Creationism Vs Evolution

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
M

mori

Guest
#61
How does one even declare that something is the most advanced by a biological rubric?
I try to keep in mind that, if we're counting chromosomes, there's a fern out there that'll probably end up ruling the world. :D
 
Nov 10, 2011
607
6
0
#62
I would argue that humans are the most advanced. Most advanced brain yes.

Most advanced eyes? No

Most advanced neurological system? Nope

Most advanced in muscular structure? No

Most advanced memory? Nope again
 

TheKringledOne

Senior Member
Dec 25, 2009
423
4
18
#63
Newton's first law states that every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. So how does splitting a tiny atom with a few electrons create a massive burst of energy?
As small as those little guys are there are some very strong forces holding them together. Breaking those bonds is going to release that energy.

Also, if we all came from the same place, and we all started off as a bunch of stuff even smaller than atoms, how do we join? How do we become electrons, and get energy, how do they join and become atoms?
I am not a physicist so I can not answer these. I could attempt to contact my brother for the answers because he is a physicist.

How does an atom of one element become all the elements of the periodic table?
Stars do the job. They are huge pressure machines because of the large amount of gravity and they break apart atoms which allow for the formation of newer, larger elements. Our sun turns hydrogens into helium and it is a fairly small star compared to others. An interesting side note, helium was first discovered by a spectrum analysis of the sun.

How do those elements then start joining back together to form compounds?
Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetism, strong interaction, weak interaction forces. They can bind together in many ways such as sharing or donating electrons from one to another. All of this is easy to look up and even test yourself.

And the kicker, how do random compounds made by chance, somehow make little living, active things? (bacteria).
Most people, especially scientists in the field, are not going to claim that these compounds came together by random chance and formed life. It is known that the necessary aminoacids and nucleotides that life uses do form in certain conditions, and these conditions were much more common on the early earth. These aren't randomly forming. There are a series of processes that bring these together and they all follow physical rules which is why creating them in a lab is repeatable. It has also been discovered that self-replicating compounds can form in these environment. They usually form when an area is being constantly flooded, dried up, and flooded again. I do not know why they form under these conditions chemically as I am not a chemist, but I have read peer reviewed scientific papers about them which adds to the credibility of this concept for me. After that it is still a long process to getting to an early thing we would call life. However once you have self replicating systems in environments that are full of the stuff it needs to replicate you get processes occurring that are similar to evolution. This occurs because the replicating compounds do sometimes make errors which sometimes cause them to be less stable but other times more stable for the environment. Eventually you get to systems of these molecules that work together as a sort of colony similar to the colonial bacterial or colonial protists but with each unit being much more simple. After several other processes these would come together to become what most scientists would consider to be life.

Remember that bacteria are giants in complexity and that scientists are not saying that the first self-replicating compounds that led to life were anything near the complexity of modern bacteria.

How do bacteria somehow join and mutate to become organisms that are then harmed by those same bacteria they came from?
Well they are probably just being harmed by bacteria that are more basal to its common ancestor. Bacteria are always competing with each other for resources and some evolve ways of harming other bacteria to take their resources from them, even kill them to do so. If you are talking about how life eventually became multicellular than you need to understand a lot of complex concepts, such as endosymbiotic relationships, that allowed for prokaryotes to become eukaryote.

How do those organisms become totally different, totally separate organisms that have completely different traits and why?
Mistakes in replicating the genetic information, genetic material from other sources being mixed into it by horizontal gene transfer, and even new information being placed in by viruses. These are all sources for change. Sometimes they are harmful and sometimes they aren't. Sometimes the changes are slightly harmful but not harmful enough to kill off the organism. The organism and its descendants survive and eventually changes that will change the somewhat harmful change into something useful. I have digressed, back to the main point, these changes can occur and they will be passed on if useful, neutral or not harmful enough to kill off the line. These changes can accumulate and be selected for or against under different circumstances.

If our only purpose is survival, why didn't those bacteria (most likely cannibalistic, else how did they survive?) just stay as bacteria. And if survival's the game, why would they mutate into things that can be killed by the same bacteria they came from?
There is no guiding force. The bacteria don't know where their changes are going to take them. The bacteria don't think about how they are going to change. If there is a niche to be filled and a change arises to fill that niche than those individuals will have an advantage to survive. The selection process doesn't just produce the best of the best, it produces replicating structures that are able to survive in the environment. If it is able to survive than it will. There are reasons for more complex organisms to be more successful in certain environments.

