This month, as we celebrate black history, we would like to commemorate a black scientist who was a person of God as well as a person of science—George Washington Carver.  Carver was born into slavery near the town of Diamond, Missouri July 12th, 1864.1  An interesting and tragic fact is that the infant George and his mother were kidnapped by civil war guerillas, like William Quantrill or Jesse James.  These men fought against union or anti-slavery sympathizers like George’s future foster father Moses Carver.  Moses sent a Union scout after the pair to rescue them from the bandits.  Only George was able to be found, and his mother’s fate was never known.  The Carvers took George and his brother Jim into their home and raised them as their own.
 
George was a sickly child and spent time helping his foster mother Susan Carver around the house and in the garden.  George became known around the village of Diamond as the “Plant Doctor.”2  The Carvers recognized George’s special gift for learning and applying his inquisitive nature.  They did what they could to educate him and nurture his interests.  However, George felt the need to pursue learning and life elsewhere beginning at the age of 14.  Despite his foster parents’ objections, he set out on an adventure that would find him meandering around Kansas.
 
His path was not a straight one.  He did many things to support himself over the next decade including cooking, housework, laundry service, working at a grocery, homesteading etc.  He seemed to find encouragement and assistance most everywhere he went and wrote affectionately of the people in the places he lived.  But he also ran into the harsh reality of racism and mob justice during an instance where he witnessed the lynching of a black man who had been pulled out of jail after being arrested for the rape of a 12-year-old white girl.  He left town immediately afterward.  During his time in Kansas, he took a brief trip back home to see his family.  A short time later, his brother Jim (the stronger and healthier of the two brothers) died of smallpox.  Gone was his only known blood relative.

About five years after being rejected by a college because of his skin color, he was encouraged by a Christian family, who he met attending a church in Winterset, Iowa to apply again to another school.  Thankfully, he was accepted with open arms into Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa in 1890.  He enjoyed his time there and studied piano and art for which he had a talent.  He took no science classes.  His art teacher noticed his affection for botany because he was always drawing plants. “As it happened, she was the daughter of a horticulture professor at Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts…”3 and as the story goes, the rest is history.

He continued to paint at Iowa state, with one of his paintings being chosen to represent the state in the 1893 fair called, the “World’s Columbian Exposition”, also known as the “Chicago World’s Fair”.  But he felt as if God was calling him to greater things.  He worked with an expert on plant disease and co-authored several scholarly papers while at Iowa State.  Carver graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1894 and then a master’s degree in Agriculture two years later.  As a master’s student they gave George a graduate teaching position with freshman as he had a gift for teaching.  Iowa State didn’t want to lose him, but he had several job offers.
 
The one he accepted was from Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, now known as Tuskegee University.  The reason was clear.  He wanted to help black Americans gain economic prosperity.  According to Adair, “He believed that the sort of education Tuskegee provided ‘is the key to unlock the Golden door of freedom to our people.’”4 Washington had started an annual conference to help farmers.  Carver turned it, the results of his study, and work at the Tuskegee experiment station into a monthly “Farmers Institute”.5

Carver excelled as a teacher, wanting his students to be actively involved in their learning and discover for themselves, stating, “each individual, no matter of what his color or creed, has his particular task to do in life”.6 He linked his Christian beliefs with his work as a scientist. “He talked about the way ‘the Creator’ was revealed in the wonders of nature.  He believed that science and religion in no way contradicted one another. “‘We get closer to God’, he wrote years later, ‘as we get more intimately and understandingly acquainted with the things he has created.’”7  

As a scientist, he made a tremendous impact upon the time in which he lived and thereafter.  He designed a mobile demonstration lab which was known as the “Jesup Wagon” after Morris K. Jesup, a New York banker who helped fund the project.  The project became so successful that it took the notice of the USDA who later took over the project.  A student of Carver’s became the USDA’s first black demonstration agent.

Dr. Carver (honorary degree) had a servant’s heart, which manifested itself in doing everything he could for the poorest and most vulnerable farmers.  He set up trainings, extensions and wrote pamphlets.  He knew that the subsistence farmer was very vulnerable to weather, crop disease, and poor soil as well as lack of nutrition.  It is one reason he promoted crops other than cotton, which robbed the soil of nutrients, replacing it with crops such as soybeans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes.
 
Those crops and their promotion took him away from his teaching, spending more time in the lab trying to help people by extending the market for their products with 300 or so uses for the peanut and 100 for the sweet potato.  This is where he gained his fame and notoriety.  His efforts took him so far away that one day he ended up testifying before congress in Washington, D.C.  They told him he had ten minutes to speak.  He so captivated them with his wit and wisdom that the Republican Chairman of the committee said, “Go ahead brother, your time is unlimited.”8 Carver’s testimony helped the committee decide to implement a tariff on imported peanuts.

