Dangerous Devolution at the Door

The headlamps, for example, on an automobile are measured in candlepower.  Candlepower was a standard source of night-time light for thousands of years.  When Edison designed the light bulb, it was compared to candlepower.  The brightest automotive headlamps are rated at 35,000 candlepower. 

The Word of God speaks of our position on the Light scale prior to redemption in Matthew 4:16:

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Zacharias prophecies of the ministry of his son John the Baptist and of the Christ in Luke 1:76-79:

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Once we saw the Light, the journey of Light began.  Colossians 1:12-13:

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Proverbs 4:18:

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

As we travel the highway of Light, our destiny is a face-to-face meeting with Jesus Christ, the Light source.  As we draw closer daily to the end of our destination, the path grows ever brighter and it ends at the perfect eternal day.  The closer we get to the Light, a new and more perfect picture forms. 

God’s Light destroys—yes, banishes darkness, and with it, confusion, ignorance, and uncertainty.  Are you born-again?  Have you seen the Light?  Would you like to enjoy clarity and peace of mind? Would you like all the darkness of your sin and shame erased, and would you like the power to live a glorious life?  Then today is your day of salvation.  Click onto “Further With Jesus” for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God.  NOW FOR TODAY'S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Psalm 2:1-4:

1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

GOD SAID, Romans 8:22-23:

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

GOD SAID, Hebrews 1:10-12:

10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

MAN SAID:  We are constantly getting better and someday soon, we will be X-Men. 

Now, THE RECORD.  Whittaker Chambers, a former Communist spy turned Christian, noted that the 20^th century is unique in earth’s history as the first century since life began when a decisive part of the most articulate section of mankind has not merely ceased to believe in God, but has deliberately rejected God.  The theory of evolution spearheads the charge in this rebellion, and stands as a monument to man’s feeble attempts to dethrone God.  When you start to peel back the layers of misinformation propagated by the evolutionist community, one begins to wonder whether there is any real science in that field at all. 

Dr. John Sanford, a retired associate professor of Horticultural Sciences from Cornell University with a PhD in plant breeding and plant genetics, has published over 70 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. He is also a prolific inventor with more than 32 issued patents.  As is very common among intellectuals, he was a staunch atheist and evolutionist during his tenure.  However, somewhere along the way, Dr. Sanford began to question the plausibility of evolution by means of mutation and natural selection, which he refers to as “the primary axiom.”  His journey for the truth led him to some unexpected places.  The following is from his book, Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome:

Late in my career, I did something which for a Cornell professor would seem unthinkable.  I began to question the Primary Axiom.  I did this with great fear and trepidation.  By doing this, I knew I would be at odds with the most sacred cow of modern academia.  Among other things, it might even result in my expulsion from the academic world.  To my own amazement, I gradually realized that the seemingly great and unassailable fortress which has been built up around the Primary Axiom is really a house of cards.  The Primary Axiom is actually an extremely vulnerable theory; in fact, it is essentially indefensible.  Its apparent invincibility derives mostly from bluster, smoke, and mirrors.  A large part of what keeps the Axiom standing is an almost mystical faith, which the true-believers have in the omnipotence of natural selection. 

Furthermore, I began to see that this deep-seated faith in natural selection was typically coupled with a degree of ideological commitment which can only be described as religious.  I started to realize (again with trepidation) that I might be offending the religion of a great number of people!  [End of quote]

In his book, Dr. Sanford shares the research he has done in genetics and shows that evolution is not just improbable from a genetic standpoint, it is impossible.  In addition, not only are we not evolving, like many would have you believe, real science unquestionably demonstrates that we are all devolving towards eventual extinction.   Not only are we all personally on the road to certain death, but unless something is done, it will eventually lead to the extinction of all life on earth!  This fully reflects the realty of the Second Law of Thermodynamics which states that all life systems go from order to disorder and finally cease from being, which is clearly seen in the DNA-mutations dilemma. 