I think you have a misunderstanding of evolution due to you saying "why would they mutate into things that can be killed by the same bacteria they came from?". I don't know when this supposedly occurs. Sure some of the organisms might have more basal characteristics to the common ancestor but that doesn't make them the exact same organism.
 

Elizabeth619

Senior Member
Jul 19, 2011
6,397
109
48
#64
There is no line of biology that claims humans were ever sea turtles.




That's fine, I am more pointing out common arguments anyway.

The point i was trying to make is there is NOT proof of these transition stages that occured. Whether my dead relatives are sea turtles or monkeys there is no link to prove this.
 

Elizabeth619

Senior Member
Jul 19, 2011
6,397
109
48
#65
Even more questions.

How do you create a living organism from a non living organism?


What are mutations? They are random errors or defects in the cell’s DNA chemical structure. If evolution is mutation of a species then we as humans are pretty much a genetic abnomality. Where is the scientific proof that mutations have been beneficial in evolution? As far as I know there aren't any. Millions and millions of genetic mutations occuring would put evolution of a species to a direct halt. My guess is with all these mutations going on at some point in the cycle reproduction would be impossible. The ability to breed would end due to years of currupt mutations. Species would become extict over time, and life as we know it would eventually end.
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#66
Perhaps a better question would have been, why did all those things happen? The tiny particles becoming atoms, and so forth. It's so complex, I just can't see it not having a blueprint and a creator.
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#67
I understand evolution just fine. Nothing becomes big bang. Big bang becomes energy. Energy becomes matter. Matter becomes atoms. Atoms becomes elements. Elements join to compounds. Compounds become plasms. Plasms become protiens. Protiens become life. Life get's bigger. Fish becomes lizard becomes bird becomes monkey becomes human.

I understand that matter and pressure equals nuclear fusion inside stars. That hydrogen and helium were the first elements and they were pressurized and fused to become bigger ones. But what I am saying is, if that all came from nothing, that is some feat to have just 'exploded from nothingness'. It's absurd to think it just happened. Absolutely ridiculous.

What I meant to ask was 'how', in the sense that, how does all that come from NOTHINGNESS??
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#68
How does that all come about by chance? And it IS chance. The chance of us being the right distance from the stars and the right pressure, planet, size, have a tidal moon, they are tremendously close to zero.
 
J

jimmydiggs

Guest
#69
The bible describes the creation of the world as a supernatural event. I think it to be quite erroneous to argue on a naturalistic basis.
 

TheKringledOne

Senior Member
Dec 25, 2009
423
4
18
#70
How do you create a living organism from a non living organism?
I went into it. The field is called abiogenesis.


If evolution is mutation of a species then we as humans are pretty much a genetic abnomality.
By what typical standard?

Where is the scientific proof that mutations have been beneficial in evolution? As far as I know there aren't any.
Whether or not a mutation is beneficial, 'neutral', or harmful depends on the environment that it is in.

Examples of mutations that are considered to be beneficial;
Adaptation to High and Low Temperatures by E. coli., CCR5-delta 32 mutation in humans which protects from aids, the mutation that led to nylonase allowing a bacteria to eat nylon, anti-myostatin mutation, adaptation to growth in the dark by Chlamydomonas (a green algae), and there are much more.

The adaptation to the dark of the green algae was actually done in an experiment spanning over 600 generation, though became adapted in less time than that, and was a combination of many mutations over those generations.

The anti-myostatin mutation can be benefit in some situtations and harmful in others. It usually depends on the amount of resources that the animal has and what kind of niche it is filling. Myostatin limits the natural growth of muscles and is in high amounts in most humans. However anti-myostatin mutations are not harmful in this day and age in 1st world countries because of the vast amount of resources we have. The end result is humans who have double the normal muscle mass of the majority of people even without doing exercise.

Millions and millions of genetic mutations occuring would put evolution of a species to a direct halt.
Mutations usually don't happen by the millions in a single generation, but if they did they would usually end up being harmful.

