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Showing posts from May, 2018

Abortion, Abolition, and Creation

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This post will have two parts, the first one is a link to an article, and second is a link to a video on an important related topic. Regular readers may have noticed my conservative approach to theology, and biblical creation science seems to attract those of us who believe the Bible without compromise. In addition, my pro-life views have been made plain here several times. Once again, it seems that biblical creationists are pro-life as a whole; I have never encountered or read a biblical creationist who approves of abortion. Credit: RGBstock / Jean Scheijen In my activities online and in the physical world, I have noticed that there are few atheists who oppose abortion. This seems contradictory. After all, they believe that this life is all we have, make the most of it, pass along your genes (according to evolutionary thinking), then push up the daisies. It seems like they would fight for life everywhere. Unfortunately, atheists generally oppose the sanctity of marriage and p

Surprising Inspirations for Biomimetics

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The word serendipitous sometimes refers to a happy circumstance, or simply being in the right place at the right time. Several instances of biomimetics have occurred when a creature or organism was doing what it does, and someone wanted to know, "How does it do that?", or mayhaps, "We should try to imitate this feature". Credit: Freeimages / Aleph Ozuas (cropped) I have to admit that the article linked below is something I put off. That is because I didn't want to bring up another critter that might prompt some people say, "Ewww!" In this case, the much-maligned earwig is our first example. I'll allow that this insect is rather startling in appearance, and it is a pest for some folks. No, the story about it burrowing into your ear is a prairie patty. The interesting part is the way they fold their wings like they were doing origami , but more intricate. Engineers foresee biomedical applications, spacecraft modules, and other possibilities.

Dinosaurs Had No Evolutionary Past

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According to universal common descent evolution, everything has a lineage. When pressed for evidence of this, secularists will present stories, speculations, museum pieces based on speculations, and a passel of vague terms. When you cross-check these things with your Charles Darwin Club Secret Decoder Ring™, the answer is, "Ain't got a clue". Credit: Pixabay / Marek Jackowski The word has been out there, as a few secular scientists have admitted that there is no fossil history for dinosaur evolution. Biblical creationists have found a few of these reluctant confessions. A more significant, recent study has announced this same fact: no evidence of dinosaur evolution. Of course, they use some rescuing devices and circular reasoning to try to escape the fact that dinosaurs were recently created and not the product of millions of years of evolution. But those they are simply using the scientific principle of Making Things Up™ to salvage their narrative. via GIPHY

See the Sawfish

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Have you ever seen those animated cartoons where a sawfish was on the prod and decided to use its rostrum (nose-like thing) to saw through a boat? I reckon most readers know that such a thing cannot happen, even though the rostrum is an efficient tool and even a weapon for it. Those things that look like teeth are actually modified scales, but they also have teeth in their mouths where teeth belong. Notice the resemblance to sharks? They are distant cousins, but more closely related to rays. Green sawfish image credit: Wikimedia Commons / Flavia Brandi ( CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Of course, evolutionists give these critters millions of Darwin years. Cretaceous and modern sawfish have no appreciable differences, and we are told that they both evolved from the guitarfish. As is so often the case, there is no actual evidence to support the narrative. In fact, the sawfish has amazing features given to it by the Master Designer (such as live birth instead of laying eggs) that Darwin's disci

Engineered Internal Clocks

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A popular analogy for the intelligent design of everything came from William Paley. His argument from teleology was, in the short form, if you found a watch, you would logically infer that it was built for a purpose by a watchmaker. It makes sense. Credit: Unsplash / Seth Macey A clock or a watch is a good indicator of intelligence and purpose, and today, we have a passel of timepieces that are used in combination with other activities. I forgot my watch the other day (which is also a chronograph, alarm, dual time, and whatnot) and used my cell phone (which does the same things as the watch, plus internet, text messages, and I think you can use it for talking to people as well). Things get really interesting, however, when we look at internal clocks that the Master Engineer has built into organisms all the way down to the cellular level. Looks to me like we have more examples of engineered adaptability . Darwinists generally believe that external forces cause change, but

Looking through a Galaxy Darkly

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Nothing to see up there, folks.  Astronomers have detected a galaxy that does not have "enough" of the imaginary stuff called dark matter to suit them. Dark matter was proposed as one of several rescuing devices for problems with the Big Bang, and although it supposedly composes most of the universe, none has been detected. Secularists have a habit of believing in things that do not exist and calling their blind faith "science". Credits: NASA , ESA, and P. van Dokkum (Yale University) (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) The existence of dark matter is inferred by gravitational effects, and by ignoring other possible explanations for what is observed. Also, some tinhorns are unwilling to admit that gravity is not fully understood while still making declarations as if they understood both it and unproven dark matter — and all of physics. Dark matter is a controversial concept. A few creationary scientists believe it may exist, and some secul

