Podcast appearances and mentions of michael denton

On this classic ID The Future out of the vault, biochemist Dr. Michael Denton discusses the implications of recurring animal body plans, arguing that they are predetermined types that point away from purely mechanistic processes. He observes that structures like the insect body plan were fixed long ago and haven't changed. He argues they are better understood as instances of predetermined type rather than collections of historical adaptations. This predetermination, he suggests, is the product of laws of form, which he finds inexplicable on a mechanistic view of nature. Source

Fire-Maker: How Humans Were Designed to Harness Fire & Transform Our Planet Watch this documentary free at- https://youtu.be/an98jVCyApo?si=luHcgvXfNsK3MtBT Discovery Science 260K subscribers 239,957 views Sep 7, 2016 From computers to airplanes to life-giving medicines, the technological marvels of our world were made possible by the human use of fire. But the use of fire itself was made possible by an array of features built into the human body and the planet. Join biologist Michael Denton as he investigates the amazing story of how humans and our planet were exquisitely designed to harness the miraculous powers of fire and transform our planet. For more visit http://privilegedspecies.com/ This DVD also includes The Biology of the Baroque, a 21-minute documentary exploring the mystery of non-adaptive order in nature; and a series of video conversations with Michael Denton about his book Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis. For more visit http://www.discoveryinstitutepress.co... Main Feature Running Time: 22 minutes Bonus Features Running Time: --------------------------------------------------------------------  Check out our ACU Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ACUPodcast   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Also Rate us on any platform you follow us on. It helps a lot. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

On this episode of ID the Future from the vault, biochemist and author Michael Denton and host Eric Anderson conclude their conversation about Denton's book The Miracle of the Cell, and about his epiphany of the many remarkable ways that nature's chemistry is fine-tuned for life. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Source

On this episode of ID the Future from the archive, host Eric Anderson begins a conversation with biochemist Michael Denton about Denton's 2020 book The Miracle of the Cell, part of his continuing Privileged Species series exploring nature's fine tuning for life. New research keeps unveiling ever more ways in which this fine tuning exists, from the cosmos to the atoms of the periodic table, and even to the subatomic level of quantum tunneling. Says Denton: "The miracle of the cell completes the overall fitness paradigm that unites galaxies with atoms in a vast web of fitness for life." This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Source

On this episode of ID the Future from the archive, host Eric Anderson begins a conversation with biochemist Michael Denton about Denton's 2020 book The Miracle of the Cell, part of his continuing Privileged Species series exploring nature's fine tuning for life. New research keeps unveiling ever more ways in which this fine tuning exists, from the cosmos to the […]

Revival and Community Engagement: Replanting with Pastor Michael Denton In this episode, we conversate with Michael Denton, a surfer pastor and replanter from First Baptist Church in Nipomo, California. Michael shares his replanting journey, emphasizing the importance of relationships, community engagement, and strategic discipleship. He delves into his personal and pastoral experiences, offering valuable insights […]

Episode 265 – The Truth in Genesis Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: (Bible quotes from the New Living Translation) Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” … Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind: “Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them! Job, Chapter 40, verses 1 and 2 and verses 6 and 7, New Living Translation I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One”… Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation, Chapter 1, verse 8 and verses 17 and 18, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hi! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. I’m here today with RD Fierro, author, founder of Crystal Sea Books, and part-time mechanical engineer. He changes the air filter in the air conditioner. And speaking of changing things, today we are closing out the series that we’ve been presenting for several episodes that we’ve been calling The Truth in Genesis? So today we’re going to be doing a bit of a recap of all the subjects that we’ve covered and hit the highlights of some of the major things that we’ve learned. RD, would you like to say a brief word of introduction about today’s show? RD: I would. Our “The Truth in Genesis” series was designed to allow listeners to hear a sample of the scientific evidence that is relevant to two of the most important topics that affect Biblical inspiration and infallibility: the age of the earth and universe and the origin and diversity of life. One of the biggest challenges facing most Christians is right at the beginning of the Bible in Chapter 1 where the Bible tells us that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything that exists on the earth including all living creatures and most especially, us. Supposedly, that claim is at odds with what contemporary science tells us about the universe and life. So, for a Christian to maintain their faith in the Bible today culture they must immediately confront the cultural challenge to the Bible’s proclamation about creation. In effect, our culture demands that we either surrender our faith in the Bible or our acceptance of science as a source of truth. I believe that we’ve shown through the episodes in this series that conscientious Christians don’t need to make that kind of a false choice. VK: Your contention is that we have illustrated through the episodes in The Truth in Genesis series there is substantial scientific evidence that absolutely supports, the belief that the plain language of Genesis may be accepted as literal, historical fact. And today we want to review and summarize just a few snippets of what we’ve learned. But before we get too far into our discussion about the serious stuff, we’d like to start by just listening to a poetic summary of the state of this debate. To do that we want to play a portion of Crystal Seas’ upcoming poetic series called the Genesis Saga. For today, let’s listen to Part 5 of the Genesis Saga which – aptly enough - we call The Truth in Genesis. ---- TRUTH IN GENESIS VK: That is a pretty amazing summary - and it rhymes. So let’s go back and cover briefly some of the main points of evidence that we’ve learned about from Truth in Genesis that support the fact that the universe and earth aren’t nearly as old as is commonly believed. Let’s also talk about how it would be impossible for the random, chaotic action of inanimate atoms and molecules to spontaneously give rise to life. RD: Well, to start let’s be clear about the competing truth claims that we are examining. The Bible clearly claims that God created the heavens and earth and all the life that exists on the earth, whether plant or animal. And, according to most traditional interpretations, God performed His creative activity on the order of several thousands of years ago. Also, when it comes to animal life the Bible created all the “kinds” of animals that exist today. Contrary to the strawman version of Biblical creation that critics like to shoot at, “kinds” does not refer to the species that are extant today. Nor does the Biblical term “kind” refer to any particular taxonomic level such as an order or genus. It primarily refers to the ability of any two animals to reproduce regardless of how those animals might be classified according to current taxonomy. By contrast the dominant view among most scientists today is that the universe is 14 billion, or so, years old and that the earth is 4.5 billion years old. Also, most conventional biologists believe that life on earth evolved from primitive forms to more complex forms, likely starting with some sort of a self-replicating molecule that over time spontaneously aggregated into a single cell, and that from that cell all the amazing biodiversity we see around the globe today emerged – without direction or instruction from any intelligent source. As our guest for most of our shows, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, puts it – a “goo to you” form of evolution. VK: Those are two very clearly contrasting views. But isn’t there sort of a middle ground that some have termed “theistic evolution?” This is the view that God created everything but then used evolution as a sort of intermediate mechanism to allow life to progress from simple forms to more complex ones and that over time many different forms of plants and animals emerged from the process that God originated. RD: You are absolutely correct that there have been various attempts to bridge the gaps between Biblical creationism and a materialist, secularist form of evolution. The problem is that most of these “middle ground” approaches suffer from the same faults as the ones that afflict a purely materialistic evolution plus they create additional theological or Christological problems for Christians who hold them. For instance, any approach that presumes that God used evolution to produce man from some lower form of pre-human hominid requires that death preceded Adam and Eve’s fall – and that’s if they accept the fall as being a historical event. Yet various scriptures, such as Romans 5:17, tie death directly to Adam’s sin. Further, if Adam’s fall wasn’t a literal event that introduced death into a creation that God had deemed “very good,” then why was it necessary for Christ to die on the cross to undo the effects of sin. VK: So, you’re saying the middle ground approaches really don’t bridge the gap and allow both sides to be right. But are you also saying that the middle grounds are subject to the same criticisms scientifically as a purely secularistic evolutionism. RD: Yes. For instance, one of the problems we learned about insofar as evolution is concerned is the absence of transitional forms in the fossil record, a fact that even Charles Darwin noted and lamented. When you study the fossil record species appear suddenly and fully formed with very few specimens that can even be offered up as being transitional. Despite the fact over 90% of the fossils that have been discovered were discovered after Darwin wrote the Origin of Species there aren’t any more convincing transitional examples known to today than when Darwin lamented their absence. This absence of transitional fossils would be a problem for any form of evolutionary hypothesis whether theistic or not. VK: What are a couple of other examples of problems that cast doubt on evolution regardless of which form is being discussed? RD: Well, there’s what’s been called by one writer “the failure of homology.” Homology is the idea that certain structures present in different species have a structural or other biological resemblance to each other. The classic example is the pattern in the bones of vertebrate limbs. In a wide variety of mammal species, example, from bats to whales to horses to people, there’s a consistent pattern of having one bone in the upper part of the limb (our arms or legs), connected to two bones, that are then connected to a series of five bones that have 2 segments in the large bone (thumb, big toe) and 3 segments in the other four. Such so-called “homologous” structures are thought to be evidence of “common descent.” In other words some ancient ancestor of all mammals had this pattern of bones so all the mammals in the world today that are descended from the ancestor inherited this pattern. VK: Certainly, at least on the surface, that makes sense. So what’s the problem? RD: The problem is that when Darwin wrote about the support that homology provided for his theory science knew very little about embryology – the study of how life develops following conception. Today, we know a lot more and we now know that the seeming homologous structures in adult animals don’t arise from similar embryological processes or from identical or similar genes. In other words while the adult features seem to be similar they come about from significantly varying developmental processes. This directly conflicts with the notion that the supposedly homologous structures came from a common ancestor because if all the common features were inherited from a common ancestor that ancestor would have passed along its embryological features not just the adult result. There’s a good discussion of this problem in Michael Denton’s book entitled Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. Chapter 7 for those who want to study further. VK: So just like with the fossil record, evidence that is often used to demonstrate the truth of evolution actually has significant scientific problems. Are there any other illustrations of scientific problems with the “particles to people” view of evolution? RD: There are actually lots of them and Dr. Sarfati discussed a number of them during his time in the Anchored by Truth studio. VK: For instance? RD: For instance, just about every proposed mechanism for how life could have arisen from non-living chemicals involves some variation on Darwin’s musings about a “warm little pond” – in other words the notion that the primordial oceans contained a nutrient rich broth that is sometimes termed “pre-biotic soup.” The chemicals necessary for life were supposed to have been present in this soup in such densities that random collision between the right molecules produced abiotic organic compounds that were then used to assemble the first cell or at least the cell’s precursor, whatever that would have been. The existence of these abiotically produced organic compounds is absolutely essential for the scheme to have worked. The problem is that rocks of purportedly great antiquity, by conventional dating, methods have extensively examined and none contain any evidence of these abiotically produced organic compound even the so-called “dawn rocks” of Western Greenland that were supposedly laid down within 3 or 4 hundred million years of the earth’s formation. The same thing is true of all the other rocks of similar antiquity. VK: So the rocks contain no evidence of this pre-biotic soup and without it the whole origin hypothesis falls apart. But some scientists now believe that the earliest life was formed underwater near these heating vents in the deep ocean. RD: Yes. That hypothesis is frequently mentioned in ocean exploration programs on one or another science channel. The problem with this theory is that all life depends on very lengthy chains of amino acids that are called polypeptides. Well, polypeptides won’t form in the presence of excess water. Even if the requisite amino acids were present they wouldn’t combine into the lengthy polypeptides so again there’s an absolute chemical barrier to life starting underwater hypothesis. VK: In other words the difficulties against life having arisen spontaneously from non-living chemicals are starting to stack up like a bricks in a brick wall. Are there any other bricks that are problematic? How about the famous experiments by Stanley Miller and Harold Urey? Didn’t they create the chemicals needed by life when they stimulated a chemical medium with methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water using electric discharges? RD: Urey and Miller were successful at creating organic compounds. That much is true. But the good news pretty much ends there. VK: How so? RD: First, there is no evidence that the conditions Urey and Miller used in their lab were present in the primordial earth. At a minimum, they used an oxygen free atmosphere because oxidation would quickly break down any organic chemicals that formed. Think rust. But there is evidence of oxidation in supposedly ancient rocks so it’s more likely that the early atmosphere contained oxygen than that it didn’t. Next, amino acids come in two varieties: levorotary and dextrorotary. The amino acids that support life are all levorotary. Dextrorotary forms are lethal. The combination of the two is called a racemate. Miller’s experiments and others since only produce racemates, never pure levorotary amino acids. Third, the amino acids they produced were captured in special traps. If those traps hadn’t been there the amino acids would have broken down before they could be determined to be present. Moreover, Urey and Miller’s experiment where they produced the amino acids wasn’t the first experiment they conducted. They had done others where they didn’t get anything. So, even when they got a result it involved the application of a considerable amount of intelligence. It was the exact opposite of the operation of blind chance. VK: Wow. That last thought really forces you to think doesn’t it? Even if a team of scientists today were successful at producing life in a test tube or laboratory beaker that wouldn’t demonstrate that life could have formed randomly or chaotically. Because - presumably - the scientists would have been applying intelligent guidance and decision making at every step within their process. And, of course, that’s assuming they had duplicated exactly the conditions on the earth at the time life is supposed to have formed and that is, and always will remain, unknowable. Well, this truly has been a remarkable series and yet we really have only skimmed the surface of all these topics. But the takeaway for the series and as well as from each episode is that faithful, committed Christians can believe in the truth of Genesis without having to give up their confidence in real science. As you would expect of an almighty and all-knowing Creator, He has provided His special revelation in a way that is entirely consistent with the way that He created and sustains the universe. Sounds like a great time to praise our Creator in prayer. ---- PRAYER OF ADORATION FOR THE CREATOR (radio version) VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the New Living Translation) The Book of Job, chapter 38, verses 4 through 7 The epistle to the Colossians, chapter 15 verses 1 through 17 https://creation.com/right-perspective-interpreting-data

The Miracle of Man: Reflections on The Westminster Conference https://youtu.be/nbnTB-TkidQ?si=TqmGCspUIYFCAzoU Discovery Science 209K subscribers 1,384 views Oct 11, 2023 ID The Future Podcast Is mankind an error-prone accident of nature or a masterpiece of engineering and intention? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid invites physicist Brian Miller to discuss highlights of the 2023 Westminster Conference on Science & Faith. If you didn't get to attend this year's event in person or via live-stream, Dr. Miller's got you covered! The theme was The Miracle of Man, and speakers explored the uniqueness of human beings in the fields of physiology, biology, paleontology, and genetics, as well as theology and philosophy. Dr. Miller reviews his own talk on the intelligent design of human vision. He also recaps other highlights of the event, including talks from Michael Denton on the fitness of the planet for human life, Michael Egnor on the experimental evidence showing our minds are different than our brains, and more. He concludes by reminding us of the benefits of in-person events. "The presentations spark ideas and present new evidence," says Miller. "Then people will take that and talk about it over dinner, over lunch, or over coffee. And it's just a beautiful time to make new connections."   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Also Rate us on any platform you follow us on. It helps a lot. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children.

Is mankind an error-prone accident of nature or a masterpiece of engineering and intention? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid invites physicist Brian Miller to discuss highlights of the 2023 Westminster Conference on Science & Faith. If you didn't get to attend this year's event in person or via live-stream, Dr. Miller's got you covered! The theme was The Miracle of Man, and speakers explored the uniqueness of human beings in the fields of physiology, biology, paleontology, and genetics, as well as theology and philosophy. Dr. Miller reviews his own talk on the intelligent design of human vision. He also recaps other highlights of the event, including talks from Michael Denton on the fitness of the planet for human life, Michael Egnor on the experimental evidence showing our minds are different than our brains, and more. He concludes by reminding us of the benefits of in-person events. "The presentations spark ideas and present new evidence," says Miller. "Then people will take that and talk about it over dinner, over lunch, or over coffee. And it's just a beautiful time to make new connections." Source

Biochemist Michael Denton was a featured speaker at the 2023 Westminster Conference, speaking on the topic of his latest book, The Miracle of Man. To mark the occasion, we bring you this classic episode of ID the Future from the archive. Here, Denton discusses with host Casey Luskin the various ways the universe is uniquely fit for carbon-based life, and perhaps even human life. Denton argues that when it comes to evidence of fine-tuning in the universe, the more you look, the more you find. "The design inference is something the individual must make on this evidence," he says. "The evidence is pretty extraordinary..the actual science shows that it's fit, uniquely fit, for beings like ourselves." Tune in to discover what he has found that has led him to the inference that our world is intelligently designed. Source

On this episode of ID the Future from the vault, biochemist and medical doctor Michael Denton continues his conversation with host Sarah Chaffee about his book Children of Light: The Astonishing Properties of Sunlight That Make Life Possible, part of his Privileged Species book series that also includes The Miracle of Man, The Miracle of the Cell, The Wonder of Water, and Fire-Maker. Here, Dr. Denton speaks of the properties of both light and water. From photosynthesis to metabolism to circulation, and even from plate tectonics to the hydrologic cycle, both have exactly what it takes — in “amazingly fortuitous” ways — to make complex organic life possible. The sun, Denton points out, has a fantastic range of electromagnetic radiation, from high-energy gamma rays all the way to long wavelength radio waves. "And in this vast range, there's only one...infinitesimally small band which has the right energy for photosynthesis," an essential prerequisite for human life. Coincidence? When coupled with bountiful evidence of other examples and types of fine-tuning in the universe, we think not. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Source

On this episode of ID the Future from the vault, biochemist and medical doctor Michael Denton continues his conversation with host Sarah Chaffee about his book Children of Light: The Astonishing Properties of Sunlight That Make Life Possible, part of his Privileged Species book series that also includes The Miracle of Man, The Miracle of the Cell, The Wonder of Water, and Fire-Maker. Here, Dr. Denton speaks of the properties of both light and water. From photosynthesis to metabolism to circulation, and even from plate tectonics to the hydrologic cycle, both have exactly what it takes — in “amazingly fortuitous” ways — to make complex organic life possible. The sun, Denton points out, has a fantastic range of electromagnetic radiation, from high-energy gamma rays all the way to long wavelength radio waves. "And in this vast range, there's only one...infinitesimally small band which has the right energy for photosynthesis," an essential prerequisite for human life. Coincidence? When coupled with bountiful evidence of other examples and types of fine-tuning in the universe, we think not. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Source

On this episode of ID the Future from the archive, biochemist and medical doctor Michael Denton explores a “miraculous convergence of properties” for life. The topic is Denton's book Children of Light: The Astonishing Properties of Sunlight That Make Us Possible, part of his Privileged Species book series that also includes The Miracle of Man, The Miracle of the Cell, The Wonder of Water, and Fire-Maker. Here, Denton lets his astonishment flow freely in an interview with host Sarah Chaffee, with topics ranging from the light of the sun to key chemicals here on earth. "The atmosphere lets through just the light we need," says Denton, "and the sun puts out just the light we need. It's a remarkable coincidence...The atmosphere does just what is needed for life on earth." Taken together, it's an astonishing array of evidence showing how finely tuned Earth is for human life. And the common-sense conclusion, Denton says, is that a designing intelligence is the most adequate explanation for the properties on our planet that make life like us possible. This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion. Source

Many may be forgiven for thinking the primary target of evolutionary biologists has been the young earth creationist movement. With thinkers like Ken Ham stealing much of the spotlight in the media, it's easy to forget that another movement, one perhaps just as significant, has arisen in the past few decades to challenge the evolutionary hegemony. The Intelligent Design movement continues to make a major impact on popular culture, perhaps most exemplified in the 2005 Dover trial that saw it brought to national attention. And in the past two decades, it has only grown and now boasts figures such as Gunter Bechly, Michael Behe, and Michael Denton. Yet perhaps most famous of them all has been Stephen Meyer, whose multiple works on Intelligent Design have generated millions of sales and endless conversations. With the release of his newest work, The Return of the God Hypothesis, he's here to discuss the basics, the best arguments, and the future of the movement he's helped to lead.