According to present figures, some 90% of all the species to ever have existed are now extinct, and around 150-200 new species of insects, plants, and animals are added to the extinction list every day.  The U.N. Biodiversity Chief warns that, “Around 15% of mammal species and 11% of bird species are classified as threatened with extinction.”  According to a review by Barnosky et al. published in the journal Nature:

If all “threatened” species became extinct within a century and that rate continued unabated, terrestrial, amphibian, bird, and mammal extinction would reach Big Five magnitudes in approximately 240 to 540 years. … This emphasizes that current extinction rates are higher than those that caused Big Five extinctions in geological time; they could be severe enough to carry extinction magnitudes to the Big Five benchmark in as little as three centuries.  [End of quote]

In the June 2013 issue of Scientific American, we find the following excerpt:

According to a 2012 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, some 20,000 species are currently in grave danger of going extinct.  [End of quote]

Today's situation is compared to what the International Union for Conservation of Nature refers to as the sixth mass extinction.

We are often told this epidemic is almost solely to blame on mankind, and if we would just spend more money on preserving the environment, we could stop this epidemic in its tracks.  Despite billions in spending by governments around the world, the deluge continues.  With figures such as this, it is difficult to envision how evolution could even maintain what we have, let alone create large new families of life for the future.  The problem, however, all begins at the molecular level where mutations are altering and causing damage to our DNA.  Again from Dr. Sanford:

For many decades, geneticists have been worried about the impact of mutation on the human population (Muller 1950, Crow 1997).  When these concerns first arose, they were based upon an estimated rate of deleterious mutation of 0.12 to 0.30 mutations per person per generation (Morton, Crow, and Muller 1956).  Since that time, there have persisted serious concerns about accumulating mutations in man leading to a high “genetic load”—and a generally degenerating population.  There has also been a long-standing belief that if the rate of deleterious mutations approached one deleterious mutation per person per generation, long-term genetic deterioration would be a certainty (Muller, 1950). [End of quote]

Note that last line: If the deleterious mutation rate gets as high as one deleterious mutation per person per generation, it would inevitably cause the deterioration of our DNA.  Since the time this figure was first published, we have discovered that the mutation rate in every generation is much higher than was ever expected. 

It is now estimated that there are three mutations for every cell division, so that by the time a person reaches 60 years old, he or she will have approximately 40,000 new mutations.  Fortunately for us, God has created the reproductive cells differently so they have less cell division, and therefore, less mutation.  Only about 60-100 new mutations are passed on to our children.  These 60-100 mutations are estimated to drop our overall fitness rate by 1-2% for every generation.  The following is a short list of diseases known to be caused by mutations, taken from the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Angelman Syndrome—Characteristics of this condition included delayed development, intellectual disability, severe speech impairment, problems with movement and balance, recurrent seizures, and a small head size. 
• Canavan Disease—A disorder that causes progressive damage to the nerve cells in the brain.  Affected infants begin having problems with development, including a delay in motor skills like turning over, controlling head movements, and siting without support.  These infants typically also have weak muscle tone, unusually large head size, abnormal posture, and intellectual disabilities.  Feeding and swallowing difficulties, seizures, and sleep disturbances may also develop.

Plus, three more in this short list which need no explanation:

• Cystic Fibrosis
• Down Syndrome
• Sickle Cell Disease

The list could be much longer because mutations are known to be responsible for thousands of diseases and disabilities.  Remember, evolutionists claim these mutations are ultimately making us better.  As a side note, it is worth mentioning that the last disorder on the list is touted by evolutionists as a prime example of a beneficial mutation because it makes the infected person less likely to contract malaria.  When red blood cells sickle, they lead to anemia.  Anemia can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and delayed growth and development in children.  The rapid breakdown of red blood cells may also cause yellowing of the eyes and skin, which are signs of jaundice.  Painful episodes can occur when sickled red blood cells, which are stiff and inflexible, get stuck in small blood vessels.  These episodes deprive tissues and organs of oxygen-rich blood and can lead to organ damage, especially in the lungs, kidneys, spleen, and brain.  We will let you decide if those symptoms sound like a good trade-off for increased malaria resistance. 

Two to three percent of babies are born with visible birth defects.  Most people are aware that children produced as a result of incest have severe physical and mental problems.  Even children born to first cousins have greatly reduced lifespans.  The reason for this is because the mutations in their DNA line up in the same places and result in the unmasking of deleterious recessive genes. 

