Scripted or Accidental?

Do you really know just how complex nucleotides really are?

So with 2011 in the history books, what can we expect in 2012? 

This is the age of rapid discoveries and it seems certain that this 21^st century will deliver incomprehensible advances in medicine, energy, physics, engineering, biotechnology, agriculture, artificial intelligence, cosmology, as well as outer and inner space exploration - all accelerated by ever increasing computing powers. 

So what is right around the corner of discovery in 2012? If only I knew. But I feel like it is Christmas Eve and I just can’t wait to see what is under the 2012 tree of discovery.

Personally, I look forward to hearing more about the discoveries from the CERN project and the elusive Higgs Boson particle as the possible basis for all matter. Physicists should also be revealing more details of the Big Bang and origins of our universe. I am also really anxious to see what insights are brought forth relative to the origins of DNA/RNA and the complexities of life’s proteins. And, let’s not forget about possible evidence of extraterrestrial life. Will we find such evidence? If so what are the implications? 

I just can’t wait. I say, bring it on.           

Wherever scientific discovery takes us in this New Year, let us not lose our perspective on how we came to be and perhaps more importantly, WHY we came to be. As I’ve said many times before, this universe is not accidental, and not one of us is reading this blog or walking this earth by accident – not one of us! So of all the discoveries of 2012, I think the most important for each one of us will be the discovery of why we exist. By December 31^st of this year, I challenge us all unequivocally to give an answer to this all-important question.

Join me throughout the year as we explore the ramifications and implications of scientific discoveries relative to our faith in an omnipotent, omniscient, and immutable creator God. Will any discoveries shake or challenge our faith? Will they affirm our faith? I suppose it all depends on our perspective as to how we got here and why. Let us pledge honesty and an openness of heart and mind as we explore the treasures of 2012.

Finally, let us accept this year of discovery as a gift and embrace it as such.         

 Two Different Discussions

I have been following a fascinating dialogue between Steve Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and Dennis Venema, a senior fellow with the BioLogos Foundation and an associate professor at Trinity Western University. 

Steve is a leading proponent of Intelligent Design (ID), while Dennis strongly believes God developed life through the process of evolutionary change. Dr. Venema does not believe that ID is scientifically defensible in explaining the presence of man or any other life form. It could be said that both of these men believe in God, and both would acknowledge that He is the “cause” for this universe and all life within it.

So how could two believers disagree so adamantly about how man came to be? 

First, I think Steve’s book Signature in the Cell raises valid and philosophically defensible arguments that some form of “intelligence” was required and integral to the creation of life on earth. Meyer’s principal intent was to explain the origin of life, not the development of life. Venema argues that Meyer’s book fails to properly address biological evolution, but to me this great book is not really about Darwinian evolution. Instead it proposes a logical explanation as to how mind-boggling complex bio-molecules (DNA and RNA) came to be. You see, Signature in the Cell is about origins and not development.

As far as importance, origins trumps the development process. In other words, acknowledging where we came from and why we exist is far more important than how it all happened. To me, this is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. The fact that complex bio-molecules like DNA and RNA just happened to exist at just the right time and under just the right conditions following the formation of planet earth is nothing short of a miracle. And yes, I believe our origins were by design and that this designer must have employed a level of intelligence beyond comprehension. As for the process of developing multiple life forms – that is a separate discussion altogether that will be debated well into the future. 

But make no mistake, life was a deliberate design. Now we must ask ourselves the question as to why we were deliberately designed and for what purpose.

I continue to marvel at our passionate drive to understand who we are, why we are here, and where we came from.

Particle physicists are leading the charge to better define the laws and forces of nature. It has been known for some time that there are four (4) forces that hold our universe together: 1) the strong force which binds nuclei, 2) the weak force responsible for particle decay, 3) the electromagnetic force, and 4) the force of gravity. Physicists have adopted what they refer to as a “Standard Model”, which describes the interactions of 17 particles constituting all the ordinary matter and energy in the universe while unifying three of the four forces.  Gravity is the only force not described by these particles in the Standard Model. 

Today, billions of dollars have been expended in construction of particle accelerators to find what is believed to be the last missing piece of the Standard Model – the Higgs Boson particle. The search goes on.

The world’s most ambitious search for this particle is taking place within the confines of the most powerful particle accelerator ever constructed -  the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 17 mile ring sitting on the border of Switzerland and France.

The elusive Higgs has been referred to as the “God” particle because it is believed to be the overall unifying particle that gives all other particles their mass. It is invisible and immeasurable. Some physicists have referred to it as “virtual”, but most would agree that it exists. It is the universe’s central unifying “thing” and the reason for all that there is and ever was. 

Sound familiar? Aren’t these the characteristics of God himself? Isn’t He invisible, immeasurable and the unifying “thing”? Isn’t He the reason and cause for all there is and ever was?

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting that we will all find God by smashing atoms together within a 17 mile ring somewhere in Europe. And I’m not suggesting that the Higgs particle is God Himself. But I do find it kind of interesting that our greatest scientific minds seem convinced that there is indeed a cause and unifying factor responsible for all that we are and ever have been.

