Dave PowellDirector Truth of Genesis 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. 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" by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner 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:
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! 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. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner 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:
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:
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. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner 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:
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. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner 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. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner Happy Senior Citizen’s Day! Did you know that President Ronald Reagan declared this a national holiday in 1988, and two years later the United Nations made it a world holiday, to be observed on August 21 each year? The day is to help raise awareness of issues that affect the older and (usually) wiser generations. You can celebrate the day by taking some time to bring cheer to your own aged relatives or find some others who need it. In 2020, although the opportunity for physical contact might be less, the need to cheer these folks is undoubtedly greater.
While you may want to refrain from calling them such names as “fogie” or “fossil,” I, nevertheless, thought it would be a good week to introduce my Fun Fact about the fossil record: What is the fossil record? The fossil record is a “recording” of history found in sedimentary layers and made of fossils, which are the remains or traces of plants and animals found in rocks. As I mentioned in my first blog, posted on June 10, these Fun Facts I’m introducing to you are “evidence” or “science” -based. But it’s important for us to understand that there is another perspective to Creation apologetics: presuppositional. The best way to explain the difference is that we all—believers and unbelievers—live on the same planet and have access to the same evidence. How we interpret that evidence depends on our worldview (which is a network of our pre-assumed beliefs). It’s kind of like the prescription of the glasses you wear which makes your view of things a little (or sometimes a lot) different than other people’s views. The fossil record is probably the best Fun Fact I have to illustrate this. The fossil record is a “recording” of fossils, and that is undeniable. But your worldview will determine how you view that recording, and even how you view those fossils. It happens to be through the lens of Scripture and a biblical view of origins that we are able to explain the fossil record more clearly and with fewer unanswered questions. I’ve known some Christians who believe that an evolutionary approach to explaining the origins of the world is incongruent with the Bible, but they’ve never taken time to learn of the confidence we have in the evidence which actually supports the biblical account. Instead, they try to dismiss whole truths and categories of science because they assume that evolutionists have “created” them to support their humanistic ideas. It’s so important to be able to know the difference between real science, real evidence, and faulty interpretations. One example is natural selection. Many people have often attributed natural selection to Charles Darwin, suggesting he made up that idea and it is the equivalent of evolution. However, natural selection is a scientific process that was discovered long before Charles Darwin. In reality, it is just the predetermined variability within a kind allowed by a creatures DNA code. He just manipulated it to try to prove his erroneous ideas. We’ll talk more about that later when we discuss other Fun Facts. The fossil record is another example of this, though. Some Christians don’t understand that fossils do exist and that there actually is a recording of them. They assume that evolutionists have made up their existence. Fossils and fossil layers do exist. It’s our worldview that determines how we explain their existence. So here are some highlighted findings for you to keep in mind about the fossil record, in terms of how it actually supports the biblical accounts of Creation and the global Flood:
Next week, we’ll cover the topic of sedimentary rock. I had a health coach who was also a science teacher and seemed to be confused between the terms “sedimentary” and “sedentary.” Every week she encouraged me not to be sedimentary. Today, I’m encouraging you to visit a senior citizen dear to you and help keep them from becoming too sedentary. Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/geology/fossilRecord.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. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner I chose to feature this week’s Fun Fact in memory of this Sunday’s (August 8th) 101st anniversary of the death of Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist, philosopher, naturalist, and more. Some of you might not be familiar with Dr. Haeckel. After all, his name is not nearly as widely used as that of Charles Darwin. In fact, you might even wonder how to pronounce it. Here’s an easy way to remember: it is a homonym for the action of a person (heckler) who harasses a public speaker or performer with distracting and often abusive or insulting remarks. It’s actually quite fitting that the two are homonyms because Ernst Haeckel essentially heckled the Creator of the universe, providing distractions away from God and His message to us contained in the Bible.
