Validating the Truth of Creation
Genesis 1:1 – “In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth”
Series 2 – Creation’s Design
Part 1 - The Principle of Design Triangulation
Should verifiable evidence be your guide to the existence of God?
In this article, we will review reasons that give weight to the conclusion that the existence of verifiable evidence for complex processes does indeed prove the existence of God. So, please take a few moments to take a brief look at an aspect we can easily take for granted but constitutes evidence that God must exist. The aspect to be discussed in this instance is the existence of the logic from the design to be found everywhere in Creation.
The particular area we will examine in this article can be best described as “Design Triangulation”.
The Starting Rule or Principle
For every process, we have a starting point and an end point. We can also deduce the missing item of any of these three, if we know any two of them.
The starting point A, has process B applied to it, giving end result C.
The Rule or Principle is that: A + B => C.
The logic of this flow cannot be questioned as we use this principle in our lives every day to make decisions, usually without even thinking about it.
For example: Cooking a meal.
We may take raw potatoes or raw rice grains. We add water and salt. We then apply heat to it for a period, first boiling then simmering. The result is that we end up with cooked and edible potatoes or cooked and edible rice! We know instantly that if we see a raw potato and cooked potatoes together that someone applied a process to transform the raw potato into something edible, even if we did not know how it was done.
Why do we call it Design Triangulation?
For those interested in seeing how this concept works on a mathematics level, you may wish to try this link https://www.calculator.net/right-triangle-calculator.html. In this right-angle triangle, you can always work out alpha and beta angles because they add up to the 90-degree right angle. In addition, while not adding up, as the two angles do, if you have the length of any two sides you can work out the length of the third side.
Therefore, if you know any two of the three,
- whether A and B in which case you can ascertain C as A + B => C
- or A and C in which case you can work out B as C - A => B
- or B and C in which case you can work out A as C - B => A
If you have an unknown complicated process (B) which goes takes some object from one place (A) to another place changing it in the meantime (C) it must have a designed carrier mechanism.
Other Common Examples
Birds
At a simple level, you may have seen a pair of Blackbirds or Parrots flying into a nest box in spring (your starting point A). Then a few weeks later you see say 4 or 5 tiny fledgling Blackbirds or Parrots coming out of the box (your end point C). You therefore rightly conclude that some process (B) took place to cause that. It just does not happen spontaneously!
You may not know what the exact process is, but you know there has to be a process.
(The process at a simple level is: parent birds mate, eggs formed and laid, baby birds grow and hatch, parents feed hatchlings until they grow into fully formed miniature birds which can fly from the nest.)
Butterfly
Similarly, you may see a butterfly lay an egg on a particular plant, (your starting point A). Then some weeks or months later, you see the same type of butterfly hatching and flying away (your end point C). You therefore are certain there was a process (B), in reality an amazing one, which transformed the butterfly egg into a butterfly. Again, initially, you may not know what the exact process is, but you know there has to be a process.
Now in this latter example of the butterfly we know there was a starting point A: the egg
It underwent process B1 to turn into a caterpillar. The caterpillar underwent process B2 to transform into a pupa. Finally, the pupa transformed by process B3 into a beautiful butterfly C.
Application of the principle
Let us take a brief look at one example of the application of this principle.
Evolution teaches that function arises by random chance, and that chaos or ‘luck’ is the mechanism of change. For example, that a fish’s fin becomes a hand or foot as the result of a random change.
By contrast accepting there is a Creator would mean that any change we observe was designed by a mind (that of the Creator). As a result, even if we cannot observe the function of change, just the starting point, and the end point, we logically conclude that such a function is likely to exist. The principle of cause and effect.
Accepting that there is a Creator then means that when one discovers a complex system with specialized functions, then one accepts there must be a rational logic for its existence. One also concludes that there are well-matched parts for it to work in such a specialized way. This will always be the case, even if you cannot see those parts or understand how or why it does function.
Why can we say that?
Is it not because that through all of our personal experience in life, we have come to realize that anything with a specialized function requires the original concept, careful design and then production, for it to work and be of any use. We therefore have a reasonable expectation that when we see such functions, that it has specialized parts assembled in a specific way to provide the specific results.
A common example most of us may own is something such as a TV remote. We may not know how it works, but we know that when we press a particular button something specific happens, such as the TV channel changes, or the sound level and it always happens, provided we have batteries in it! Simply put, the result is not a result of magic or chance or chaos.