Higgs Boson particle and God – interesting analogy isn’t it?

I can’t help but think of the cartoon of leading scientists spending years scaling the heights of discovery and finally, after heaving themselves up over the very last ledge and reaching the pinnacle, their elation is only surpassed by their shock at finding a theologian already sitting there.                  

“Could life on earth have originated on Mars? Over the past two decades that question has left the pages of science fiction and entered the mainstream of empirical science.”

So begins an article in the latest Scientific American (November, 2011) entitled “The Smallest Astronauts”, written by astrobiologist David Warmflash of Portland State University. The fact is: astrobiology is one of the fastest growing fields within the wide expanse of biological sciences. Like most research pursuits, there are multiple reasons for expanded studies in this highly specialized field. Improvements in our understanding of the micronutrient “necessities” of life, as well as a better understanding of extremophiles (microbes capable of surviving and/or thriving under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, etc.) have certainly contributed to this expansion, not to mention the importance of NASA’s space shuttle program. 

But I wonder whether our inability to account for the sudden occurrence of life on earth, combined with the mind-boggling complexity of life’s building blocks (DNA and RNA), have also contributed to this field’s growth, by forcing us to look “elsewhere” for answers?

Dr. Warmflash provides a plausible theory that life on earth could have been seeded with primitive bacteria or eukaryotes, such as yeast, embedded deep within meteorites from other planets such as Mars. Moreover, he provides credible evidence that extremophilic microbes could have tolerated the rigors of entry into earth’s atmosphere and survived for long periods in a dormant state until sprouting the first strings of DNA into the open arms of planet earth when conditions were right to do so. 

Now, I will concede that extraterrestrial seeding may have been the means that God used to “create” life on earth, but to be honest I just don’t buy it – at least, not yet. I would need more evidence, a lot more evidence. 

But then again, that is what David Warmflash and his astrobiology colleagues plan to provide over the coming years. But even if they could offer more evidence of extraterrestrial seeding, I would still struggle with “why” God would have done it this way. If DNA and RNA are such complex molecules, how did they come to be within inhospitable places like Mars?

For me, the bottom line is that there must have been a Creator with special designs for this richly diverse and sensational planet we call earth. In addition, I would suggest that even if astrobiologists find defensible evidence of primitive or microbial life on other planets, I doubt very much that advanced bipedal life forms would be found. 

The fine tuning of planet earth for human habitation is truly amazing and miraculous. I would encourage you to check it out and see where the evidence leads you relative to answering what is arguably the most important question of your life: Are you here by cosmic chance or purposeful design? Which is it?

While many organizations espouse and promote specific Biblical interpretations over others, the Center for Faith and Science International (www.cfsint.org) is dedicated to the pursuit of truth, and in so doing welcomes multiple interpretations and thoughts relative to our single, loving and omnipotent God. Make no mistake, it is God and God alone who has all the answers and who represents pure unadulterated and absolute truth, not us!

Time, time, time, see what’s become of me………

Did Paul Simon know just how profound this lyric was when he penned it into his Hazy Shade of Winter song several decades ago? 

So what exactly has become of time? Which is right “young earth” or “old earth” – the Genesis account or science? If the Bible is God’s Word, and therefore inerrant, then it must be true that the universe was created over six consecutive 24-hour periods. This would further suggest a relatively young earth of only 10,000 years or so.  

But God has also blessed us with science to measure the observable world around us, and science suggests that the universe came into being some 14 billion years ago, while the earth has been around for roughly 4 billion years.

So, which is correct? The age thing is one of the more perplexing issues at the crossroads of faith and science. I personally have struggled with it for quite some time. How can God’s Word say one thing while science says something else? The answer may very well be time, time, time, see what’s become of me.  

A physicist by the name of Gerald Schroeder has made some calculations based on the changing rate of time. In Schroeder’s book, The Science of God – The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom, he points out that at the instant of creation, the speed of light (and therefore the speed of time itself) was very different from the tick of today’s clock. Think of an explosion of light, such as you have with a firework bursting against a black sky. The firecracker’s light explodes with amazing speed and then slows as its energy dissipates. The same is true of our continually expanding universe. At the moment of the “Big Bang” and creation light travelled millions of times faster than it does today. As this energy wanes, light now travels much slower – like a dissipating firecracker. Therefore, the cosmic clock “ticked” much more rapidly at the point of creation than it does today. As the universe expanded, its clock was becoming much more aligned with today’s time as dictated by our current speed of light (~186,000 miles per second). 

So, what has become of time? Since time is driven by the speed of light, it too has slowed coincident with the dissipation of light energy. 

Schroeder has calculated this drop-off in light speed and found that a 24 “hour” tick of the cosmic clock at the point of creation would indeed have equaled hundreds of millions of years of cosmic time. The six days of Genesis would actually have included billions of years, even while the “days” remained 24 hour days. And guess what? Schroeder’s calculations indicate an actual period of creation as approximately 5.8 literal days as measured at the beginning of time and some 14 billion years when viewed from today’s perspective. In other words, it is very possible that the Genesis account and our scientific observations are both correct.

