Theory of Evolution
OVERVIEW
Before we begin, there are three things to keep in mind when discussing scientific, apologetic topics:
- Remember that apologetics comes from the Greek word, apologia. It means, "defense" or "answer." In other words, it is to DEFEND the faith, not to OFFEND others. That we are always to discuss the topics of scientific apologetics in a Christian, Christ-like atmosphere. To defend the faith with preparation, wisdom, and most importantly, Christian love; to show the love of Christ before, during, and after any discussion to everyone that you come across. To not prove a point, but to discuss the topics rationally and gently in Christian fellowship. "Even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:14-15).
- When discussing any controversial, scientific topic, we are not proving whether it coincides or contradicts our faith. Scripture and science come from the same Author, God Himself Scripture is the Word of God and science is the process in how God created all things during the creation account in Genesis. Therefore, Scripture and science have always gone hand in hand. However, the false appearance that they can't coexist has come about from two main reasons. The misinterpretation of the Bible (Galileo Affair; Galileo & the Catholic Church) and bad science (Spontaneous Generation; life comes from nonlife).
- Remember that God's intent of Scripture is primarily for our salvation, not science "Thus, taking terms too literally may convey more than, or even the opposite of, what the author intended" (John A. Bloom).
OBJECTIVE
This unit will focus on the question of the Theory of Evolution
Introduction
The dominant theory in the scientific community that is used to attempt to explain the origin of life is rooted in Darwin's Theory of Evolution. This lesson will focus on diving into this theory and its implications. which we will then respond to, in order to shed light on how this theory does not provide an adequate explanation on the Origin of Life. Facts about DNA sequencing will be used as evidence to point to intelligent design.
Lesson outline
- Darwin's Theory of Evolution
- Implications of the Theory
- Responses to the Implications of the Theory
- DNA Sequence
Theory of Evolution
Darwin's Theory of Evolution has 4 aspects:
- Individual Variation: Individual variations are exhibited in Individual organisms within each population of species. These variations are due to mutations. Mutations are generally beneficial, making the organism more suited for their environment.
- Heritability: Due to Natural Selection, organisms with advantageous traits will have a greater probability of success in reproducing.
- Difference between Generations: The individuals that survive against harsh conditions and have the ability to reproduce will create a new generation of offspring, which have more favorable traits than their predecessors. This mechanism of adaptation will increase their survivability and reproducibility.
- Over Reproduction: Crowding of a species will render the resources of their environment relatively more scarce, leading to the organisms with advantageous traits surviving. They will eventually pass their traits to their offspring. This shows that the fittest only will survive (Natural Selection).
The Theory of Evolution was published under "On The Origin of The Species" on November 24, 1859. Darwin concluded via backward extrapolation that life started from a single cell. This cell through mutations gave rise to different forms of life, and at the top of the tree of life there are the different species. This is a figure from his notes.
Implications of The Theory of Evolution
Implication 1: Natural Selection and Mutation is the means by which nature "creates" different species.
Implication 2: The theory of Evolution implies that the Origin of Life is a single cell, and that cell came into existence by forces of nature. There is no creator.
Addressing Implication 1
Natural Selection and Mutation is a true process that has been discovered by Darwin, but it cannot be set in motion until there is a process of producing "offspring" (children) of any organism. Producing children implies the pre-existence of "parents" or at least "a parent," which leads to the question: "what is the first parent?". This is answered by Darwin as: "the first parent that existed is the first cell that came into existence."
Which will lead to addressing Implication 2.
The Concept to Answer Implication 2:
- At the time of Darwin until today, life is considered to be the existence of living cells.
- The cell at the time of Darwin was known to be composed of: A nucleus, Cytoplasm, and a membrane. Today, the cell has been discovered to be vastly complicated with so many compartments and processes going on inside of it.
- The discovery of the DNA made all scientists agree that cells carry a genetic code that fully represents the species in whose cells it exists.
- So the question of the Origin of Life is a question of how the cell formed containing a "sequence" of chemicals that forms the DNA, which is the identity of the species in whom the cell exists. Or in other words: Can DNA come into existence by "nature"?
- This is the holy grail question. Why? Because if the Origin of Life is the cell, and the cell came into existence by nature, then the DNA must have formed by forces of nature only.