So, in Human Biology, how can this simple rule be applied?
An Example: Copper
Our starting point A = Free copper is highly toxic to cells.
Our end point C = All air breathing organisms (which include humans) must have Copper.
Our question is therefore, how can we get the copper we need without being killed by its toxicity? Reasoning logically we would realize the following:
- We all have a need to take in copper otherwise we will die.
- As copper is toxic to our cells, it needs to be in neutralized immediately.
- Furthermore, that neutralized copper needs to be transported internally to where it is needed.
- On arrival to where the copper is needed it, it is required to be released to do its required job.
In summary, we must have a cellular system to bind (neutralize), transport and unbind copper where it is needed. This is our process B.
We also need to remember there is no ‘magic’ to do the job. Would you want to leave such a vital process to chaos and random chance? If you did, you likely would be dead of copper toxicity before one molecule of copper reached its required place.
So does this process B exist?
Yes, it was finally observed only as recently as in 1997. (Please see the following diagram)
Diagram acknowledged as from Valentine and Gralla, Science 278 (1997) p817[i]
This mechanism works as follows for those with an interest in detail:
R.A. Pufahl et al., “Metal Ion Chaperone Function of the Soluable Cu(I) Receptor Atx1,“ Science 278 (1997): 853-856.
Cu(I) = Copper Ion. Cu is the shortname used in chemical formulas such as CuSO4 (Copper Sulphate)
RNA to Proteins – tRNA Transfer RNA [ii]
In the 1950’s Francis Crick co-authored a paper proposing the (now accepted) double helix structure of the DNA molecule winning the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine with James Watson.
The concept of messenger RNA emerged during the late 1950s, and is associated with Crick's description of his "Central Dogma of Molecular Biology",[iii] which asserted that DNA led to the formation of RNA, which in turn led to the synthesis of proteins.
The mechanism by which this occurred was not discovered until the middle of the 1960’s but was strongly asserted by Crick because of the truth of Design Triangulation.
This is what was known in the 1950’s:
In this picture, on the left is the DNA which makes the amino acids on the right which are the building blocks of proteins. Crick could not find any mechanism or structure on the DNA that could distinguish the various amino acids to manufacture them into proteins.
Crick knew:
- A – DNA carries information, but is chemically non-specific, and he knew
- C – that amino acids have specific geometries,
- That this was a complex system performing specialized functions, therefore,
- B – there had to be a function or functions mediating or adaptor molecules existing that enabled specifying information to pass from DNA to amino acids.
However, he had not found actual evidence of the process B but deduced it must exist because of the principle of Design Triangulation and so went looking for it.
It was a puzzle for the DNA structure only showed a specific pattern of hydrogen bonds and little else, while there needed to be “knobbly hydrophobic [water hating] surfaces to distinguish valine from leucine and isoleucine”. Furthermore, he asked “Where are the charged groups, in specific positions, to go with the acidic and basic amino acids?”.
For all non-chemists among us, let us translate this statement into something simpler.
Think of each of the amino acids on the right as Lego building blocks assembled in different ways to create those shapes. Each amino acid block has connection points for other chemicals to attach themselves to, but on different surfaces in different combinations. Why the need for connection or attachment points? To allow for other chemicals to attach themselves to and chemically react between themselves and the amino acids so as to make chains of blocks and hence proteins.
Crick went further and described what that function or adaptor must do. He said “… each amino acid would combine chemically, at a special enzyme, with a small molecule which, having a specific hydrogen bonding surface,[to interact with the DNA and RNA] would combine specifically with the nucleic acid template … In its simplest form there would be 20 different kinds of adaptor molecules …”.
However, at that time these small adaptors could not be seen.
What was found eventually some years later?
Transfer RNA with exactly the features described by Crick.
At the bottom is the RNA binding surface, in the complete red circle, with the amino acid attaching area at the top right of the diagram. The code in the RNA in this case CCG mean the particular amino acid Alanine.
Even now the full mechanism is not fully understood, but more is being learnt every year.
