Which Came First – the Chicken or the Egg? The Bible and Science

September 17, 2018Creation, Science

This has been a topic of debate for more than 2000 years, but with the latest finding in genetics, it appears those who say the “chicken” are on the winning side. The present writer says the “chicken” based solely on the Biblical narrative, but I am pleased to pass on the recent scientific findings that support the Biblical stance.

We can start by summarizing what we know about chickens, eggs, and genetics:

Chickens and their eggs have the same DNA. A chicken’s DNA is set at conception and remains the same no matter the form: egg, chick, pullet, capon, hen or rooster.
Chickens are domestic animals whose purpose is laying eggs. Some lay up to 300 eggs per year.
Chickens have a gene which allows them to produce an egg with a shell in less than 24 hours. This gene is unique to chickens. No other egg-laying creature has it.
Chickens are a unique species: Gallus gallus. There are many colors, shapes, and sizes, but only one species.

Previously, those who accepted evolutionary biology said that the egg came first. This was based on the notion that a near chicken mated with another near chicken and produced a chicken egg. This chicken egg hatched and found another chicken that was conceived by two near chickens. The two chickens mated and Gallus gallus made its debut as a viable species. Case closed! Well, not quite! say some of their peers. Recent genetic studies found that chickens have a unique gene called ovocledidin-17 (Oc17) ¹. Without the proteins produced by this gene, a chicken cannot lay an egg. This causes trouble with the “egg first” thinking since near chickens could not lay a chicken egg because they didn’t have the Oc17 gene. So, if the egg couldn’t come first, it had to be the chicken. It would be impossible for an egg from two near chickens to develop a complex gene which produces a protein with 142 amino acids. You would need two eggs that could accomplish this feat and coexist at the same time and place. This defies any imagination of probability and is a severe problem for those putting their money on the egg. The ancient philosopher, whoever he or she was, couldn’t have picked a worse example for the evolutionists. He or she could have picked any other egg-laying creature and would have avoided this inconvenient truth. On the other hand, for we creationists, the Bible is once again shown to be Rock solid.

It must be said that the evolutionary stance is still not dead. The chicken is said to be the closest living relative to the T-rex (Tyrannosaurus rex). Since we do know whether T-Rex had the Oc17 gene, the case is not closed.

Now, let’s look at the Biblical narrative. The Bible says that all things were created in six days, this includes the wild and domestic birds. The Bible also states that all things were created after their kind and that they reproduce after their kinds. Therefore, the Bible, which does not change with the ages or “latest” hypotheses is and has always been clear:

Gallus gallus was created during the first six days of the creation. It was a chicken and it mated with other chickens that were also created during the creation week.
Gallus gallus reproduces after its kind and produces more chickens.
The chicken was created for man. It has the ovocledidin-17 protein which separates them from other species and allows us to raise chickens and have plenty of fresh eggs.
Also, the Gallus gallus species has sufficient genetic diversity to produce egg laying chickens and meat chickens. Some chickens lay beautifully colored eggs and some chickens have silky feathers. They were divinely created for us. They are like dogs, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors to be useful and pleasing to mankind.

Dear friends and children, the Bible gets it right every time. It is Rock solid and can be trusted, eternally.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/100313508

How much Neanderthal DNA do you have?

June 11, 2018Creation, family

You have a lot of Neanderthal DNA. At least 99.5 percent of your DNA is identical to Neanderthal ¹. Recent DNA sequencing is revealing the truth of Neanderthal, and it is time to bury all our preconceived ideas about him and start afresh allowing DNA to be our guide. We have been led to believe that Neanderthal is our ancient, hairy, brutish, ape-like, ignorant, slumped-over cousin who went extinct because he was inept. His DNA, however, is shouting out to us that this is not the case. He is 99.5 percent like us. This 99.5 percent similarity is not based on our opinion or our analysis; it is based on published secular scientific papers. By the way, we present-day humans share this same amount of DNA, 99.5 percent, with one another ². It does not matter whether you are European, African, Asian, American or Australian, you are all very closely related to Neanderthal. The 0.5 percent that separates us from one another and Neanderthal lies in our genetic markers. * These genetic markers provide humanity with natural variation and the ability to trace human ancestry.