Modern Science and its Christian Basis

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There is a common misconception nowadays that atheism is essential for science, and Christians are somehow automatically eliminated from scientific fields. Darwin's Flying Monkeys© insist that naturalism and atoms-to-atheist evolution are science. Truth is, there are Christians and biblical creationists active in scientific fields. Credit: RGBstock / Krzysztof Szkurlatowski The idea that naturalism is essential for science is based on presuppositions rooted in scientism . This view is self-refuting . For science to operate, conditions need to be reliable and consistent. The biblical creation science worldview consistently furnishes the necessary preconditions of intelligibility, but in atheistic and evolutionary worldviews, science is impossible — they must tacitly admit that their views are flawed, and must stand on our worldview! "But Cowboy Bob, you creationists are science deniers!" Not hardly! We deny bad science, and erroneous philosophies that are ut

Evolution Unhelpful in Medical Science

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When discussing origins, adherents of universal common ancestor evolution will invariably claim that their belief system is essential to science. They tend to get on the prod when we disagree with the expression, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution", and get even angrier when we show that it is false .  Credit: Pixabay /  Ernesto Eslava Medical science does not need evolution. When my ophthalmologist checked my eye for a suspected detached retina (it was fine), evolution was not the guiding principle in his diagnosis and treatment. My MD had me get lab work, and she adjusted my hypertension medication, then checked my A1c level (still under control). Evolution had nothing to do with it. Evolutionary thinking hinders  medical science. Take a look at how "vestigial structures" have been written off because of evolution, only to be demonstrated to have importance after all. Then we have the humiliation of "junk" DNA .

Astrobiology Still not a Science

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Last I checked, whenever something ends in -ology, it means the study of something. That is, unless someone has redefined the word. There is quite a bit of redefining going on nowadays. So, if you are going to have a study of something, it stands to reason that there should be something to study. Cosmology is not science , and in a very similar way, that thing called astrobiology  is not science, either. "Cranky Alien" template furnished by Why?Outreach There are no alien machines to study, nor are there aliens. I'll allow that scientists examine certain chemicals way out there thataway that may be conducive to life, but there is no biology happening. Just speculation and guesswork based on Big Bang assumptions and evolutionary presuppositions. If you study on it a spell, you'll see that they assume that since life evolved here, it must have evolved out there. See how that is supposed  to work? They use the scientific principle of Making Things Up™, and then ge

Melanin Research Supports Creation Model

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Fungi serve a purpose in the world by breaking down and essentially recycling dead things, but some types get a bit rambunctious and cause fungus infections. A recent study by researchers who reject standard Darwinian views inadvertently support creation science. Aspergillus colonies image credit: Wikimedia Commons / Adrian J. Hunter ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) There are several hundred mold species in the Aspergillus genus. Some are useful in the environment, they can help in the fermentation process for alcohol, and others are used in medicinal products . The research under discussion is about the annoyance factor where they cause fungal infections. A protein identifies fungal melanin, notifies cells and says, "There's a fungus among us", then they all laugh and go keep the interloper under control. This is an example of engineered adaptability. Darwinists generally believe that evolution and adaptation are caused by

The Hard Truth on Mudrock

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There are several types of sedimentary rock, one of which is mudrock. From there, we have several kinds of mudrock, including mudstone and shale. If you do your own little geology experiment by putting sand and dirt in a jar with water, then shake it up, you can watch the stuff settle. It's more exciting than watching paint dry because you can see how the larger particles settle first, and the finest particles take much longer. Wikimedia Commons / Lvklock ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) Mudrock can be mighty thick, such as the Marcellus Shale. Uniformitarian geologists will tell you that it took millions of years to form, and watching that mixture you shook up earlier might cause you to agree. Someone might wonder how biblical creationists can insist that the earth is about 6,000 years old when secular geologists are throwing around deep time expressions left and right. Also, mudrocks comprise most of the geological record. Research was done (presumably by researchers, hence the name).

