5/20/2012

Advancing technology has been both a curse and a blessing. Gigantic strides in medical science have made it possible to save and / or improve the lives of countless people. Many of us have seen computer science take the world from amusing toys to seemingly indispensible eletronic brains. A major computer malfunction can virtually bring the world to a halt. Almost everything in our life that uses electricity has a computer-type device in it. We are enslaved to technology.

Although we may not think about it very often, we all know that “under the hood” of our latest widget is the product of hours of engineering expertise. These are the people who can think in numbers and chemical symbols. They are “wired” differently. Their amazing abilities to solve problems have given rise to the notion that almost all tough questions can be solved mathmatically or scientifically. Oh yes, you might need to add a software engineer to the mix so all the numbers can be crunched by a computer, but in the end the right formula will be generated (we think).

However, not every question that can be asked has a formulary answer. No combination of numbers or chemical concoctions can define the origin of the universe. Interestingly, many scientists are intellectually honest enough to admit that the only reasonable answer to this question must reside in the realm of intelligent design. A designer was responsible for this infinitely complex world we live in. Sadly, most scientists are not willing to accept the God of the Bible as the ONE who both designed and created EVERYTHING! Yet, they admit life COULD NOT have happened by mere chance.

Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell, recently spoke about the “code” carried in human DNA. This is where the instructions come from which tell our molecular machinery how to link specific amino acids into proteins. A code is absolutely essential. Just like a computer is useless without software, the chemicals that are combined to make living cells need instructions.

Think about this. The average protein has about 300 amino acids in sequence. Yet, the possible sequences for a protein only 150 amino acids in length is 1 in 10 to the power of 74. That is a BIG number; it is larger than ALL the atoms in the Milky Way galaxy! Meyer said, “It’s not remotely plausible that mutation and natural selection could produce one functional protein during the entire history of life on the earth.” Remember not just any old jumble of amino acids makes a protein. You must have the right formula!

Finding the right combination by chance in order to produce the right protein to produce the right cell is not plausible. It would resemble asking someone to open a combination lock without knowing the combination. Imagine a bicycle lock with 10 dials each with 10 numbers. You are told to start trying various combinations in hope of finding the right one by chance. You better bring your sleeping bag and a couple of sack lunches, because you will probably be there for a while, unless you get extremely lucky. You see, there are 10 billion possible combinations with only one that will open the lock. 10 billion is just a fraction of 1 X 10⁷⁴ (10 with 74 zeroes).

The ONLY answer to the question about the origin of the universe is the the one given to us by God. You can find it in Genesis one. Not only is it the right answer, it is scientifically sound. Evolution violates science; Divine revelation agrees with every scientific fact. So, if you want the right formula, read the Bible. You will always be right if you heed God’s answers to questions about life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

Ken Dart