The universe is an infinite scientific wonder created by Allah, Who has superior might and infinite wisdom. Studies of the atom, the basis of all animate and inanimate things, reveal perfect order, unerring balance, and conscious design. Through research and questioning, we can uncover the reasons behind this miraculous design, leading us to the truth of Allah's infinite power and wisdom. The Universe is an infinite scientific mystery that has been contemplated for centuries. Ancient Greeks believed in an infinite universe without a beginning, which was revived during the Renaissance and embraced by materialistic philosophies. The Miracle in the Atom Audiobook: https://on.soundcloud.com/HfYXb In the 20th century, the Big Bang theory proved this wrong, and showed that the universe was created from nothing. This finding of Creation was seen by Sir Fred Hoyle and others as a challenge to their "steady-state" theory, which proposed an infinite universe without beginning or end. The Big Bang has since been accepted as the standard model for the universe, and is widely accepted by the scientific community. Edwin Hubble's discovery of red shifted light from stars in the California Mount Wilson Observatory showed that stars and galaxies were moving away from each other, proving that the universe is expanding. This further pointed to the Big Bang Theory, where the universe was created from nothing in a single point-mass with zero volume due to immense gravitational force. This was confirmed by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson's discovery of cosmic background radiation. The atoms that make up the entire universe formed after the Big Bang, and the formation and combination of these atoms have enabled an incredibly complex universe to come into being. The Big Bang created particles, such as electrons, protons, and neutrons, which formed the atom, the building block of the universe. In order for the material universe to form, more electrons than positrons had to be present. This perfect balance of particles allowed the universe to form, and the atoms that make up the universe are a result of this balance along with Allah's will. Notes: 1. David Filkin, Stephen Hawking's Universe:The Cosmos Explained, Basic Books, October 1998, pp. 85-86 2. Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time A Reader's Companion (Edited by Stephen Hawking; prepared by Gene Stone), New York, Bantam Books, 1982, p. 62-63 3. Henry Margenau, Roy Abraham Vargesse, Cosmos, Bios, Theos, La Salla IL: Open Court Publishing, 1992, p. 241 4. H. P. Lipson, "A Physicist Looks at Evolution", Physics Bulletin, vol. 138, 1980, p. 138 5. Taşkın Tuna, Uzayın Sırları (The Secrets of Space), Boğaziçi Yayınları, p.185 6. Colin A. Ronan, The Universe Explained, The Earth-Dwellers's Guide to the Mysteries of Space, Henry Holt and Company, pp. 178-179 7. Taşkın Tuna, Uzayın Sırları (The Secrets of Space), Boğaziçi Yayınları, p.186 8. Steven Weinberg, The First Three Minutes, A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe, Basic Books, June 1993, p. 87 9. Stephen W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time, Bantam Books, April 1988, p. 121 10. Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, How Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God, Colorado: NavPress, Revised Edition, 1995, p. 76 11. Michael Denton, Nature's Destiny: How The Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe, The New York: The Free Press, 1998, pp. 12-13 12. Paul Davies, The Accidental Universe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982, Foreword

Scientific Evidence for Intelligent Design, How Mutations Fail To Invent and The  Remarkable Coincidences in Photosynthesis. ACU Sunday Series.  Stephen Meyer Investigates Scientific Evidence for Intelligent Design (Lecture 1) Michael Behe Exposes How Mutations Fail To Invent Michael Denton Remarkable Coincidences in Photosynthesis   Stephen Meyer Investigates Scientific Evidence for Intelligent Design (Lecture 1) https://youtu.be/C5Z6h_RVhIw Discovery Science Visit https://www.discoveryu.org/courses/meyer for the full course. For the first time, you can have living room access to over seven hours of teaching by intelligent design pioneer Stephen Meyer in a brand-new online course. A favorite of students young and old(er), Meyer will delight both as he explores the scientific evidence for intelligent design (ID) found in physics, cosmology, biology and the chemical origin of life. Join Stephen as he investigates the scientific evidence for intelligent design in the origin of life, the development of biological complexity, and physics and cosmology. In 42 short video lectures, Meyer explores the scientific basis for the theory of intelligent design—the idea that key features of life and the universe are best explained as the product of an intelligent cause rather than an unguided process. In this course, Meyer will guide you through the major concepts and information presented in his path breaking books Signature in the Cell and Darwin's Doubt, as well as previewing some of the material about physics and cosmology in his book The Return of the God Hypothesis. Each video lecture is accompanied by a short quiz, and a special digital certificate of completion is offered for those who finish the course. For more about the course visit https://www.discoveryu.org/courses/meyer. Check out these videos as well: Information Enigma: Where does information come from? https://youtu.be/aA-FcnLsF1g Michael Behe Investigates Evolution & Intelligent Design (Lecture 1) https://youtu.be/XCTTy0ylf7A Stephen Meyer Shatters The Myth Of The Multiverse (Science Uprising EP4) https://youtu.be/WR51OrawqIg ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW...   Course Overview Join philosopher of science Stephen Meyer as he investigates the scientific evidence for intelligent design in the origin of life, the development of biological complexity, and physics and cosmology. In 42 short video lectures, Meyer explores the scientific basis for the theory of intelligent design—the idea that key features of life and the universe are best explained as the product of an intelligent cause rather than an unguided process. In this course, Meyer will guide you through the major concepts and information presented in his pathbreaking books Signature in the Cell and Darwin's Doubt, as well as previewing some of the material about physics and cosmology in his book The Return of the God Hypothesis. Each video lecture is accompanied by a short quiz, and a special digital certificate of completion is offered for those who finish the course. About the Professor Stephen C. Meyer received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in the history and philosophy of science. A former geophysicist with ARCO and professor of philosophy at Whitworth University, he currently directs the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle. He is author of the New York Times-bestseller Darwin's Doubt (2013) as well as Signature in the Cell (2009) and The Return of the God Hypothesis (forthcoming in 2021). Recommended Texts and Resources You are encouraged to dig deeper into the topics explored in this course by consulting the following books and resources: Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design (book) Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design (book) Debating Darwin's Doubt (book) Signature of Controversy: Responses to Critics of Signature in the Cell (book) Explore Evolution: The Arguments for and against Neo-Darwinism (book) The Return of the God Hypothesis (book) DarwinsDoubt.com (website) The Information Enigma (video) The Intelligent Design Collection—Darwin's Dilemma, The Privileged Planet, Unlocking the Mystery of Life (videos) Course Outline Unit 1: Evidence of Intelligent Design in the Origin of Life Introduction to Course. What is intelligent design, and why is it controversial? In this first lecture, Meyer introduces the topic of intelligent design. Darwin's Challenge to Intelligent Design. What does evolution mean? Meyer explains adaptation and explains how Darwin's theory challenges the idea of intelligent design. Theories of the Origin of Life in the Nineteenth Century. Darwin conceived of the origin of life happening possibly in a “warm little pond.” Meyer explains the state of origin of life research at Darwin's time and later. Oparin's Theory of the Origin of Life. Meyer delves into Alexsandr Oparin's theory on the origin of life, put forward in 1936. Learn about evolutionary abiogenesis and the experiment that sought to prove it. The Amazing Complexity of Proteins. What do proteins look like? How has science progressed in its understanding of these basic building blocks of life? Meyer traces the work of protein scientists in the 1930s up through the 50s. What is the importance of a protein's shape? And how is this shape determined? The Role of DNA. How did our understanding of the cell change in the 1950s and 60s? Meyer discusses the discovery of the stable double helix structure of DNA and the key scientists involved. The DNA Enigma. Meyer examines Francis Crick's sequence hypothesis and then goes on to delve into the question of code and biological information, explaining what he calls “the DNA enigma.” What Kind of Information Does DNA Contain? Meyer explores types of information, explains mathematical Shannon information, and discusses what kind of information Francis Crick, Richard Dawkins, and Bill Gates see in life's code. Explanations for the Origin of Life: Chance. Could the information in the cell come about by chance? Today, learn the history of origin of life research from the 1950s to the present. What is prebiotic soup, anyway? Explanations for the Origin of Life: Self-Organization. Can self-organization explain the origin of biological information? In this lesson, learn about Dean Kenyon and his idea of ‘biochemical predestination' of amino acids. How does DNA fit into this whole picture? 2 Explanations for the Origin of Life: Pre-Biotic Natural Selection. What is prebiotic natural selection? Listen in as Dr. Meyer examines Oparin's hypothesis and modern attempts to reconcile evolution with the origin of life. Introduction to Intelligent Design. Meyer recounts his introduction to the design hypothesis and his quest to shape it into a rigorous scientific argument as he explores historical science methods. Objections to Intelligent Design: Is Intelligent Design Science? Meyer responds to a key philosophical objection to intelligent design. Objections to Intelligent Design: Argument from Ignorance? Some critics claim design proponents make an argument from ignorance. Is this true? Meyer discusses the intelligent designer of the gaps objection and illustrates why it is not applicable. Objections to Intelligent Design: RNA World, pt 1. Is it possible to avoid the cell's chicken and egg problem? Listen in as Meyer discusses the RNA world scenario. Can genetic information and biochemically relevant functions be present without either DNA or protein? Objections to Intelligent Design: RNA World, pt. 2. Can the RNA world scenario overcome the information problem? Listen in as Dr. Meyer analyzes this popular proposal. Objections to Intelligent Design: RNA World, pt. 3. Have scientific developments “overtaken Meyer's book” as Stephen Fletcher claims? Listen in as Meyer examines Fletcher's supposed evidence. Objections to Intelligent Design: Junk DNA. Critics claim that junk DNA disproves intelligent design. Meyer takes on this objection. Unit 2: Evidence of Intelligent Design in the Development of Life Another Information Problem in the History of Life. Is the origin of life the main problem with the materialistic evolutionary account of origins? Meyer delves into the modern evolutionary synthesis. Is information a problem here too? The Cambrian Explosion. What does the fossil record reveal about life's history? Meyer discusses how Darwin found the Cambrian explosion particularly striking and puzzling. The Mystery of the Missing Fossils: The Burgess Shale. Darwin tried to propose an explanation for the mystery of the missing fossils. But have later discoveries confirmed his predictions? Meyer introduces a 1909 discovery – the Burgess Shale. The Mystery of the Missing Fossils: The Chenjiang Fauna. Meyer details a fossil find with great diversity: the Cambrian era Chenjiang fauna. 3 What Does It Take to Build an Animal? Meyer discusses the process of how to get a Cambrian animal. Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism: Combinatorial Searches, pt. 1. What does combinatorial search mean? And how would the neo-Darwinian mechanism produce the new genetic information needed to build new animals? Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism: Combinatorial Searches, pt. 2. How hard is it to get a new protein? Meyer does the math, further examining the efficacy of the neo-Darwinian synthesis. Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism: Developmental Mutations and Gene Regulatory Networks. It's a catch-22: random mutation and organism development. Meyer gets beyond the numbers and uncovers the challenges posed for NeoDarwinism by developmental mutations and developmental gene regulatory networks. Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Mechanism: Information beyond DNA. Do protein folds and developmental gene regulatory networks pose the biggest problems to Neo-Darwinism? Meyer discusses a third devastating challenge to evolution. He also discusses new evolutionary theories proposed to overcome it. The Positive Case for Intelligent Design, pt. 1. Can one make a positive case for intelligent design using accepted methods of reasoning? Meyer examines inductive, deductive and abductive reasoning, and lays out what intelligent design proponents need to demonstrate to make a strong case for design. The Positive Case for Intelligent Design, pt. 2. Meyer applies historical scientific methods to evaluate potential causes of the Cambrian explosion. The Positive Case for Intelligent Design, pt. 3. Meyer discusses genetic algorithm computer programs, the reason why the random mutation/natural selection mechanism is doomed, and why intelligence uniquely can account for functional information. Responding to Critics: Charles Marshall. Paleontologist Charles Marshall challenged Meyer's arguments in Darwin's Doubt, and here Meyer responds. Response to Critics: Dennis Venema and Deborah Haarsma. Meyer evaluates an objection to his book from theistic evolutionists Dennis Venema and Deborah Haarsma. Can evolution's mechanism of natural selection acting on random mutations account for new protein folds? And what does the evolution of nylonase demonstrate? Responding to Critics: Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins. Meyer responds to atheists Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins. 4 Who Is the Designer? Who is the designing intelligence? Was it an alien? Or a transcendent being? Meyer addresses this question, distinguishing between evidence from biology that merely points to mind, and separate evidence that may shed light on the identity of the designer. Unit 3: Evidence of Intelligent Design in Physics and Cosmology One Man's Journey. Meyer recounts the story of an astronomer's journey from atheism to intelligent design. What do the stars reveal? What Is Fine-Tuning? Meyer discusses the laws and constants of physics, highlighting striking examples of fine-tuning. How Do We Recognize Design? Meyer discusses William Dembski's theory of design inferences, and applies that to fine-tuning. Weak Anthropic Principle and Natural Law. Meyer gives an overview of the weak anthropic principle and natural law as explanations for fine-tuning. The Multiverse, pt. 1. Meyer describes a popular explanation for fine-tuning and the two cosmological models physicists employ. The Multiverse, pt. 2. Meyer analyzes the multiverse theory. How does it stack up against intelligent design? The Multiverse, pt. 3. Meyer delves deeper into universe generating mechanisms and what they require. Who Is the Designer? In this final video lecture, Stephen Meyer shares his thoughts on this important question.     Michael Behe Exposes How Mutations Fail To Invent (Science Uprising EP6) https://youtu.be/_ivgQFIST1g Discovery Science Are chance mutations really “the key to our evolution” like they claim in the X-Men films? Or are there strict limits to what mutations can accomplish, limits that point to the need for an overarching designer and the failure of Darwinian evolution to create fundamentally new things? Be sure to visit https://scienceuprising.com/ to find more videos and explore related articles and books. In this episode of Science Uprising, we'll take a look at the real evidence for the supposed powerhouse of evolution. The featured expert is biochemist Michael Behe of Lehigh University, author of the books Darwin's Black Box, The Edge of Evolution, and Darwin Devolves. Well-known scientists have been preaching a materialistic worldview rather than presenting the public with all the evidence. We are here to change that. The objective scientific evidence does not prove our universe is blind and purposeless. It does not show we are simply meat machines. It does not prove that evolutionary mechanisms can completely account for the diversity of life on earth. This is what THEY want you to think. Think for yourself and make an informed decision. Are you ready? The uprising has begun. In a lecture, Phillip Johnson cited physicist Richard Feynman on a scientist's obligation to be honest — not only with himself or in other scientific contexts but, not one bit less, when speaking to the lay public. “You should not fool the laymen when you're talking as a scientist.” That such a thing would need to be said is itself revealing. What's more, Feynman insisted, you should “bend over backwards to show how you may be wrong.” The comments are taken from a Commencement address by Feynman in 1974 at Caltech. Johnson, a founding father of modern intelligent design, was so moved by this that he said “I wish it could be set to music.” As far as I know it hasn't been set to music. But the idea is a major theme in the new Science Uprising series. Scientists fool themselves and they fool non-scientists, not about dry technical details with no special significance, but about matters that bear on huge, life-altering world picture issues. One example is the role of mutations in evolution. That is the topic of Episode 6 of Science Uprising, “Mutations: Failure to Invent.” It's out now; see it here: The Alternative Perspective The idea that random genetic mutations lead to wondrous, creative innovations is so influential that it forms the premise of a movie franchise, X-Men, that has grossed $6 billion worldwide over the past couple of decades. That's a lot of “fooling the laymen”! The alternative perspective would be open to the possibility of creative evolution requiring intelligence guidance. The producers of the X-Men movies aren't scientists. However, the science media have done their best to mislead about the work of real scientists, including National Academy of Sciences member Richard Lenski. We're all victims of that hype, including Hollywood moviemakers. Dismantling the hype about Lenski occupies biochemist Michael Behe for a significant part of his recent book, Darwin Devolves. Super-Challenges Not Super-Powers As Professor Behe explains in Science Uprising, the Long-Term Evolution Experiment conducted by Lenski has demonstrated not the creative power of unguided evolution but the occasional benefits of devolution, of breaking or disabling genes. That's the opposite lesson from the one drawn by media such as the New York Times in reporting on Lenski's efforts. “Think about it,” says the masked narrator of Science Uprising, against the backdrop of poignant images of people suffering from genetic illnesses, “significant mutations don't create superpowers. They create super-challenges. Sometimes those mutations are even life-threatening.” Check out some of our other videos: Information Enigma: Where does information come from? Information drives the development of life. But what is the source of that information? https://youtu.be/aA-FcnLsF1g Science Uprising Episode 1 - Reality: Real vs. Material Has science proven we are all just matter? Or does reality extend beyond what we can see and touch? https://youtu.be/Fv3c7DWuqpM Bijan Nemati: Rare Earth https://youtu.be/vn3YpOWCrc4 Check out other videos from this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover...     Michael Denton Remarkable Coincidences in Photosynthesis -- ID The Future Podcast https://youtu.be/12i2RKct5RM Discovery Science On this episode of ID the Future, we listen in on a few minutes from a lecture given by CSC Senior Fellow Michael Denton. We've all heard of the importance of photosynthesis as an oxygen creating process. In this segment, Denton explains the “remarkable set of coincidences” which makes the creation of oxygen through photosynthesis possible. From the specific energy of visible light to the unique properties of water, this degree of improbability screams DESIGN. For more and to download this episode go to: https://www.discovery.org/multimedia/... For more on how the cosmos is designed for life, watch Discovery Institute's documentary Priviledged Species, featuring Michael Denton, at http://privilegedspecies.com/. The ID The Future (IDTF) podcast carries on Discovery Institute's mission of exploring the issues central to evolution and intelligent design. IDTF is a short podcast providing you with the most current news and views on evolution and ID. IDTF delivers brief interviews with key scientists and scholars developing the theory of ID, as well as insightful commentary from Discovery Institute senior fellows and staff on the scientific, educational and legal aspects of the debate. You've heard the hype, now learn the truth. Subscribe to the podcast Intelligent Design: The Future. Exploring issues central to the case for intelligent design from the Big Bang to the bacterial flagellum and beyond. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i... ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW...  