It is claimed by evolutionists that natural selection prevents the deterioration of life on earth.  Natural selection is the process of less fit individuals dying off and more fit individuals living on to produce a stronger species.  It is said that most mutations are bad, but every once in a while, a chance good mutation comes along to give the organism an edge over its peers.  The organisms with these “bad” mutations are less capable of surviving and consequently die off.  The organisms with the “good” mutations flourish because of their increased fitness and live on to create a stronger species.  The truth, however, is not so flattering to natural selection. 

While natural selection does indeed eliminate some very bad mutations, it cannot possibly eliminate most mutations.  Aside from the fact that the deleterious mutations are increasing at an unstoppable rate, the effects of the vast majority of mutations are so minor that they do not substantially alter one’s ability to survive.  It is only when these mutations have built up over many years that they begin to seriously affect a species’ ability to compete in the wild.  But, by that time, all of the species have been affected, so there are no “good” ones left for selection.  (See Mutations for more information.)

Dr. Sanford compares the problem of natural selection weeding out the effects of very minor mutations on overall fitness with a helpful analogy:

The problem of genotypic (your gene code) change versus phenotypic (your entire body) change is very much like the problem of the children’s story, The Princess and the Pea.  The royal character of the Princess is discovered by the fact that she cannot sleep because, even through 13 mattresses, she feels a pea beneath her bed.  Children are entertained by this story because it is so silly.  Royalty or not, no one can feel a pea through 13 mattresses!  But our genetic problem is actually a much more difficult situation.  Our Princess (natural selection) essentially needs to read extensive books written in Braille through a set of mattresses in order to precisely identify which books have the fewest errors in them!  [End of quote]

In addition, evolving from a single-cell amoeba to a human being requires libraries and libraries full of specifically calculated genetic information; mutations are destroying information from our DNA, not adding helpful, life-enhancing information to it.  (See Evolution's Elephant in the Living Room (Part Two) for more information.)

As one creationist pointed out, mutations do not work as a “blind watchmaker creating complex working organisms,” as infamous atheist Richard Dawkins claimed, but work more like a blind gunman randomly destroying the genetic information necessary for our survival.  In life, it is not always survival of the fittest, but survival of the luckiest.  Ask yourself this question:  Are only the fittest people in society reproducing?  When these problems were viewed through the belief of millions of years of earth history, it caused one confused evolutionist to write a paper entitled, “Why Have We Not Died 100 Times Over?” 

Dr. Sanford spoke at the 2008 International Conference on Creation (where representatives from GodSaidManSaid were also in attendance) about his findings and about the computer program he helped design, Mendel’s Accountant.  The program is an advanced numerical simulation program for modeling genetic change over time.  It allows the user to input variables such as mutation rate, distribution specifications for mutation effects, mating characteristics, average fertility, and more.  It then graphs how long that particular species will take to either evolve or deteriorate. 

When realistic figures are entered, the program reveals that, at best, human beings have around 10,000 to 15,000 years of life, or about 350 generations, on earth before mutations reach a boiling point and we can no longer continue as a species. 

Another area of great interest was the decreased lifespan after the flood.  The Bible tells us that lifespans fell from an average of 911 years before the flood to around 70 years well after the flood, as found in the book of Psalms.  When Dr. Sanford used the computer program to map out the drop in lifespans that occurred after the flood and compared it with current measurements of mutation/fitness decline, the graphs lined up almost exactly.

God’s Word, as well as observable science, indicates that this creation is disintegrating at an unstoppable rate.  The world’s inhabitants are in for some serious trouble.  Who can save us from this inevitable destruction?  Don’t wait until it is too late!  Put your trust in the solid Rock and you will be resurrected at the last day with a perfect immortal body that will never grow old and never break down.  Darwin’s evolution will never be proven right–because it is foolishness!  Psalm 14:1:

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

GOD SAID, Psalm 2:1-4:

1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

GOD SAID, Romans 8:22-23:

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

GOD SAID, Hebrews 1:10-12:

10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

MAN SAID:  We are constantly getting better and someday soon, we will be X-Men. 

Now you have THE RECORD.

 

References:

Authorized King James Version

 “Do Not Reanimate,” Scientific American, June 2013

“Protect Nature for World Economic Security, Warns UN Biodiversity Chief,” The Guardian, August 2010

Sanford, J., Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, 2008

Wieland, C., “Decreased Lifespans: Have we been looking in the right place?”

U.S. National Library of Medicine

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