Yet, despite a drastically reduced classroom teaching influence he continued a close relationship with his students and those he mentored.  Passing on what he learned was part of that servant’s heart.  He taught his “boys,” as he called them, more than agriculture and science.  It should be noted that “In many cases, it is clear that Carver's personal example did indeed change minds that had previously held to prejudiced notions of black inferiority.  ‘You have shown me the one race, the human race’, one of his boys wrote.  ‘Color of skin or form of hair mean nothing to me now’.”9  Believing deeply in the Golden rule, Carver felt that love would win out over racial prejudice in the end.
 
While Carver is most famous as an agricultural scientist and inventor, especially for uses of the peanut (he did not invent peanut butter) and sweet potato, he impressed me most for his character and service to those in need.  And despite conditions and experiences that could have left him bitter and resentful, he was known for his Godly character.  According to author Gene Adair, “In his speeches and interviews, he almost always referred to the Bible and divine guidance. His accomplishments, he was fond of saying, were not his doing but we're the work of God.”10

Born into slavery, a teacher, school administrator, scientist and science ambassador, George Washington Carver was a man that all Americans should know about because he exemplified Christ to many…I know he did to me.





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1 Tuskegee University “The Legacy of George Washington Carver.” https://www.tuskegee.edu/support-tu/george-washington-carver
2George Washington Carver National Monument “Not Just The Peanut Man”.  George Washington Carver National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
3Adair, Gene “George Washington Carver. pp33-34
4 Ibid, p. 41
5 Ibid, p. 59
6 Ibid, p. 85
7 Ibid, p. 54
8 Ibid, p.14
9 Ibid, p. 87
10 Ibid, p. 83
Morris, Henry "Men of Science Men of God"

This week, as we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world, there’s another birthday we can remember too: Louis Pasteur, born on December 27, 1822, in Dole, France. This Fun Fact is the second of three that I have, designed to defend a common claim that can come in at least two different formats: “All real scientists believe in evolution,” or, “No real scientist believes God created the world.” You may recall the first one I featured was about Johannes Kepler.

Louis Pasteur was about as real as any scientist could be, and his findings have proven invaluable.

Who was Louis Pasteur?
Louis Pasteur’s experiments with bacteria provided life-saving data for the medical and food prep industries. But he was not only a great man of science: he was also a man of great faith, demonstrating that life comes from life.

Here are some other fun things to know about Pasteur:

• He is considered the “father of microbiology.”
• His conviction of the truth of biblical Creation and the fallacy of Darwinian evolution led Pasteur to disprove the then-popular belief of spontaneous generation, an evolutionary idea which suggests that living organisms can arise from nonliving matter.
• He also shares the title of “father of germ theory and bacteriology” with Robert Koch, a German physician, because of his work in determining that germs cause disease
• . From this, he also developed the process of heating and rapid cooling in order to kill microbes—a process we still use today and call “pasteurization.”
• One of the first scientists to understand the concept of immunization, Pasteur led the way to developing many vaccines for humans and animals, including to protect against anthrax and rabies.

Indeed, Louis Pasteur is credited for having saved more lives than any other one person in history. Well, mortal lives that is.

When we turn our attention back to the Savior Whose birth we celebrate this week, we can’t help but remember His contributions as well. Born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem of Judea, Jesus—the Son of God—came into our world to save the eternal lives of all who believe on Him.

And even before that—about two thousand years before that—God gave us the first gift: life, the universe, and all that is in it. Indeed, while we can be grateful for the accomplishments of real scientists such as Louis Pasteur, our ultimate praise goes to the Creator Himself.

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” –Revelation 4:11 (NKJV)

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/people/pasteur.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
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This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

I think you can agree with me that 2020 has been just about the most dumbfounding year most of us can ever remember. Even if you haven’t experienced as much personal loss or trials as you may have in other years, the restlessness and chaos in the world around us are at unprecedented levels. So many changes have been made in our world this year, and some of these changes—for better or worse—will never be undone.

Another word for “change” is “evolve.” That’s why, when it comes to this week’s Fun Fact, I was careful to be precise in my wording:

What is Darwinian Evolution?
The idea of Darwinian Evolution suggests that life began as a chance combination of nonliving chemicals.

For some reason, this Fun Fact has been the most challenging for me to write about this year. In fact, I already postponed it once because I was struggling to find a good angle. The irony is that I have more resources for this Fun Fact than for any others on my website. In fact, perhaps that is the problem: I have too many ideas about what to communicate with you regarding it.