In past blog posts I’ve discussed that many times throughout history we have seen eager evolutionists in pursuit of evolutionary theories with an intent to disprove a Creator God to Whom we are accountable. It might encourage you to know that countless people who have followed similar pursuits have actually come to the realization that the scientific data, when analyzed objectively, points to the validity and accuracy of the Genesis account of origins. Remember that I mentioned in my “Big Bang vs. the Bible” post that science—real science—is actually the friend of the believer. But also you may recall that last week we talked about Romans 1:20, which reminds us that everyone knows God exists. (In reality, the Bible tells us there are no atheists.) However, when we back up just a bit, we read in verses 18-19: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” (NKJV). While studying the topic of Creation apologetics (reading numerous articles and books, and watching and listening to numerous presentations), I have often heard leading apologists point out that many people promoting evolutionary theories—theories that posit alternatives to a Creator God—are “compromised” in their beliefs. They have intentionally suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. On the other hand, I’ve also heard a number of Creation scientists demonstrate compassion for some of their evolutionary colleagues, assuming that these people honestly believe what they say they believe and are not intentionally trying to mislead anyone. What does Romans 1 tell us? Whether consciously or not, everyone--everyone—knows God exists because He has revealed it to them. And those who deny it are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. When it comes to suppressing the truth consciously, there is no better example than Ernst Haeckel. Who was Ernst Haeckel? Ernst Haeckel was a German zoologist who promoted evolution by creating fraudulent pictures of human embryos that—although proven to be erroneous—still appear in modern textbooks. And before you start to thinking that 101 years ago was a very long time, so surely his impact couldn’t still be relative, let me tell you about another comparable number of years: 99. It was 99 years between Ernst Haeckel publishing his fraudulent pictures and the infamous Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed the murder of unborn children. If you have ever visited a Creation learning center or museum, you may have passed through a hall displaying the deadly effects of evolutionary ideas. None was more deadly than the evolutionary idea of Ernst Haeckel. His ideas about embryonic development were used to so highly convince the U.S. Supreme Court that babies in utero were not actually human beings until a certain point, that they voted to allow the killing of these developing “animals.” This was on the basis of Ernst Haeckel’s infamous “ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” theory. Let’s break that down. Essentially, “ontogeny” is a subdivision of biology that deals with the study of the origin of an organism. To “recapitulate” means to restate or summarize. And “phylogeny” is a subdivision of biology that focuses on evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms. So what Haeckel was saying is that in the womb we literally go through our supposed evolutionary stages, starting out as goo, then becoming fish, and then progressing to human beings. Can you appreciate the implications of such a theory? How about if it is accompanied by drawings (yes, I said “drawings,” not “photographs”) to support these hypotheses? That’s exactly what Haeckel did. Even though he had a contemporary in the UK, Thomas Henry Huxley, who was doing similar research and discovered this idea to be untrue, Haeckel wanted so badly for it to be true and to support his theory that he created fraudulent pictures, which not only still appear in some modern textbooks, but have influenced our nation’s moral climate for decades and have justified the murder of innocent lives. Since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, there have been such leaps in scientific and technological advancement that were the case brought back before the U.S. Supreme Court, on scientific merits alone, the judges would have to acknowledge that a human embryo is a human baby from the moment of conception. The sad truth, however, is that because the fraudulent “science” gave socially moral permission for tens of millions of murders, politics and agendas of unrighteous suppression of the truth could still interfere with a decision that honors the Lord. Indeed, Ernst Haeckel, the most conniving heckler of all time, has on his hands the blood of over 1.5 billion innocent lives worldwide . . . and counting. Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/people/haeckel.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. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner This past Monday, June 22, was the 25th annual “World Wide VW Beetle Day,” also known as “Drive Your Beetle to Work Day.” Did you know that the Volkswagen Beetle had a designer? In fact, its designer had a pretty familiar name: Ferdinand Porsche. At the request of Adolf Hitler, Porsche’s directive was to design a car that common people could afford and own: the people’s car (or folks’ wagon).
