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by Dr. Walter D. Huyck Jr., D.Min.D.R.S.
What Are The Odds?
Genesis 1.1-2
[I once heard a
Seminary Professor present a message such as the one I am about to present.
I do not recall his name, nor all of the details he used in his message.
But the truth presented through his sermon has never left me.
Hence, I present this similar message to you today.]
[What are the chances that this creation developed into the
detail and harmony we see and need for life to continue on earth as it is today?
Evolutionists claim that it all just happened by chance.
The evolutionist, progressive creationist, theistic evolutionist, gap
theorist, or whatever other name you might place upon theory suggests that a
primordial soup existed with just the right conditions and by chance the first
building blocks for life appeared.
Some of these believe that God placed the first building blocks for life into
the soup and then sat back and watched the chance evolution take place.]
[So what about this chance, could it have all happened by
chance. ]
[In my pocket I have
10 quarters numbered one through ten.
Of these quarters,]
- [They are all exactly the same to the touch.]
- [The numbers written upon them can not be felt.]
- [There are no distinctive blemishes.]
- [As much as possible they are exactly the same ]
[What are the odds or
chances that I can reach into my pocket and pull out the coin numbered one on
the first try?]
[The odds of my
pulling out each quarter in order one after the other, placing the preceding
coin back into my pocket after drawing it out will help you to understand the
odds of our world evolving through the processes of evolution.]
A.
What Are The
Odds:
1.
The Quarter
Numbered 1, 1 in 10 – The Earth’s
Rotation (Gen 1.1-5) [–
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and
void; and darkness was upon the
face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and
there was light. 4 And God saw the
light, that it was good: and
God divided the light from the darkness. 5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And
the evening and the morning were the first day. - What are the odds that I
could reach into my pocket and pull out the quarter that is numbered 1.
Consider those things that we often take for granted but are absolutely
necessary in order for this big green and blue globe to sustain life as we know
it. These are used as mere examples
of the unimaginable harmony required within creation to support life on earth.
There depths beneath our visible creation that science is studying and
revealing daily. These microscopic
molecular universes reveal innumerable realities reaching beyond our ability to
measure or count raising the odds or chance that everything required to produce
and support life on earth beyond the ability of the human mind to grasp.
For the sake of this illustration I choose but only ten of the trillions
of trillions of elements required.]
[Consider the
Rotation of the Earth. And as you
do I reach into my pocket to pull out coin number one, a 1 in 10 chance that I
will pull out the right coin the first time.
What coin did I grasp this time?]
a.
[1000 Miles per hour at
the Equator - The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 25,000
miles. The Earth rotates in about 24 hours. Therefore, if you were to hang above
the surface of the Earth at the equator without moving, you would see 25,000
miles pass by in 24 hours, at a speed of 25000/24 or
just
over 1000 miles per hour.
-
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970401c.html]
b.
[The earths slowing rotation
– According to a NASA scientist.
Astronomers can measure this very precisely now that they have atomic clocks to
provide a non-celestial time standard for comparison. The length of the day is
increasing by 0.0015 seconds every century, of which about 0.0007 seconds per
century has to do with the tidal breaking of the Moon. As a result of this, the
Moon's orbit must also increase so that the Moon is slowly getting farther and
farther from the Earth by a few centimeters per year or so ( my estimate!). As
this process continues, it is predicted that in billions of years the lunar
month will increase to about 47 days from its current 27.3 days. But by that
time, the Sun itself will have begun to evolve into a red giant, which will
upset the Earth-Moon system somewhat; especially if they are both engulfed by
the Sun's expanding atmosphere! - http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/ask/q396.html]
(1)
[Talk about needing more time
– In my feeble, untrained mathematical equation, I calculated that if this
decreasing speed remained consistent over the estimated 4.5 billion years of the
earth existence then 4.5 billion years ago a day would have lasted only
5.25 hours.]
c.