Let’s start by breaking it down and focusing on some of the keywords.

Why “Darwinian Evolution”? As I mentioned above, “evolve” in itself is not a dirty word. It simply means change. Things change. Change is one of the few absolute guarantees in this world (except when you’re staring at a vending machine). In fact, I don’t know of any creation apologists who don’t acknowledge the reality of “microevolution,” but as I mentioned when I wrote about the finches Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands, microevolution is the result of changes (usually from mutations, adaptation, etc.) that occur within a kind (which I defined last week when I wrote about dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark). But the term “Darwinian Evolution” specifically refers to something we also call “molecules-to-man evolution,” or “macroevolution.”

Why “idea”? Isn’t macroevolution a fact? After all, it is widely taught in public—and even some Christian—schools all over the world. Couldn’t it at least be referred to as a “theory”? Scientifically speaking, no. Macroevolution is not only not a fact, but it doesn’t even qualify as a theory. The scientific method starts when someone has an idea and asks a question. Then they do some basic research and formulate a statement of predictability, called a hypothesis. From there, they conduct tests and experiments, analyze data, and examine if the hypothesis could be true. It is only after repeatable, observable, testable processes that a hypothesis makes its way to the next step: a scientific theory. Even scientific theories have been later disproven because nobody can possibly do every single test in the world to make sure their hypothesis always proves true.

What about the idea that all of life originated from the chance combination of nonliving chemicals? In other words, could something have come from nothing? And then, could that something which came from nothing, and has nothing to interact with develop into a more orderly and complicated something else, over and over again, until life developed?

Well, let’s ask some critical questions:

1. Can it be repeated? Nope! No scientist has ever been able to make something out of nothing. (By the way, the Law of Mass Conservation tells us no scientist ever will be able to either.)
2. Has it ever been observed? Nope! Nobody was there to see this supposed non-miraculous event of nothing making something, supposedly millions or billions of years ago. And since that time, no scientist has ever been able to make it happen again (refer to question 1 above).
3. Can it be tested, quantitatively and/or qualitatively? Nope! (Refer to question 1 above.)

Therefore, I refer to Darwinian Evolution as just an “idea” in my Fun Fact. But if you’ll indulge me a bit, there are a couple of other important aspects to this Fun Fact that I’d like to bring to your attention.

First, in this one-year blog series, I am presenting to you the set of 49 Fundamental Facts I developed for a homeschool Bible class. But in my first post, and on the main page of my website, I clearly explain that these Fun Facts are “evidence-based.” Each week, I have been presenting evidence to not only debunk the idea of molecules-to-man evolution, but also to confirm the biblical account of Creation. As a reminder:

• On June 26, I told you about the bombardier beetle and how his little gas chambers had to be in place right from the beginning, or he would have died from improper use or incomplete combustion reactions. “And,” I mentioned, “as a pretty good rule of thumb, dead animals cannot evolve.”
• On July 24, I introduced you to the concept of “irreducible complexity,” mentioning the giraffe and beetle as great examples that defy evolution “because their complex designs could not have gradually evolved to what they are.”
• Similarly, on September 4, I explained why the human brain could not be “the result of random chance combinations and millions of years of evolution.”
• On October 9, I described how “although the ‘backward design’ of the human eye has often led unbelievers to cite it as an example of ‘chance’ evolution, in reality, the irreducible complexity of our eyes points to a very creative and thoughtful Designer!”
• And on November 6, in my “More Chaos, Not Less” post, I told you, “Evolutionists have a hard time overcoming the Second Law in their hypotheses about organisms becoming more complex over time.”

Even with all these insurmountable proofs against Darwinian Evolution, there are still many who just refuse to believe in a God Who created life. And on July 31, I explained that truth somewhat with my Fun Fact of Romans 1:20, which says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead, so that they are without excuse” (NKJV). I told you then: “In the world of creation science and apologetics, this passage pops up a lot. Of course, Darwinian evolution has become so commonplace, and the ‘accepted science’ of the public schools in our country. But . . . when it comes down to it, evolution—as a scientific model—was developed to try to find a way to explain origins without a Creator, without a God to Whom each one of us is accountable.”

In the study of logic, we would call this a “rescuing device.” Rescuing devices are arguments people come up with because they don’t want to reevaluate a flawed presupposition or worldview they are holding onto. This takes us into the other side of the creation apologetics camp. This is the side that takes into consideration that everyone on the planet has access to the same evidence. However, how a person interprets that evidence is all about their worldview, which is the basic network of their beliefs that they assume to be true from the beginning. It’s sort of like how the color of lenses a person may wear will cause them to see the world differently than a person with no lenses, or with a different color.

