Amazingly, there are no laws of Biology that have gained consensus. Therefore, here is our proposed first law of biology that should be acceptable to all:

All biological growth is due to automatic self-assembly

Consider biological growth; it is accomplished automatically and it is self-assembled.  For instance, growth processes such as meiosis and mitosis are complex to the extreme but automatic and self-orchestrated. It matters not if it is bacteria growth, virus growth, plant growth, or mammal growth; it is all automatic and self-assembled. Consider human growth: it self-assembles starting with a single cell. then, it grows to a fully viable human with trillions of cells in just 9 months. It must be pointed out that there are no exceptions to biological growth due to automatic self-assembly. It happens all the time everywhere to every species.

DNA

DNA is a code that defines our species and traits. However, it cannot build anything; it is a code, a blueprint for life. Codes and blueprints can’t build anything. For instance, to build a house, it takes more than a blueprint; it takes a contractor, carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, dry-wallers, and electricians to put it all together. DNA is

only the blueprint. There are 9 million (number of species) unique codes for the various kinds/species, and each species self-assembles. How? We don’t know, but we see it happen trillions of times each day. How did this hummingbird (on the right) self-assemble at each stage of its life: egg, hatchling, fledgling, and mature bird?  What told the cells where to go and what to do?

Additionally, one of the most extraordinary examples of self-assembly is the butterfly. The butterfly starts as an egg, self-assembles into a worm. The worm hatches and has worm body, a worm diet, and a worm metabolism. Then, it becomes a chrysalis which deconstructs the worm and self-assembles a butterfly. The butterfly has a butterfly body, wings, a flight control system, a butterfly diet, and a butterfly metabolism. Moreover, the butterfly is like a new creature, nothing like a worm. It is fascinating to watch, and it only takes days. There are no exceptions; all biological growth is automatic and self-assembled.

Scientific Laws

Even though we do not understand how automatic self-assembly works, we do know it does work, and it works very well. It is not necessary to understand something before forming a scientific law. For instance, the laws of gravity entropy are accepted by all, but the mechanisms are not understood. Is gravity a particle, or is it curved space? Why does entropy go only in one direction? We do not know. However, we know that gravity is predictable anywhere on the earth, the moon, or anywhere in the universe. We understand the effects of gravity but not the mechanism. And we know that entropy always increases. So it is with biological growth. It is always automatic and self-constructed without exception. Therefore, we propose it as a law.

Complexity

The example above of the house construction is good, but let’s go into a few additional details. In contrast, biological growth is much more complex. Consider the developing baby, its electrical grid is built and wired to live, move, think, and sense. Then there are the vital organs that automatically appear that allow the baby to eat various foods, metabolize them, and discharge the waste. Also, the baby automatically constructs a plumbing system capable of supplying blood to each of the trillions of cells. In addition, stem cells know how to assemble a mechanism that can work in unison with millions of bacteria and produce an immune system. The most difficult of all is that the baby automatically assembles something allowing it to become conscious. And remember, it is all quick and automatic. Besides, it happens without exception.

The evolutionary view of automatic self-assembly

The evolutionary view of automatic self-assembly is that it came out of chaos, a state of no information, order, intelligence, or purpose.

Biblical view of automatic self-assembly

In the beginning, God formed all creatures according to their kind. He built a reproductive mechanism in all creatures. This reproduction mechanism was automatic and divinely created. We have the details in the account of Adam and Eve. God formed Adam from the earth and made Adam a living soul. Then He took Adam’s rib and formed Eve. Together, Adam and Eve had a reproductive system capable of giving birth to Cain, Abel, Seth, and others. Moreover, God formed and assembled Adam and Eve but not their offspring. Everyone after Eve, including those alive today, was automatically self-assembled.

The present writer has concluded that automatic self-assembly is one more nail in the coffin of evolution, and the Biblical narrative is the only explanation that makes sense. How could such a complicated system as automatic self-assembly evolve in the first generation without intelligence?

Summary

Biological growth is happening everywhere, and it is always automatic and self-assembled. Consequently, we don’t think about it or question it. Also, it appears that scientists have ignored it. Now it is time to accept it as a law of biology and investigate how it works and from where it came. The present writer is a creationist and believes that God implemented it but is curious how He did it.