Trauma-informed judges who understand domestic violence from a survivor's perspective are becoming more common but are not yet commonplace. In this episode, we talk with Judge Michael Denton, a veteran judge with decades of experience in both trauma-informed judicial training and practical experience navigating domestic violence cases about the benefits of the trauma-informed approach and the development of related specialty courts.Michael Denton has served Travis County for more than 30 years, first as a young lawyer prosecuting offenders in County courts; later as the Director of the Trial Division for the Travis County Attorney's Office, and; for the past 20 years, as Judge for Travis County's domestic violence court (County Court-at-Law #4).  Bringing passion and commitment to this service, Judge Denton's advocacy began during his time as a volunteer for Austin's (then) Rape Crisis Center, answering crisis calls and visiting the hospital to help survivors and family members.  In the 1990s, Judge Denton was Co-Chair of the Austin-Travis County Domestic Violence Task Force. Working across agency lines, including law enforcement and non-profit organizations, the Task Force reformed how Travis County approached domestic violence, including the creation of a specialty court for domestic violence.  Judge Denton has also trained other judges through the Texas Council on Family Violence and authored a domestic violence chapter of the Texas Bench Book.

Episode 194 – Eternal Information – Part 2 – Information and God Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 3 through 5, New International Version ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re excited to be with you at the start of a New Year. We pray that this year will bring everyone the joy of having a closer fellowship with our Lord Christ Jesus. Today on Anchored by Truth we’re continuing the series we began during our last episode which we are calling “Eternal Information.” I think most listeners to Anchored by Truth know that the Christian faith in America has been subjected to more challenges in the last couple of decades than in the preceding two centuries of existence. So, as we open up a New Year we want to again call attention to a subject that has special importance in our day and time – demonstrating that the Christian faith has a firm basis in reason and evidence. Today in the studio we have RD who is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, “information” is not a topic typically associated with Christian apologetics but you believe information is one of the most straightforward ways we can direct people to the necessary existence of a personal Creator. RD: Well, I’d also like to greet everyone joining us on Anchored by Truth. I became intrigued about the possibilities offered by the concept of information for demonstrating the existence of God when I ran across a book called In the Beginning was Information. The book was written by a German information specialist named Dr. Werner Gitt. VK: Dr. Gitt was a director and professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology and he was the head of the Department of Information Technology there. And just to remind everyone the word “apologetics,” is a broad umbrella term for what we’re talking about when we say that the concept of information points to the need for God to exist. Apologetics can broadly be defined as “a defense for our faith.” Apologetics comes from a compound Greek word. Greek, like English, has compound words made of two or more other words. In this case the Greek words are apo, primarily used to mean “from;” and logos, primarily meaning, in its most generic sense, “word.” Logos is also commonly used in an expanded way to mean “reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, and calculating.” The Greek philosopher Heraclitus first used the term Logos around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe. RD: The Apostle John’s used that same word, logos, in John 1:1. The Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Apologetics means “from the mind,” and, in the sense of John 1:1 it means “from the mind of God.” We now use the term “apologetics” to mean the defense of the Christian faith. when I heard about Dr. Gitt’s book I became intrigued because just hearing the title made me look at John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1 in a different light. It’s not just the title of Dr. Gitt’s book calls those verses to mind. It’s that understanding the nature and use of information gives us a whole new way of demonstrating to the unbelieving world that it is impossible to form a coherent view of life and the universe without acknowledging the existence of God. VK: So, how do we go about doing that? RD: Well, let’s take a look at a couple of definitions for the term “information” that we covered in our last episode. And then I want to propose my own definition for information which I think of as a sort of theological definition of information. VK: So, now you’re conjuring up your own definitions of words? RD: Well, what I try to do is to think carefully through concepts to see how they’re related and then reduce that down to one or two sentences where possible. The result resembles a definition so that’s what I’m going to call it. But before we get to mine let’s look at one from more authoritative sources. We covered this on our last episode but it’s important for this one too. Why don’t you start by reading the definition of information from the Merriam Webster Dictionary? VK: The online Merriam Webster Dictionary defines information as (1 ) knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction; or (2 ) the attribute inherent in and communicated by one of two or more alternative sequences or arrangements of something (such as nucleotides in DNA or binary digits in a computer program) that produce specific effects. RD: Right. And as we pointed out in the last episode the second portion of the definition is particularly intriguing because even the Merriam Webster Dictionary takes notice of the fact that DNA, which is a component of the cells of all living creatures, contains information. One of the episodes that we are going to do during this “Eternal Information” series is going to focus on the information present in biological entities – in living creatures. Now let’s take a look at a definition for “information” that Dr. Gitt has developed. VK: In an article that Dr. Gitt produced for Creation Ministries International Dr. Gitt stated this: “…we developed an unambiguous definition of information: namely an encoded, symbolically represented message conveying expected action and intended purpose. We term any entity meeting the requirements of this definition as “universal information” (UI).” We’ll put a link to this article in the podcast notes that are available on certain podcasting apps. RD: So, immediately we see some common elements between the Merriam Webster definition and Dr. Gitt’s definition of information even though Dr. Gitt is being more technical for purposes he comes to later in his discussion. Merriam Webster talks about “alternative sequences or arrangements of something …that produce specific effects.” Dr. Gitt speaks about an “encoded, symbolically represented message.” Merriam Webster says that the sequence or arrangement of something is intended “produce specific effects.” Dr. Gitt says that the symbolically coded message is “conveying expected action and intended purpose.” So, both of these definitions are pointing to some essential elements that are inherent in “information.” Information contains specified sequences, elements, codes, and symbols. And those specified sequences, elements, codes, and symbols have been arranged or encoded for a specific purpose to produce specific effects. The overarching concept is that information is ordered, organized, and specified. VK: So, what is your definition for information? RD: My definition for information is “Information is the expression of God’s essential omniscience manifested in creation where it imposes order and enables life.” I know on first hearing that’s a lot to consume but we’re going to use the rest of this episode to go through it. So, let me repeat it. Information is the expression of God’s essential omniscience manifested in creation where it imposes order and enables life. VK: I can see why you said it was a sort of theological definition of information. What you’re doing is pointing out that there is nothing present in the created order that did not come from God. And God can only express what God possesses. Of course, God is omnipotent and omniscient so He pretty much possesses everything. But that’s the point isn’t it. As long as our worldview includes God as creator it’s easy to explain the existence of things that is impossible to explain coherently without Him. RD: Yes. Without acknowledging God you’re forced to conceive of the universe as having no superintending intelligence. As such you’re forced to trace everything that exists to somehow being generated by the random, chaotic, and undirected interaction of matter with matter, or matter with energy. Atoms might collide with other atoms and form molecules and even remain together if the right electromagnetic forces are present but in a God-less universe nothing helps those atoms and molecules do anything useful in an inanimate way much less create life. VK: It’s well known that simplest bacterial cell that doesn’t have a nucleus contains 100 billion atoms. Human cells are far more complex. Human beings have over 35 trillion cells. And all those cells have jobs. And there are thousands of protein machines within those cells that also have their own jobs – building the cell’s wall; bringing energy supplies in and taking waste products out; guiding the process of duplication and replication; repairing damage. The number of tasks performed by an ordinary human cell dwarfs the activity within an ordinary factory. When you consider those relatively simple facts it does stagger the mind that anyone believes that all that ordered, specified complexity could have arisen by chance. RD: Exactly. Without God the possibility of the simplest cell being assembled accidently is off the charts in terms of probability. Michael Denton who wrote the book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis points out that the task of randomly assembling a single protein, which contains thousands of atoms, is 1 in a number that is greater that the number of atoms in the known universe. VK: But, of course, with God all things are possible just as Jesus told his disciples in Matthew, chapter 19, verse 26. But that’s the point. An omnipotent God overcomes the need to envision chance as building the complex structures of the universe including life. And, frankly, without God there isn’t a coherent explanation for why atoms would exist in the first place. RD: Yes. So, my definition for information is designed to point to the fact that information is not itself just sort of a “feature” of the universe. Information arises from a source and that source would have to be intelligent because information is ordered, organized, and specified. The Merriam Webster definition says that the sequence or arrangement of something is intended “produce specific effects.” Dr. Gitt says that the symbolically coded message is “conveying expected action and intended purpose.” Therefore, information reflects both order and intent. But … and here is the big point of my definition – information was present at the very beginning of creation. And when we think carefully about that fact it points to information being in use by God prior to the creation of the physical universe. VK: I see where you’re going with this. Information is not just an undeniable feature of the physical order. It was present with God even before He created this physical universe. The Apostle Paul says as much. In Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 4, Paul say, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” That’s from the New Living Translation. But what that says very quickly is that God “chose us in Christ” even before God made the world. That means God was using information in His eternal realm even before He made the earth. RD: Yes. So, let’s think about this. God was “choosing,” as well as performing other activities before He made the earth – which was the first thing He did in creating the universe. Remember the first verse of the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But God was using information before that. To choose “us” – “us” meaning His children, believers – He had to already have identified us by name. Revelation 13:8 refers to the “Lamb’s Book of Life” which was available before the foundation of the world. Writing names in a book, however God did that in the eternal, heavenly realm is an activity involving information. We are not told how much planning God did of the created order before He began actually created matter, energy, time, and space but it seems likely He did some. Even before matter, energy, time, and space were actually present God had already laid out their boundaries, how they would function, how they would relate to each other, etc. All that involves the use of information. VK: This is one of those lines of reasoning that starts to give you headaches. RD: Well, we might think of them as “holy headaches.” We are using our brains to try to see our God at the time He was forming our universe. VK: Holy maybe but headaches, nonetheless. But I see what you’re saying. God was using information in His eternal realm even before He began using information in His own creative activity. In Job, chapter 38, verses 4 through 7, God asks Job: Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? God asks Job who marked off the dimensions of the earth’s foundation. The question is rhetorical but nevertheless it involves the clear use of some kind of information. God’s reference to dimensions, measuring lines, cornerstones all call to mind that God knew the answers but Job did not. Job could not. God had the information that Job lacked. But God clearly had “information.” RD: Exactly. And God used that information – as my definition points out – “to impose order and enable life.” There is a certain sense, then, that information is a feature of both the spiritual realm and the physical realm. Last time we talked about the fact that information is non-material, or speaking precisely, information is massless. But we were clear that information was different from other massless parts of the physical universe. Photons are massless but they can be generated by matter and interact with matter. Information is neither generated by matter nor does it interact with matter. We use matter and energy to transmit, receive, and store information but the information itself is indifferent to, and unaffected by, the matter and energy employed. A chemical formula remains the same whether it is sent via email, mailed via a postcard, carved on a wax tablet, embossed in Braille dots, or sent using sign language. The matter and energy used to communicate the information do not generate the information and do not contain or constrain the information. VK: But what you’re saying is that the “non-material” attribute of information does not make it automatically a part of the spiritual realm. Information is still quite real in the physical universe. But now you are saying that information appears to be the one part of the physical universe that was also available in the spiritual realm because God was clearly using information even before He created the physical universe. Yikes. Like we said last time, “information is a tricky thing.” RD: Yes. It might be reasonable to think of information as the one component of God’s eternal realm that He imparted into the physical realm. But of course God couldn’t do that if God didn’t possess information. And since God possesses information God is also the source of information – all information. Nothing exists apart or separate from God. So, my definition points out that information is one expression of God’s innate omniscience. Omniscience, of course, means all-knowing. We sometimes think that means that God knows everything about the physical creation and us. And He does. But God’s knowledge doesn’t stop there. God not only knows everything that is known about the physical world but also the spiritual world. VK: God knows the names of all the angels. God knows where they are in space and time or where they are if they are presently in the spiritual realm. God knows the names and locations of the demons currently confined in the abyss that Jude refers to in Jude, verse 6. The book of Jude is only one chapter so we only need the verse number. What you’re saying is that God not only knows everything about everything that exists, God knows everything about anything that could exist. God knows everything that can be known not just what might be known about this creation. That’s what omniscience really means. RD: Yes. And as a part of His “knowing” God uses information. Though no human knows how the three Persons of the Trinity communicate with one another, we know that they do communicate. In that sense they employ information. The point of all this is that when we begin to ponder the role of information within the physical universe we begin to see that information is not confined to the physical universe. It is not. In that sense information may be distinguished from the other components of the physical universe: matter, energy, time, and space. In a poetic sense we might say that information pierces the veil that separates time and eternity. In doing so, it points to the fact that there is a need for an origin for this rather unique component of the created order. VK: God creates all information. God uses information for whatever purposes His sovereign will wants. God was doing that before he laid the foundation of our world or put the sun and moon in their place. And when God chose to create a creature that would bear His image, man, one attribute that God communicated to that creature was the ability to recognize and employ information. RD: Yes. The big reason we are undertaking this series on information is not just to have a philosophical discussion about information but to point out that information points undeniably to existence of the God of the Bible. As we’ve been discussing information is always the product of intelligence. So, if information is present as a component of the observable universe that means that intelligence must be also. Let’s say this a little differently. Our contemporary culture views the universe as being a construct composed of matter, energy, time, and space. The most radical among us say that that is all that is present anywhere and by doing so they are trying to exclude the possibility of God’s existence as a reasonable proposition. VK: But God refuses to be excluded doesn’t He? You don’t have to be a poet to perceive that God left His fingerprints all over creation. Psalm 19, verses 1 and 2 famously say, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Declaration, proclamation, revealing knowledge – those are all forms of communicating information. God designed this universe in such a way that His omnipotence would be revealed by the size and scope of the universe. But He also designed in such a way that our ability to understand that even the physical universe contains non-material components point to His omniscience. RD: Yes. We frequently mention the fact that not only do logic, reason, and evidence – and science - affirm God’s existence but the notion that God doesn’t exist always runs into irreconcilable conflicts and logical fallacies. This discussion of information is simply pointing to another one of those conflicts and fallacies. The universe as we see it around us contains, and must contain, information. So, we may be absolutely sure that when the skeptics and atheists tell us that God can’t be real we can’t see or touch Him they are wrong. The skeptics automatically assume that the material portion of the universe gives rise to such non-material phenomena such as information. But that makes no sense at all. How can atoms and molecules, electricity and heat create the very awareness that we possess that atoms and molecules, electricity and heat exist. VK: What people need to recognize is that the observable universe goes beyond the material. Yet, that very fact is rarely acknowledged in so-called scientific discussions. In all the discussions about the Big Bang and evolution you never hear anyone go beyond theories about how matter and energy behave. Conventional science wants to confine the universe to the material elements because that’s all that they can claim jurisdiction over. But real science simply follows the evidence where ever it leads. And the evidence clearly leads to the fact that even the physical universe gives testimony that limiting our understanding of reality to matter, energy, time, and space is neither sound science or good logic. And next time we’re going to see that a careful examination of information shows that it is possible to formulate “laws of information” that closely resemble other natural laws with which we’re more familiar – like gravitation, electricity, or thermodynamics. RD: Yep. The universe we see around us is more than just matter, energy, time, and space. I sometimes ask people what I call a “trick question.” The question is whether physics plus chemistry can produce biology. That’s the notion that undergirds the entire idea of evolution. The basic idea is that some chemical components eons ago randomly collided with each other. There was an energy source, though no one knows quite what it was, that somehow activated the chemical elements and voila – life started. The question confuses most people – not because they don’t understand it but because thinking about it points out the error of evolution. Chemistry plus physics do not equal biology. They can’t. Chemistry plus physics plus information equals biology. And information points to intelligence. And that’s the idea that materialists can’t stand. Matter and energy are material components of the universe and the space-time continuum defines the boundaries within which matter and energy interact. But, at a bare minimum, those four components by themselves could never give rise to life, even if they could somehow explain all of the inanimate elements of the universe. VK: So, again, the big idea that we are discussing is that information is another line of evidence that proves that if God did not exist the universe could not appear as we see it. Information is non-material and information always exhibits order, organization, specificity, and purpose. And those things require intelligence. Well, our thought-provoking journey continues. This sounds like a great time to pray. Today let’s listen to a prayer of praise that those who do not yet know Christ as their savior will be brought to saving faith in Him. He set the cosmos into motion, established a home on the earth for His people, and continues to prepare them for an eternity with Him in heaven. ---- PRAYER FOR THE SPIRITUALLY LOST VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the Good News Translation) Genesis, Chapter 1, verses 3 through 5, New International Version Laws of information 1 (creation.com) Laws of information 2 (creation.com) We are less than dust (creation.com)