And so, it is important to understand that arguing for the voracity of the Bible on the basis of evidence can only get you so far. Sometimes, you have to be able to challenge a person’s worldview and help them realize the flimsiness and inconsistencies of any worldview that does not start with God as the Maker of all. My goal is to also produce a set of “Logic Fun Facts” within the next year, but in the meantime, I highly recommend watching Dr. Jason Lisle’s “Ultimate Proof of Creation” presentation. (He starts around the 10-minute mark.)

The last thing I want to mention about this Fun Fact is the inconsistencies of accepting molecules-to-man evolution but also holding to many socially ethical campaigns. For example, yesterday (December 10) happened to be “Human Rights Day.” Established by the United Nations, the annual observation is geared to bring awareness of the “rights” to which some humans around the world are deprived. This same international organization also promotes Darwin’s evolutionary ideas. How ironic is that? If Darwinian Evolution is true, then human beings are merely the result of chance combinations of nonliving chemicals.  And, in that case, why should they have any rights at all, when there was nobody to give them those rights in the first place?

This reminds me of a conversation I had with one of my students five years ago: He came into Bible class one week and sincerely asked me, "Miss K, what if evolution really WERE true?" I stopped and thought about it logically and said (something to the effect of), "Well, then we wouldn't be more than animals. And if that were true, there would be no need for an eternal focus, and really we would have no real purpose in this life. Nobody would have a God-shaped vacuum, so there would be no need for anyone to believe in God, and the idea of creationism would never have had a need or purpose. If evolution were true, I think it would be the only story given for our existence. I would think there wouldn't even be any Christians."

Or, as I later read from C.S. Lewis: "Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."

I don’t know about you, but to me the irony of people celebrating rights given by nobody to humans—the result of random chance processes—just adds to the chaos level in the world this year. And, ultimately, I don’t think that’s merely by chance. The shorter Satan's time gets, the more desperate he is to distract, deceive, and destroy as many people as possible. After all, he is the master of the rescuing device. 

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/evolution.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Tomorrow (December 5) is “Bathtub Party Day.” Although you might likely have never heard of this one before, it actually has more of a following than some of the other novelty “holidays” I’ve written about this year. In fact, a simple Internet or social media search will bring up quite a number of results, including opportunities to save at dog spas, past celebrations that range from puppy-cute to adult-questionable (please use a safe search filter!), and even some Sesame Street throw-back scenes with Ernie and his rubber ducky. You’ll also find ideas to celebrate on your own, generally around the principle of lingering in a relaxing tub rather than taking a shower.

My favorite “bathtub party” images have always been those that represent happy animals on a boat, depicting a twist on the Noah’s Ark account of Genesis 6-9. However, these images are absolutely just that—fanciful twists on a very real and not-so-happy historical event. Often the scenes are also missing dinosaurs, reflecting a further misunderstanding of the truth of the Bible’s account of events. So, the question is . . .

Could dinosaurs really have been on the ark?
Yes. Because dinosaurs are really reptiles, they started out small and many continued growing their whole lives. God could have brought young dinosaurs to the ark, two of each kind, who would have survived the Flood with Noah and his family.

This might bring up some more questions, so let’s do a little review:

When were dinosaurs created?
Dinosaurs are land animals, so we have no reasons to believe that they were created at any other time than on Day 6 of Creation Week.

What is a “kind”?
In the first chapter of Genesis, we see the phrase “after his/their kind” used ten times. We see this phrase repeated three more times in Genesis 6:20 when God is instructing Noah about the ark. Both in the Creation account and in the Flood account, some skeptics challenge that there were too many animals either for Adam to name in one day, or for Noah to carry on the ark. However, in terms of biological classifications, “kind” is the equivalent of either genus or family, not species. So, not only did Adam really only have to name about 2,500 animals (which was doable even in as little as four hours),

Noah only had to accommodate a few thousand animals, which also was easily doable with the large dimensions described in Genesis 6. In fact, if you’ve never been to the Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter in Kentucky, it is worth a visit! You can see firsthand just the magnitude of the ship, and also how the animals—including dinosaurs—could have been compartmentalized and stowed for the journey. In fact, most dinosaur eggs were no bigger than a standard football, and God could easily have brought younger animals on board, not full-grown versions.

Was it a happy journey?
This is the real problem with the happy “bathtub party” style of the children’s pictures often portrayed in Noah’s Ark drawings. Not only are the animals completely out of proportion to the size of the boat, but they seem like they are on a pleasure trip across a calm sea with sunny weather. My friend, cartoonist Dan Lietha, points out in his presentation,  "Stop Mything the Boat", the dangers of portraying Noah’s Ark in such a fashion. In reality, a straightforward reading of Genesis 6-9 describes quite vividly the horrific storm and its purpose, which was to wipe the earth clean of sin. Many, many human beings and animals lost their lives as a result of God’s judgment of the sin and depravity that had infested the earth.