Additional Suggested reading:

How to Build and Rebuild the Human Heart

Adam’s Rib

Eve’s DNA  

Jesus’ DNA 

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Did God make a mistake by creating the plants before creating the sun? Everyone knows that the sun is needed for photosynthesis and heat. How could the Creator of the universe make such an error? Or,,, maybe He didn’t.

First of all, we must realize that Genesis chapter 1 was peer reviewed by Jesus and He accepted it as is; therefore, these Scriptures are correct; vegetation was created on day three (Genesis 1:11-13), and the sun was created on day four (Genesis 1:14-19). So, how does this make sense?

Point one: Photosynthesis and heat were not lacking on day 3 since light was created on day 1.

Genesis 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis 1:5  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (KJV)

Therefore, on day three there was no shortage of light or heat; it’s just that the source was not the sun; it was Jesus.

John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (KJV Jesus’ words in red)

Point two: At the end of the age, again, there will be light, but no sun. This is clearly stated in the Bible concerning the New Jerusalem:

Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (KJV)

So, concerning the question, “Why did God create the plants before the sun?” the answer is: the sequence of creation of the sun and plant life doesn’t matter, but it highlights what is important, and that is that Jesus is the eternal source of light. So, what is the purpose of the sun? The Bible tells us it is to rule the day, and it is for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years (Genesis 1:14-16). The sun is an important element in the creation, but it is temporal. It supplies light for our brief sojourn here on earth, but one day the sun will cease from shining and Jesus will provide us with not only our physical light needs, but also our spiritual light needs. Jesus is the Light.

Recommended additional reading:

Genesis 1 and 2 Agreement or Contradiction?

Keywords: Jesus is the light; Jesus light; purpose of light; creation of light; creation sequence; creation sequencing; creation of light

Our DNA has been polluted by the presence of sin in this world and in our lives; however, our DNA is robust and will serve us until the resurrection.

Since the discovery of DNA, there has been much talk about “junk DNA.” Initially, “junk DNA” was publicized as comprising at least 98 % of human DNA. Researchers didn’t pay much attention to it and considered it a waste of time researching “junk.” However, with the recent findings of the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) ⁽¹⁾ project, the term “junk DNA ” has lost its momentum. Much of the supposed “junk DNA” has been found to be vital for life. The latest estimate is at most 20%. ⁽²⁾ And, this 20% is not necessarily considered to be junk but rather DNA that is not “well understood.” ⁽³⁾

So, how does this concept of “junk DNA” fit into the Bible. First of all, we, at Genesis and Genetics, have a problem with the use of the term “junk DNA.” The word junk implies that something is old, discarded and no longer useful. We do not accept any tenets of evolution, so we do not accept the implication that any DNA has been discarded due to evolutionary processes. For us the term “junk DNA” should be replaced by the terms ” polluted DNA,” “redundant DNA,” and “inactive DNA.” The following details present our view on the human genome from a perspective of this “junk DNA” issue:

Polluted DNA It is a fact that we have genetic mutations; some cause disease and some cause deformation. There are some mutations that appear to have no affect on us, but they pollute the original divine work of the Creator. The Creator proclaimed that everything was “very good” on day 6 of the creation (Genesis 1:31). Then, when Adam sinned, things went downhill (Romans 5:12). Now our “very good” DNA is subject to a sinful world filled with pollution and chaos. Our DNA did not escape and is now also polluted (Romans 5:21).

Redundant DNA Anyone who has spent much time on a computer knows how important it is to have more than one way of doing things and having more than one copy of files. The key idea here is redundancy. DNA mechanisms are quite redundant, and this redundancy is important for a robust design. Our DNA is in the form of a double helix: it contains two copies of everything required for life; there are multiple genes that can do the same task; and there are “cut and paste” genes (transposons) which provide backup copies at multiple locations. This redundancy allows us to endure the abovementioned polluted DNA, but continue to live. The human body is robust and wonderfully made:

Psalm 139:14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works . .