Interestingly, until this mechanism was actually discovered and documented, James Watson, the co-author of the double helix DNA structure with Francis Crick, did not like the adaptor hypothesis of Francis Crick (who had based the hypothesis on the results from his design triangulation principle). In James Watson’s autobiography (2002, p139) he explained why he doubted the adaptor hypothesis: “I did not like the idea at all …. More to the point, the adaptor mechanism seemed to me too complicated to have ever evolved at the origin of life”. In that he was right! It is. The problem is that the Darwinian evolution that James Watson believed in required biological complexity building up over time. Here was a mechanism that had to have been there from the start for life to have ever existed.
His view was that to have:
- DNA (and RNA) as information carriers (which are complex in themselves)
- And Proteins (amino acids) as catalysts (which are also complex in themselves)
- To be bridged by Adaptors to mediate the information transfer from the DNA to the proteins, (exceedingly complex),
was a step too far.
Yet the evidence clearly shows that this bridge exists. As such it provides a great deal of evidence that an intelligent designer or God (creator) must exist, one that is not bound by time, whereas the theory of evolution is heavily bound by time.
If you always let the evidence be your guide, we can serve truth, we can uphold truth and let wisdom guide us. As Proverbs 4:5 encourages “Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding”.
Let us also help others to do the same, perhaps by explaining this principle of Design Triangulation!
Acknowledgements:
With grateful thanks for the Inspiration given by YouTube video “Design Triangulation” from the Origins Series by Cornerstone Television
[i] Copyright acknowledged. Fair Use: Some of the pictures used may be copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of scientific and religious issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is made available without profit to those who express an interest in receiving and viewing the material for their own research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
[ii] RNA molecules synthesized in the nucleus are transported to their sites of function throughout the eukaryotic cell by specific transport pathways. This review focuses on transport of messenger RNA, small nuclear RNA, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The general molecular mechanisms involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport of RNA are only beginning to be understood. However, during the past few years, substantial progress has been made. A major theme that emerges from recent studies of RNA transport is that specific signals mediate the transport of each class of RNA, and these signals are provided largely by the specific proteins with which each RNA is associated. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/14154301_RNA_transport
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1850961/
Further recommended reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_RNA_biology
[iii] Crick was an important theoretical molecular biologist and played a crucial role in research related to revealing the helical structure of DNA. He is widely known for the use of the term "central dogma" to summarize the idea that once information is transferred from nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) to proteins, it cannot flow back to nucleic acids. In other words, the final step in the flow of information from nucleic acids to proteins is irreversible.
Archived Comments
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Comment by Alithia on 2020-04-16 05:03:39
Nice technical argument laid out Tadua, although I must admit it required a degree of concentration to follow some of the thoughts and line of reasoning.
However even though you used a number of examples to make the point about the design triangulation principle, the argument stands on its own merits, independent of any of the technical work mentioned. It is a simple fact of life that we use in our everyday life and we are aware of even from early age as young as maybe four or five years old.
Too often those in position of authority within the scientific world who have specific credentials, such Phds use this to intimidate and to denigrate anyone else who may have another view that differs from theirs. However the subject you’ve chosen to discuss really boils down to a matter of common sense! Something we all have even from a very early age, and so really we are qualified to have an opinion on commonsense issues.
This general commonsense idea that an end result is accomplished only by having a starting point after which a certain process or many processes have to occur before an end goal is achieved is intuitive, and is observable even in very small children. When children come across something that appears complex in design no one has to explain to them the idea that someone had to think about it, create a design, then bring together the many different parts to complete the whole project. The first thing children ask is who made it, or can you make me one? This is for something as simple as a paper aeroplane which is folded in a number of folds to produce. Something a little bit more complex like a origami crane bird, also elicits the same kind of questioning. Because even the young child can see that complexity in design requires a mind, a designer and builder. This is especially true when a creation of some type has been built that has a specific purpose or appears to have intention in design. Examples of this can be perhaps a robotic swimming pool cleaner, or one of those automatic robotic carpet cleaners that wanders around the floor picking up bits and pieces and returns home for a recharge every now and again. Of course in nature there is the ultimate creations that are exceedingly complex in their whole end construction but also even when you drill down into the molecular cell. Even a single cell has the wonder of DNA, RNA and the functions they perform are just almost unbelievable to consider that they came about by simple random chance. The example you used, such as birds nesting, mating and other wonders of nature, a young child intuitively knows that something is being directed and guided in a wonderful and special manner for this to happen.