The Volkswagen Beetle has arguably become one of the most recognized vehicles in all of history. Its first model, the Type 1 made in the 1930s, was meant to be an affordable, mass-produced passenger car for people to drive on Germany’s new roads. The Beetle was originally designed with 25 hp, for a top speed around 62 mph. Over time, engineers upgraded the engine, moved the location of the engine, and added new design features. Off and on, the VW Beetle was produced for a span of some eighty years, with the final Beetle coming off the factory line in July of 2019. Still, the affinity for the little car carries on. So much so, that on Monday, in the midst of a global pandemic, people around the world who share a common passion and love for the iconic car posted pictures of their own all over social media, and made a point to (safely) drive their little cars, feeling a connection to a worldwide network of like-minded friends. As Christians, we have a worldwide network of like-minded friends, too! And celebrating the design of little things like the bombardier beetle should be able to connect us in the midst of a global pandemic as well. How does the bombardier beetle defy evolution? The beetle has a chemical mixture that creates small explosions to defend itself. “Bombardier” beetles get their names from the aqueous “bombs” they eject at their predators. They are a member of the family Carabidae, and of the genus Brachinus, which contains 304 species, just in the United States alone. Bombardier beetles are sometimes referred to as dragon-like creatures because of the boiling hot, caustic liquid they fire out at enemies such as birds, frogs, mice, rats, snakes, spiders, toads, and other insects. The exothermic chemical reaction that happens in this amazing little insect is actually a very sophisticated defense system. The beetle stores two liquids—hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide—in a larger chamber in its abdomen. When the beetle senses danger, it transfers those liquids to a smaller chamber to mix with the enzyme catalase. The liquids rapidly heat, and the oxygen steam released helps create an explosion. The bombardier has a special swivel nozzle in its backside which it uses to release this boiling hot liquid through a twin set of “spray nozzles” located at the tip of the beetle’s abdomen. The beetle never misses and delivers its bombs—often accompanied by an audible popping sound—with pinpoint accuracy and great force, leaving a foul, yellowish residue on its targets, and sometimes even causing seizures in its would-be predators. This rapid defense system gives the beetle enough time to get away. But isn’t it amazing that it doesn’t get burned in the process? By pulsing the jet 500 times per second, the beetle keeps its rear end cool enough to not get cooked in the process. Why? Because all the parts work together in beautiful harmony. In fact, it would be dangerous or useless to the beetle if any of these parts of the process came together slowly through chance, time, and natural processes. The system had to work right from the start the first time, or the beetle would not have survived. And, as a pretty good rule of thumb, dead animals cannot evolve. Creation scientists point to the bombardier beetle as an icon for design because, like the VW Beetle, its original design had to be all-functioning from the beginning. And not only they, but also combustion engineers study the bombardier beetle to learn how to build more efficient combustion engines. Just like the Volkswagen Beetle had a well-known designer named Ferdinand Porsche, the bombardier beetle had a well-known Designer named God. Both beetles were built by design. Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/animals/bombardier.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. Laura PowellMinistry Co-Director Instead of taking a long, one-week, vacation, this past summer our family did two extended weekends away. Our first trip was to Cincinnati and Kentucky. The first day held a Cardinals versus Reds game at the Great American Ballpark, in the over ninety-degree heat. Even though it was hot, the Cardinals beat the Reds with a final score of twelve to eleven, and since we are Redbird fans, the evening was awesome.
Day two of our weekend vacation meant indoor air-conditioning and the Creation Museum, both of which I was excited to experience. My husband and I had the privilege of visiting the museum a few years after it opened in 2007. However, this was the first visit for our fourteen-year-old son, and parents know experiencing things through the eyes of your child is priceless. Whether you are planning to visit for the first time, or you have been before, this list will provide you with the terrific tips for making the most of your time there. You can also find our top ten tips for visiting the Creation Museum’s sister attraction, The Ark, here. The Creation Museum highlights our amazing Creator and is a must-see attraction for anyone interested in exploring a visual representation of the book of Genesis, and the history of the world. Located in Petersburg, Kentucky, make plans to experience this state-of-the-art facility, where millions of people have been impacted by the way the Bible comes to life! 10. DO THE 4-D SHOW. Right after you enter the museum, the 4-D theater is on the right. Our son wanted to do this half hour show first thing. A clock outside the theater counts down until the next viewing. The workers give you 3-D glasses to wear once inside, and there is a caution given for people who are sensitive to flashing lights or are prone to seizures. The 4-D elements are water and wind. We were one of the last guests to enter, so we had to sit on the end of a front aisle. We didn’t feel any water but children next to us did. We did feel bursts of air during those thematic parts. It was an incredible show on the six days of creation, and we think it’s a must see for everyone who visits the museum. 9. LISTEN TO THE GUEST LECTURE. Georgia Purdom was the staff lecturer of the day, and we listened to her hour-long presentation after we finished the 4-D show. If you’ve never heard any of the speakers from Answers in Genesis, they offer fantastic presentations answering tough questions in easily understandable language. I’ve heard the material before, and it still was interesting to me! Click Here to watch her talk: youtu.be/yt0LdAtNLe0 8. STOP FOR FUDGE. Our family loves chocolate, and our fourteen-year-old couldn’t resist Uncle Leroy’s fudge shop, right outside the lecture hall. They carry many different varieties, including mint chocolate, buckeye, and maple pecan. We settled for a half-pound of plain chocolate, and it was delicious. 7. WALK THE GROUNDS. The botanical gardens are beautiful and offer over one mile of paved walking trails. You can stroll through a butterfly garden, wobble along a suspension bridge, or take a selfie by a small waterfall. It was an abnormally hot day, in the mid-nineties, and there was enough shade, so it was not unbearable. The gardens are meticulously maintained and easy to navigate. 