[Catastrophic Changes
– According to a NASA website a change in the rotation axis of the Earth, or its
spin rate would be catastrophic. The number of the seasons would change and
their duration. If the rotation axis became parallel to the orbital plane, as
for Uranus, we could have winter in the Northern hemisphere for 6 months
followed by summer. The Sun would set on the entire Northern hemisphere and not
rise again for 6 months. Less extreme axial tilts would produce a different
pattern of seasons at each earth latitude.]
[Growing seasons and all of the natural
cycles of the biosphere would be catastrophically affected, and if the change
happened in a year or so, no living things, especially plants, would survive
unmolested. There would not be enough time for plants to genetically alter their
growing cycles. Large diebacks of plant ecosystems would occur followed by the
animals that feed on the plants, and then the carnivores...etc etc. -
http://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/ask/q278.html]
2.
The Quarter
Numbered 2, 1 in 100 (Job 26.7) [–
The Earth’s Axis – He stretcheth out
the north over the empty place, and
hangeth the earth upon nothing. -
The earth sits on a tilt
angle of 23 degrees 27 minutes which is approximately 23.45 degrees.]
[www.newton.dep.anl.gov/asasci/env99/env154.htm]
a.
[The Earth's rotation axis is not
perpendicular to the plane in which it orbits the Sun. It's offset by 23.5
degrees. This tilt, or obliquity, explains why we have seasons and why places
above the
b.
[This wabble in the earth’s axis represents less than a
1% shift in the earth’s axis. It
has been suggested that if the earth were to shift its axis by a mere 5% that
life as we know it on earth would be greatly affected and changed.]
c.
[What are the chances that the earth would have just, by
chance, sat at the 23.45 degree axis that now nurtures our existent upon its
surface. Certainly far greater than
the chance of my pulling out coin number 2 from my pocket, immediately following
puling out coin number 1 and then replacing it in my pocket.]
3.
The Quarter
Numbered 3, 1 in 1,000 (Gen 1.6-8) [ – The Earth’s Atmosphere –
The Earth’s Atmosphere is a thin layer of gasses that keeps our
planet from freezing and protects us from harmful solar radiation.]
[Genesis 1:6-8
6
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let
it divide the waters from the waters. 7
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which
were under the firmament from
the waters which were above the
firmament: and it was so. 8 And God
called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second
day.]
a.
[Our atmosphere.
Our atmosphere helps keep heat in (by absorbing some of the radiation
re-radiated by the Earth), so you need a correction factor to our albedo.
Without our thin layer
of air, the surface temperature of the Earth would rapidly drop, freezing the
oceans solid. This is called a "greenhouse effect", and is a
very real occurrence. It's when things get out of control that you get a runaway
greenhouse effect. Note also that the
temperature on the surface of Venus should be about -20 Celsius
(distance=1.1 x 1013 centimeters, albedo=0.65; although it's closer
to the Sun its albedo is higher, so it should have about the same temperature as
the Earth), but is actually in excess of
500 Celsius (over 900 Fahrenheit!). Should you worry about runaway
greenhouse effect? Take a look at our closest neighbor. You tell me.] [http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/seasons.html]
b.
[Our atmosphere brings into light the many elements
required to for an atmosphere just like our.
Our atmosphere:
(1) [Protects us for harmful radiation form our sun and space.]
(2) [Provides greenhouse effects that protect us from extreme heat and cold]
(3)
[Provide oxygen for us to breath]
c.
[These are a few of the more obvious factors surrounding
our atmosphere. There is just as
much chance that our atmosphere could have been caustic and harmful to life
rather than supportive and nurturing to life.
Clearly the chances of our atmosphere developing into the nurturing
atmosphere we enjoy are far greater than my reaching into my pocket and pulling
out coin number 3 immediately following coin number 2, having place coin 2 back
in my pocket. A 1 in 1,000 chance.]
4.
The Quarter
Numbered 4, a 1 in 10,000 (Psalm 74.17; Gen 8.22) [– The Distance of the Earth
away from the Sun - The Earth is
92,955,820.5 miles
(149,597,892 kilometers).]
Psalms 74:17
17
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer
and winter.