On today's ID the Future, astrophysicist and intelligent design proponent Bijan Nemati shares the first part of his story of science and faith. Those who follow Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture may know Nemati from his appearance in the popular ID documentary The Privileged Planet. Born and raised in Iran, he moved to the United States shortly before the Iranian revolution, became an atheist in college, but eventually found his way to a strong religious faith, in part through his exposure to the scientific evidence for intelligent design, first in biology and then in cosmology. Along the way he landed a high-level job with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and became a leading expert in space interferometer telescopes Read More › Source

Episode 185 – 10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know 13 – The Chicken Came First Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: … God made … every kind of bird. God looked at what he had done, and it was good. Then he gave the living creatures his blessing—he told the ocean creatures to increase and … the birds to increase everywhere on earth. Evening came, then morning—that was the fifth day. Genesis, chapter 1, verses 20 through 23, Contemporary English Version ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re very glad to be with you. Today we are going to conclude the series we started several weeks ago on Anchored by Truth. We called this series “10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know.” To help us close our series, in the studio today we have RD Fierro, author of a well-known set of Christian allegories called Doors of Destiny and Prodigal’s Advocate. Doors of Destiny is a great way to begin a discussion with family members and friends about their faith and Prodigal’s Advocate is for anyone who is serious about their faith and wants to develop Christian maturity. RD is also the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, this “10 Facts Every Christian needs to Know” series has covered 13 episodes. That’s the longest series we have every done on Anchored by Truth. Why did we spend so much time on it? RD: Well, I’d also like to welcome everyone joining us here today and just to remind them that anyone who missed a previous episode in this series can find episodes of Anchored by Truth on their favorite podcast app or our website, crystalseabooks.com. The reason we have been so diligent in working out way through 10 facts every Christian needs to know is simple. There’s a lot of disinformation and misinformation that circulates within our culture today. We are constantly being bombarded with narratives about abortion, marriage, politics, social concerns, financial concerns, etc. It can be overwhelming. But most of the narratives that are jammed at us are what I call secondary narratives. We talk about these secondary narratives but we hardly ever talk about the primary narratives that underscore these secondary narratives. Three of these primary narratives are Deep Time, evolution, and uniformitarianism. VK: Deep time is the idea that the universe is 14 Billion years old and the earth is 4.5 Billion years old. You have said “Deep time is the root of the evolutionary weed.” Evolution needs deep time because without it the whole idea that the random collision of unintelligent atoms and molecules could have produced the biodiversity we see around us – let alone biologists that can study life – is ridiculous. Without deep time evolution dies as an hypothesis even worthy of contemplation. Uniformitarianism is the idea that “the present is the key to the past.” In other words, everything we see going on around us today is the same as what has been occurring during that Deep Time. Geological uniformitarianism explains why the surface of the earth looks the way it does. Biological uniformitarianism explains why living creatures look like they do. But in this series we have pointed out that there are scientific observations that dispute Deep Time. These observations point out that the universe and earth are thousands of years old, not millions or billions of years old. In doing so, these scientific observations are a death knell for the evolutionary and uniformitarian hypotheses. RD: Well said. Most of our attention gets focused on the secondary narratives. But it is important to note that the secondary narratives emerge from and are dependent on the primary ones. Primary narratives are the overarching paradigms so embedded in the culture that they are not even noticed any more. As we have said in this series, these primary narratives are like the framed art prints on your wall. Initially you see them and think about them, but as time goes by you notice them less and less. Eventually you only notice them when a visitor comes in and makes a comment about them. Deep time, evolution, and uniformitarianism - among others - are now primary narratives in our culture. Only fools and the suspect disagree with them. VK: What these primary narratives have done is to displace the need for God. Without the Big Bang/Deep Time narrative we would all look to God as the creator of the physical universe. Without evolution we would all look to God as the creator of life. And without uniformitarianism we would all look to God as being necessary to sustain the operation of the created order. We wouldn’t think creation was some kind of self-sustaining animatronic that just keep going because that’s always the way it has been. So, the net result of these primary narratives has been to displace the common sense notion that God is necessary to explain our universe, our world, and our own existence. And of course, once these narratives do away with the need for God they have also done away with trust in the Bible as being God’s word. RD: So, in the first five facts we discussed we pointed out – just scratched the surface really – a few of the empirical observations that point out that these primary narratives have major problems that are rarely acknowledged. And in the next four facts we moved on to demonstrating that there is evidence not only in the physical creation but also in human history, language, and geography that confirm that the book of Genesis is reliable. Then, the 10th fact every Christian needs to know to ensure that they can be secure in their confidence in the Bible is this: while the secular world has doubts about the historicity of the book of Genesis, the book of Genesis has never been disproven and indeed it cannot be disproven. Conversely, while the Big Bang Theory and Deep Time, the evolutionary hypothesis, and the uniformitarian hypothesis are widely accepted they have never been proven to be true, and indeed, they cannot be proven to be true. VK: And today you said you wanted to move on to another observation that you believe helps put the big picture into perspective. And you said you wanted to call this episode of Anchored by Truth “The Chicken Came First.” That’s a pretty strange title isn’t it? RD: Well, actually I wanted to call this episode “The Chicken Came First, Silly,” but you objected to me using “Silly.” VK: Yes. I did. The title “The Chicken Came First” is pretty … strange all by itself. RD: Maybe. At any rate, the final observation I wanted to make to conclude this series is something my wife pointed out to me on a walk not too long ago. She pointed out that a lot of people don’t understand the fact that when God made the physical creation and life that He created everything in a mature state. That uncertainty or ambiguity is illustrated pretty well by the old question: “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” That question is supposed to be a sort-of philosophical puzzle. You can’t have a chicken without first having an egg. But of course you can’t have an egg without first having a chicken. But for people who are familiar with the Bible it’s not a puzzle at all. God created everything to be fully functional from the moment He brought it into existence. So, the answer is simple. The chicken came first. Or speaking specifically, the first chicken kind came first. VK: But the Bible says that on day one after God created the heavens and earth that the “earth was formless and empty [and] darkness was over the surface of the deep …” That doesn’t sound like the earth was necessarily functional at that point. RD: Well, it might be better to say that God initially formed the matter and energy that comprised the heavens and earth. Then, He immediately began conforming the earth so that it would be fully functional to perform its intended purpose – to support living creature including man who would be the pinnacle of God’s living creatures. Let’s not forget that the Bible no sooner tells us that darkness was over the surface of the deep that the Bible tells us that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Said a little differently, right from the beginning God set about conforming the earth for man. On that day one God made light and brought the day/night cycle into existence. VK: And then on the next five days God began bringing about further changes that would be necessary to make man’s existence on the earth possible. On day two God created waters on the surface of the earth and separated them from those that would make the atmosphere suitable as a protective and supportive covering. On day three God made dry land and brought forth the first vegetation. On day four He made the sun, moon, and stars to give definition to the cycles of time He was planning. Then on day five God populated the sea and skies with living creatures. We heard about part of that in our opening scripture. But I think I see what you are getting at. At each stage when God finished that step in the creation process the product of that step was ready to go. When God created the fish they were ready to swim. When God created the birds they were ready to fly. And both the fish and the birds already had plants available for nutrition and a sun and moon by which to know when it was time to move and when it was time to rest. That’s what you mean when you say “the chicken came first.” RD: Exactly. And just to finish the thought both the fish and the birds were immediately able to reproduce. Remember God told both the creatures in the sea and the creatures that were to inhabit the sky to begin increasing. And God pronounced the creatures He had created “good” which would mean they must have had the capacity to reproduce. This in turn answers another question that is a real problem for the evolutionary hypothesis – the origin of biological sexes. VK: What you’re saying is that the evolutionary hypothesis has no real answer of how a gradual, mutational process can produce two different genders both of which are necessary for the continuation of the species. After all there living species on the earth that reproduce asexually. Asexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction that involves the offspring being produced by a single parent rather than two. RD: The supposed evolutionary answer to why there are a great many species on the earth that require two different, but compatible genders, for reproduction usually attempt to explain how the operation of sexual reproduction is beneficial to the species. But explaining the benefits of the operation of something is quite different from explaining the origin of it. The origin and maintenance of two different genders, the sex process, and recombination of compatible components of separate cells is not easily explained by natural selection. Evolutionary biology hasn’t discovered why animals would abandon asexual reproduction in favor of more costly and inefficient sexual reproduction. In sexual reproduction not only must each gender must possess its own unique physiology to make the process work but the physiologies must match each other. VK: After all, if there is one thing that is certain, it is that malfunctions or mistakes in reproduction are pretty much guaranteed to eliminate a species. Thinking about what would have to have happened for gender to arise without design or planning pretty much boggles the mind. Random mutations would have to have produced two biologically complementary entities that were both formed at the right time and right location. Those two entities would have to find each other – just in time – and know what to do. Then the cells from each would have to be able to combine in such a way that they would create an entity similar to their parents but also possess a new ability. And if anything goes wrong along the way the existence of that species either goes away or at best this new found regenerative function disappears and the earlier asexual process continues. As I said, the likelihood that all that occurs from random mutational changes boggles the mind. RD: Yes. And you’re only speaking about what we might term the level of gross morphology. Biological life doesn’t begin with morphology and structural function. It starts at the biomolecular level. Living creatures are similar to computers in many ways. We, they, don’t just have hardware. We have software – our programming that’s contained in our DNA. And, of course, the hardware and software don’t work if there’s not a reliable source of energy that is available in just the right forms and amounts to allow all of the components to work together. And sexual reproduction is just one example of biological systems that must be complete at the point of origin or they are no good to anyone or anything. VK: Even Charles Darwin admitted in a letter to American botanist Asa Gray in 1860 that "The eye to this day gives me a cold shudder … .” Darwin knew that eyes don’t function without a lot of moving parts all of which must operate together. There has to be a clear outer covering that holds all the parts together but admits the light. There’s a pupil that opens and closes to control the amount of light that enters and a lens that focuses the light. And there have to be a set of pretty finely tuned muscles and ligaments that will allow the eye to have motion within a socket that was specially prepared to hold all the parts. There has to be a receptor pad to receive the photon and generate a chemical signal to be sent to the brain. But that signal doesn’t do any good without an optic nerve to carry it and a part of the brain that has been configured to generate an image. And none of that does any good if the creature doesn’t know what the images mean about its surroundings. When you think about all that it’s pretty amazing that anyone thinks that all that arose by chance. RD: Yes. And, again, you’re only speaking about the gross morphology. There are dozens of chemical changes taking place at the molecular level that permit all the various functions to occur. When speculating about how eyes could have developed gradually I’ve heard some evolutionists speculate on “light sensitive spots” that became dimples in the skin and were gradually covered by a thin membrane and so forth. But all of that misses the point. Even to have a “light sensitive spot” would have required dozens of biochemical mutations to have occurred simultaneously. And even the evolutionists will admit that half an eye or three-quarters of an ear doesn’t do the creature any good. Biological systems must function all together or they don’t function at all. VK: So, back to the chicken and the egg. The reason that it’s not a problem for Biblical creationism is because the Bible straightforwardly tells us that God completed a complete creature to start with. The fish in the sea were ready to survive in their environment. The birds were immediately capable of flight. They were immediately able to launch, land, maneuver in flight, and avoid trees. They were also able to lay eggs and they had been programmed with DNA that told them what they needed to do to get those eggs to hatch. The first birds to hatch from eggs had to go through a maturation process but their parents didn’t. RD: And that’s why, in a simple but powerful way, the Biblical explanation is superior to the evolutionary hypothesis. The Bible explains the puzzle of the complete functionality that must be present for biological systems to work at all. And all evolution can ever provide are pieces and parts that are somehow useless today, but will one day turn into something like an eye, a circulatory system, a flight feather, or the avian lung. VK: One of the biggest challenges to the idea that dinosaurs turned into birds is that the breathing systems of dinosaurs are completely different from those of birds. Dinosaur lungs work like ours do. They are a sort of bellows where air goes in and out of the same opening and through a series of branching tubes that finally terminate in tiny air sacs. But the breathing system of birds is completely different. In birds the major air passages break down into tiny tubes which permeate the lung tissue that are called parabronchi [PAIR-AH-BRON-KAI]. These parabronchi eventually join up together again so the air only flows in one direction through the bird lungs. Birds are vertebrates because they have a spine but their lungs are unique among the vertebrate world. It’s hard to see how this system could have developed gradually because if an animal can’t breathe that animal is not going to survive very long. And a respiratory system going through a change isn’t going to work very well if it’s only halfway through the change. RD: Simply put, biological systems don’t work unless they are complete. Now the system may be simple or complex compared to another biological system but biological systems are all enormously complicated when compared to any non-living system. The simplest bacterial cell without a nucleus contains 100 Billion atoms and they are all organized with exquisite precision into a flotilla of protein machines each performing its own specialized function. If one part goes missing the bacteria dies. Same thing with higher order animals. Eyes only work if the entire system is present. Hearts are no good without complicated networks of blood vessels. Birds don’t fly without the feathers that allow them to generate lift, the muscles to move the wings, the brain to make minute adjustments at a speed no human could manage, and lungs that keep air flowing continuously. But evolution is supposed to work with no mind or design. And the problem is that when pressed on how random mutation could produce evolutionists must resort to speculation and guess. They can never say for sure how a complex biological system came into being so that it functioned immediately. VK: Here’s how Dr. Colin Patterson, the senior paleontologist at the British Natural History Museum described his realization that the evolutionary hypothesis was speculation, not settled science. “… I had a sudden realization. For over twenty years I had thought I was working on evolution in some way. One morning I woke up and something had happened in the night; and it struck me that I had been working on this stuff for twenty years and there was not one thing I knew about it. That’s quite a shock, to learn one can be misled for so long … So, for the last few weeks I’ve tried putting a simple question to various people and groups of people … Can you tell me anything you know about evolution, any one thing, any one thing that is true? … All I got was silence.” RD: The chicken and egg question points out something very significant. Eggs will turn into chickens when they are kept in the proper environment but only because they have been programmed to do so. And at each stage of development the developing chicken is still functional at that stage. The system is changing but functioning at every step throughout the transformation. But evolution as a process, by its own rules, is never going to be allowed to know that function is necessary for life – much less the brilliant complete complexity that is present in all living creatures. Evolution holds to the core idea that random, undirected, purposeless atoms collided chaotically and somehow produced protein machines that populate and power each cell. But these purposeless atoms didn’t just produce the protein machinery they went on to organize those machines into a cooperative collective that is more sophisticated than the factory that builds passenger airplanes. VK: So, the chicken and the egg points out what Michael Denton who wrote Evolution: A Theory in Crisis the “puzzle of perfection.” Living systems must be complete to live at all. Living systems cannot operate with half formed hearts or bits and pieces that may one day become a lung if that mutation survives another five hundred generations. Christians are sometimes criticized as inserting “God in the gaps.” The criticism is that when Christians cannot explain all the intricacies of how a particular thing happened we insert God into that gap. But as we pointed out in our last episode when the math for the Big Bang doesn’t work out secular physicists insert Dark Matter into the gap to explain the need for more gravitation. When evolutionary biologists can’t explain how a permeable cell membrane enclosed a DNA molecule that just happened to be close by enough other protein machinery to make the first cell they say “well, we don’t how it happened but we know evolution was responsible.” So, physicists and biologists insert Dark Matter, evolution, and Deep Time into their gap and then tell us that is what science demands. RD: Charles Darwin speculated about his now famous “warm little pond” where life must have first emerged. Now some scientists tell us that it wasn’t a warm pond but a deep ocean vent. For Darwin and the others warm ponds and deep ocean vents are like Star Trek replicators that magically convert energy and matter into living molecules that can proceed on their own to craft ever more complicated and sophisticated living creatures. VK: Warm little ponds are Star Trek replicators – really? RD: Yes. The idea that undirected, inanimate matter can produce the specified and irreducible complexity of living creatures is like believing a chimpanzee can bang rocks together and produce the space shuttle. There’s a famous story of a woman challenging a evolutionist who was giving a lecture on how evolution works. The woman asked how a single cell could ever turn into a human being. The evolutionist responded, “You did it yourself madam, in nine months.” The evolutionist thought he was being clever but he actually eviscerated his own thesis. A fertilized human ovum grows into a human being because it contains the programming that tells it what to do and guides its growth at every step of the process. Furthermore that developing human must be protected within the mother’s womb and supported by the mother’s body until it is able to function on its own. Any failures along the way and life doesn’t continue. Far from pointing out how evolution could have produced a human from a single ancestral cell the evolutionist pointed out that life would be impossible if it were not designed, protected, and sustained until it can function independently. The chicken had to come first – and it did – because an omnipotent, omniscient, purposeful God sovereignly decided to make it. And He didn’t need any help from warm ponds, deep ocean vents, or Star Trek replicators. VK: The point of this series and today’s discussion is to help Christians begin to grapple with the narratives that circulate so widely today. As we said in the first episode in this series Christianity is a faith of facts. The culture tells us that the universe sprang into being from nothingness and then life arose without the benefit of direction or intelligence. Those assertions are refuted by facts and logic. But that truth won’t do any Christian any good if they don’t take the time to arm themselves with the facts and learn how to apply those facts to sort out the barrage of false claims that are directed against their faith. To close, since Veterans Day is right around the corner today let’s listen to a prayer for the veterans of our armed forces whose sacrifice built and preserved this nation for almost 250 years. ---- PRAYER FOR VETERANS DAY VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quote from the Contemporary English Version ) Genesis, chapter 1, verses 20 through 23, Contemporary English Version Dark matter in trouble again - creation.com Stars don’t form naturally - creation.com Satan’s Strategy • Cast doubt on God’s goodness • Deny God’s truth • Elevate self-importance • Establish a replacement in the mind and heart for God’s truth Cultural Narratives One way to look at narratives is that there are primary and secondary narratives that circulate in our culture. The primary narratives are so embedded in our culture that they are not even noticed any more. They are like the framed prints on your wall. Initially you see them but as time goes by you notice them less and less. Eventually you only know they are there when a visitor comes in and remarks about them. Deep time, evolution, uniformitarianism, and the equality of all religious viewpoints are now primary narratives in our culture. Only fools and the suspect disagree with them. The narratives we notice (such as the prominent social and political narratives) are secondary ones - the acceptability of abortion, same sex marriage, the difference between "green" energy and fossil fuels, "public" education, increased government control and regulation, etc. The secondary ones emerge from and are dependent on the primary ones. • The Big Bang/deep time does away with the need for God as Creator. • Evolution does away with the need for God as the Author of life. • Uniformitarianism does away God as the Administrator of justice (become evil continually and God will wipe you off the face of the earth). Since we've done away with God we now create our own standards for what constitutes "personhood," family, man's dominion over the earth, etc. The problem is, of course, we didn't do away with God or His truth. And the house built on intellectual sand falls when the river of reality hits it. So, we will proclaim the truth to try to save some and maybe by God's grace many or most. People who doubt the inerrancy of scripture never think about any of this but they should. The line from that which they doubt the Word to a life they don't want to live is very straight. The line grows even more straight as it uncoils - just like the hangman's rope.