My guess is with all these mutations going on at some point in the cycle reproduction would be impossible. The ability to breed would end due to years of currupt mutations. Species would become extict over time, and life as we know it would eventually end.
The bad mutations are weeded out due to natural selection. The ones with harmful mutations don't usually get to breed or replicate when there is so much competition so the mutation doesn't get passed on.

The point i was trying to make is there is NOT proof of these transition stages that occured. Whether my dead relatives are sea turtles or monkeys there is no link to prove this.
What transition do you want to see stages for?

The bible describes the creation of the world as a supernatural event. I think it to be quite erroneous to argue on a naturalistic basis.
Yes, if this is the case than it shouldn't be possible to argue about it on a naturalistic basis.
 

Elizabeth619

Senior Member
Jul 19, 2011
6,397
109
48
#71
Scientists have not been able to prove abiogenesis. They have no evidence for it at all.

If you can find me just ONE transition stage to prove evolution of a species then have at it.
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#72
Well, to be honest, the only question everyone I've asked has dodged is the simplest one of all; 'How did the universe explode, when there was no force behind it? How does everything come from nothing?'

Answer that with a solid, fool-proof answer, and you've got me. Until then, good luck. Cause you can never explain that away.
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#73
Out of all the crazy theories from Einstein to Professor Cox none of them can be proven.
 

TheKringledOne

Senior Member
Dec 25, 2009
423
4
18
#74
Perhaps a better question would have been, why did all those things happen? The tiny particles becoming atoms, and so forth. It's so complex, I just can't see it not having a blueprint and a creator.
Why did it? Because the nature of the forces in the universe allows for it. You can believe that a creator put those forces in place so that this could happen if you want to but I don't see that as a necessity.

I understand evolution just fine. Nothing becomes big bang.
I was talking about the theory of evolution. Sorry for the misunderstanding. The big bang has nothing to do with that. Additionally, the big bang theory doesn't necessitate something coming from nothing.


Life get's bigger. Fish becomes lizard becomes bird becomes monkey becomes human.
That is a very vague and poor explanation and doesn't even get into the mechanism.

I understand that matter and pressure equals nuclear fusion inside stars. That hydrogen and helium were the first elements and they were pressurized and fused to become bigger ones. But what I am saying is, if that all came from nothing, that is some feat to have just 'exploded from nothingness'. It's absurd to think it just happened. Absolutely ridiculous.
The 'big bang' evidently did occur. Unless you can offer up a different explanation for the cosmic microwave background radiation and red-shifted galaxies. However, that does not mean that anything exploded from nothingness because that is not a factor in the theory though some people in the field have considered that idea.


What I meant to ask was 'how', in the sense that, how does all that come from NOTHINGNESS??
Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. It doesn't have to for evolution or abiogenesis to occur. A god, or gods, could have created the universe and made the earth on the first day and evolution and abiogenesis could still be true.

How does that all come about by chance? And it IS chance. The chance of us being the right distance from the stars and the right pressure, planet, size, have a tidal moon, they are tremendously close to zero.
Its unknown if a moon is needed to support life. Its unknown what range of pressure, planet size, and distance from a star is needed to allow for the processes to take place to form life even when we are just considering life that has a similar structure to life on earth.
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#75
Of course the big bang has to do with evolution. Evolution by definition means 'the gradual development of something'. So, the big bang is where evolution began. The Big Bang theory clearly says that existence came from a 'singularity' and that 'a singularity is a zone in time in space which DEFIES OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF PHYSICS'. And that space did not even exist before the big began

I think that's all I need to hear. It goes against physics. Case closed.

Steven W. Hawking, George F.R. Ellis, "The Cosmic Black-Body Radiation and the Existence of Singularities in our Universe," Astrophysical Journal, 152, (1968) pp. 25-36.
Steven W. Hawking, Roger Penrose, "The Singularities of Gravitational Collapse and Cosmology," Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, series A, 314 (1970) pp. 529-548.
Mark Eastman, Chuck Missler, The Creator: Beyond Time and Space, (1996) p. 11.
W. Wayt Gibbs, "Profile: George F. R. Ellis," Scientific American, October 1995, Vol. 273, No.4, p. 55.
See http://www.halos.com/reports/ext-2003-022.pdf
See http://www.halos.com/reports/arxiv-1998-rosetta.pdf and http://www.halos.com/reports/ext-2003-021.pdf; see also http://www.halos.com/reports/arxiv-1998-redshift.pdf and http://www.halos.com/reports/arxiv-1998-affirmed.pdf
 
Dec 14, 2009
1,400
2
0
#76
And yes, I also agree that abiogenesis could occur afterwards. I also think that the theories of evolution and expansion can coincide with Christianity. In fact even more so after reading those books telling me that the expansion from a singularity defies physics and that space was not in existence before the 'big bang'.
 