DNA can and will solve the mystery of Neanderthal

So, let’s follow the Neanderthal DNA and see where it takes us in rebuilding our perception. Thanks to the work of many scientists, we now have a draft sequence of the full Neanderthal DNA ³. And thanks to several private laboratories, these DNA sequences and genetic markers are being translated into physical characteristics. Here are several examples of what is being discovered about Neanderthal:

Neanderthal falls inside the variation of present-day human DNA ³; therefore, it would be difficult to conclude anything other than Neanderthal being fully human. He shares the status, of “made in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26) with us.
Neanderthal had less hair on his back than many present-day humans. This is due to genetic marker rs4849721. This marker is shared by Neanderthal and present-day humans. If you have a T at this marker position, you probably have less back hair than average ⁴. Neanderthals have the T which means that they too probably had less back hair than the average present-day human. Hmmm, so much for the hairy ape-man image.
Neanderthals had freckles ⁵. People with light skin get freckles because they have less melanin in their skin which causes uneven tanning. It appears that freckles are now in vogue. Some of our most popular movie stars have them. So, Neanderthals are not just human, but “in vogue” humans.
Several Neanderthal DNA sequences have genes indicative of red hair ⁵ and blue eyes. This does not mean that all Neanderthal had red hair and blue eyes, but at least some had these characteristics. By now, hopefully, you can see that at least some Neanderthals would look like someone you would bump into at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Neanderthal shares the FOXP2 gene ⁶ with us indicating that he was capable of complex speech just as we are. Also, it is generally accepted that Neanderthal had a larger brain ⁷ than present-day man which opens the possibility that he was more articulate than we are.
Although Neanderthals share 99.5 percent of our total DNA, they share only 98.7 percent of our mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This is interesting and can be explained. Mitochondrial DNA is a primary contributor for our energy, strength, and length of life. The fact that Neanderthal mtDNA differs from us by 1.3 percent fits the fossil evidence nicely. Neanderthal fossils are indicative of them having better muscle tone, more strength, and better bone structure than we have. In short, he was buff. Also, some mature Neanderthals had a prominent brow ridge indicative of them living long lives ⁸.
Neanderthals, in general have less genetic diversity than we have; however, researchers are finding little, or no evidence of incest ⁹. This, in my opinion, signifies that Neanderthal had complex relationship structures, as do we. Maybe he came calling with a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates, and an articulate, witty proposal.

According to DNA, Neanderthal is 99.5 percent like you. He was not a hairy, ignorant, inept, ape-man. He was human, created in the image of God just like you. So, the obvious question is, where does Neanderthal fit into the chronicles of human history? Where do you think he fits? We have our opinion (click here), but we will leave it to you to make up your own mind.

Commentary Note: You may have heard that some geneticists proclaim that we have only a small amount of Neanderthal DNA; some say 2-4 percent, some say 0 percent, and some say 20 percent. These claims come from the same scientific community that says we share 99.5 percent of our DNA with Neanderthal. Why this huge conflict? I will not attempt to explain where these low numbers come from; you would think I am making it up. Suffice it to say, the 99.5 percent is correct, and the lower numbers are contrived to justify the “out of Africa” and evolution hypotheses. The DNA sequences are available to the public and can be verified and viewed by anyone.

New details on Neanderthal are emerging every day as are the reconstructions of Neanderthal’s physical appearance. We will keep you posted: You can Subscribe Here if you like.

* Genetic markers – Single Nucleotide polymorphisms, microsatellites, short tandem repeats, et. al.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2583069/
https://www.genome.gov/10001551/genetic-variation-program/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5100745/
https://www.snpedia.com/index.php/Neanderthal/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17962522/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4766443/
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2008/09/09/neanderthal-brain-size- at-birth-sheds-light-on-human-evolution/
Cuozzo J., (1998) “Buried Alive the Startling Truth About Neanderthal Man,” Master Books Inc.
http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/prehistoric-humans-are-likely-to-have-formed-mating-networks-to-avoid-inbreeding

Epigenetics – Complexity of Biblical Proportions – Part 1

May 4, 2018Creation

The discovery of DNA has greatly enhanced our understanding of life and its complexities. However, understanding DNA is just the beginning. DNA orchestration and expression are of mind blowing, Biblical, proportions of complexity. This orchestration is a field of study called epigenetics; a term coined in the 1940’s and currently one of the hottest topics of research. Epigenetics may very well be the most important scientific discovery of our generation.