Episode 174 – 10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know 2 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139, verse 14, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re excited to be with you today as we continue the new series we started last time on Anchored by Truth. So, In the studio today we have RD Fierro. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books and he is the one picking the facts we are covering in this series. RD, you’ve entitled this series “10 Facts Every Christian Needs to Know.” I’m sure many listeners would wonder how in the world you settled on the 10 facts that we are including in this series. There are surely thousands of facts that are relevant to the Christian faith. Picking 10 means you have to have done some hard thinking. RD: Well, I’d first like to start by thanking everyone for joining us here today. And you are absolutely right that there are thousands, or perhaps hundreds of thousands of facts that are relevant to the Christian faith. I have wanted to do this series for a while to highlight a couple of key points. First, as we discussed last time the Christian faith is a faith of facts. In other words the Christian faith is a faith that reflects the real world, and not just the world as it is today but the entire history of the world – both natural and human history. One of the ways we can be confident about the truth of the Christian faith is that Christianity permits us to test it by examining its principle source – the Bible – through the lens of logic, reason, and evidence. VK: Now in saying that I want to be sure that people understand that we are not elevating man’s logic over the revelation made in the Bible. What you are saying is that the Bible may be tested in the same way a farmer tests his fruit trees. Jesus gave us this test in Matthew, chapter 12, verse 33 which says, “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.” That’s the New Living Translation version of that verse. We can be sure of the Bible’s trustworthiness because we can evaluate its content for accuracy, reliability, consistency, and relevance. When we do so we see that it possesses the attributes we would expect of a book that claims to be the word of God. The Bible is consistent with what we know about world and human history and it gives evidence of supernatural origin. RD: Yes. We do not judge the Bible. The Bible judges us. But the Bible commands us, to use our minds in worship. In John 10:38, Jesus said to a group of people who were about to stone him, “even though you do not believe me, you should at least believe my deeds, in order that you may know once and for all that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.” Even Jesus didn’t just demand unquestioning obedience. He gave evidence, and a lot of it, that He was who He said He was. In the same way the Bible provides evidence that it is what it says it is. So, part of what we’re doing in this series is to look at a set of facts that serve the same purpose that Jesus’ deeds did. These facts confirm the Bible and its message. But you are right that deciding on just 10 facts was not easy. VK: So, how did you do it? RD: Whenever I think about the Bible I always try to ensure that I start out with the big story. The Bible is one grand saga – the saga of creation, fall, and redemption. The saga features a chosen people, the Jews, a chosen family, the family of David, and, of course, one central person – the Messiah who was Christ Jesus. Those are the primary actors in this unfolding, grand drama but make no mistake – we are all players on the stage. So, when I started thinking about which facts that pertain to Christianity I went back to the places where the grand saga is so misunderstood in our day and age. And, of course, no surprise the misunderstanding of the story begins at the beginning. VK: It’s obvious to anyone who is paying attention that the book of Genesis is the most attacked book in the Bible. For more than a century and a half the attacks have been relentless. In our culture the belief that all life arose from the random collision of inanimate particles has largely supplanted a belief in the creative activity of God. Even many Christians now fall for the idea that God may have started everything but somehow He used evolution to move life along. Long-age uniformitarianism has replaced the idea that the surface of the earth we see resulted from a catastrophic world-wide flood. Few people now believe that the world wide dispersal of human beings and the proliferation of languages resulted from God correcting the behavior of His people at Babel when they tried to build a tower that would reach the heavens. RD: Yes. As you said Genesis is the most attacked book in the Bible and for good reason. If Satan and his human minions can dispense with the necessity of God as creator they can fill the gap with any nonsense that is convenient at the moment. God as creator means God as regulator and the one idea that fallen people hate is that they are accountable to a holy sovereign. So, the first fact that I chose to feature in this series, and that we addressed on our last episode, is the whole notion of what is sometimes termed “deep time.” The simple fact is that there is abundant scientific evidence that is consistent with the age of the earth and universe being thousands of years old rather than millions or billions of years old. VK: Deep time is essentially the idea that the universe and the earth are billions of years old. The secular world must have deep time in order to maintain the illusion that the General Theory of Evolution is plausible. Evolution needs billions of years of time to change bacteria into biologists. The only supposed creative force evolution has is beneficial mutation - in other words the random interaction of unthinking matter. To make the whole evolutionary hypothesis plausible the scheme needs lots of time. Lots of time is necessary so that lots of those random, chaotic, interactive events can take place. They need untold trillions of those interactions in the hope that a few of them will produce a living being so complex that the code that describe its construction can contain 3 billion data elements. RD: Deep time is the root of the evolutionary weed. Destroy the root and the weed dies. VK: I like that phrase. “Deep time is the root of the evolutionary weed.” It’s graphic but appropriate. So, we addressed the issue of deep time in our last episode of Anchored by Truth. What fact do you want to tackle today? RD: Today I want to address the fact that the complexity of life makes it impossible that life could have arisen as a result of the random collision of atoms and molecules – even if you could explain the existence of the atoms and molecules to begin with. VK: Ok. I think we’re going to need to probe some of the specifics that lead to a statement as definitive as that. RD: I agree. So, let’s start out with the fact that unlike Charles Darwin thought a living cell is not a simple blob of protoplasm. Living cells are enormously complex structures. In fact the simplest living cell is more complex than the most sophisticated machine ever built by man. VK: I think we better get into some specific examples of what you’re thinking about. RD: I agree. So, let’s start with some basic facts about cells. All life on earth is cellular based. We know that there are different types of cells – some have nuclei and some don’t – but all life on earth is based on cells. Some living forms are only a single cell but. Higher forms of life have a great many cells. Recent estimates are that the human body contains 200 different types of cells and about 30 Trillion individual cells. But regardless of whether we’re talking about a single cell bacterium or a human being all life on earth is based on the existence of cells. VK: And we know that all cells are composed of a cell wall, or membrane, that encloses the cells machinery which consists of various proteins. The number of proteins that a particular cell contains varies widely but even the simplest cell contains thousands of individual proteins. Estimates say that the simplest bacterial cell is comprised of at least 100 Billion atoms. That’s Billions with a “B.” In other words, every single cell on earth is a phenomenally complicated system and the complexity of life only increases as we move up the chain. RD: Right. And the sheer numbers only begin to hint at the complexity. All of those protein machines must not only be present but they must be able to properly perform their individual function. Why don’t you go ahead and read that section about cellular composition from Michael Denton’s classic book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis? VK: This is from page 263 from a chapter entitled “The Enigma of Life’s Origin.” The American biochemist Harold Markowitz has speculated as to what might be the absolute minimum requirement for a completely self-replicating cell … Such a cell would necessarily be bound by a cell membrane and the simplest one feasible is probably the typical bilayered lipid membrane utilized by all existing cells. The synthesis of the fats of the cell membrane would require perhaps a minimum of five proteins. A minimum of ten proteins would be required for the nucleotide building blocks of the DNA, and for the DNA synthesis. Such a cell would also require a protein synthetic apparatus for the synthesis of its proteins. If this was along the lines of usual ribosomal system, it would require about eighty proteins. … This is the smallest hypothetical cell we can envisage ... since we have allowed no control functions, no vitamin metabolism and extremely limited intermediary metabolism. RD: So, what Denton was describing was the simplest theoretical cell. Some bacterial cells approach that level of “simplicity” but the cells of higher organisms multiply the level of complexity present within each cell. We can get some idea of how much more complicated higher organisms are by considering DNA. The DNA of the simplest self-reproducing organism, Mycoplasma genitalium, has the smallest known genome of any free-living organism. Its DNA contains 482 genes with 580,000 base pairs. But Mycoplasma can’t actually survive by itself. It only survives by parasitizing more complex organisms, which provide many of the nutrients it cannot manufacture for itself. Mycoplasma has DNA which consists of approximately 500,000 base pairs. Human DNA by comparison consists of 3 Billion base pairs. VK: So, the point of all this is really very simple. Living creatures are enormously complicated systems. Yet the General Theory of Evolution contends that all of this complexity arose as the result of the random collision of bits of matter floating in what is sometimes called a “pre-biotic soup.” Wow. That would have to have been an extremely fortunate accident for 100 Billion of the right atoms to all collide with one another in such a way that a permeable cell wall was instantly formed that contained hundreds of individual proteins that immediately began acting together to sustain and replicate themselves. How do evolutionists address this obvious problem? RD: Well, typically they don’t actually attempt to address the issue of original cellular formation. They try to come at the problem indirectly by talking about how organic pre-cursors may have formed. All of the proteins that comprise cellular machinery are made up of amino acids. So, the evolutionists try to show how these amino acids may have formed without intelligent intervention. That’s one of the reasons the Miller- Urey experiments were so sensationalized during the latter half of the 20th century. VK: In 1953 Harold Urey of the University of Chicago and his 23-year-old graduate student, Stanley Miller. The Miller–Urey experiments involved filling a sealed glass apparatus with gases that had been speculated were necessary to form life—namely methane, ammonia and hydrogen (to mimic the conditions that they thought were in the early atmosphere) and water vapor (to simulate the ocean). Next a heating coil kept the water boiling, and they struck the gases in the flask with a high-voltage to simulate lightning. Below this was a water-cooled condenser that cooled and condensed the mixture, allowing it to fall into a water trap below. The result was a sort of gooey tar mixture that contained some amino acids. And some scientists of the day proclaimed that scientists had created life in a test tube. Some still do and the Miller-Urey experiments is still prominently featured in many textbooks as proof that life arose from non-life. RD: That’s the contention but the truth is that the Miller-Urey experiments not only didn’t create life they proved how difficult it is for life to have arisen randomly. In his well-known book called Algeny Jeremy Rifkin wrote this: “It turns out that the particular amino acids Miller formed in his experiment are totally unsuitable for the formation of life. Chemists divide amino acids into levorotary and dextrorotary. The latter are incapable of supporting life. … For biogenesis to take place all … amino acids of living protoplasm must be levorotary … if even small amounts of the dextrorotary type are present, proteins of a different three dimensional structure are formed, which are unsuitable for life’s metabolism. … Miller’s experiment produced only [combinations of the two types].” VK: One survey of adult Americans believe that as many as 75% of adult Americans believe that scientists have produced life from non-living chemicals but that’s not true is it? RD: No. All similar experiments since Miller-Urey have resulted only in the production of a combination of levorotary and dextrorotary amino acids which as Rifkin said are completely unsuitable to sustain life. So, all of this biochemistry leads us back to where we began in stating our fact for this episode: the complexity of life makes it impossible that life could have arisen as a result of the random collision of inanimate atoms and molecules. VK: Well, as you put it some people believe that chemistry plus physics equals biology. But that’s not true is it? RD: No. And even if a scientist did create “life in a test tube” that would not prove life arose or could arise without intelligent intervention – unless the scientist wanted to claim they themselves were not intelligent! And it is not just that life displays incredible complexity. There are least 3 specific forms of complexity that are present in life: irreducible complexity, specific complexity, and informational complexity. When we speak of “irreducible complexity” we are simply saying that living systems are not only complicated but they must operate as a system. Take one part away or if a single part malfunctions and you don’t just affect that part. The entire system ceases to function. This is very similar to mechanical systems with which we are more familiar. Someone may drive a car worth $100,000 but you can take away a $3 spark plug wire or valve stem out of a tire and the whole car stops. The failure of a single, seemingly insignificant part stops the entire system from functioning. VK: The most graphic example of the failure of a single part stopping an enormously complicated system was the 1986 Challenger disaster. According to Wikipedia “The disaster was caused by the failure of the two redundant O-ring seals in a joint in the Space Shuttle's right solid rocket booster (SRB). The record-low temperatures of the launch reduced the elasticity of the rubber O-rings, reducing their ability to seal the joints. The broken seals caused a breach into the joint shortly after liftoff, which allowed pressurized gas … to leak and burn through the wall to the adjacent external fuel tank. This led to the separation of the right-hand [solid rocket booster’s] aft attachment, which caused it to crash into the external tank, which caused a structural failure of the external tank and an explosion.” RD: Yes. Most people don’t realize that there are dozens of biochemical reactions that must be present for vision to occur. Remove a single one and even though the eye itself might be fine the entire system fails. But the complexity of life is not just irreducible it is also specified. The example most often given of specified complexity is language. We can have a very long sequence of random letters – hundreds, thousands, or millions yet without specificity most of that series will be meaningless. VK: An analog might be if we filled a swimming pool with a child’s letter blocks. There would be enormous complexity in the jumble of blocks but how much meaning would be present. If we started pulling out blocks one at a time, occasionally we will pull out a sequence of 2 or 3 letters that has meaning. The letter “t” and “o” might come out and that means something. Then we pull a “p” and that means something because now we have “top.” But after that, then what? If we pulled out another “p” we could be on our way to “topple” but how likely would we pull out the “l” and “e” in that order? So, a physical situation can be enormously complex but meaningless. But that is not at all how life exists. RD: And with your letter blocks in the pool analogy we start to see the impossibility of aligning the 100 Billion atoms in the simplest cell by random interaction. Specified complexity means that the complexity has been so arranged that it produces use, meaning, or in the ultimate expression – life. Life, all life, exhibits specified complexity. Cells not only have billions of atoms but all of those atoms are organized into micro-machines that perform specific purposes and all those micro-machines must work together properly or the system fails. VK: So, specified complexity leads us to the conclusion that life contains informational complexity. Back to your formula – chemistry plus physics does not equal biology. Nor does the addition of time complete the package for life. Chemical plus physical systems that have been around for a while are just old systems. What transforms chemistry plus physics into biology is information. You might say that information is necessary for animation. Right? RD: Right. There’s a great book that discusses this need thoroughly and compellingly called In the Beginning was Information. Informational complexity is exhibited in all living systems but it is most potently exhibited in DNA. DNA is far more than just a series of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and other elements clinging together in long molecular strings. DNA is an information storage system that is far more complicated, at its simplest, than the most sophisticated human information system. Originally it was thought that the genes that DNA contains controlled the attributes of the creature. It was thought that one gene controls one attribute. VK: But that’s not true at all is it? RD: No. The genes of all higher order animals are pleiotropic which means that most genes control or contribute to the control of multiple aspects of the creature. Moreover, we now know that DNA differs greatly from human information systems in that it is not two dimensional in its storage capacity. It is three dimensional. It can be read not just right to left but left to right and even up and down. In some cases some parts of the code are skipped in providing instructions to the cell while in other cases that part of the code is used. And there is a relatively new discipline called “epigenetics” which tells us that contrary to long standing ideas certain characteristics acquired by an individual during their lifetime can be passed immediately to their descendants. VK: It used to be thought that there was an absolute barrier between what are referred to as “somatic” cells and “germ” cells. Somatic cells are used to build the “body” of the creature. “Germ” cells are reproductive cells. It was thought that there was an absolute barrier between the two and it was called the Weismann barrier. But the latest science indicates that isn’t always true. Yet all of this amazing complexity must be specified somewhere with the DNA. The big point is that living beings do not and cannot exist without enormous information systems being present in every component of the living creature – the cell. RD: Right. The simplest cell will not work if its component parts don’t function properly individually and collectively. The same is true for body systems that those cells build. That’s irreducible complexity. The cells and body systems must be organized in very specific ways. They must exist as systems that have utility, function, and purpose so they must have been developed and must be maintained in very specific configurations. In other words, they are specified in their design and function. That’s specified complexity. And present throughout all living creatures are incomprehensible amounts of information. And the information is not a direct consequence of the underlying chemistry any more than the information on the page of a book is dependent on the chemistry of the ink and paper. The information present in living creatures transcends the physical storage apparatus in the same way that the information contained in a computer has nothing to do with chips, plastic, wires, or metal. And information is the exact opposite of randomness and chaos. Chaotically derived information is not only ridiculous it is impossible. VK: Well, as you said the complexity of life makes it impossible that life could have arisen as a result of the random collision of atoms and molecules – even if you could explain the existence of the atoms and molecules to begin with. And even King David knew that 3,000 years ago as our opening verse from Psalm 139 demonstrated. Life is complex – irreducibly, specifically, and informationally. But let’s hasten to add that as complex as it is to us, it presents no challenge to an omniscient God. Today let’s listen to a prayer for children who are getting ready to go back to school. And let’s remember that as important as education is to our children parents must always be alert to what their kids are being taught in school, especially public schools. That’s one of the reasons it is so important for us to ground ourselves firmly in facts so we can correct the impressions that circulate so widely today – such as the idea that evolution can explain the marvelous complexity of life. Evolution can’t but the Bible does. ---- PRAYER FOR CHILDREN STARTING SCHOOL VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the New Living Translation) Psalm 139,verse 14, New Living Translation How simple can life be? - creation.com Why the Miller Urey research argues against abiogenesis - creation.com C14 dinos - creation.com