Inactive DNA We are all presently mortal due to Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:3). However, Jesus has promised us that we would be redeemed and our immortality would be restored. Someday soon Jesus will hit the “restore” button and those who are in Christ (Romans 8:2) will be like Him and our entire genome will be redeemed. Please read:

1 Corinthians 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In summary, do we have junk DNA? No, but we do have redundant DNA, polluted DNA and inactive DNA. Our present DNA is robust and will serve us while we wait for our redemption.

Key words: junk DNA, Bible, junk DNA in the Bible, Bible junk DNA, would God make junk

References:

1. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/337/6099/1159

2. Doolittle WF. Is junk DNA bunk? A critique of ENCODE. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2013;110(14):5294-5300. doi:10.1073/pnas.1221376110.

3. http://www.imm.ox.ac.uk/not-all-junk-dna-is-rubbish

In the Bible there are many hidden treasures. When they are revealed to us, we rejoice and apply them to our lives. Please allow me to share one of these treasures with you so that we may enjoy and benefit from it together.

As a young man, I knew that the Sabbath was a day of rest, but didn’t understand its significance and its benefits. Actually, keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments and written in stone by God’s own finger:

Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (KJV)

As I remember 40 years ago, things weren’t going well for me. I had a wonderful wife, a good job, a nice place to live, but still something was lacking. I was a believer, but something was amiss. I went for a walk out in the Mojave Desert, alone, and prayed. I explained my dilemma to God and asked for help. As I remember, God said very clearly, in an inner voice, to me, “Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy,” nothing more, just that. My wife and I discussed His Words and decided to give it a try. We sat at home on Sundays and just got bored. We hadn’t been going to church for some reason long forgotten. However, we decided to give church another try; it had to be better that just sitting in boredom. So, we went to church, and to our surprise, we had a wonderful time in the services, in Sunday school, and the many other activities, especially missions. If the doors were open, we were there. This simple act truly transformed our lives. We were no longer bored on Sundays. Sundays were the highlight of our week. Now, we felt we were where we belonged. Here is a scripture that supports our transformed lives:

Isaiah 58:13
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;

Isaiah 58:14
then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (ESV)

We were “delighted in the Lord” and “riding on the heights of the earth.” This was beyond what we could have imagined, but it gets better: we found another scripture that shows us the benefit of being “delighted in the Lord:”

Psalm_37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

At first we didn’t understand the consequences of this one: What if we desire a billion dollars? What if we desire to be president? What if we desire to sin? Would this promise still apply?

As the years went by, we could see that our desires were converging with God’s desires. We were keeping the Sabbath, fellowshipping with other Christians, and dwelling in His scriptures and His presence. His thoughts were becoming our thoughts; His purpose was becoming our purpose; we were becoming one with Him; and most notably, His desires were becoming our desires. Of course He gave us the desire of our hearts because this was His purpose from before the beginning.

It should be said that just because we tap into these scriptures does not mean that we are free for tribulation. Tribulation is an important part of our lives. The Bible (Romans 5:3) tells us that we glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation results in patience. So, here again, our desires converge with God’s purpose and we can “glory” in our tribulation.

These events happened 40 years ago and we don’t know of any desire of our heart that the Lord has withheld from us. We are riding on the heights of the earth and we are delighted Him. We are also delighted in keeping the Sabbath.

One lingering mystery concerning Noah’s ark is: How many animals were on board? Since DNA has a very good reputation for solving mysteries in the courtroom, now it’s time to unleash its powers and reveal Noah’s passenger list.

As we look about the earth we see a multitude of animals reproducing after their kind, each retaining their distinction as a kind/specie. How does this happen? Two things are required for kinds/species to remain distinct:

(1) They must have the desire (instincts coded in their DNA) to mate with their own kind/species and

(2) They must have the ability (compatible DNA) to produce viable offspring like themselves.

These two requirements are the basis for both the Biblical and secular scientific definition of species/kinds. The words species and kinds are synonyms, but usually “species” is used by the secular scientific community and “kinds” is used by the Biblical community. Nonetheless, both words should define the same creatures, and our conclusion is that they do. Our position is as follows:

Fundamentally, all of the species currently defined by modern science were on the Ark

Consider humans, we have the desire and ability to produce more humans like ourselves. We know that we cannot produce a pig or a chimpanzee because we do not have the genetic ability in our DNA
to do so.