6. ENJOY EXCELLENT EATING OPTIONS. For lunch we ate at Noah’s Café, which is located on the top floor, inside the museum. They have hot items like paninis, cheeseburgers, and chicken, or cold sandwiches, such as wraps, chicken salad, and more. There is a small salad bar, fresh fruit, and yogurt as well. Another eating spot, the Palm Café, is located downstairs, and it had pizza. We also stopped at the Noah’s Coffee (which is next to Noah’s Café), where we all had ice cream before we left. 5. PICK FROM PLENTY OF PICNIC SPOTS. While our hot day didn’t warrant weather for outdoor eating, there are plenty of picnic spots with long tables available. If you have young children, you could eat lunch outdoors and then enjoy the new playground. These are in close proximity to each other on the grounds. 4. ESTIMATE AT LEAST AN HOUR FOR THE 7 C’s EXHIBIT. Whether you’re looking to visualize what Adam and Eve may have looked like, see an animatronic dinosaur, or compare differences between the evolutionary story and Biblical history, the 7 C’s exhibit is the place to go! It will take about an hour to walk through it quickly. Plan for more time, if you want to stop and read the information more thoroughly. 3. GET A PARKING PASS. When you exit the gated museum, you will need to have a parking pass. You can get them at the Creation Museum Admissions or Guest Services. Estimate $5.00 for a standard vehicle and $10.00 for an oversized vehicle. 2. ZIPLINERS SHOULD GET A RESERVATION. One of the many side attractions at the museum is ziplining. If you want to do one of the many different packages of ziplining courses, the museum recommends you make a reservation in advance. If you call 859-586-3568 the Screaming Raptor Ziplining service line will ask you to leave a message, if they don’t answer. 1. SEE THE SHOW AT THE PLANETARIUM! Hands down, the most impactful experience for all of us, this time at the museum, was seeing the Created Cosmos at the Stargazer’s Planetarium. There are two shows to choose from, the one we saw, or Aliens: Fact or Fiction. The shows are 23 minutes long, and separate tickets are required. We had a lifetime membership pass, which included the $9.00 per person cost of the show. The thirty-foot-diameter dome helps simulate a space-like experience, and the content of the show humbled us, making us feel the awe and wonder of our amazing God. Pam BenderMinistry Associate Spring is just around the corner. I love spring and its many wonders. Green leaves on the trees, warmer weather and longer daylight hours. It’s fascinating to watch birds make nests and prepare for parenthood. Sometimes I even try to determine how many different birds I can identify either by their physical appearance, or by their calls and songs.
Did you know there are ten-thousand identified bird species worldwide? Each species has its own birdsong/call. I think that’s amazing! Birds have a special organ that enables them to call and/or sing. Cornell Lab of Ornithology says, “Unlike humans, birds produce vocal sounds using a syrinx, an organ located where the trachea splits into two bronchial tubes. In songbirds, each side of the syrinx is independently controlled, allowing birds to produce two unrelated pitches at once. Some birds even have the ability to sing rising and falling notes simultaneously, like the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) in its final trill.” And, “The songbird syrinx makes vocal gymnastics possible–for example the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is able to sweep through more notes than are on a piano keyboard in just a tenth of a second. Because each branch of the songbird syrinx is individually controlled, the cardinal can start its sweeping notes with one side of the syrinx and seamlessly switch to the other side without stopping for a breath, making them the envy of human vocalists everywhere.” 1 Evolutionists can’t give an account for why birds have a syrinx. According to an article on the website ‘Science,’ “The melodious call of many birds comes from a mysterious organ buried deep within their chests: a one-of-a-kind voice box called a syrinx. Now, scientists have concluded that this voice box evolved only once, and that it represents a rare example of a true evolutionary novelty. “It’s something that comes out of nothing,” says Denis Duboule, a geneticist at the University of Geneva in Switzerland who was not involved with the work. “There is nothing that looks like a syrinx in any related animal groups in vertebrates. This is very bizarre.””2 “Evolved.” “Something that comes out of nothing.” Haven’t we heard those lines before? As usual, the evolutionists use their imaginations to explain away the Lord’s Creation. It comes down to where you place your faith and pre-suppositions. Do you place your faith in evolution, which has no scientific proof, or in the Creator of these wonderful animals? A great article that goes in depth regarding the “evolution” of birds can be found at the ‘Answers in Genesis’ website. According to Dr. Lightner, “The scientists have assumed that all life on Earth shares common ancestry. Based on this belief, they use the data to tell stories of how the birds may have originated or changed.” And, “The Bible clearly tells us that God created birds and other animals according to their kinds.”3 Genesis 1, verses 20–23, state that the Lord created birds on the fifth day of Creation. And in Job 2: 7-10, Job says, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you; or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” The next time you are outside and hear the birds calling and singing, think about just how remarkable they are and rejoice in the Lord. He truly is a wonderful Creator! References: 1. https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/birdsong/ 2. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/10/bird-voice-box-one-kind-animal-kingdom 3. https://answersingenesis.org/birds/the-big-bang-of-bird-evolution |
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