On this classic ID The Future, biologist Michael Denton discusses the implications of recurring animal body plans, arguing that they are predetermined types undergirding less fundamental “adaptive masks.” Denton questions the ability of a Darwinian process to account for these high-level patterns found in living systems, such as the recurring body plan of insects. Denton suggests instead that these recurrent forms extend from original “primal patterns,” much as argued by such nineteenth-century opponents of Darwinism as Richard Owen and Louis Agassiz. Denton says their arguments were brushed aside by those fixated on a Darwinian/adaptationist model, but never effectively answered. Dr. Denton is author, most recently, of the capstone work in his Privileged Species series, The Miracle of Man: The Fine Read More › Source

On this ID the Future from the vault, host Sarah Chaffee talks with Center for Science and Culture Research Coordinator Brian Miller about the growing ID underground. Miller says that as many as one-quarter of Harvard post-docs in relevant fields privately express sympathy for intelligent design. And more and more scientists who don't agree with ID are at least standing up against common sound-bite misrepresentations. In their conversation Miller also reviews what he describes as three “major pillars” of evolutionary theory that in recent years have been “dramatically shaken.” The conversation cues off of Miller's Evolution News article on the subject. Source

On today's ID the Future, Miracle of Man author and biologist Michael Denton continues his conversation with host Eric Anderson. Here Denton does a rapid flyover of several more anthropic “coincidences” in chemistry, biochemistry, and Earth science that are fine tuned to allow air-breathing, bipedal, technology-developing terrestrial creatures like ourselves to exist and thrive. The fine tuning, what Denton calls anthropic prior fitness, would seem to require foresight and planning on literally a cosmic scale. The wide-ranging conversation, the final one in a four-part series, gives a flavor for the breadth—if not the depth and richness—of Denton's new book from Discovery Institute Press, available here. Source

In Part 3 of The Miracle of Man interview with author Michael Denton, the Australian biologist and MD explores with host Eric Anderson some of the bioengineering marvels of the human lung and, more fundamentally, some of the many things about chemistry, the sun, and planet Earth that had to be just so to allow our respiratory and circulatory systems to work—not merely as well as they do but at all. It's fine tuning for creatures very much like ourselves, what Denton terms The Miracle of Man. “Denton provides the a scientific underpinning for a theistic real humanism far beyond the nihilistic implications of so-called secular humanism,” writes German paleontologist Günter Bechly. “The book deserves to become a game changer Read More › Source

In Part 3 of The Miracle of Man interview with author Michael Denton, the Australian biologist and MD explores with host Eric Anderson some of the bioengineering marvels of the human lung and, more fundamentally, some of the many things about chemistry, the sun, and planet Earth that had to be just so to allow our respiratory and circulatory systems to work—not merely as well as they do but at all. Source

This ID the Future continues Miracle of Man author Michael Denton's conversation with host Eric Anderson about his latest book. The focus of this capstone work in his Privileged Species series is, as the subtitle explains, The Fine-Tuning of Nature for Human Existence. Source

This ID the Future continues Miracle of Man author Michael Denton's conversation with host Eric Anderson about his latest book. The focus of this capstone work in his Privileged Species series is, as the subtitle explains, The Fine-Tuning of Nature for Human Existence. Here Denton and Anderson dive deeper into the book's argument that science has uncovered multiple ensembles of fitness for creatures much like ourselves—land-going, airbreathing, intelligent bipeds capable of controlling fire and developing new technologies. In other words, it's not just a handful of things about nature that appear fine tuned for our existence. It's a long list of things, and indeed, a long list of interdependent ensembles of prior fitness—what Denton sometimes refers to as a “primal Read More › Source

On this ID the Future from the vault, Jay Richards and astrobiologist Guillermo Gonzalez discuss several discoveries made since 2004 supporting the conclusions of their 2004 book The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery.Gonzalez and Richards show how the book's thesis — that conditions for life and scientific discovery meet on Earth to a fine-tuned degree that strongly points toward design — has been confirmed multiple times. Source

On today's ID the Future, host Eric Anderson sits down with Australian biologist and MD Michael Denton to discuss his new book, The Miracle of Man: The Fine Tuning of Nature for Human Existence. As Denton notes, throughout the Middle Ages, humans were viewed as central to the cosmic scheme of things, but this anthropocentric view began to fall out of favor in the sixteenth century, and few if any scientific discoveries in the subsequent two centuries offered any apparent aid or comfort to the view. That, however, isn't the end of the story. According to Denton, even as Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution by natural selection seemed to be draining from the idea what little life remained Read More › Source

On today's ID the Future, host Eric Anderson sits down with Australian biologist and MD Michael Denton to discuss his new book, The Miracle of Man: The Fine Tuning of Nature for Human Existence. Source

On this classic ID the Future from the vault, biologist Michael Denton reflects on paradigm shifts in science he's witnessed in his lifetime and how his own thinking has changed. Source

On this classic ID the Future from the vault, biologist Michael Denton reflects on paradigm shifts in science he's witnessed in his lifetime and how his own thinking has changed. He also looks at how these shifts challenge Darwinian evolution in new ways. Denton is the author of the new book The Miracle of Man: The Fine Tuning of Nature for Human Existence. Get a copy today. Source

On this classic ID the Future from the vault, biologist Michael Denton reflects on paradigm shifts in science he's witnessed in his lifetime and how his own thinking has changed. Source

Today's ID the Future spotlights the groundbreaking new book The Miracle of Man: The Fine Tuning of Nature for Human Existence, with author and biologist Michael Denton reading excerpts from the work. Source

Today's ID the Future spotlights the groundbreaking new book The Miracle of Man: The Fine Tuning of Nature for Human Existence, with author and biologist Michael Denton reading excerpts from the work. Here Denton, who is also an MD, marvels at the engineering sophistication of the human heart and hands. Then he dives into the heart of his new book, teasing just a small sampling of the many ways nature appears fine tuned for bipedal, intelligent, technology-developing creatures such as ourselves. One or two such examples are interesting. But where the argument gains dramatic force is in the accumulation of many examples, stretching from physics and the characteristics of our sun to chemistry and the ensemble of unique characteristics of Read More › Source

Today's ID the Future spotlights the groundbreaking new book The Miracle of Man: The Fine Tuning of Nature for Human Existence, with author and biologist Michael Denton reading excerpts from the work. Source

Evolution- Still a Theory in Crisis by Michael Denton. Discovery Science. Conversations with Michael Denton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgeIpkTpBJo&list=PLoDVhQj7dmIOupqRSvjX7USSdDLvbLjU8 YouTube Playlist- The Galapagos Finches What is Structuralism? The Biology of the Baroque Richard Owen vs. Charles Darwin The Hierarchy of Nature The Distinctness of Types Evolutionary Developmental Biology Non-Adaptive Order Non-Adaptive Order and Intelligent Design   Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis by Michael Denton More than thirty years after his landmark book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1985), biologist Michael Denton revisits his earlier thesis about the inability of Darwinian evolution to explain the history of life. He argues that there remains “an irresistible consilience of evidence for rejecting Darwinian cumulative selection as the major driving force of evolution.” From the origin of life to the origin of human language, the great divisions in the natural order are still as profound as ever, and they are still unsupported by the series of adaptive transitional forms predicted by Darwin. In addition, Denton makes a provocative new argument about the pervasiveness of nonadaptive order throughout biology, order that cannot be explained by the Darwinian mechanism.

We interact with this reason on a daily basis. Water is life giving. Water is essential. Water is beautiful. Water is perplexing. When you get into the nitty gritty of it, the intricate details and cruciality of water point to us towards design and a Creator. In this episode, you'll hear clips from Michael Denton on his work, "The Wonder of Water" and Eric Metaxas, NYT Bestselling Author and contributor various cable networks. His newest book, "Is Atheism Dead?" reveals that over the last 60 years, science has been pointing us towards existence of God, not away.

Episode 148 – Truth and Proof – Part 8 – Purpose and Design Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12, verses 13 and 14, New Living Translation ******** Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re excited to be with you as we continue our series we’ve called “Truth and Proof.” This series is all about helping our listeners think carefully about their faith. Specifically, we want people to understand that the Christian faith is not a belief system that requires its followers to abandon their brains when they surrender their hearts to Jesus. Far from it. Jesus told his followers that they were supposed to love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. Yet, all too often today we are told that we must choose between faith and reason or between faith and science. But that’s a false dichotomy. And today to help us explore the solid foundation of logic and reason that supports Christianity we have RD Fierro in the studio. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, on Anchored by Truth, we often cover the fact that the world’s demand is not only unnecessary but it is also unreasonable, don’t we? RD: We certainly do and the reason we do is because that demand gets circulated almost continuously in the popular culture and media. And even many Christians are taken in by it. The idea that people must abandon their confidence in logic, reason, and science if they want to be faithful Christians is practically a pillar of every show that purports to discuss issues that pertain to the origin of the world and cosmos. It’s become such a staple of modern philosophy that it serves as a great illustration of the old aphorism that if you tell a lie often enough people will begin to accept the lie as the truth. Our culture has completely lost sight of the fact that some of the greatest minds of the last 2,000 years – including scientists who founded major branches of modern science were devout Christians. Gottfried Leibnitz and Sir Isaac Newton who invented calculus were Christians. So, was Johann Kepler who articulated the major laws of planetary motion. Ditto for Robert Boyle who is regarded as the first modern chemist and the founder of modern chemistry. And Carolus Linnaeus who is credited with establishing the modern taxonomic system was also a Biblical creationist. The list goes on and on. VK: The point is that many people today regard Christians as being almost simple minded. But nothing could be further from the truth. RD: I agree. 10, 20, or 30 years ago we lived in a culture that readily accepted Christianity even if some individuals did not. 50 years ago you would even find some support for the Christian world view taught in grade schools and high schools because the truth of Christianity was widely accepted. But those days are long behind us. Our broader culture is not only not receptive to Christianity, but also it is outright intolerant of it. And some elements of our society are vehemently hostile. We have entered one of those periods of history where Christians can no longer be complacent. The opposition to Christianity enters every home, every day if in no other way through the internet and the so-called mainstream media outlets. Arguments against the validity of Christianity are all around us. If we do not actively prepare to counter them, first within our homes and then in our communities, the fabric of our society will continue to erode. VK: But the good news is that it does not have to be that way, does it? We have the truth on our side. But we must equip ourselves to be able to present that truth. It is not up to us to change anyone’s heart. That’s God’s job. Our job is just to be able to witness to the truth in gentle and respectful ways. RD: Yes. The good news is that the truth is on our side – and that’s what we have been reviewing in this series. We called this series “Truth and Proof” because the first task we undertook was to demonstrate that absolute truth exists. And then we have proceeded to show the lines of reasoning that support the proof of that truth. VK: And many of the ideas that we have been discussing fall within the larger umbrella of what is termed apologetics. Simply put, apologetics is a defense of the Christian faith. And thus far in our series we have gone over two apologetic approaches: a metaphysical approach to apologetics and a cosmological approach to apologetics. And anyone who would like to review those approaches in detail can simply listen to earlier versions of the “Truth and Proof” series on their favorite podcast app. Today’s lesson is the 8th in this series and we anticipate that there will be two more episodes in this series after todays. That will make a total of 10 episodes in the Truth and Proof series. So, today we want to move on to another apologetic approach – the teleological approach. RD: Right. In our last couple of lessons we discussed the cosmological argument for the existence of God. It’s the first of the commonly used arguments, but probably not the one used the most in the media, in books, or in casual conversation. The argument most likely to be used is the Teleological Argument – better known as the argument from “Intelligent Design.” “Teleological” comes from the Greek word telos, meaning “end, or purpose.” “In brief, the teleological argument reasons from design to an intelligent Designer: • All designs imply a designer. • There is great design in the universe. • Therefore, there must be a Great Designer of the universe. In his Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics Norman Geisler put it this way: “Any time we have seen a complex design, we know by previous experience that it came from the mind of a designer. Watches imply watchmakers; buildings imply architects; paintings imply artists; and coded messages imply an intelligent sender. VK: Geisler went on to say, “the greater the design, the greater the designer. Beavers make log dams, but they have never constructed anything like the Golden Gate Bridge. A thousand monkeys sitting at typewriters for millions of years would never produce Hamlet by accident. Shakespeare did it on the first try. The more complex the design, the greater the intelligence required to produce it.” RD: Well, having written a few things myself I’m not sure if Shakespeare necessarily did it on the first try but it certainly didn’t take him millions, thousands, or hundreds of years. The point is that only an intelligent being can form letters into words, words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into books, books into libraries. Yet, the complexity of Hamlet is miniscule when compared to the genetic code. The genetic code, which is really the genetic message, contained in one amoeba equals the information in 1,000 sets of encyclopedias. There is no such thing as simple life! We see evidence of incredibly sophisticated and complicated design in the micro-universe of the genetic code, but we also see it in the macro-universe of the solar system, the stars, and the galaxies. VK: There is a principle that is sometimes referred to as the anthropic principle. The Greek word, “anthropos, means human being. The anthropic principle states that the universe was fitted from the very first moment of its existence for the emergence of life in general and human life in particular. If there were even the slightest variation in the conditions of the universe, even to a small degree, no life of any kind would exist. In order for life to be present there is an incredibly restrictive set of demands that must be present in the universe – and they are. All of our empirical observations tell us this. Not only does the scientific evidence point to a beginning of the cosmos, but it points to a very sophisticated high tuning of the universe from the very beginning that makes human life possible. For life to be present today, an incredibly restrictive set of demands must have been present in the early universe. RD: And this evidence of design is well recognized by scientists. Astrophysicist Robert Dicke said “that in fact it may be necessary for the universe to have the enormous size and complexity which modern astronomy has revealed, in order for the earth to be a possible habitation for living beings.” Astronomer Alan Sandage states that “the world is too complicated in all of its parts to be due to chance alone. I am convinced that the existence of life with all its order in each of its organisms is simply too well put together. Each part of a living thing depends on all its other parts to function. How does each part know? The more one learns . . . the more unbelievable it becomes unless there is some kind of organizing principle – an architect.” Likewise, the mass, the entropy level of the universe, the stability of the proton, and innumerable other things must be just right to make life possible. VK: Even Stephen Hawking who was not a friend of Christianity said “There may only be a small number of laws, which are self-consistent and which lead to complicated beings like ourselves who can ask the question: What is the nature of God?” And Albert Einstein seems to have almost anticipated Hawking’s question when he wrote “The harmony of natural law . . . reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.” RD: And writer, broadcaster, professor, “astrobiologist,” cosmologist, and physicist Paul Davies – who typically indicates his religious belief as “undecided” – wrote in 1989, “There is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all. . . . It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the Universe. . . . The impression of design is overwhelming.” VK: But understandably and predictably just because the universe contains an abundance of evidence of being designed there are those who don’t accept the testimony of the evidence. The arguments against intelligent design come from those who don’t believe in an intelligent designer. For them the answer to the question of how things came to be as they are is, of course, evolution. One point of Charles Darwin’s work was to establish that random purposeless natural processes can substitute for intelligent design. Darwin wrote in The Origin of Species that he was convinced that natural selection was the main mechanism responsible for the evolution of life from simple forms to complex forms. RD: And writer and Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins begins his book The Blind Watchmaker with the statement “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” His book’s title challenged the work of William Paley (1743-1805) who used the analogy of a watchmaker to support the teleological argument for the existence of God which argues from the evidence of design to the necessity of a designer. Paley built on the arguments of Socrates, Plato, Philo, and Aquinas, and believed that the complexity of the world implies a great designer. Paley studied the physical world for evidence of purpose. He concluded that a designing intelligence was responsible for the features of the natural world, and he identified this intelligence with the God of Christianity. His argument for design was published in 1802 as Natural Theology: Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature, and his work remains a foundational pillar of the debate over “Intelligent Design.” VK: Dawkins and Tufts philosopher/sociologist Daniel Dennett are among the most visible, most vocal, and most angry of the atheists who have in the last few decades led an attack on the existence of God. Dawkins’ attitudes are summarized in this statement recorded in the April 9, 1989 New York Times: “It is absolutely safe to say that, if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid, or insane.” Some people have observed that as a scientist Dawkins is mediocre but as an apologist for atheism he is unparalleled. So, that opens up the question why do so many prominent scientists resist and reject God? RD: Simply put, scientists in our day and age have a profound bias toward materialism. In other words in their world view the only thing that exists is matter. Now this is not true of all scientists by any means. There are many fine, competent scientists who are not only outstanding scientists in their fields but also strong Biblical creationists. But, in this case, the exception identifies the rule. And one of the most amazing things about this situation is that science itself, that is the objective pursuit of the acquisition of knowledge about our universe through disciplined study, does not require that they be philosophical materialists. But most are either by individual bias or indoctrination through our education system. And even more amazingly many of them recognize this bias and the fact that is unnecessary for scientific purposes. Why don’t you read that quote from Harvard evolutionary biologist and geneticist Richard Lewontin: VK: Lewontin wrote: “We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failures to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.” RD: So, let’s compare Lewontin’s statement with the statement we heard earlier from the opening of Richard Dawkins book The Blind Watchmaker. Dawkins said “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” So, Dawkins acknowledges that the evidence for design exists in nature. He just doesn’t like the conclusion that the evidence leads to. So, Dawkins observes the evidence, acknowledges where it leads, but then changes direction because he doesn’t like the destination. Lewontin simply says out loud the forbidden truth that this change of direction isn’t necessary according to the rules of science. Rather, it comes about because the individual persons – or persons – just don’t like the thought that the presence of design also means the presence of a Designer. So, instead of acknowledging that Designer the materialist, the scientist, adopts conventions and rules that exclude, in Lewontin’s words, “a Divine Foot in the door.” VK: Yikes. I don’t know whether that’s sad, scary, or both. RD: Probably both, but at a minimum the one thing that such an a priori commitment is not is “scientific.” And a great many scientists have recognized this. For instance Michael Denton who is a British-Australian author and biochemist wrote a book in 1985 entitled Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. Evolution: A Theory in Crisis was published the year before Dawkins Blind Watchmaker. Well, those books set off a sort of chain reaction of other books where the debate about the presence of design in nature received a lot of attention. In effect, what we saw in several publications was an extended presentation of the teleological argument for the existence of God. VK: For instance, in 1991 Berkeley law professor Phillip Johnson wrote a book called Darwin on Trial. Johnson’s book was so compelling that the debate about design in nature and supernatural Designer was forever changed. Johnson wrote “In brief, what makes me a ‘critic of evolution’ is that I distinguish between naturalistic philosophy and empirical science, and oppose the former when it comes cloaked in the authority of the latter.” Johnson’s critics retreated into the defensive posture of “specialized scientific knowledge” inaccessible to a legal scholar, but many of these were the same champions of evolution who had previously argued for its simplicity. Johnson answered the critics in 1995 with Reason in the Balance, subtitled “The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law, and Education.” RD: And Johnson quickly gained support from biochemist Michael Behe who wrote Darwin’s Black Box in 1996. Behe explained the intricate interactions of cellular components and molecular mechanisms, showing that biological systems are irreducibly complex. This means that systems are “composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to cease functioning.” Behe asserted that any irreducibly complex system cannot be produced by slight, successive modifications of a precursor, because any precursor to the system would be, by definition, non-functional. VK: So, when Behe [BEE-HEE] pointed out that irreducibly complex systems could not be produced by a series of minor changes in a biological organism he was effectively pointing out that Darwin criticism of his own theory was valid. In The Origin of Species Darwin wrote a chapter entitled “Difficulties of the Theory.” It happened to be chapter 6. In that chapter Darwin offered some comments on the evolution of the eye which have been widely quoted since he wrote them. Darwin said this about his own theory. Now, remember, this is Charles Darwin talking about his own conclusion that the eye could have evolved through a Darwinian type series of steps. Darwin wrote: “To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” RD: Darwin went on, of course, to give an explanation of how he thought it could have happened. But Behe took Darwin’s argument apart by showing that Darwin speculated on how the eye and vision might have happened but Darwin never considered the most fundamental question, i.e., how did vision happen? Darwin looked only at the anatomy – which was all he could look at because 19th century science had no knowledge of biochemistry as we have it today. But in his book Behe, went through the dozens of biochemical changes that are involved in a photon of light striking the retina and this enabling the brain to form an image. After walking us through the very complicated biochemistry of vision Behe says this: “To Darwin, vision was a black box, but after the cumulative hard work of many biochemists, we are now approaching answers to the question of sight. . . . Each of the anatomical steps and structures that Darwin thought were so simple actually involves staggeringly complicated biochemical processes that cannot be papered over with rhetoric. . . . Anatomy is, quite simply, irrelevant to the question of whether evolution could take place on the molecular level. So is the fossil record. Neither do the patterns of biogeography matter, nor those of population biology, nor the traditional theory for rudimentary organs or species abundance. . . Until recently, however, evolutionary biologists could be unconcerned with the molecular details of life because so little was known about them. Now the black box of the cell has been opened, and the infinitesimal world that stands revealed must be explained.” VK: So, what Behe was pointing out was that the appearance of design in nature wasn’t just apparent in the anatomical structures that we can see, that Darwin could see, but in the very molecular chemistry that comprises those structures. Again, design isn’t just present in the big structures of the universe – the stars and galaxies – but in the very tiniest ones as well. And how can you have design anywhere at any level without a Designer? You can’t. RD: Right. And if vision is a dramatic example of a biological system that can’t arise in the absence of design the clotting system that is present in blood is even more dramatic. For a clot to form over a cut and stop an animal from bleeding to death even more biomolecular steps are involved than in vision. But the clotting system only works a system. Miss one step and clots never form. The blood clotting system was designed. It had to be. It could not arise in an evolutionary fashion because any animal that didn’t have the entire system would die before it could randomly pass along any of its genes. VK: Well, before we close for today let’s mention one more book that participated in the design debate. A mathematician and philosopher William Dembski published his book The Design Inference in 1998. Dembski saw a possible flaw in Behe’s work. So, he strengthened the concept of irreducible complexity to include a minimal complexity condition, stating that “this condition says that the system cannot be simplified and still retain the level of function needed for selective advantage.” Dembski defined intelligent design as the science that studies signs of design, and he notes that intelligence leaves behind a characteristic trademark or signature – what he calls specified complexity. RD: Right. Dembski and others have looked for signs ranging from the microscopic to the telescopic. As we mentioned at the start of today’s episode, not only do biological systems show the signs of intelligent design, but also the universe in general displays the “anthropic principle” – that the cosmos is precisely designed for the emergence and sustenance of life, and especially human life, on earth. In the simplest terms, “the cosmos gives evidence of design.” VK: The irresistible conclusion from this line of reasoning is that the evidence of design is present throughout the universe. It’s present in the cosmos. It’s present in the cell. It’s present in our consciousness. You cannot have design anywhere without a Designer. And in the universe doesn’t just have design in a few places. It has it everywhere. RD: Right. Biochemist, atheist, and co-discoverer of DNA, the late Francis Crick, began studying biochemistry in the 1940’s as a way to disprove the existence of God. But, in fact, what he discovered was that there was an irreducibly complex information system at the heart of all life. Crick was a phenomenal scientist but he wrong about God. His materialistic presuppositions prevented him from acknowledging the very truth that his own work pointed out. But this shouldn’t surprise us. Romans, chapter 1, verse 20, has been pointing out this problem with human nature for 2,000 years. VK: That verse says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Crick believed there is no God, but God has the final word. Psalm 14, verse 1 says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Well, we hope everyone will join us next time as we continue this fascinating discussion about the arguments and evidence that demonstrates that there is a firm basis in logic and reason for our Christian faith. This sounds like a time to go to God I prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer for all those around the world who suffer for their faith. We should all take time to regularly pray for God’s mercy and favor to be with them. ---- PRAYER FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New Living Translation) Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12, verses 13 and 14, New Living Translation