Genesis 8:22 22 While the
earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease.
a.
[Using trigonometry, astronomers now know
that the “Astronomical Unit” =
92,955,820.5 miles
(149,597,892 kilometers). This
incredible degree of accuracy is possible because the speed of light is known
very precisely and extremely accurate clocks are used to time the radar
reflection. Radar can’t be used to
determine the distance to the Sun directly because the Sun doesn’t have a solid
surface to reflect the radar efficiently.] [http://www.astro-tom.com/getting_started/earth-sun_distance.htm]
b.
[It just so happens that scientists believe that the
earth is positioned right on the inner margin of the region surrounding our sun
that is capable of supporting life upon a planet the size of the earth.
If the earth were to change its orbit by just a small percent of its
distance from the sun, and were to move closer to the sun then the earth would
no longer be an inhabitable planet.]
c.
[What are the chances that the earth would be perfectly
positioned in what our scientist have come to call the life supporting region of
our solar system. Certainly far
greater than the odds of my pulling coin number 4 out of my pocket immediately
following coin number 3, having place coin number 3 back in my pocket.
A 1 in 10,000 chance.]
5.
The Quarter
Numbered 5, a 1 in 100,000 (Psalm 148.3-6) [chance of pulling it out in proper
order the first time – The Moon’s Orbit – The Moon’s orbit affects the tides
in the oceans and our atmosphere.]
[Psalms 148:3-6
3
Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4 Praise him, ye heavens of
heavens, and ye waters that be
above the heavens. 5 Let them
praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6 He hath also stablished them for ever
and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.]
a.
[The average distance between the Earth and the Moon is
238,900 or about 240,000
miles. ] [http://www.guam.net/planet/scaleemprint.htm]
b.
[One web page stated that the moon was a major
contributor in the process of evolution, and claimed that without the moon
evolution would have been entirely impossible.]
c.
[So Just what are the chances of the moon just taking up
its orbit and position around our earth, and just the right distance to create
just the right conditions to possibly produce life and clearly to help sustain
life on our earth? Clearly more
than the possibility of my pulling out coin number 5, immediately following
placing coins number 4 back in my pocket. A 1 in 100,000 chance.]
6.
The Quarter
Numbered 6, a 1 in 1,000,000 (Psalm 19.1-6) [– The Temperature of the Sun]
[Psalms 19:1-6
1
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth
speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no
speech nor language, where
their voice is not heard. 4 Their
line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5
Which is as a
bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth
is from the end of the heaven,
and his circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid
from the heat thereof.]
a.
[The mean surface temperature of
the Sun is 5506°C (9944°F).
The mean core temperature of the
Sun is
15,000,000°C(27,000,032°F).] [according
to www.aj.com]
b.
[For the sun to be at the stage in its development and
in the scientific stages of a star at just the right time for life to be
generated and sustained upon this planet we call home would be a far greater
miracle than the odds of my pulling coin six out of my pocket. A 1 in 1,000,000
chance.]
7.
The Quarter
Numbered 7, 1 in 10,000,000 [– The Earth’s Magnetic Fields – There is more
scientific debate about the earth’s magnetic fields then one can read in a weeks
time. It seems that everyone who
writes about the magnetic fields has something else to add to the argument.]
a.
[The Earth’s magnetic fields are depleting at a
measurable and predictable rate.
Modern measuring instruments and atomic clocks have made it possible to
determine that these fields are depleting with such accuracy that clocks can be
set accurately through the measurement of these fields.
]
b.
[Hence many of the multitudes of Creation Scientist such
as Henry Morris and the associated scientist with Answers in Genesis have
determined that the earth would have been incapable of supporting life a mere
30,000 years ago for the magnetic storms that would have been produce by the
powerful magnetic fields.]
8.
The Quarter
Numbered 8, 1 in 100,000,000 [– The core of the earth which is molten magma
spinning, turning and mixing beneath us, yet not melting away the mantle or the
crust of the earth and still developing just the right environment to cause a
dead planet to come to life by causing waters to flow beneath us and various
elements to interact. What are the
chances of the core developing in such a way as to produce or support life on
earth.]