Consider a nest of eggs. The DNA is fixed in the nucleus of each egg. After a month or so, the eggs will incubate and be transformed into chicks. These chicks all look alike, but no longer resemble the egg from which they came. Their DNA has not changed. Every cell in their body, in collaboration with every other cell, has expressed itself as this baby chick. After a few weeks they increase in size and grow bigger wings, their fuzz turns into feathers, and muscles become toned for flight. At each stage, the babies, in this case robins, all look alike; their DNA is expressed in like manner for each of the chicks; every cell is expressing itself differently, but in concert with every other cell, doing its part to produce a fledgling. Amazingly, the robin’s DNA does not change, but the robins do; they change a lot. They all grow at the same rate and fledge at the same time. Finally, we have mature birds, all approximately the same size and approximately the same physical appearance. The DNA is fixed from egg till death, but the expression of the robin’s DNA is changed drastically from one stage to another. Everything is performing with perfect orchestration and expression.

So, the question is, what mechanism produces this orchestration? It is explained by epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of how DNA is packed into the cell and with which chemicals it is packed. The result of this packing regulates which genes are expressed and to what extent. Each time a cell divides, it is subject to new packing arrangements. Each cell is different and each cell packs in concert with every other cell; each doing its part. This is a miracle. Every stage of growth and development is a miracle. An extreme example of epigenetics is the butterfly. During metamorphosis, the larva changes to a butterfly, totally different from the larva in appearance and metabolism. And, it happens very quickly. The cell divisions act in unison with all cells to regulate gene expression and produce what looks like a totally different creature even though the DNA remains fixed.

Epigenetics is a system of turning genes off and on. We humans have just over 20,000 genes in our body and each of these genes can be expressed or not depending on how tightly it is wound and with which chemicals it is packed. Therefore, with the butterfly, one combination of genes is expressed to build the larva and another combination of genes is expressed for constructing the mature butterfly. No matter how the DNA is packed, it cannot construct a moth, a bird, or a chimpanzee; it can only express the various stages of that species of butterfly.

Now let’s look at human epigenetics and make it a bit more personal. What regulates and orchestrates our DNA packing? The answer is, “our personal DNA coupled with our environment determines how our DNA is packed.” This environment includes: diet, air quality, stress, friends, attitude, purpose, and spiritual beliefs. The environment triggers receptors, switches, hormones, and electrical signals: these triggers affect how our DNA is expressed. In summary, not only does your DNA regulate gene expression, but so does our physical and spiritual environment. We have a blog (part 2 of this blog) that shows both the physical and spiritual effects of epigenetics using laboratory tests of mice and rats.

Now that we have given the basics, it is time to shock you with the complexity of epigenetics. Consider you. You looked different when you were a fetus and you looked different as a new born. Then came the toddler years and adolescent years. Every decade you look different. Each cell in your body must do its part in making you, you for each period of your life. Latest estimates are that a human body has 37.2 trillion cells. Each cell contains about 6 feet of DNA. Therefore, you have 6 X 37.2 = 223.2 trillion feet of DNA that must be orchestrated to make you, you. If we take this 223.2 trillion feet of DNA and divide by 5280 (feet in a mile) and take that and divide by the distance to the sun (93 million miles), we get 459.07. This is shocking! This means that if you stretch out your DNA, it is long enough to make approximately 230 round trips to the sun. This is complexity of Biblical proportions. Each of these 6-foot strands must do its part in the orchestration with all the other 37.2 trillion strands to produce you at any point in your life. Only divine intellect and ingenuity can explain complexity of this proportion.

Dear friends and children, if you believe the Bible you are doing well. The complexity of life is of Biblical proportions and cannot be explained by chaos. When we face the creator, we will be able to say, “we believed your Word, that you created all things.”

(this blog is a duplicate of the blog published on www.genesisandgenetics.org), our sister website.

What Happens after Death?

November 8, 2017Creation, family, Religion

We live in the physical world; we have bodies and we have brains: we are living souls. We have personalities and we have memories. We have desires and we have goals. So, the question is how do all these personal possessions transition after death?

