DNA
What’s the Big Deal?
It has been only fifty years since scientists discovered DNA. Many of our children’s science textbooks contained very little about DNA until just recently. No wonder – it’s ridiculous to believe in evolution since the discovery of DNA.
Darwin had enough skepticism about his own theories in the late 1800s. He knew there were no observable transitional forms of evolving life – he observed none. But, he lived about 70 years too early to learn about DNA. That would have really “thrown him.” We now know that it takes far more “faith” to believe in evolution than to believe in God. This has become apparent to many scientists. The following partially explains why.
A Digital, Error-Correcting, Self-replicating Code
DNA stands for “deoxyribonucleic acid.” It is a nucleic acid that carries genetic information in each cell of living things. It is like the master computer that gives instructions to each part of the cell.
Pregnant Computers who heal themselves & control Trillions of Functions?
DNA is a digital, error-correcting, and self-replicating code. As of yet we still have not created computers that give birth to little computers, have billions of internal, self-regulating processes, and which are able to “heal” themselves!
Staggering amount of Info
“The volume of information contained in DNA staggers the mind:
– There is enough information capacity in a single human cell to store the Encyclopedia Britannica – all 30 volumes – three or four times over.
– The information capacity in a pinhead’s volume of DNA is equivalent to a pile of paperback books 500 times as tall as the distance from Earth to the moon.
Where did this staggering amount of information similar to computer software code – come from?
Naturalistic evolution cannot explain it.
Computer programs do not write themselves. A programmer is always involved. Even if you provide plenty of time (billions of years), a computer program still cannot write itself.
The same is true regarding the information in DNA. Somebody (God) had to program that complex information into DNA.”
(Rhodes 2007, 1)
Preprogrammed Replicating Kinds
All plants and living organism’s cells are controlled and directed by preprogrammed instructions within their DNA. DNA codes do not allow species to cross-over into other species. A horse cannot evolve into a dog, for example. Neither can an ape evolve into a man. Its DNA will not allow it. Mutations can occur. But, they generally cause malfunction and death to living things.
It couldn’t be Plainer – “Kinds” mean DNA
That is what God already said: “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their ‘kinds’ – livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their ‘kinds.’ And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their ‘kinds’ and the livestock according to their ‘kinds,’ and everything that creeps on the ground according to its ‘kind'” (Genesis 1:24-25, ESV).
Kinds – Kinds – Kinds – Kinds – Kind
Do you get the feeling that God is underscoring this for a reason? “Kinds – kinds – kinds – kinds – kind.” The word “kinds” occurs five times in these two sentences!
Perhaps God looked forward through the tunnels of time and saw the vicious intent of hostile atheists who would try to destroy the majesty of His works. Hmmm…
Each Human Body
The average human adult’s body – every second of every day – is organizing about 150 quintillion amino acids into carefully constructed chains. What do these chains of proteins do? They carry out a vast array of bodily functions, most of which the average person never thinks about:
Organizing 150 Quintillion Amino Acids into Chains which:
In a lifetime, a heart beats 2.5 billion times, never stopping to rest.
…60 million gallons of blood are pumped through your body.
A red blood cell runs around your body 200,000 times over 120 days…
Your body has 60,000 miles of blood vessels – the equivalent of two-and-a-half times around the earth.
The number of red blood cells in your body, if laid end to end, would circle the earth four times.
Billions of white blood cells die every time you get a fever, so that you may live.
You breathe about 23,000 times each day, and the quantity of air you breathe each day weighs about 22 pounds.
The small air sacs in your lungs (the alveoli), if cut apart and laid flat, would cover half a tennis court.
The lung cilia that sweep mucus up the trachea vibrate at a rate of about 1000 times per minute.
The eye is so intricate and complex that there is only one chance in 10 to the 78th power that any two humans would have the same characteristics.
Fascinating Fact: It would take a minimum of 100 years of Cray Supercomputer time to simulate what takes place in your eye every second”
…The eye can distinguish millions of shades of color.
The ear has a million moving parts.
…Your nose can determine 10,000 different smells.
Your body has 450 ‘touch’ cells per square inch.
There are estimated to be 100 billion neurons in the brain.
Each neuron is estimated to have 10,000 branching fibers connecting it with other neurons.
The brain has the capacity to store the amount of information contained in 25 million books (8 million more than are now in the Library of Congress).
The brain makes about a thousand trillion computations per second.”
All of the above – and much, much more – just from one tiny DNA molecule that somehow “knew” exactly how to build and what to do for a particular person.
Where did Info come from?
Your body is vastly more complex than all manufacturing facilities in the entire world together. The idea that the body’s vast micro-biological complexity could have evolved from a simple bacterium exceeds belief. Where did all the information come from?” (Muncaster 2004, 101-103).
That is why DNA is a big deal! “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1).
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Lord, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works.
My soul knows it very well.
…Your eyes saw my unformed substance,
in your book were written, every one
of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there were none of
them.”
(Psalm 139: 14, 16)
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References:
Genome scientist finds God. Koinonia House eNews.2006. 20 June.
Muncaster, Ralph. 2004. Examine the evidence. Eugene, OR: Harvest House.
Rhodes, Ron. 2007. Intelligent design. (Quick reference guide). Eugene, OR: Harvest House.
Authors Valorie Mays Emilio holds an M.A. in History from UCLA focusing upon early church history. Ken received his B.S. from CSULB and his M.A. in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Baptist University.