If dinosaurs were aboard the ark, where are they now?
After the Flood, the earth’s environment had completely changed. Some dinosaurs may have eventually died out due to lack of proper nutrition. Others may have been hunted for food or sport. Still, others may have posed a threat (real or perceived) to growing human communities whose bravest warriors fought and killed the beasts in order to preserve their families and legacies. We read stories about dragon legends from many cultures, and these were likely referencing real dinosaurs.
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Indeed, we can be certain that our God is not in the business of deceiving us. We can read His Word and take as true that He created all the animals during Creation week, that he brought two of each kind to Noah’s Ark, and that only the occupants of that vessel survived the Great Flood. Whether you celebrate in your tub tomorrow or not, you can give praise to the One Who made you, the dinosaurs, and all the other kinds of animals.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/animals/dinosaurArk.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!

This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

I chose this special Thanksgiving-Eve edition of my weekly blog based on the fact that it is also the 80th anniversary of the first appearance of the “Woody Woodpecker” cartoon character. Designed by Alex Lovy and voiced by Mel Blanc, Woody was a side character, pestering a father-son panda duo in the cartoon titled Knock Knock.

Over the years, this little cartoon character evolved into a well-known star of his own right, with new voice talent and even his own theme song and catch phrases. “Evolve” in this case means that he changed and adapted over time—with help—to match his surroundings and audience base. Nobody would ever try to suggest that he spontaneously came to be without the thoughtfulness of a creative designer.

But what about real woodpeckers? Is there any evidence to suggest they had a creative Designer as well?

What is one amazing feature of the woodpecker?
Woodpeckers have long sticky tongues to pull bugs out of trees.

Although I have multiple resources to learn more about the woodpecker on my website, my hands-down favorite is to listen to Dr. Jobe Martin from Biblical Discipleship Ministries talk about the woodpecker in volume 1 of his series Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution. You can purchase that DVD here, or even watch it on  Prime Video.

Here are some additional amazing features to know about woodpeckers:

• Compared to other birds, their beaks are stronger; their tail feathers are tougher and more resilient; and their feet are designed differently, with two toes in front and two toes in back so they can climb vertical tree trunks with their bodies in any direction.
• Between its skull and beak, a woodpecker has special shock-absorbing cartilage which keeps its brain from exploding with the forceful impact of each rat-a-tap-tapping peck.
• Woodpeckers’ brains are so incredible that brain surgeons study them to better learn how to repair and protect human brains, especially from concussion.
• Some woodpeckers have such a long tongue that it wraps around the back of their skull and over the top of their head! A woodpecker’s tongue can be up to 1/3 of the length of its body. If your tongue followed that proportion, it would be about 1.5-2 feet long!
• Woodpeckers have barbs on the tips of their tongues to stab bug larvae. But just in case that’s not good enough, they also have built-in glue-making factories that make their tongues so sticky that the bugs stick to them. Before they swallow, their built-in solvent factories go to work to dissolve the glue so they don’t swallow their tongues!
• Between each and every peck, the woodpecker opens his eyes, aims, and closes his eyes again. The force of each peck is so intense that if he didn’t keep his eyes closed, they would pop out of his head.

Wow!! These are just some of the amazing features of yet another animal whose irreducible complexity shouts the truth of a creative Designer. Makes me think of Romans 1:20, where God reminds us that “His invisible attributes are . . . understood by the things that are made” (NKJV). And while there are many more examples besides this little drumming wonder, as far as what I have to share this week: that’s all, folks!

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/animals/woodpecker.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

I have three Fun Facts designed to defend a common claim that can come in at least two different formats: “All real scientists believe in evolution,” or, “No real scientist believes God created the world.”

Well, this Sunday marks the 390th anniversary of the death of Johannes Kepler, so I thought it was a good time to introduce you to the first of these three.

Who was Johannes Kepler?
Best known for discovering the three mathematical laws of planetary motion, Johannes Kepler was a devout biblical Creation scientist with a deep love for Jesus Christ.