Today's ID the Future concludes a three-part series featuring author Neil Thomas in a free-ranging conversation with radio show host Hank Hanegraaff. The focus is Thomas's recent book, Taking Leave of Darwin: A Longtime Agnostic Discovers the Case for Design. Here Thomas and Hanegraaff discuss the logical positivists and what Thomas sees as their failure to consistently apply their evidential standards to Darwinism. Thomas also contrasts the cosmic nihilism of Richard Dawkins with the mounting evidence of fine tuning for life, and calls out what Thomas describes as the magical thinking at the heart of Darwinism. Hanegraaff and Thomas also explore how Darwin's theory of evolution has roots in an ancient philosophical system that was long regarded as resting on Read More › Source

On this ID the Future, Taking Leave of Darwin author Neil Thomas continues a lively conversation with radio host Hank Hanegraaff. In this second in a three-part series, the two touch on the fossil record's challenge to Darwinism, Gould and Eldredge's rescue attempt, the question of whether Darwin's best known contemporary defender is dishonest or merely self-deluded, the wishful thinking surrounding origin-of-life studies, the failed attempts to reduce the mind to mere brain chemistry, and the morally repugnant pro-eugenics ideas rooted in Darwinism and touted in the textbook at the heart of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. The conversation is posted here by permission of Hank Hanegraaff. Get Neil Thomas's book here. Source

On this episode of ID The Future from the vault, Discovery Institute senior fellows David Berlinski and Michael Denton, both long-time critics of neo-Darwinism, discuss their primary objections to neo-Darwinian theory. For Berlinski, a mathematician and author of The Deniable Darwin, the problem is quantitative and methodological. For Denton, a geneticist and author of the new Discovery Institute Press book Children of Light: The Astonishing Properties of Light that Make Us Possible, the problem is empirical. Don't miss this engaging discussion.  Please consider donating to support the IDTF Podcast. David Berlinski WRITER, THINKER, RACONTEUR, AND SENIOR FELLOW, DISCOVERY INSTITUTE David Berlinski received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University and was later a postdoctoral fellow in mathematics and molecular biology at Columbia University. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. Dr. Berlinski has authored works on systems analysis, differential topology, theoretical biology, analytic philosophy, and the philosophy of mathematics, as well as three novels. He has also taught philosophy, mathematics and English at such universities as Stanford, Rutgers, the City University of New York and the Universite de Paris. In addition, he has held research fellowships at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) in France.   David Berlinski & Michael Denton, Pt. 2: Darwinian Stalemate? On this episode of ID The Future, philosopher and author David Berlinski joins geneticist and researcher Michael Denton for continued discussion on the debate over Darwinian evolution. Why has the theory persisted? What weaknesses threaten its existence in the 21st century? As Berlinski puts it: “…applying Darwinian principles to problems of this level of complexity is like putting a Band-Aid on a wound caused by an atomic weapon. It's just not going to work.” Listen in as Berlinski and Denton explain why the Darwinian mechanism is being widely questioned as a viable theory of the origin and development of life. Please consider donating to support the IDTF Podcast: idthefuture.org/donate.   David Berlinski & Michael Denton, Pt. 3: Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Worldview On this episode of ID The Future from the vault, mathematician David Berlinski joins biochemist Michael Denton for continued discussion on the difficulties of Darwinian evolution to be a viable modern theory of the origin and development of life and the cosmos. On this episode, Berlinski explains why many conservative intellectuals have trouble doubting Darwin. Denton suggests that the mechanistic, Darwinian framework will eventually collapse, and reviews the essential differences in worldview between the Darwin supporter and the Darwin doubter. Tune in to the final episode of this stimulating exchange!   TOPICS Intelligent Design Evolution Darwinism Materialism origin of life Charles Darwin Neo-Darwinism abiogenesis Atheism Natural Selection irreducible complexity theistic evolution DNA Darwin science education biology Theism Richard Dawkins fine-tuning genetics Biological Information common descent Scientism Cambrian Explosion Darwinian Evolution Big Bang Featured Academic Freedom William Dembski Kitzmiller v. Dover Junk DNA C.S. Lewis Darwin Devolves teleology Proteins Teach the Controversy scientific racism fine tuning Alfred Russell Wallace Darwin's Doubt Francis Collins information Eric Metaxas multiverse Ethics Jerry Coyne specified complexity evolutionary theory Eugenics Science and Human Origins Aristotle Stephen C. Meyer devolution human exceptionalism entropy Biologic Institute God Phillip Johnson Naturalism engineering Signature in the Cell macroevolution The Edge of Evolution Design Bioethics Molecular Machines artificial intelligence (AI) agnosticism Science and faith history of intelligent design Microevolution Philosophy philosophy of science Science Inference to the Best Explanation Icons of Evolution Thomas Aquinas Richard Sternberg Christianity history of science methodological naturalism purpose Brian Miller design inference Stephen Hawking adaptation cosmology Isaac Newton scientific revolution scientific Materialism information theory Richard Lenski scientific suppression chemical evolution Fred Hoyle bacterial flagellum foresight

On this episode of ID The Future from the vault, Discovery Institute senior fellows David Berlinski and Michael Denton, both long-time critics of neo-Darwinism, discuss their primary objections to neo-Darwinian theory. For Berlinski, a mathematician and author of The Deniable Darwin, the problem is quantitative and methodological. For Denton, a geneticist and author of the new Discovery Institute Press book Children of Light: The Astonishing Properties of Light that Make Us Possible, the problem is empirical. Don't miss this engaging discussion.  Please consider donating to support the IDTF Podcast. David Berlinski WRITER, THINKER, RACONTEUR, AND SENIOR FELLOW, DISCOVERY INSTITUTE David Berlinski received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University and was later a postdoctoral fellow in mathematics and molecular biology at Columbia University. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. Dr. Berlinski has authored works on systems analysis, differential topology, theoretical biology, analytic philosophy, and the philosophy of mathematics, as well as three novels. He has also taught philosophy, mathematics and English at such universities as Stanford, Rutgers, the City University of New York and the Universite de Paris. In addition, he has held research fellowships at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) in France.   David Berlinski & Michael Denton, Pt. 2: Darwinian Stalemate? On this episode of ID The Future, philosopher and author David Berlinski joins geneticist and researcher Michael Denton for continued discussion on the debate over Darwinian evolution. Why has the theory persisted? What weaknesses threaten its existence in the 21st century? As Berlinski puts it: “…applying Darwinian principles to problems of this level of complexity is like putting a Band-Aid on a wound caused by an atomic weapon. It's just not going to work.” Listen in as Berlinski and Denton explain why the Darwinian mechanism is being widely questioned as a viable theory of the origin and development of life. Please consider donating to support the IDTF Podcast: idthefuture.org/donate.   David Berlinski & Michael Denton, Pt. 3: Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Worldview On this episode of ID The Future from the vault, mathematician David Berlinski joins biochemist Michael Denton for continued discussion on the difficulties of Darwinian evolution to be a viable modern theory of the origin and development of life and the cosmos. On this episode, Berlinski explains why many conservative intellectuals have trouble doubting Darwin. Denton suggests that the mechanistic, Darwinian framework will eventually collapse, and reviews the essential differences in worldview between the Darwin supporter and the Darwin doubter. Tune in to the final episode of this stimulating exchange!   TOPICS Intelligent Design Evolution Darwinism Materialism origin of life Charles Darwin Neo-Darwinism abiogenesis Atheism Natural Selection irreducible complexity theistic evolution DNA Darwin science education biology Theism Richard Dawkins fine-tuning genetics Biological Information common descent Scientism Cambrian Explosion Darwinian Evolution Big Bang Featured Academic Freedom William Dembski Kitzmiller v. Dover Junk DNA C.S. Lewis Darwin Devolves teleology Proteins Teach the Controversy scientific racism fine tuning Alfred Russell Wallace Darwin's Doubt Francis Collins information Eric Metaxas multiverse Ethics Jerry Coyne specified complexity evolutionary theory Eugenics Science and Human Origins Aristotle Stephen C. Meyer devolution human exceptionalism entropy Biologic Institute God Phillip Johnson Naturalism engineering Signature in the Cell macroevolution The Edge of Evolution Design Bioethics Molecular Machines artificial intelligence (AI) agnosticism Science and faith history of intelligent design Microevolution Philosophy philosophy of science Science Inference to the Best Explanation Icons of Evolution Thomas Aquinas Richard Sternberg Christianity history of science methodological naturalism purpose Brian Miller design inference Stephen Hawking adaptation cosmology Isaac Newton scientific revolution scientific Materialism information theory Richard Lenski scientific suppression chemical evolution Fred Hoyle bacterial flagellum foresight

On this ID the Future from the vault, host Casey Luskin sits down with Michael Denton, a Senior Fellow of the CSC who holds a PhD in Biochemistry. Denton is the author of Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, which has been credited with influencing both Phillip Johnson and Michael Behe. Here they discuss his sequel to […]

On this ID the Future from the vault, host Casey Luskin sits down with Michael Denton, a Senior Fellow of the CSC who holds a PhD in Biochemistry. Denton is the author of Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, which has been credited with influencing both Phillip Johnson and Michael Behe. Here they discuss his sequel to that book, Nature's Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe, which explores various striking ways that Earth and the laws of nature are finely tuned for carbon-based life and, in particular, creatures like ourselves. Denton argues that when it comes to evidence of fine tuning in the universe, the more you look, the more you find. Indeed, he has continued to find Read More › Source

The Fitness of Nature for Mankind featuring Biologist Michael Denton Watch this presentation at- https://youtu.be/9SL_xqSvWqU 36,385 views Discovery Science 123K subscribers Renowned author and biologist Michael Denton gives a new expression to what he calls the “medieval synthesis” of knowledge about life, now enjoying a “Reconquista” thanks to modern science. In charming and lyrical yet rigorous fashion, Denton reviews the intelligent design evidence detailed in his books, including the most recent, The Miracle of the Cell. Join him as he explores the myriad of ways nature is fit not just for life, but for human life. Denton is author of the new book "The Miracle of the Cell" (2020) as well as many other books such as "Nature's Destiny," "Fire-Maker," "The Wonder of Water," and "Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis." You will never think of nature in the same way after you watch this presentation! Dr. Denton's new book The Miracle of the Cell [https://www.discovery.org/store/produ...] provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life — including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements — features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves. Author Michael Denton is a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. He holds an MD from Bristol University and a PhD in biochemistry from King's College in London. His previous books include Evolution: A Theory in Crisis and Nature's Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe. He has published his work in Nature, Nature Genetics, BioSystems, Human Genetics, and Biology and Philosophy. Be sure to check out these related videos: Marcos Eberlin: Earth as the “Presidential Suite” of the Universe https://youtu.be/dFrOWEWHWZg Water, Ultimate Giver of Life, Points to Intelligent Design https://youtu.be/e2i0g1sL-X4 Conversations with William Dembski–Information All the Way Down https://youtu.be/BnVss3QseCw ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW... HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!   Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime   If you like this episode head on over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! People find us through our good reviews.   FEEDBACK- You can ask your questions, make comments, submit ideas for shows and lots more. Let your voice be heard. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com     Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese

The Fitness of Nature for Mankind featuring Biologist Michael Denton Watch this presentation at- https://youtu.be/9SL_xqSvWqU 36,385 views Discovery Science 123K subscribers Renowned author and biologist Michael Denton gives a new expression to what he calls the “medieval synthesis” of knowledge about life, now enjoying a “Reconquista” thanks to modern science. In charming and lyrical yet rigorous fashion, Denton reviews the intelligent design evidence detailed in his books, including the most recent, The Miracle of the Cell. Join him as he explores the myriad of ways nature is fit not just for life, but for human life. Denton is author of the new book "The Miracle of the Cell" (2020) as well as many other books such as "Nature's Destiny," "Fire-Maker," "The Wonder of Water," and "Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis." You will never think of nature in the same way after you watch this presentation! Dr. Denton's new book The Miracle of the Cell [https://www.discovery.org/store/produ...] provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life — including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements — features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves. Author Michael Denton is a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. He holds an MD from Bristol University and a PhD in biochemistry from King's College in London. His previous books include Evolution: A Theory in Crisis and Nature's Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe. He has published his work in Nature, Nature Genetics, BioSystems, Human Genetics, and Biology and Philosophy. Be sure to check out these related videos: Marcos Eberlin: Earth as the “Presidential Suite” of the Universe https://youtu.be/dFrOWEWHWZg Water, Ultimate Giver of Life, Points to Intelligent Design https://youtu.be/e2i0g1sL-X4 Conversations with William Dembski–Information All the Way Down https://youtu.be/BnVss3QseCw ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW... HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!   Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime   If you like this episode head on over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! People find us through our good reviews.   FEEDBACK- You can ask your questions, make comments, submit ideas for shows and lots more. Let your voice be heard. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com     Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese

Dr. Ray Bohlin demonstrates several unique biological attributes about humans that set us apart from the rest of creation because we are made in the image of God.