9.
The Quarter
Numbered 9, 1 in 1,000,000,000 (Job 38.8-11) [–
Water to form the oceans and it
being of such a consistency so as to produce and support life on earth. There is
evidence of water on Mars, identified by the obvious erosion marks on the face
of the planet however the conditions of the planet do not allow for surface
water nor water that can support continuing life.]
[Job 38:8-11
8
Or who shut up the
sea with doors, when it brake forth,
as if it had issued out of the womb? 9
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a
swaddlingband for it, 10 And brake
up for it my decreed place, and
set bars and doors, 11 And said,
Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be
stayed? ]
10.
The Quarter
Numbered 10, 1 in 10,000,000,000
(Gen 1.9-13) [– For the earth to
have land masses with all of the ingredients in place
to produce and support life.
For the soil to be of just the proper ph level so that it is nurturing to life
rather than toxic to life.
Actually, each individual ingredient that comes together to form a fertile soil
should probably be accounted as a separate and individual chance, hence the
chance of each element forming and then for those elements to be mixed exactly
right for that which we call earth would add hundreds or even thousands of
quarters to our collection dramatically increasing the impossible odds of
spontaneous life by mere chance.]
[Genesis 1:9-13
9
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dry land
appear: and it was so. 10 And God
called the dry land Earth; and
the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that
it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring
forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed
is in itself, upon the earth:
and it was so. 12 And the earth
brought forth grass, and herb
yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed
was in itself, after his kind:
and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day. ]
11.
Unimaginable
odds, a mere 20 elements [– What if I were to merely double the number of
quarters in my pocket to 20. Then
the odds of actually pulling all twenty of those quarters out of my pocket in
proper order would be 1 in 1020,
that is,]
1:100,000,000,000,000,000,000
[This is no different than the odds of having a mere twenty essential elements for the creation and support of life on earth. As we consider the cosmos, our environment, our world, our bodies, and all that is necessary for to nuture life on earth on must quickly realize that there are hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of variables that must all be in place, all the time, in order for life to continue as we know it. ]
[It seems equally obvious that for life in any form,
even if we were to try and conceive of life in some other type of environment
the odds of the elements necessary in some other unique environment supporting
life are equally incredible. Hence,
the claim that some how, just by sheer chance all that was necessary to develop
and maintain life is no chance at all. It just could not have happened by
chance.]
B.
What is the
Obvious? [– In this message I have but list tem mere necessities for the
support of life on earth, and these ten are the most basic and obvious needs.
If we were to begin to add the other multitudes of interactions and
absolute requirements to support life on earth we would multiply the odds by
billions of quarters added to our collection, but we are already exceeding any
reasonable limit for the mere chance of the spontaneous production and support
of life on earth. We have not
touched on the necessity of oxygen, carbon dioxide, the miracle of photo
synthesis, the presence of the suns warming radiation at just the right levels,
the evaporation of the waters to form the clouds and wash our atmosphere with
rain. We could go on and on and on
and yet the well educated still wish to proclaim that it all happened by mere
and impossible chance.]
1.
There must be an
Architect (Gen 1.1; John
1.1-5,14) [– There can be no question about the obvious need for an
intelligent designer and that designer must be almighty God.]
[Genesis 1:1
1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ]
[John 1:1-5 1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with
God. 3 All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the
light of men. 5 And the light
shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ]
[John 1:14 14 And the Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ]
2.
There must
be an Artist (
Colossians
1:16-17
16 For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things,
and by him all things
consist.
[Almighty God the creator and sustainer of all things
did not merely through the elements of life upon this planet and into this
universe and then just leave it.
There is clear intent reveal within the handiwork and continuance of this
creation. That the designer had and
has a purpose is as obvious as the absolute need for the designer Himself.]
[What is God intent in all of this creation He has
developed and sustains?]
[2 Peter 3:9
9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. ]