- Since the DNA is formed of chemicals, then the attraction between these chemicals is called "Biochemical attractions".
DNA Sequence
DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It is the Chemical Blueprint of life. DNA carries INFORMATION
The information in DNA is stored by the ordering of certain chemicals: nucleotide bases (see image below). These nucleotides are:
- Adenine (A),
- Cytosine (C)
- Thymine (T)
- Guanine (G)
A only binds to T, and C to G i.e. they come in pairs, called base pairs. Each organism, plant, animal, or human has a unique sequence of the DNA. In other words it has a unique sequence of A-T, T-A, C-G, and C-G pairs. This sequence fully defines the species and also segments of it are responsible for building "proteins" which sustain the organism. (The protein building will not be discussed in this lesson.) So imagine the DNA molecule as a "ladder"; up and down the ladder is the DNA sequence, and the steps of the ladder are what is called base-pairs , each base-pair is one of the following:
- Adenine (A) connected to Thymine(T),
- Thymine (T) connected to Adenine (A)
- Cytosine (C connected to Guanine (G)
- Guanine (G) connected to Cytosine (C)
Just think of these chemicals (or biochemicals) as four letter A, T, C, G and that they connect as A-T, which means there is attraction between the A and the T, as well as C-G meaning that there is attraction between the C and the G. No other connections between them exists.
So the DNA sequence corresponding to this segment is obtained by reading vertically the base-pair sequence, which will be (reading on the left hand side from the label 3' to the label 5'): A - G - T - C - A - T - G -A
The Vertical Axis of the DNA molecule
Recall, in the helical structure of the DNA molecule, the sequence is unique along the vertical axis of the helical structure, i.e. up and down "the ladder" of the DNA molecule. Along the horizontal direction, i.e. in the direction of the base pairs (A to T, or C to G) there is a hydrogen-based bonding. Along with that, each of the A, T, C, or G are tied to the helical "rails" of the DNA molecule via a phosphate-based bonding.
As shown in the Figure above:
- The nucleotides are shown with color coding, and the base pairs are depicted to show that they are the building blocks of the DNA molecule.
- Each base-pairs are bonded together by a hydrogen bond. A black horizontal line is overlaid to show that the hydrogen bonding is in the direction labeled "horizontal direction" (in the orientation shown in the figure). So the horizontal direction is defined to be the direction along which the hydrogen bond is attaching Adenine to Thymine creating an A-T base-pair, or, Cytosine to Guanine, creating a C-G base pair.
- The direction, labeled Vertical direction, is the one that traverses from one base-pair to another. To be totally unambiguous it is the direction along which we travel along the direction of the DNA base-pair sequence. For example, where the arrow is pointing, in this figure the sequence of the 4 base-pairs, subtended by the oval, is A-T, C-G, T-A, and G-C. Which means that the DNA sequence, corresponding to these base-pairs, is (A, C, T, G) (we arbitrarily took the left nucleotide).
The most important question:
So, what is the bonding that defines the sequence of the nucleotide pairs along the vertical axis of the helical DNA molecule?( i.e. knowing one base-pair, whether it is A to T, or C to G is a function of the one before it, or does it predict which base-pair will come after it.)
In fact, the answer to these two questions is NO. There is no predictability along the vertical axis, the sequence-carrying direction. There is no biochemical attraction along this direction, a base-pair does not have a biochemical attraction to the pair-base preceding or the one following it. There is just a "structural" phosphate bond to physically hold the structure together, and it is agnostic to the base-pair order.
Why is that a crucial observation?
- The Genome project showed that there is a specific sequence of the DNA that specifies each species. This sequence is the Information (as letter in a book) that fully defines the species, and in the case of the human DNA it is 3.2 Billion "letters" long. The only difference is that the DNA letters are only 4 (A, T, G, and C), not 28 (as the alphabet), but each species is written as a book formed of these four letters.
So, if there are no natural forces or chemical affinities along the vertical direction that would be responsible for its order, then how is that order formed?
We showed here that there are no chemical forces (or others) that could form the DNA into an ordered information. So the question now that needs to be answered is what else or who can form a sequence that nature cannot form. Evolutionists have to answer that question. We know the answer to it.
CONCLUSION
- Life, in the form of different species, encodes all the traits of each species in its DNA.
- Where does all this sequential information come from?
See additional helpful images attached below.