TheKringledOne

Senior Member
Dec 25, 2009
423
4
18
#77
Scientists have not been able to prove abiogenesis. They have no evidence for it at all.
Synthesis of activated pyrimidine ribonucleotides in prebiotically plausible conditions Matthew W. Powner, Beatrice Gerland & John D. Sutherland. Nature, Vol. 460, May 13, 2009.

“Systems chemistry on early Earth.” By Jack W. Szostak. Nature, Vol. 460, May 13, 2009.


If you can find me just ONE transition stage to prove evolution of a species then have at it.
One transition wouldn't prove evolution. It would just be a supporting piece of evidence. The genetic evidence, in my opinion, is a lot more convincing and for sure than the fossil record. However both are convincing.

The fossils of members of the genus Ardipithecus show a good transition from the common ancestor between apes and humans that is more on the human line. This line might not have directly led to humans but it is more human-like than modern chimps and more human-like than the common ancestor from what we can tell from other ape fossils along that line.

Archaeopteryx is another great transitional form between non-avian dinosaurs and birds. Archaeopteryx was originally classified as a bird but this is now under dispute because there are fossils of dinosaurs not considered to be birds that are more closely related to birds morphologically. One of these are the group Troodontidae. If Archaeopteryx is considered a bird and Troodontidae than it would make birds a polyphyletic grouping. Archaeopteryxis a clear transition from non-avian dinosaurs to the aves.

Ambulocetus is a clear transition from land dwelling mammals to whales and dolphins.

The fossil record with transitions.

Of course the big bang has to do with evolution. Evolution by definition means 'the gradual development of something'. So, the big bang is where evolution began.
I already said sorry for my poor communication. I was referring specifically to the theory of evolution is a model in biology and has nothing to do with the big bang. The theory of evolution can still hold up without the need for a big bang to start the universe.

I also think that the theories of evolution and expansion can coincide with Christianity
I agree. I just don't think it fits with a literal interpretation of Genesis.
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth619

Senior Member
Jul 19, 2011
6,397
109
48
#78
Synthesis of activated pyrimidine ribonucleotides in prebiotically plausible conditions Matthew W. Powner, Beatrice Gerland & John D. Sutherland. Nature, Vol. 460, May 13, 2009.

“Systems chemistry on early Earth.” By Jack W. Szostak. Nature, Vol. 460, May 13, 2009.


One transition wouldn't prove evolution. It would just be a supporting piece of evidence. The genetic evidence, in my opinion, is a lot more convincing and for sure than the fossil record. However both are convincing.

The fossils of members of the genus Ardipithecus show a good transition from the common ancestor between apes and humans that is more on the human line. This line might not have directly led to humans but it is more human-like than modern chimps and more human-like than the common ancestor from what we can tell from other ape fossils along that line.

Archaeopteryx is another great transitional form between non-avian dinosaurs and birds. Archaeopteryx was originally classified as a bird but this is now under dispute because there are fossils of dinosaurs not considered to be birds that are more closely related to birds morphologically. One of these are the group Troodontidae. If Archaeopteryx is considered a bird and Troodontidae than it would make birds a polyphyletic grouping. Archaeopteryxis a clear transition from non-avian dinosaurs to the aves.

Ambulocetus is a clear transition from land dwelling mammals to whales and dolphins.

The fossil record with transitions.

I already said sorry for my poor communication. I was referring specifically to the theory of evolution is a model in biology and has nothing to do with the big bang. The theory of evolution can still hold up without the need for a big bang to start the universe.

I agree. I just don't think it fits with a literal interpretation of Genesis.

When I am more awake I will get back to you on this one. :) PROMISE!