Everybody knows that something that requires knowledge, skill sets and insight to produce, requires at least a mind that has the knowledge, skill sets and insight to create.
Atheistic evolutionary materialistic scientists ask us to suspend this natural intuitive thinking ability which is grounded in common sense to make the theory of evolution plausible. Seeing that you quoted Francis Crick I would like to post below one of his famous quotes this just shows how bias the atheistic evolutionary scientific world is. And how they are prepared to dispense with basic common sense that child has to allow for their theory of evolution! It just demonstrates the arrogance, and the audacity that these highly intelligent people feel they have a license to insist that others adopt their viewpoint. Even though according to themselves what they observe is obvious! However because it does not fit with their atheistic materialistic and evolutionary paradigms they simply choose to ignore it! Brilliant! See quotes below.
"Biologists must constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved."
"An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going. But this should not be taken to imply that there are good reasons to believe that it could not have started on the earth by a perfectly reasonable sequence of fairly ordinary chemical reactions. The plain fact is that the time available was too long, the many microenvironments on the earth's surface too diverse, the various chemical possibilities too numerous and our own knowledge and imagination too feeble to allow us to be able to unravel exactly how it might or might not have happened such a long time ago, especially as we have no experimental evidence from that era to check our ideas against".Reply by Frankie on 2020-04-16 16:43:52
Thank you Alithia for very good comment. Common sense, that's it. The pure mind of a small child can clearly perceive all of this.
" .... Jesus said, ‚Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven' ". (Matt 19:14).
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse". (Romans 1:20).
But our "adult" mind, flooded by huge amount of various information, must often undergo complicated work, using scientific data, in order to reach the simple knowledge. But thanks for that scientific information leading to God.Reply by Alithia on 2020-04-16 19:52:29
The English theologian and moral philosopher William Paley (1743-1805) wrote works in defense of theism and Christianity that achieved great popularity in the 19th century. He is acknowledged as one of the founders of the utilitarian tradition. William Paley was born in Peterborough in July 1743 and died 1804. One of his insightful comments based around one of his arguments for the existence of a Creator; such as if anyone stumbled on a watch on the ground, they would pick it up and be in no doubt that it required a maker. See a quote attributed to William Paely as follows.
"Watchmaker is to watch as God is to universe".
And of course the all to common sense statement by the Apostle Paul. " Hebrews 3:4.
New American Standard Bible
"For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God".
For far to long scientists have intimidated everybody about being under qualified to adjudicate on matters that really are the domain of everybody that is sound in mind. Common sense, and the ability to use it as they do on an every day basis in a million different contexts. But asked to suspend this ability when it comes to the evidence pointing to design in nature and the obvious conclusion that there must be a designer and a Creator behind it all.
Look! The Emperor, (Atheistic materialistic scientists) have no clothes!!!
Due to micro biological studies in the last couple of decades atheistic scientists have been backed into a corner to have to admit the inexplicable (As can be explained by evolutionary biology) degree of complexity, intricacy, and the irreducible complexity of creation as born out by new found knowledge regarding the cell containing DNA, RNA and the mysterious production of specific protein molecules. This has amazed even the most jaded of atheists into marvelling at the numerous tiny living nano machines busily going about replicating and carrying out the most amazing integrated and complex functions.
And the even more amazing thing is that all of this is purposeful! The cells seem to have intention! They are working with an end view almost like they have an insight and foresight for a final goal. To produce an eye, ear nose or what ever.
Scientists think they understand how this production occurs using the instructions from DNA reading and reproduced by RNA but are still mystified as to how it is orchestrated. Like how does a cell "know" or receive instructions that it should stop replicating to produce an ear or heart ad should at a particular point start to develop lungs???? What times and keeps the production line running at the time line to be successful in its production? No one can be sure as yet.
Blind unguided random selection as in evolution biology?? I do not think so. You are right Frankie, Jesus used the analogy of little children in a different context but surely has validity in this one too.
Comment by katrina on 2020-04-17 02:42:40
To complicated for me creation is just logical, without all of that only have to look a nature.
Reply by Alithia on 2020-04-17 19:20:27
It really is a moral and a spiritual thing at the end of the day deciding what is responsible for creation, because the evidence is more than sufficient especially in the last few decades that the best explanation for the existence of all things is a Creator! Even for the most die hard atheists who have to resort to "just so stories" to support their "magic trick" pseudo scientific beliefs.