So time, time, time, see what’s become of me? My how you’ve changed! Think about it, while humming Hazy Shade of Winter.

While many organizations espouse and promote specific Biblical interpretations over others, the Center for Faith and Science International (www.cfsint.org) is dedicated to the pursuit of truth, and in so doing welcomes multiple interpretations and thoughts relative to our single, loving and omnipotent God. Make no mistake, God and God alone has all the answers and represents pure unadulterated and absolute truth, not us!

We welcome your contribution to the discussion.

The virgin birth of Christ and His physical resurrection from the dead are basic tenets of the Christian faith. Although both defy physical laws as we know them, there is no room for compromise here. Both events require an omnipotent God capable of acting outside the laws of science, and both reinforce the deity of Christ.  Again, there is no wiggle room with these basic tenets. Either they occurred or they did not. If they are false, there is simply no Christian faith, and Jesus was nothing more than just another prophet.  

Since modern science cannot prove or disprove these events, one must rely on faith, the accuracy of Scriptures, and eyewitnesses of the day. Given the credibility of numerous eyewitnesses as well as the accurate account of these events by multiple Gospel writers, I think the evidence weighs heavy on the affirmative.

In other words, I believe. I also embrace the fact that all Scripture is the inspired Word of God. But we often disagree as to the meaning or interpretation of His Word.

That said, was there really a single man (Adam) followed by a single woman (Eve) made from a rib of Adam? I honestly don’t know. I suppose an omnipotent God capable of raising the dead and bringing about a virgin birth, is certainly capable of placing a fully developed man and woman together in a garden as the first true representatives of Homo sapiens.   

But what if God was using this story as a means to communicate the fall of man, his subsequent sinful nature and his need of a redeemer? The critical point here is the “fall of man”, for this represents a third basic tenet of the Christian faith. Without the fall, there would be no need for salvation and Jesus the Savior. To me, it is the “fall” that is paramount here, not the historicity of Adam and Eve. Did God create them ex nihilo and place them in the garden or did He use an evolutionary process to place them there? One could provide credible arguments for either method. But where the proverbial rubber meets the road is that as believers we must agree that man is, by nature, sinful and in need of redemption - without exception.   

My biggest concern with the ongoing bickering among evangelical Christians over interpretation of Scripture is that we are repelling thousands of serious seekers around the world on a daily basis, rather than attracting them to investigate the truths of God further. In a sense, this could be seen as a sad reversal of the Great Commission.  

What is more important, an intellectual victory over another regarding the historicity of Adam and Eve, or seeing someone embrace an omnipotent, loving God Who sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins so that we who believe can have everlasting life?

While many organizations espouse and promote specific Biblical interpretations over others, the Center for Faith and Science International (www.cfsint.org) is dedicated to the pursuit of truth, and in so doing welcomes multiple interpretations and thoughts relative to our single loving and omnipotent God. Make no mistake, it is God and God alone Who has all the answers and Who represents pure unadulterated and absolute truth, not us!

I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.  Exodus 17:6

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.  John 4:10

Scientists consider liquid water to be an essential ingredient of life. Christians also recognize the importance of water, as part of God’s provision and a symbol of new life in Christ Jesus.

As a graduate student in the earth and planetary sciences, part of my research focuses on the history of water on Mars. Some scientists study frozen water located at the planet’s poles, while others study ancient environments that once held lakes and rivers. New evidence suggests that water may be active on the surface today.

In recent years, scientists observed curious dark streaks on the slopes of craters. Some were quick to suggest liquid water as an explanation of material movement and darkened sand. However, many were skeptical because it is difficult for liquid water to form at the surface because of such cold temperatures and extremely low atmospheric pressures.

New evidence presented by McEwen et al in the Aug. 5, 2011, edition of Science suggests that liquid water may flow during the warmest seasons. To see images and hear a description of the features, see http://youtu.be/UfBaM2F6Qzk

“The best explanation for these observations so far is the flow of briny water,” said Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona, Tucson, and principle investigator of the scientific camera that imaged the possible flows. The salts dissolved in the briny water lower the melting temperature to a level close to the summer temperatures on Mars. The features (sometimes numbering in the 1000’s) appear to form and grow during the warmest time of the year and fade as the season ends.

Here is the significance of this discovery: liquid water may exist and flow on Mars under extreme conditions. Today, scientists study how water influenced the early history of Mars and the potential for life-forming processes during that early environment. If liquid water exists under modern conditions, albeit seasonally, then water may play a much more influential role throughout Mars’ history. This finding may increase the time and space available for life-forming process.

Each day we are learning something new and fascinating about God’s creation. Could this flowing water represent God’s provision for primitive life? Could this water be a symbol of Christ in an otherwise cold and dry wasteland? It is much too early to tell, but God’s revelation will one day provide the truth.

Your thoughts?