Johannes Kepler didn’t just tinker with his microscope in his garage. He left a pretty impressive legacy of scientific accomplishments:

• He was the founder of physical astronomy, revolutionizing scientific thought by applying physics to astronomy. Previously, physics had been considered a branch of philosophy, and astronomy had been considered a branch of math.
• He developed the first tables for tracking the movement of stars.
• He not only defended and promoted the theory of heliocentrism (that the sun is the center of our universe), but he helped people understand how that theory aligned with the Bible.
• He discovered the three mathematical laws of planetary motion which established the discipline of celestial mechanics. In fact, he proved the planets orbit in ellipses, not circles, around the sun. We call these “Kepler’s Laws.”
• He also discovered a supernova, improved the process of calendar-making, improved the telescope, and located many stars and planets.

So, what do you think? Was Johannes Kepler a “real scientist”? And yet, one of the best quotes we have from Kepler was how he defined science: “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” With his biblical worldview, he knew that the universe must have been created in a logical way, obeying organized patterns that came from an intelligent Designer. That is how he was able to make so many discoveries which have enabled scientists who have come after him to continue making even more discoveries (whether they give the credit to a Designer or not).

Incidentally, there are a lot of modern-day real scientists who believe God created the world too. In fact, this year my friends from the Creation Fellowship Santee have had the privilege of hosting several, including a couple of my favorites: Bill Morgan, Steve Austin, Jay Wile, Jason Lisle, and Gary Bates.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/people/kepler.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

This coming Monday (November 9) happens to be “Chaos Never Dies Day.” I know—who thinks of these things, right? But somebody did. And on the website TimeAndDate.com, you can find some ways to “celebrate” and also the thinking behind the annual reminder: “Feel like your life sometimes spirals into a chaotic mess? . . . This made-up holiday encourages people to realize that chaos is part of life and that it will never die.”

Believe it or not, when I made my blog plans for the year, I did not realize how close this “holiday” was to this historic U.S. Presidential election. I also didn’t know that the “fourteen days to flatten the curve” would turn into almost eight months (and counting) of restrictions, regulations, and the chaotic control it has become. I also really didn’t know that my pastor would be in the middle of a sermon series called Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World. Nevertheless, chaos is the theme all over right now.

What I did know is that I wanted to use the opportunity of “Chaos Never Dies Day” to introduce you to my Fun Fact about the Second Law of Thermodynamics:

What does the Second Law of Thermodynamics state?
The Second Law of Thermodynamics, also known as the law of entropy, says that the total entropy of the universe can never decrease. This law confirms the universe had a beginning.

Several months ago, I introduced you to the word “entropy.” Entropy is a measure of disorder. When something is orderly (or “very good”) and it becomes disorderly, the amount of change in order can sometimes be measured by its entropy. In that blog post, I was specifically relating it to “genetic entropy,” also known as “gene depletion,” because we do see this kind of tendency toward disorder when it comes to our DNA, whether from generation to generation or within a person’s life.

But more commonly, we associate entropy with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. In this case, we talk about the amount of usable energy that is available. This is something I teach my chemistry students about, and it helps us understand what chemical reactions could or could not happen, based on the amount of energy they release or absorb from their surroundings. What is interesting is that when you study science and read more about the technicalities of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, there are some specific aspects to it that some scientists disagree on.

For example, some Creation scientists disagree about whether the Second Law was in place before Adam sinned or if it was put into place as part of the Curse. Some scientists are quick to point out that the Second Law is not the same thing as genetic entropy or necessarily the same thing as a general tendency toward disorder—or chaos. Evolutionists have a hard time overcoming the Second Law in their hypotheses about organisms becoming more complex over time, but creationists sometimes put too much emphasis on the Second Law as a definitive answer to disprove evolution. The law itself can be somewhat complicated to understand. Although I have several articles on my website regarding the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the one I would most encourage you to read if you would like to know more specifically about it would be this one by Dr. Jason Lisle.

For my blog post here, I want to draw your attention to the part of my Fun Fact that says, “This law confirms the universe had a beginning.” From the standpoint of the Second Law confirming the beginning of the universe, this truth doesn’t necessarily eliminate many evolutionary theories, as even many of them do acknowledge a beginning. However, one of the interesting points Dr. Lisle offers in his article mentioned above is that since the universe had a beginning, it also had to have a cause.

So, to me, this Fun Fact has two great take-aways:

1. There are actually four Laws of Thermodynamics. These “laws” are among the many rules of math and science that govern our universe. They are unwavering truths that allow scientists to consistently develop theories and make discoveries. If there is a law, there must be a lawgiver. Someone established consistency and order when creating the universe as we know it. Randomness and chance don’t make laws.
2. As Dr. Lisle points out, if the universe had a beginning, then it must have had a cause. Only the biblical worldview gives a clear, consistent, reliable answer for Who that cause was.