Next, consider the great horned owls, they desire to mate with other great horned owls and they have the ability to produce other great horned owls. However, their DNA does not produce the desire or the ability to create a bluebird, a barn owl, or even an eagle owl which is the same genus as the great horned owl.

We wrote a technical paper, The Genetics of Kinds – Ravens, Owls, and Doves, and found that not one of the owl kinds/species we examined could possibly produce any other owl kinds/species. That is also true for the ravens and doves. They differ from one another by too much genetic information. We also wrote a technical paper, A Study of Biblical Kinds Using 62 Species of Mice; which showed the various species/kinds of mouse DNA differed from one another by significant amounts with distinct DNA gaps between the kinds/species. It would be impossible to bridge these gaps by means of any natural process.

Our study of the mouse was very interesting in that we found that there are more than one hundred mouse kinds/species and they all remain distinct. How do they do it? They have been magnificently designed with the desire and ability to reproduce after their kinds. Here are a few facts: They can read each other’s genetics like a barcode ^{(Ref 1)}. They mate only with their own species ^{(Ref 2)}. They don’t breed with close relatives ^{(Ref 3)} and the males do not mate with under aged females ^{(ref 4)}. All of this is coded in the DNA and not only does it preserve their distinctiveness, but also maintains good genetic health. You may read all about it, get all of the references, and gain access to all of the DNA sequences at: A Study of Biblical Kinds Using 62 Species of Mice.

If only a few kinds would have been on the Ark, there would only be a few kinds now. The scriptures are clear: “every” kind was created (Genesis 1); “every” kind was loaded on the Ark (Genesis 6:19-20); and “every” kind disembarked from the Ark (Genesis 8:17-20). The kinds were distinct and remain distinct.

Our conclusion would necessitate that on the order of 6000 amphibian, 10,000 bird, 6,000 mammal, and 8,000 reptile kinds/species were aboard the Ark. Accounting for pairs, sevens of clean animals, and those that have gone extinct since the flood, the total number aboard the Ark would be on the order of 100,000. This would be no problem for the very large Ark with all of the animals in Biblical “deep sleep” ^{(Ref 5)}

As we look at this glorious creation, we see that the kinds are distinct. They are distinct because they have both the desire and ability to mate with their own kind and produce offspring of like kind. God always does things right, and in order to replenish the earth properly, He gave every kind a berth on the Ark. All of the passengers were peacefully asleep being transported to a new world filled with adventure and hope.

Key words:

Animals of the Ark, Species on the Ark, Kinds on the Ark, Noah’s Ark, Noah’s Ark, species vs. kinds, and DNA Noah’s Ark

Additional Suggested Reading:

Noah’s Ark A Fresh Look

Noah’s Ark Hermetically Sealed and Safe

References:

1. Beynon, R.J. and Hurst, J.L., 2003. Multiple roles of major urinary proteins in the house mouse, Mus domesticus., Biochem Soc Trans. 2003 Feb;31(Pt 1):142-6. PMID:12546672.

2. Lane, R.P., Young, J., Newman, T., and Trask, B.J., 2004. Species specificity in rodent pheromone receptor repertoires. Genome Res. 14: 603-608. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

3. Sherborne, A.L., Michael D., Thom, M.D., Paterson, S., Jury, F., Ollier, W.E.R., Stockley, P., Beynon, R.J. and Hurst, J.L., 2007. The Genetic Basis of Inbreeding Avoidance in House Mice, Current Biology 17, 2061–2066, December 4, 2007.

4. Ferrero, D.M., Moeller, L.M., Osakada T., Horio, N., Li, Q., Dheeraj S.R., Cichy, A., Spehr, M. Touhara, K. Liberles, S.D., 2013. A juvenile mouse pheromone inhibits sexual behaviour through the vomeronasal system.
Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12579

5. http://www.genesisandgenetics.org/2013/07/20/122/