There have been many people who claim to have died, experienced the “other side,” and come back to tell about it. However, these accounts, as fascinating as they are, really cannot be trusted; there are many things that could affect their testimonies such as drugs and/or hallucinations due to lack of blood flow. Fortunately, we have an account in the Bible that can answer many of our questions, and since this account was told by Jesus himself, we know it is true. This account is about Lazarus and the rich man. This is not a parable, it is an actual account; we know this because specific names were used: Lazarus and Abraham, not just some generic Abraham, but “the” Abraham from the book of Genesis. Here is the Biblical account:

Luke 16:19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

Luke 16:20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

Luke 16:21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,

Luke 16:23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Luke 16:24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

Luke 16:26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—

Luke 16:28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

Luke 16:29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’

Luke 16:30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

Luke 16:31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” (ESV – words of Jesus in red)

From this account, we can answer the following questions: Where did they go? Did they keep their memory? Did they retain their physical bodies and senses? Did they keep their personalities? Let’s take these one at a time:

Where did they go?

Lazarus went to be with Abraham and was comforted (Luke 16:25); the rich man went to Hades where he was in torment (Luke 16:23). There was a deep chasm between the two places, and neither side could cross over to the other side, but they could see one another and verbally communicate from one side to the other.

Did they have memory after death?

Yes, they did have memory after their brains stopped working. Even though their neurons and dendrites rotted, their memory lived on. The rich man saw Lazarus and recognized him. Surprisingly, the rich man not only recognized Lazarus, but also recognized Abraham; this would imply that the rich man had an enhanced memory/knowledge and awareness of things he had never seen. Continuing on, we also see that the rich man remembered that he had five brothers, another indication of his earthly memory. Abraham too had an enhanced awareness and memory; he spoke of Moses and the prophets, all of whom lived many years after Abraham died.

Did they have bodies and senses of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste after death?

Both Lazarus and the rich man had bodies. We know that Lazarus had a body because he was seen by the rich man and recognized. The rich man was experiencing excessive heat and thirst; he wanted Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and touch his tongue (the rich man’s) so he could feel some cooling relief. This would indicate that he had a body and similar senses to those he had while alive on earth.

Lazarus was being comforted which would show that he was in a good spiritual as well as physical state. Also, we know that they all had eyes to see, ears to hear, tongues to taste, and fingers to touch. So, all of this would lead us to believe that our characters in this account had DNA and it was performing in a similar fashion to how it performed before death.

Did they keep their personality after death?

It appears that the rich man did keep his personality. The rich man was accustomed to getting his way by ordering people around. In this account, the rich man implored Abraham to order Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his (the rich man’s) tongue, and also ordered Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to witness to his five brothers. The rich man knew that Abraham was high in the spiritual realm, but assumed that Lazarus was still a lowly outcast. Therefore, the rich man presumed that his power and authority conveyed to life after death. He presumed that both he and Abraham were men of importance, and therefore Lazarus, the low man, should do tasks when ordered. Abraham, however, did not hearken to the demands of the rich man and reproved him.

Note: This account mentions Lazarus by name, but not the rich man; he is simply referred to as the “rich man.” This shows us that Jesus knew Lazarus, but not the rich man. This is consistent with many scriptures including Luke 13:27 and Matthew 7:23:

Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all
ye
workers of iniquity.

Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Final thoughts

It is important to understand that this account of life after death was before the resurrection of Jesus. The New Testament teaches that when Christians die, they instantly go to be with Jesus. However, the account of Lazarus and the rich man presents some interesting clues concerning memories, senses, DNA, and personalities. It also implies that, like Abraham, we will inherit enhanced awareness, knowledge and memory.

One clue is missing from this account, and that is the words of Lazarus. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear Lazarus’ thoughts? Would he have said to the rich man: “Now you are getting yours,” or “I forgive you,” or “I do not know you?” Perhaps Lazarus was being spared the unpleasantness of dealing with the rich man, but for now, his thoughts remain a mystery.

Dear children and friends, The Bible is truth and the account of Lazarus, the rich man and Abraham may be used to better understand “the other side.”

Why Did God Create the Plant Life before the Sun?

August 30, 2017Uncategorized

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.

Je Crois

We believe the scriptures and defend them