CREATION AND SCIENCE

Introduction to creation science

• The idea of studying science, especially as it
relates to the origins of the universe and of
life, based on faith in God as Creator is called
Creation science.
 Definite design
Historical knowledge
• The Roman statesman
Cicero wrote Da Natura
Deorum ( Latin for on
the Nature of the Gods,)
in which he discussed
design in objects made
by humans and
compared it to design in
the universe. Cicero
 Definite Design
Historical knowledge
• British philosopher and
Christian apologist ( a
defender of a doctrine or
idea) William Paley
(1743-1805) published
Natural Theology in 1802.
• Paley argued that design
in nature is evidence of
God’s existence. William paley
 Substantial similarities
• The French zoologist Georges Cuvier (1769-
1832) began to study the similarities and
differences in organisms body structures.
• This similarity of structure is called homology.
• Homology can be seen in large parts of
organisms, like the similar five fingered or five-
toed forelimbs of many vertebrates, and in
small parts, like the similar operation of all cells.
Homology in vertebrate
forelimbs
 Information and origins
• Specified complexity means that information
must have meaning (it is specified) and cannot
occur by chance (it has complexity).
The information of life
• There is an important connection between
information and life on earth.
• Cells include a large amount of information
stored as genes in the substance called DNA.
 Mutations and information
• Many evolutionists believe that evolution
occurs by mutations, sudden, permanent,
random changes in an organism’s DNA;
however, mutations destroy information and
therefore cannot cause evolution.
 Significant selection
• The principle of natural selection states that a
type of organism that is better able to survive
in its environment than another type of
organism will survive and become
predominant.
• Natural selection by itself is not evolution
because no new genetic information is
produced.
 Significant selection
• Organisms have the capability for variation
within a kind ( an originally created type of
organism).
• For example wolves, jackals, domestic dogs
and so on, are all in the same kind.
 Speciation vs. evolution
• Change within a particular kind of organism
caused by variations in the gene pool is called
speciation.
• For example a particular bird kind may have
genes for both small and large bills.
• Speciation will also make a new species.
 Macroevolution
• Is another term for evolution the development of all
life from a common ancestor.
• Macroevolution is not seen in nature, nor is there any
true scientific evidence.
• A key distinction is that macroevolution requires new
information, while speciation redistributes or loses
existing information.
• Evolutionists will use the word evolution to refer to
both macroevolution and speciation ( also called
microevolution)
Macroevolution
 Natural selection and speciation
• The idea of natural selection, an organism ill -
suited to its environment is less likely to
survive and produce offspring than an
organism well-suited to its environment.
• Natural selection cannot generate new genetic
information; it can only eliminate the
information because of this they cannot cause
evolution.
 Rock pocket mouse
• The rock pocket mouse, which lives in parts of
Arizona and New Mexico provides an excellent
example of natural selection in action.
• Most of the light-coloured mice live on light
rocks and most dark-coloured mice live on
dark lava rocks.
• Owls hunt rock pocket mice.
 DDT-resistant insects
• Another example of natural selection that
evolutionists use to prove evolution is DDT-
resistant insects.
• DDT is a pesticide once used to kill certain
insects.
 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria
• Antibiotic resistant bacteria provide a similar
example of natural selection.
• Some bacteria already have resistance to an
antibiotic.
• Other bacteria, as explained earlier, may
develop resistance through a mutation that
loses information.
The rock pocket mouse
Homework