Romans 1:20, NIV: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Yep I second the motion. No excuses please!!! Especially scientifically, mentally, emotionally, morally, spiritually and physically deficient ones.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2020-04-17 04:14:50
Thank you everyone for your fine comments . With this article and some last week and your comments, you are doing a great job to build confidence in God's word. True, this was something I was convinced in, but you have helped remove the evolution fog and got us back to simple truths.
The illustration in Alithia's comment on a paper plane and origami is straight to the point. There are many things we cannot do, but it is down to lack of knowledge. We may say "Wow !", and "fantastic" but we have an awful long way to go to understand so many things.
The magician performs tricks, but it is only the ignorant who suspects he is performing them by some miraculous means. Most people know it is a trick, but they just do not know how it is done.
Jesus performed miracles. They were no tricks. Magic practising priests performed some amazing things in Moses day. We have no idea how they did them. But they did them. And probably in both cases we will never know how. In Jesus case we put it down to holy spirit, but you and I cannot even come close as to what actually happened. The foolish Pharisees tried to put it down to the Devil, just as some suspect demonic influence behind certain magic tricks.
Jehovah stopped the sun on one occasion. He created the universe. and he brought about the flood. Obviously I do not know how he did these things.
I am like a child asking the origami expert how he did it, or can he do it again. An older child will learn how to complete Rubik's cube with amazing speed. However, I am not so stupid as to say these experts did not do these things. There are many things I cannot do or understand.
Jehovah has inspired the Bible. There are many things in there that I do not understand. I may never understand. But lack of understanding does not mean I should dismiss it.
I am very small.Reply by Alithia on 2020-04-17 18:58:46
And the atheists accuse the Theists of being naive and gullible, having a groundless faith. At least we know a magician has to begin with a hat and a rabbit stashed discretely somewhere to start with, so he can amaze us! How he performs the trick is the interesting bit. Something we may never know, although we know that it must be some kind of illusion or trick in the magicians bag of tricks. An ability and skill the magician posses. The end result however is ladies and gentlemen, tadaaaaah!!!! And so we may not know how he did it but we are in no doubt that he needed at the very least a rabbit and a hat! No one would accept that in this material world a rabbit appearing from thin air at the command of a human waving around a cane!
The evolutionary theorists would have us believe that something came from nothing and that it is not even a consideration to be concerned with when it comes to some even more mind blowing tadaaah happenings like life origins and reproduction of a myriad life forms each one amazing in its own right from its complete totality down to its microscopic cellular details!!! They tell us to suspend our common sense thinking around the logical steps that are required for an event to happen!!
Atheistic scientists have stated without flinching that the Universe just appeared, the origin of life and the necessary ingredients for it just happened, the transitional steps from the first life to the many life forms we see today just happened! Like some magic trick but with no props!!! Tadaaaaah!! Greatest show in the Universe folks!! Step right up! You gotta believe us folks!!!! Buy this snake oil real cheap and real good for everything! Because we tested it, we produced it, we are smart, you are dumb and you cannot trust your senses, common sense or your thinking ability to come to the correct conclusions!
Does this authoritarian bullying sound familiar??? That is why it gets my goat up when ex JWs become atheists because it is the Org that has been responsible for dumbing down people in a big way without them even realising it. Making people think they have no ability to think for themselves and come to the correct conclusion around important matters and so now after learning the truth abut the Org are easy prey for the atheists. That is why I see many too easily latch onto the puerile arguments for the materialistic atheistic explanation for the existence of all things discounting the Creator. People think they were silly for "falling" for the God thing, without carefully considering how and why. Only then to succumb to the same influences again but in a different way to another religion called "scientism"!!!
Love to all from Alithia/John Contrary
Comment by Alithia on 2020-04-18 07:57:08
Hello again. I just could not but post a link to a series that has lots of animations around nano molecular machines. It extends nicely to a presentation a while ago that featured the single cell flagella bacterium by Meleti Vivlon. You may be interested in the whole series.
Michael Behe that features in the series has written books that challenge the common held ideas around Darwinian evolution, and is part of an ever growing group of cutting edge scientists who have discredited Darwinian evolution and have scientific proof that it is an outdated and redundant explanation of life as we know it.
Love to all from Alithia/John Contrary.