RWNJ

by Brian Thomas, M.S.

T***sposons are a class of “mobile genetic elements” that operate within the DNA of living organisms. For years, macroevolutionary proponents have claimed that their presence undoubtedly supports Darwinian evolution. But a recent investigation showed that t***sposons have been wrongly interpreted, changing macroevolution’s best argument into its worst nightmare—an almost complete lack of genetic material for it to “tweak” into newly selectable features.

T***sposons are segments of DNA that utilize cellular machines to replicate themselves and then splice the copies back into the host DNA, thus inflating the total volume of DNA without adding new genes. Some species appear to have large volumes of DNA that resulted from this process. About 44.4 percent of human DNA consists of repetitive elements, with perhaps most from t***sposons.

Many scientists still believe that these repeated segments contain nearly random, functionless, non-coding sequences with which “evolution” can tinker. But a new study published in Nature Genetics found that they actually contain functional code that is accessed for use in specific tissues. Scientists recently discovered that DNA which came from t***sposons can regulate the expression of gene products.

One class of t***sposons, called “retrot***sposons,” is formed when DNA is copied into RNA, which is then reverse-copied back into DNA. Retrot***sposon sequences had been almost dogmatically interpreted by evolutionary scientists as remnants of ancient v***ses. These v***ses supposedly infected the host organism long ago, and it was assumed that the v***l DNA became incorporated into one or more of its c********es.

Intriguingly, chimpanzees and humans share some almost identical repeated sequences that look as though they were formed by retrot***sposons. Evolutionists have argued that they must have been introduced by the same v***s before the two species diverged from a (presumably) ape-like ancestor. Thus, each species retains today a remnant of the same ancient v***l infection.

This is often cited as strong evidence that humans and chimpanzees share common ancestry, and therefore that broad-scale evolution is true―that single cells can eventually develop into humans through random natural forces. This is currently one of evolution’s best arguments.

But the argument rests squarely upon the premise that these long DNA repeat sequences came from ancient v***ses. Creation scientists predicted that not all—and perhaps not any—retrot***sposon activity was v***l or random, but instead was part of a well-designed, originally created cellular process. The new Nature Genetics study has confirmed this creation prediction.

The researchers found that between 6 and 30 percent of active RNA transcripts use retrot***sposon sequences.1 These transcripts carry regulatory information from the DNA to the rest of the cell. They also found that different sections of retrot***sposon sequences are accessed by different tissues. Thus, at least some, and perhaps all, of the sequences carry important information for certain cells to use. This means t***sposons did not come from ancient v***ses and therefore can no longer be used to support the idea that chimpanzees and humans evolved from a common ancestor that was infected by a v***s.

This discovery will likely disappoint a generation of evolutionary scientists who based human-chimp ancestry and therefore broad-scale evolution on the false assumption that retrot***sposons and the like were from v***l infections. But it likewise ought to disappoint those who have relied on supposedly useless, supposedly v***s-derived DNA as raw material employed by some imaginary evolutionary process to engineer ever-more-complicated life forms. Instead, it looks like all DNA is useful, which suggests that its host creatures were designed on purpose.

Tyster

One of the saddest things is that people feel that there are two camps... Evolution or Creationism. Seemingly, one cannot exist without the other. But isn't it more likely that they co-exist?

There is no doubt that living creatures evolve to meet the demands of their environment. This includes man as evidenced by known science of the progress from cavemen to modern humanity.

Many discussions have been generated over the existence of miracles... those spontaneous strokes of an event that completely alter results. How many have been questioned and explained away by a series of events leading up to that precise moment? For instance, the Bible tells of Moses parting the Red Sea to save the Jewish people from Pharoh's army... science tries to explain that there was an earthquake upriver that stopped the flow into the Red Sea, bringing the water level low enough for them to cross. Does the scientific explanation mitigate the exceptionally good timing and fortune? God works in mysterious ways and I believe that many miracles occur in a manner that can also be explained through the connection of earlier phenomenon.