Remember, these “Fun Facts” I am introducing you to are actually “Fundamental Facts” that you can easily memorize. They are tidbits to help you answer the call of 1 Peter 3:15, always being ready “to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (NIV). It is great if I can pique your interest and help guide you to study more information and truth about the topics in the facts themselves. My primary goal is to get you thinking and to provide cues to help you remember more solid truths.

But at the end of the day, I always want to emphasize to you the hope that we have in our living God. Even in the midst of uncertainty and ever-growing chaos, we know nothing comes as a surprise to Him, and He has the end all planned out. Do you know this God? If not, today would be a great day to get to know Him!
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/geology/secondLaw.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Today, the last Friday of October, happens to be “National Frankenstein Day.” The day is to recognize Mary Shelley and her novel in which scientist Victor Frankenstein created a monster. And while you can celebrate the day by reading the book, drawing your own picture, conducting an experiment with electricity, or baking cookies or other treats in the shape of a monster, I’ve chosen to celebrate by introducing you to my Fun Fact about the “hopeful monster” theory:

What is the “hopeful monster” theory?
The “hopeful monster” theory is an evolutionary theory which states that occasionally an animal births a totally new creature.

You may recall that last week I told you an observed truth of genetics: apes make apes, people make people, and finches make finches. But what if that wasn’t always true? What if your beautiful little collie had a litter of pups, and one of them—instead of a collie—was randomly a banacrowtula? Or how about an eleraffepple? You probably hope that doesn’t happen because it might give you quite a startle!

Some evolutionists, however, hope such an occurrence does happen. For a long time, evolutionary scientists have been looking for answers to try to explain away the need for a Creator God to have made all the animal kinds we see today. That there is no observable evidence for Darwinian evolution doesn’t stop them from hoping there could be.

Part of the problem (for evolutionists) is that as they examine the fossil record, animals appear suddenly, all at once. There is no sign of animals transitioning from one kind to another. When apes appear in the fossil record, they are apes. When finches appear in the fossil record, they are finches. And so on, and so forth.

Rather than acknowledging Darwinian evolution might be false, and especially rather than acknowledging there might be a Creator God to Whom we are accountable, one of the ideas these scientists have come up with is that occasionally one animal birthed a totally new creature. Otto Schindewolf, a German paleontologist, was credited with this idea in the 1930s. Basically, he suggested that instead of slow progressions of evolutionary development, transformations happened in large single leaps between species.

UC Berkeley geneticist Richard Goldschmidt took hold of Schindwolf’s theory, calling the new animals “embryological monsters,” and thus named the idea the “hopeful monster theory.” Despite the fact that there has been no evidence to support this idea, and that the theory should have died with its originator, shortly after Schindewolf’s death in the early 1970s, two other scientists—Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge—revived the idea and repackaged the theory. They called it “punctuated equilibrium.” And although there still remains no evidence for it, because it answers Darwinian evolution’s problem of missing transitional fossils, it has been widely accepted and is often taught as fact in public schools and secular museums.

You may recall that Romans 1:20 tells us that everyone—in their heart of hearts—knows there is a God. But verse 21 goes on to say, “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (NKJV). These scientists keep hoping to find evidence to dismiss what they know: there is a God Who created them and will hold them accountable.

Let me reassure you: You have no reason at all to believe your little doggie is going to give birth to a new creature any more than you have reason to believe that Frankenstein’s or anyone else’s monster is under your bed. However, if you have placed your faith in the living God of the Bible, you can rest your head each night knowing your hope is in the Creator of the universe, Who will someday redeem you to Himself. Your eternal future is secure with Him.

If you have not placed your faith in Him, National Frankenstein Day is just as good a day as any other to visit this website and learn how to start your life with the Author of hope.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/hopefulMonster.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Yesterday (October 22) was “Galapagos Day.” The Galapagos Conservation Trust uses this day each year to raise awareness about the marine species that live at the archipelago and the threats they face. The Galapagos Islands, about 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, are well known because that is where Charles Darwin realized and began to develop his “theory” of evolution, while observing finches.

During his five weeks on the island, Darwin noticed that the finches had variations in their beaks, tails, body types, and feathers. In particular, he observed that the variations in the finches’ beaks gave some of the birds specific abilities others didn’t have, which would allow them to adapt better and survive longer than other variations. From these observations, Darwin went on to extrapolate that the same principles could be applied to other animal kinds evolving into whole new animal kinds. This is known as “Darwinian Evolution.” We will discuss Darwin and his idea of evolution more in upcoming weeks.

But this week let’s focus on this particularly important question:

Did the finches Darwin observed on the Galapagos prove evolution?
In reality, the Galapagos finches have shown their God-given abilities to adapt and survive tough times, while keeping within their created kind.

