word can make an incredible difference in our lives and future.

August 8, 2023August 7, 2023

If Pain Did Not Exist

Atheists and skeptics maintain that pain and suffering are the most significant proof that there is no God and the Bible is not true. They claim that a good and loving God would not allow pain and suffering. Is there an inconsistency between the descriptions of God in passages like 1 John 4:7-8 and the history of Israel? Unfortunately, skeptics and atheists fail to consider the alternative if pain did not exist.

The ability to exist in a physical world requires being able to feel pain. How could we survive if we could not know that a stove is hot when we put our hand on it? The ability to feel pain lets us know if something is sharp, or dangerously hot or cold.

Pain occurs on more than a physical level. What kind of a person would it be who could not feel guilt, compassion, empathy, and sympathy? These characteristics are unique to humans. We may condition an animal to display a response we interpret as one of those emotions, but humans uniquely can experience mental anguish over the circumstance of another human. People who bury this capacity, such as Hitler, Mao, and Putin, have created enormous problems for the whole human race.

The Bible clearly tells us that God can perform miracles. However, a careful study of the biblical miracles shows there was a reason beyond just curing a disease or infirmity. If people could escape life’s problems by becoming Christians, many would come to Christ to escape even minor physical problems. The Apostle Paul struggled with suffering, which he called his “thorn in the flesh.” He would not have learned an important lesson if pain did not exist. He wrote, “Three times I prayed to the Lord to relieve me of it.” God responded, “My grace is all you need; power comes to full strength in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:7 -9).

None of us like to have any kind of pain, but this life is only temporary. If pain did not exist here, there would be negative consequences. Christians have peace in knowing that the future holds an existence that will be free of pain. My suffering has given me a purpose in living and the strength not to fear dying. Denying God’s existence adds another level of denial and uncertainty to life.