Which brings us to the Creation described in Genesis. Did anyone ever stop to question why God created everything over a period of time instead of just snapping his fingers and making it all reality? Instead of six days, substitute six phases. Note the evolution of the creation? The early works were man's understanding of God's word. Do you think they truly understood the word "billion", or that God expected them to? Man can only record what he can understand and there are t***slations to boot. Was the original intention ever to be that the universe, the earth, all living creatures were created in six 24 hour periods?

Creationists who cannot see that God works in ways that we cannot understand are destined to fall short of knowing the breadth of his power. Could He snap his finger and have it all exist...probably... but look around you and the life he has planned for you... why work through an imperfect being when he could snap wh**ever He wants into being? God works through a process. In that mind frame, isn't Evolution something that He most likely created for his benefit?

RWNJ

The theory of Creation taking place over vast periods of time has been soundly debunked. Genesis specifically says that the evening and the morning were the first day. It is perfectly clear that it was referring to a 24 hour period.

fiatlux

There is also the appalling inefficient and strange male to female mating. Not what one would expect from either time or chance. LOL!
Neither point means the earth is 6k years or so. Nor does it make Genesis right.

RWNJ

A major problem for evolution is that they have no clue how life changed from single cells that reproduced asexually, to two sexes, each providing half of the DNA.

There is no way to prove Genesis right. It all comes down to faith. We have the Bible, which is a historical document. Many claim that it's nothing but fairy tales, but the Apostle Paul is a real historical figure. There is extra Biblical proof that he lived, and wrote at least one of the books of the new testament. He was a contemporary of the other Apostles, and is credited with writing about a third of the new testament. Some say there is no evidence for God. This is not the case at all. The evidence is there. It is just a matter of whether you believe it, or not. Ask yourself this. Since Paul was real. doesn't it make sense to believe that what he wrote about was also real? He was a Pharisee, who persecuted Christians. What changed him from someone who persecuted Christians, to someone who died for Christ? Seems to me that only a supernatural event could produce such a change.

fiatlux

There is enormous open space between being a historical document and a fairytale. Genesis is not history. History, like evolution, needs a witness. We have man's best approximation of what happened, that's it. The lesson of Genesis may not be to take that account as true but to look more deeply.

RWNJ

But there was a witness. God. I know, I know. Prove God exists. I can't. But the more science learns about the complexity of life, the more one realizes that it could not possibly have happened without some help. There had to be a Creator. I could go on about how many base pairs DNA has. How the information it contains is a language more complex that anything devised by man. How DNA has a higher density of information than anything we've created. The more science learns, the more apparent it becomes that life had to have a designer. Who is this designer? I believe it's the God of Abraham.

Tyster

The creation of the universe, the earth, and all creatures in 6 days has also been fairly well ascertained to have not happened. Too many take the Bible literally, when that is not entirely possible. If Genesis and such were the actual words of God (verbatim) then why have linguists determined that at least 4 different authors contributed to its writing? Obviously, styles, word usage, etc. have played a part in determining this analysis. As such, it is the writer's interpretation of God's word. Therein lies the seeds for allowing for some variance of word meanings.

For a good and very interesting review of the early books of the Bible, refer to "Don't Know Much about the Bible" by the same author that wrote a bunch of that series. Over and over he can document historical research that coincides with events in the Bible.

Tyster

I believe I saw that the probability of life being organized and created in the manner it was is something in the order of 1,...followed by sixteen zeros to one. An intelligent design is the only possibility. And I agree that it must be the one we identify as God.

But the real problem in proving the existence of God is that we are attempting to define a spiritual being in physical terms. One is comparing apples and oranges so to speak.

RWNJ

Here is the first of a series of articles about the authorship of Genesis. You can access the next article by clicking the link at the end of each one.

http://christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c021.html

RWNJ

It's not that hard. God wrote down everything we need to know. Have you read it?

PeterS

Well gosh, evolution had a good run. So what does Brian offer as a replacement? Does he have any ideas?

PeterS

God, no one's hit this all day? I mean, not even a single CC saying, I told you so? What's a matter with you people. This means you finally won!