This year I’ve had the privilege of joining with my friends from the Creation Fellowship Santee in virtual weekly fellowships. We’ve had a number of great speakers—authors, Creation scientists, Christian apologists, pastors, and more—come share with us from week to week. One of our first speakers was Bill Morgan, who leads his own Creation fellowship in Garden Grove, CA, and also does an extensive amount of street witnessing. One of the things he taught us that evening was how to give an answer for our belief in God the Designer. When questioned about evolution, he encouraged us to respond with, “Apes make apes, people make people, and crows make crows.” This isn’t religious; this is genetics. Genetics is the field of science that focuses on organisms’ genes, which are made up of DNA or RNA.

Good scientific theories are those that are testable, repeatable, and observable. The truth of it is that the only thing Charles Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands were finches making finches. Did their beaks vary? Yes, but they were still finches.

In the first chapter of Genesis, we see the phrase “after his/their kind” used ten times. It is important to understand what “kind” is. In terms of biological classifications, “kind” is the equivalent of either genus or family, not species.
Since that time, the only conclusive scientific observations that have ever been made have been that animals reproduce after their kind. Apes do not become people any more than they become crows. Dogs do not become cats. Whales do not become dogs.

However, we do see extensive variations within kinds. Variations are the result of certain genes—sometimes favorable and sometimes hazardous—being passed on from generation to generation within a kind.

For example, most scientists—evolutionists and creationists alike—believe that all the dog species we see today shared a common ancestor that was much like a wolf. However, over time, sometimes as the result of intentional breeding and sometimes as the result of adaption, some genes have been handed down from generation to generation that have changed the way dogs look, and have offered a variety of different species, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. It is important to understand that in every generation of dogs, dogs still make dogs. And even more importantly, never is any new information added to their DNA, or genetic code.

I’m going to leave this talk right there because in just a few weeks, we’ll pick up where we left off when we talk more about Darwin’s idea of evolution. For now, whenever you see a bird flying by you, just remember that it is one of its kind.

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/galapagos.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more!
This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.

Yesterday (October 8) was “World Sight Day,” a day set aside all over the world to promote eye health and to raise awareness for the struggles brought on by blindness and other visual impairments. It seems clear, then, that I should focus this week’s blog post on my Fun Fact about the human eye:

What makes the human eye unique?
The human eye is situated backwards so we don’t always have to look through a pool of blood.

I know there are a few ways I could go here, and you would probably see any of them coming: I could devote the next few paragraphs to the high importance of seeing the world clearly through the lens of the Bible. I could write to you about the ironies of 20/20 being hindsight, yet the year 2020 has taught us invaluable lessons on foresight. Or I could clarify the importance of a backward eye and highlight some of the other fascinating design features of our eyes. My choice: number three!

Why, exactly, are our eyes backwards? Technically, it isn’t the eyes themselves that are backwards, but the wiring. When you look at your eyes in a mirror, you see the beautiful “storefronts” that God has created, with the lenses, pupils, irises, and corneas. But behind those, there are photoreceptors that face the retinas, which are thin layers of tissue that line the backs of the eyes. When light hits the retinas, it activates photocells. These highly active photocells require nutrients found in the blood, so pools of blood are stored between the lenses and the photoreceptors, with the photoreceptors facing the back wall of the eyes. If the photoreceptors faced forward, or if the pools of blood were between the photoreceptors and retinas, our vision would always be tainted by those pools of blood.

But did you also know?

• Our eyes are extensions of our brains, and their job is to send signals to our brains. Our brains store the signals and then piece them together like a puzzle to make sense of them. Even when our eyes are closed, our brains are still active, making pictures from the signals our eyes have previously processed.
• In some ways, our eyes function like camera lenses, but much more efficiently. They autofocus, changing shape as needed; they sharpen images along their edges; they adjust automatically for brightness or darkness; and they are self-cleaning, self-lubricating, and self-repairing.
• An examination of our eyes can signal eye doctors when more serious health risks are present, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even an impending heart attack.
• Not only were our eyes built “automatically” in the womb, but every animal has something special about the eyes God gave it. For example, owls have more rods and cones to help them see better at night. Flies have compound eyes which help them “sense” things from a wider circumference. And beavers have two sets of eyelids, which we will discuss more in the spring.

Indeed, although the “backward design” of the human eye has often led unbelievers to cite it as an example of “chance” evolution, in reality, the irreducible complexity of our eyes point to a very creative and thoughtful Designer! Take good care of your eyes and remember: your brain stores the images it receives from your eyes. Be sure those images bring glory to God!

Matthew 6:22 (ESV) “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light...

Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/eye.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation.