Read full Chapter Unmasking Evolution Lecture Video
Inoculation Theory Russ and the Science Teacher
Darwin is being erased as evidence mounts for intelligent design.
Think about it. Can complexity, order and design – evident in all living organisms – come about through an unguided random process?
Purpose—The Key of Creation
Scene: The Professor (a retired Dean of Religion at a local college) opens with a provocation to his audience.
“I want to talk about purpose. This is also known as a Teleological Argument – one which examines the existence of God from the evidence of order and design, in nature. I believe it poses the strongest evidence against evolution.”
“Everything exists on purpose. Look around this room—at everything. The table, glasses, plates, carpet, paint, lights, the clothes you are wearing, the pen in your pocket. From the simple to the complex, everything is here on purpose. The only thing here randomly is dust. Even the gum wrapper on the floor from a previous patron is not random. It exists because it fulfilled a purpose—to keep a stick of gum fresh. We understand this intuitively. Everything I mentioned exists because humans designed, engineered and manufactured it to fulfill a purpose. In fact, without a purpose: IT DOES NOT EXIST! Not in the world we create for ourselves. Yet when it comes to nature, we are supposed to abandon everything we have learned from our own experience—that the extreme variety and complexity of life is simply the result of random chance. Why should they be so different?
The professor pulled a yellow pencil from his coat pocket. “Behold the pencil! The simplest thing you can find. It has only five basic materials—wood, graphite, paint, a rubber eraser and a metal band. We know intuitively that it could never “evolve” by itself. If you put all materials in a pile and add a million years, it would never randomly produce a pencil. Why? Because the raw materials cannot determine their own purpose! Purpose is the direct result of intelligence. The pencil exists because man needed something to write with. Apply this principle to the cells within your body. They cannot determine their own purpose either. Who instructs the protein molecules to form a liver cell or a kidney cell? They serve different purposes. You can argue it is written in the DNA. Did the DNA write itself? Can something with a clear and specific purpose like a kidney, governed by genes packed full of specific information arise from a random process? Show me anything in the real world–happening in real time–where this random process can be observed. You can’t because it doesn’t exist.”
“Continuing with the pencil analogy, adding complexity only makes the probability more absurd. If we can’t imagine a pencil evolving by itself–how about any of the modern technical gadgets we all use and enjoy such as a smart phone or a tablet?
“Everyone look at your right hand,” the professor said knowing the students would comply. They all held out their hand in front of them. “Your hand is one of the most complex instruments in the universe. In your hand you have 27 bones, 27 ligaments, 18 muscles, 40 tendons, 15 cartilage coated knuckles, over 400 blood vessels and a network of 7200 nerve endings attached to a main frame computer known as your brain. Your hand is able to sense pressure, texture, heat, cold, to lift heavy objects, to perform fine motor movements and more. The hand can do manual labor like that of a pipe fitter or fine motor movements like that of a surgeon. Your hand is an astonishingly complex instrument.
“Now let’s look at the eye. Even Darwin had a hard time believing the eye developed by chance from a light sensitive spot on the skin—like a freckle. From a freckle we evolved eyes with stereoscopic vision able to perceive color and depth–complete with retina, pupil, cornea, optic nerve, tear ducts for moisture, muscles to turn and more?
“Let’s look at the entire package. Your body consists of the following:
- Nervous system
- Circulatory system
- Skeletal system
- Respiratory system
- Reproductive system
- Immune system
- Digestive system
- Muscular system
- And several more!
“Consider that all these systems function within your body as an ordered biological structure, all working together in perfect harmony. This is called ‘systemic interdependence’ and they must all be in place for the organism to survive.
“Is it even possible to consider this all came about by an unguided random process through small successive mutations? This alleged process, which no one has actually observed, resulted in billions of chance mutations that just happened to grow into vastly different life forms all exhibiting new genetic information with increasing complexity. Do you find this plausible based on your own observations?
“Curiously, the most common proof-point this actually occurred is that bacteria become resistant to drugs and bugs become resistant to pesticides. What they don’t tell you is that the gene simply no longer codes for the targeted protein thereby creating immunity. However, the change in the organism was due to a loss of genetic information, not a gain. So how can this be used as a proof-point? To deny that intelligence is required for the extreme complexity and design seen in all living organisms is to deny logic and our own human experience which tells us the exact opposite.”
Plants
“There is one more thing regarding purpose. Nothing shouts God’s direct involvement more than plants. The evolutionist would have you believe that all plants on earth evolved from algae. The oak tree evolved from algae? Are you kidding me?
“There are over 400,000 flowering plant species. Over two thousand plants are edible for humans including fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains and nuts. So I want you to think about this in the context of evolution. Why did the banana tree or the pineapple plant or the tomato plant or corn, or potatoes evolve? What advantage did the plant gain that directed its evolution? Why would its fruit be of any benefit to the plant itself? Quite to the contrary, vegetation exists to provide food for the animal kingdom.
“How is it possible that two radically different life forms—plants and animals–evolved simultaneously? Many plants and animals are interdependent such as earth worms and honey bees. The purpose of the bee is to pollenate plants. The worm irrigates the soil. Such interdependence speaks of purpose from outside the organism. All the rich variety of trees for shade, flowers for beauty, grass for erosion control, and most of all, thousands of delicious fruits, vegetables and grains for our sustenance and enjoyment screams of special creation.
Nothing points to divine purpose more clearly than the plant kingdom given to us by the Creator out of his love for all he created. It is no mistake the biblical account placed Adam and Eve in a garden. The entire world is a garden that is currently feeding over seven billion people. I challenge anyone to go to a farmer’s market—observe all the variety of fruits and vegetables and convince yourself that it all came about randomly from algae.”
“Everything I have said today is just common sense. All it takes is a willingness to look at the facts from a different perspective. Something students are not allowed to do either in high school or college. This is a total tragedy and an even greater tragedy that more churches do not directly confront this falsehood. It is one of the greatest enemies of faith and yet so few are willing to challenge it. Personally I see evolution as a house of cards that will eventually collapse.
“I will close with this parallel. Not allowing both sides of the debate to be heard, is like going to trial without a defense attorney. Facing only the prosecutor, the jury could only come to one conclusion and you would be found guilty every time.
“Here is a real life example. There would be three Duke University Lacrosse players in jail right now if they weren’t able to put up a defense that cost their parents a fortune. The DA who was running for re-election withheld evidence to get a big win. The case was eventually dropped. The DA was disbarred and went to jail. This dramatic outcome occurred only because there was a fair hearing of the facts. There are professors in colleges across the country that don’t allow a fair hearing of the facts and cause the jury, the students, to come to false conclusions that destroy faith. All I am saying is that there is strong evidence to support intelligent design yet students are not allowed to consider it much less discuss it in free and open debate.