Hope? Slim to none
Dear Ken,

I haven’t felt much like laughing these days but your Dead People really set me off–and I still laugh whenever I read it. Have shared it with family and we all laugh. I know you didn’t do it on purpose but it was a great “lifter upper” for me. I’m adding it to the “posts I save.”

Lydian

Hope? Slim to none
Would someone please explain to me where the seven-day week came from? The only reason for it that I know of is Genesis 1. That these were literal, 24 hour days is shown by God saying “the evening and the morning were the 1st day, the evening and the morning were the 2nd day–and so on.

As I recall there have been a few attempts to change the number of days in the weekly cycle but all have failed.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Hope? Slim to none
Dear Ken,

Thank you so much for taking the time to send me the article on bird migration. I only wish I had the “scientific mind” to fully understanding their reasoning–but, unfortunately, I don’t.

I grew up in a time when evolution was a non-issue– at least in my church and our educational system–so never gave it a second thought until this LSU situation was called to my attention a year or so ago. Frankly, I’m thankful that was the case because it gave me the chance to develop an unshakeable, strong faith in my Bible and my God. (Not that I am such a great Bible student because I’m not. It has only been the past few years while my grand children were growing up that I “woke up” and really started to try to understand prophecy and the great significance it had in truly “knowing” God and His plans and purposes for me and for our truly “little” world. )

No, Ken, we are NOT the biggest and most advanced planet in the universe even tho we seem to think we are. But we ARE the one planet that rebelled against our Creator and bringing us back “Home” is the most important item on God’s agenda. He could have just wiped us out and started all over again, you know, but instead He loved us so much He was willing to go to any length to bring us “Home” again. Such love is simply beyond my comprehension!

But there were two sentences in the article I did understand (at least somewhat!) and here they are:

“The lack of knowledge of the molecular basis of migration is currently not only limiting our insight into the proximate control of migration, but also into its evolution.”

And:

“Despite extensive research over decades, the molecular, physiological and endocrinological mechanisms underlying the regulation of migratory movements remain largely unknown.”

From my point of view, the answer is “In the beginning, GOD….”. I accept the fact that this does take faith’ Ken, but doesn’t belief in evolution also take faith? It seems to me that some things I have heard as “proven facts” are some times later proven untrue by archaeology.

Who knows–some day maybe God will see fit to reveal the remains of Noah’s Ark–altho I am in no way saying that this will happen. There are many things that will always need to be believed by faith alone–based entirely on what God has seen fit to reveal to us and I have no problem with that.

Ken, prophecy is the ‘solid rock” on which I build my unshakable faith in the Bible. I’ll talk more about that in my next contribution.

A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
So here I sit–a “very old lady”–totally confused and not having a clue as to whether to donate or not–or where to donate if I should.

As things stand now I think I will just continue putting my own little amount to my current “missionary out reach” of buying “Steps to Christ” and “Who Do You Think You Are?” and passing them on to the clerks in the stores where I shop or other people I meet that I think would like them.

If and when you folks decide on what, how and where to help in this very worthy project let me know and I’ll do what I can then.

A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I just noticed that there is such a program in place in northern California but I would want one that is nation wide. After all, if our kids aren’t already in danger here in the southern union also (as well the rest of the US) it’s most likely only a short matter of time till they will be.

A New Endowment Program for Adventist Education
I am far from a wealthy person who could and gladly would donate large sums of money to such a program but I could and would gladly donate some if such assurances were solidly in place. I’m sure there are many “old folks” like me “out there” who feel the same way. (Is there already such a program in place? If so please post all needed information.)

The God of the Gaps
While browsing my rather voluminous file of articles to “save” I ran across this jewel—I think it is worth saving and thinking about–especially the last statement by Darwin himself:
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

While Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy — a plausible mechanism called “natural selection.” Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time.
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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – Slowly But Surely…

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a slow gradual process. Darwin wrote, “…Natural selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive variations; she can never take a great and sudden leap, but must advance by short and sure, though slow steps.” [1] Thus, Darwin conceded that, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” [2] Such a complex organ would be known as an “irreducibly complex system”. An irreducibly complex system is one composed of multiple parts, all of which are necessary for the system to function. If even one part is missing, the entire system will fail to function. Every individual part is integral. [3] Thus, such a system could not have evolved slowly, piece by piece. The common mousetrap is an everyday non-biological example of irreducible complexity. It is composed of five basic parts: a catch (to hold the bait), a powerful spring, a thin rod called “the hammer,” a holding bar to secure the hammer in place, and a platform to mount the trap. If any one of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not work. Each individual part is integral. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex. [4]

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is a theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we’ve made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years. We now know that there are in fact tens of thousands of irreducibly complex systems on the cellular level. Specified complexity pervades the microscopic biological world. Molecular biologist

Michael Denton wrote, “Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world.” [5]

And we don’t need a microscope to observe irreducible complexity. The eye, the ear and the heart are all examples of irreducible complexity, though they were not recognized as such in Darwin’s day. Nevertheless, Darwin confessed, “To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.” [6]

Footnotes:
1. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 162.
2. Ibid. p. 158.
3. Michael Behe, “Darwin’s Black Box,” 1996.
4. “Unlocking the Mystery of Life,” documentary by Illustra Media, 2002.
5. Michael Denton, “Evolution: A Theory in Crisis,” 1986, p. 250.
6. Charles Darwin, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life,” 1859, p. 155.

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I don’t think Sean could have said it better himself!

Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation
Sean, I guess I “bit off more than I can chew” when I subscribed to some of your other options.
All I can handle is the ^way it used to be”–like this column still is. Please put me back to this mode of information and I will be very happy. Thanks.