On this ID the Future, Michael Behe continues discussing A Mousetrap for Darwin, his newest book. Understanding of the cell has grown “by leaps and bounds” since the 1990s, when Behe’s first book appeared. Fresh discoveries have revealed ever more complex structures inside the cell. As Behe explains, it isn’t just the bacterial flagellum that’s irreducibly complex; the “hook” region inside the flagellum is, too. Evolution’s proper place of study has moved from gross anatomy and population genetics to biochemistry. In his conversation with host Eric Anderson, Behe says that intelligent design theory’s predictions are coming true over time, while for every step of increasing knowledge, it gets “worse and worse” for the theory of evolution by undirected unintelligent processes. Read More › Source

Michael Denton: The Miracle of the Cell https://youtu.be/JbOucj4ySjg Discovery Science Biologist Michael Denton's new book, The Miracle of the Cell, considers the scientific evidence for intelligent design from a new perspective and at a new level. As with his previous books, it's a more fundamental view than that of all other ID literature. Here, Denton discusses his new book "The Miracle of the Cell" with Eric Anderson in this Zoom event from Discovery Institute in which people from around the world submitted questions to Dr. Denton. Denton makes the case that the directionality to the evolution of the universe was foreseen — intended — from the Big Bang. Or rather, from before it, because the design was actualized right away. Since there was no nature and no time before the universe came into being, it follows that the design must be of that a transcendent mind, the “finger of God,” as Denton puts it. Check out these other videos: Conversations with Michael Denton: Non-Adaptive Order and Intelligent Design (2:34) https://youtu.be/JrXZ8sfr83U Michael Denton's Intellectual Evolution (15:37) https://youtu.be/YAYh8ZDYoRs Privileged Species featuring Dr. Michael Denton (32:15) https://youtu.be/VoI2ms5UHWg ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW...   About the book- The Miracle of the Cell by Michael Denton The Miracle of the Cell provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life—including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements—features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves.   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!   Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher If you like this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! People find us through our good reviews.   FEEDBACK + PROMOTION You can ask your questions, make comments, submit ideas for shows and lots more. Let your voice be heard. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com Note- ACU Students and Alumni are asked to commit to donating Platelets and Plasma.  Make an Appointment Today! Call Your local Hospital or The Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767

Michael Denton: The Miracle of the Cellhttps://youtu.be/JbOucj4ySjg Discovery ScienceBiologist Michael Denton’s new book, The Miracle of the Cell, considers the scientific evidence for intelligent design from a new perspective and at a new level. As with his previous books, it’s a more fundamental view than that of all other ID literature. Here, Denton discusses his new book "The Miracle of the Cell" with Eric Anderson in this Zoom event from Discovery Institute in which people from around the world submitted questions to Dr. Denton. Denton makes the case that the directionality to the evolution of the universe was foreseen — intended — from the Big Bang. Or rather, from before it, because the design was actualized right away. Since there was no nature and no time before the universe came into being, it follows that the design must be of that a transcendent mind, the “finger of God,” as Denton puts it. Check out these other videos: Conversations with Michael Denton: Non-Adaptive Order and Intelligent Design (2:34) https://youtu.be/JrXZ8sfr83U Michael Denton’s Intellectual Evolution (15:37) https://youtu.be/YAYh8ZDYoRs Privileged Species featuring Dr. Michael Denton (32:15) https://youtu.be/VoI2ms5UHWg ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW... About the book-The Miracle of the Cell by Michael DentonThe Miracle of the Cell provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life—including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements—features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves. HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD! Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University PodcastClick here to subscribe via iTunesClick here to subscribe via RSSYou can also subscribe via StitcherIf you like this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! People find us through our good reviews. FEEDBACK + PROMOTIONYou can ask your questions, make comments, submit ideas for shows and lots more. Let your voice be heard.Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.comNote- ACU Students and Alumni are asked to commit to donating Platelets and Plasma.  Make an Appointment Today! Call Your local Hospital or The Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767

On this ID the Future, biochemist Michael Denton draws from his groundbreaking new book, The Miracle of the Cell, to explore a fine-tuning design argument centered on the periodic elements essential for life. Twenty elements—and water, too—appear to have been precisely fine-tuned in advance for highly specific biochemical roles. Without their precise properties, cellular and animal life would be impossible. “Words fail,” says Denton, to describe the “almost eerie sense” that someone very powerful knew in advance the roles and capacities required of various elements to carry out the astonishingly sophisticated activities that make cellular life possible. Denton says that this fine tuning provides an independent line of evidence that life is the result of intelligent design. Source

The Fitness of Nature for Mankind featuring Biologist Michael Denton Watch this lecture at- https://youtu.be/9SL_xqSvWqU Discovery Science Renowned author and biologist Michael Denton biologist Michael Denton gives a new expression to what he calls the “medieval synthesis” of knowledge about life, now enjoying a “Reconquista” thanks to modern science. In charming and lyrical yet rigorous fashion, Denton reviews the intelligent design evidence detailed in his books, including the most recent, The Miracle of the Cell. Join him as he explores the myriad of ways nature is fit not just for life, but for human life. Denton is author of the new book "The Miracle of the Cell" (2020) as well as many other books such as "Nature's Destiny," "Fire-Maker," "The Wonder of Water," and "Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis." You will never think of nature in the same way after you watch this presentation! Dr. Denton's new book The Miracle of the Cell [https://www.discovery.org/store/produ...] provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life — including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements — features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves. Author Michael Denton is a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. He holds an MD from Bristol University and a PhD in biochemistry from King's College in London. His previous books include Evolution: A Theory in Crisis and Nature's Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe. He has published his work in Nature, Nature Genetics, BioSystems, Human Genetics, and Biology and Philosophy. Be sure to check out these related videos: Marcos Eberlin: Earth as the “Presidential Suite” of the Universe https://youtu.be/dFrOWEWHWZg Water, Ultimate Giver of Life, Points to Intelligent Design https://youtu.be/e2i0g1sL-X4 Conversations with William Dembski–Information All the Way Down https://youtu.be/BnVss3QseCw ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW...   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!   Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher If you like this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! People find us through our good reviews.   FEEDBACK + PROMOTION You can ask your questions, make comments, submit ideas for shows and lots more. Let your voice be heard. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com Note- ACU Students and Alumni are asked to commit to donating Platelets and Plasma.  Make an Appointment Today! Call Your local Hospital or The Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767

The Fitness of Nature for Mankind featuring Biologist Michael DentonWatch this lecture at- https://youtu.be/9SL_xqSvWqUDiscovery ScienceRenowned author and biologist Michael Denton biologist Michael Denton gives a new expression to what he calls the “medieval synthesis” of knowledge about life, now enjoying a “Reconquista” thanks to modern science. In charming and lyrical yet rigorous fashion, Denton reviews the intelligent design evidence detailed in his books, including the most recent, The Miracle of the Cell. Join him as he explores the myriad of ways nature is fit not just for life, but for human life. Denton is author of the new book "The Miracle of the Cell" (2020) as well as many other books such as "Nature's Destiny," "Fire-Maker," "The Wonder of Water," and "Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis." You will never think of nature in the same way after you watch this presentation! Dr. Denton's new book The Miracle of the Cell [https://www.discovery.org/store/produ...] provides compelling evidence that long before life emerged on our planet, the design of the carbon-based cell was foreshadowed in the order of nature, in the exquisite fitness of the laws of nature for this foundational unit of all life on Earth. Nowhere is this fitness more apparent than in the properties of the key atomic constituents of the cell. Each of the atoms of life — including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as well as several metal elements — features a suite of unique properties fine-tuned to serve highly specific, indispensable roles in the cell. Moreover, some of these properties are specifically fit for essential roles in the cells of advanced aerobic organisms like ourselves. Author Michael Denton is a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He holds an MD from Bristol University and a PhD in biochemistry from King’s College in London. His previous books include Evolution: A Theory in Crisis and Nature’s Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe. He has published his work in Nature, Nature Genetics, BioSystems, Human Genetics, and Biology and Philosophy. Be sure to check out these related videos: Marcos Eberlin: Earth as the “Presidential Suite” of the Universe https://youtu.be/dFrOWEWHWZg Water, Ultimate Giver of Life, Points to Intelligent Design https://youtu.be/e2i0g1sL-X4 Conversations with William Dembski–Information All the Way Down https://youtu.be/BnVss3QseCw ============================ The Discovery Science News Channel is the official Youtube channel of Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. The CSC is the institutional hub for scientists, educators, and inquiring minds who think that nature supplies compelling evidence of intelligent design. The CSC supports research, sponsors educational programs, defends free speech, and produce articles, books, and multimedia content. For more information visit https://www.discovery.org/id/ http://www.evolutionnews.org/ http://www.intelligentdesign.org/ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: Twitter: @discoverycsc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverycsc/ Visit other Youtube channels connected to the Center for Science & Culture Discovery Institute: https://www.youtube.com/user/Discover... Dr. Stephen C. Meyer: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrStephe... The Magician's Twin - CS Lewis & Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/user/cslewisweb Darwin's Heretic - Alfred Russel Wallce: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlfredRW... HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD! Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University PodcastClick here to subscribe via iTunesClick here to subscribe via RSSYou can also subscribe via StitcherIf you like this episode head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating, a review and subscribe! People find us through our good reviews. FEEDBACK + PROMOTIONYou can ask your questions, make comments, submit ideas for shows and lots more. Let your voice be heard.Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.comNote- ACU Students and Alumni are asked to commit to donating Platelets and Plasma.  Make an Appointment Today! Call Your local Hospital or The Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767

On this ID the Future, biochemist Michael Denton delves further into his revelatory new book The Miracle of the Cell. Here he discusses finely tuned chemical bonds. Cellular life would be impossible if strong bonds weren’t just so for some cellular functions, and if weak bonds weren’t just so for others. Each type of bond exists in a Goldilocks zone, neither too strong nor too weak for its purposes. They’re tailored to fit. Denton also explores the miracle enzyme known as ATP synthase and some of the fine-tuning particulars of this life-essential molecular complex. Source

On this episode of ID the Future from the vault, we continue to celebrate geneticist Michael Denton’s work in his Privileged Species series of books. Here he extends his reflections on the concept of bottom-up versus top-down causation. Which is the better explanation for the world we live in? Denton says that the evidence has been growing for top-down causation, which poses a challenge to reductionist and materialistic origins science. For more of this growing body of evidence, see his new book, The Miracle of the Cell. Source

On this episode of ID the Future, biochemist and author Michael Denton tells host Eric Anderson more about his new book The Miracle of the Cell, and about his epiphany when he recognized the many remarkable ways that nature’s chemistry is fine-tuned for life. The focus in this conversation is on carbon chemistry and its “goldilocks zone” ability to form stable bonds but let loose of them when needed. Whereas biologists once wondered about a vitalist “life force” in the cell, Denton sees intelligence and foresight in the very design of carbon, its unique properties, and its “coincidental” relation to water. According to Denton, all of this, taken together, constitutes “one of nature’s most remarkable examples of nature’s fitness for Read More › Source

Michael Denton joined us to talk about his career that includes 2x Ofsaa Championships, 4x Ontario Championships, 4x National Championship, 2x Volleyball Canada All-Star, playing at U of Toronto for five (5) years and being named Captain for four (4) of those seasons! Not to mention he was a member of Canada's Number 1 Beach Crew with the Ontario Volleyball Association.    Growing up Michael was a member of the original Crush club teams. Denton shares some John May stories and how he chose to attend the University of Toronto and helping develop the culture there. Michael is continuing his leadership with the Varsity Blues as a member of the coaching staff. We hope you enjoyed hearing about all of this and more!    Subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes! Please give a 5 Star review, leave a comment and the best compliment you can give the show is telling your friends! Stay Excellent!

Günlük hayatımızda sıradan gördüğümüz işlemleri yürüten elimiz, gerçekte büyük bir mûcizedir. Tıp ve bilim dünyasının büyük çabalarından birini, elin bir benzerini yapay olarak meydana getirmek oluşturur. Bunun için yapılan tüm robot ellerin ortak özelliği, bunların güç açısından insan eliyle aynı performansa sahip olmalarıdır. Ancak dokunmadaki hassasiyet, mükemmel manevra yeteneği ve değişik işler yapabilme konusunda aynı şeyi söylemek mümkün değildir. Nitekim birçok bilim adamı, insan elinin tüm fonksiyonlarına sahip robot bir elin gerçekleştirilemeyeceğini düşünmektedir. Bilim adamı Schneebeli, bu konuda şunları söylüyor: Robot eller üzerinde ne kadar çok çalışırsam, insanların sahip oldukları ellere de o kadar çok hayran oluyorum. İnsan elinin yaptığı işin bir kısmına bile ulaşabilmemiz için daha çok zamanın geçmesi gerekiyor. El genelde gözün ortaklığıyla işleyen bir organdır. Gözün algıladıkları beyne ulaştırılır ve beyinden gelen yeni bir komutla, el, yapacağı işe uygun olarak harekete geçer. Tabii ki bunlar çok kısa sürede ve bizim bu iş için özel bir çaba sarfetmemize gerek kalmadan gerçekleşir. Dokunma sırasında bir olağanüstülük varsa parmak ucundaki sinirler, beyne yeniden sinyal yollarlar. Bu yeni sinyale göre değerlendirme yapılır ve elin hareketi yeniden düzenlenerek, uygulamaya konulur. Robotlar ise ancak ya görme ya da dokunma özelliğini esas alarak hareket edebiliyorlar. Tüm bunların üstüne insanda iki elin beraber çalıştığı, hareketlerin beyin yönetiminde yapıldığı ve bu yönetimin de sinir sistemi aracılığıyla gerçekleştirildiği de eklenirse, elin sadece işleyişini anlamanın bile ne derece büyük bir çabayı gerektirdiği daha iyi anlaşılır. Allâh bizlere, en “konforlu”, en kullanışlı ve en estetik elleri bedenimize yerleştirmiştir. Çünkü O: “Yaratandır, kusursuzca var edendir, ‘şekil ve suret' verendir.” (Haşr s. 24) (Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, 334.s.; Yaratılış Gerçeği, 35.s.)

Dr. Woodward discuses the ground breaking book published in 1985 Evolution: A Theory in Crisis by Michael Denton, as well as his newly published book, Evolution: Still A Theory in Crisis. Check out the book links below! https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Theory-Crisis-Michael-Denton/dp/091756152X/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=evolution+a+theory&qid=1589399895&sr=8-3https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Theory-Crisis-Michael-Denton-ebook/dp/B01ALUPS6E/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=evolution+a+theory&qid=1589399936&sr=8-4Support the show (http://www.apologetics.org)

Fire-Maker From computers to airplanes to life-giving medicines, the technological marvels of our world were made possible by the human use of fire. But the use of fire itself was made possible by an array of features built into the human body and the planet. Join biologist Michael Denton as he investigates the amazing story of how humans and our planet were exquisitely designed to harness the miraculous powers of fire and transform our planet. For more visit http://privilegedspecies.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an98jVCyApo

On this weeks syndicated radio program, we interview writer Michael Denton, known for delivering consistent theatre entertainment to many originating from Jamaica. We speak on overcoming content criticism from the print media, balancing scandelous topics without going over-board and then offering people more quality for the same admission fee. Fawud Wi Going (Dubplate) - Lady Flame Full Michael Denton Interview My Old Lady - Omi www.iLoveSunsplash.com - the new home of DJ Jah Prince & The Sunsplash Media Movement.   Jah Prince spins monthly (2nd Saturdays), Caribbean, African and American music at the Vibes Night Club in Decatur, GA and every (1st Wednesday), at the HOBI POWERSHOOT & Industry Mixer held at the House of Blended Ink Studios & Gallery in the Castleberry Art District of downtown Atlanta (431 Fair Street). Listen weekly on www.DaFlavaRadio.com for the 'Sunsplash Mix Show' Saturday Mornings from 10:00am to 1:00pm (Eastern). This show is also heard in the streets of Gambia on Vibes FM 106.1. Sponsored by: Caribbean International Shipping Services Inc. - 'Just Pack It, We'll Ship It' www.caribbeanshippingservice.com (( and )) Startime Computers - 'Your Roadmap to Technology' www.startimecomputers.com (( and )) JayForce.com - Urban Music Blog. Sunsplash Media, Inc.,CY Clothing Inc. - www.cyevolution.com