Evosplaining Diatoms is Bad for Science

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Not too long ago, we saw that little things matter. Specifically, a large number of tiny crustaceans like brine shrimp and krill are thought to stir up and help refresh the oceans . Diatoms are very small aquatic algae that can only be seen under a microscope, but our lives depend on them. It was recently discovered that the homes they build for themselves help protect their DNA. Credit: CSIRO  ( CC BY 3.0 ) (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Even though the paper had eight biologists, all we received was evosplaining. This included assertions, teleology ("evolutionary cause"), and other non-science. These owlhoots lack candor as well as an understanding of their own worldview. An actual, demonstrable model or rational explanation of how it evolved? Not hardly! Credit to the Master Engineer for his design skills? That'll be the day! What these owlhoots did was actually add further damage to the credibility of the secular science industry . So

At Home in your Eye

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When I asked Rusty Swingset (the ramrod at the Darwin Ranch) if he wanted his own home, he told me that he had an eye on a place. It turns out that certain tiny critters have their home on your eye — literally. Researchers were surprised by this development because tears have an antibacterial enzyme, and these bacteria are immune to it. Credit: Unsplash / Victor Freitas We have beneficial bacteria in and on various places, and they coordinate with our immune systems to fight the bad guys. There is also a community of good bacteria living on your eye. (And not just us, but the eyes of animals, it seems.) Researchers wonder how this happened, and determined that here, too, bacteria work with the immune system. Our Creator made bacteria that are not eliminated by the antibacterial enzyme, and are also beneficial. Such a complex, symbiotic relationship defies evolutionary explanations, but just ask Rusty, he'll find something in the excuse mill. Researchers have discover

Filling in the Blanks

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Suppose I came home after my work day was done, and I see that a package is on the table. Oh, good! The creation science videos I ordered arrived. But my wife does not get home from her job until later, so how did the package get on the table? The delivery service either leaves things outside the door or leaves an "undeliverable" note. I see that since it's a warm day, her coat is draped over a chair. My conclusion is that she stopped by for something, brought in the package, and left her coat. Later, I find out that's what happened. Some of this is based on previous experience and knowledge of my wife's methods. Credit: Pixabay / Tumisu We are designed to have our minds fill in the missing puzzle pieces so we can function. This happens from knowledge and experience, and trying to make sense of our surroundings and circumstances. (Of course, we can mislead ourselves with pareidolia, such as seeing a lady on Mars , but that can involve wishful thinking and d

Razor Clams Teach Digging Methods

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Suzie's sister Sarah was selling seashells by the seashore (Suzie lives in Australia), and I saw some odd clams. Well, they were new to me. I asked what kind they were. "Those are razor clam shells", Sarah said shyly. I saw where they get their name, and when they are sticking up out of the sand, stepping on them could be an unpleasant experience. Credit: NOAA / Northwest Fisheries Science Center (usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) People dig clams (see what I did there?) because they're good eatin'. Just have to watch for algal blooms that affect shellfish so you don't get poisoning from okadaic acid or domoic acid . Don't be ignoring the warning signs, old son. Anyway, people have to dig clams because clams dig themselves into the wet sand. See how that works? Scientists tried to figure out how they managed to reach certain depths, but were unable to replicate the clam's ability. Further research was in order. The Master Eng

Geological Theories have their Faults

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As theories in uniformitarian geology receive more data and scrutiny, many need serious revision or must be abandoned. In some of the instances below, the changes unintentionally  support the Genesis Flood models of creationists, and some thwart climate change models. Catskill Mountains near Rondout Reservoir photo by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Glaciers in what is now the Gobi Desert were determined to have actually shrunk during the Ice Age. Cold air is not the only factor necessary to form glaciers or to have an ice age. In fact, secular geologists are hard pressed to present a plausible model for any ice age, let alone, the several that they assume occurred in Earth's history. The Genesis Flood models provide necessary and sufficient conditions to explain the Ice Age, however. Geologists assumed that only tsunamis are able to move huge boulders, but eyewitness accounts showed that storms are capable of such action. How about a big storm, like the Genesis Flood? That is the best

Artificial Intelligence and Evolving Morality

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by Cowboy Bob Sorensen People have had a fear of machines for a long time, especially since the Industrial Revolution. The term Luddite has been applied to people who loathe technology, but the original protesters were okey-dokey with machinery per se, and instead protested unfair labor practices by destroying certain contraptions . In simpler terms, laborers have had a fear of being replaced by machines for many years. Credit: Pixabay / Gerd Altmann Suspicion of machines naturally extended to robots. While science fiction media often portray robots with humanoid appearances (let's face it, many people don't cotton to dealing with a metal "person"), it depends on the application; robots used for police bomb disposal generally do not look all that human. Some robots can be considered mobile computers if they are sophisticated enough. The history of science fiction is replete with tales of computers having artificial intelligence, and even becoming self-awa

The Origin of Life is a Faith Question

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In a previous installment , we looked at how astronomers working on the first light of the so-called cosmic dawn. They used a number of assumptions as well as observational evidence to plug into their model; cosmology itself is not real science . Likewise, when folks commence to saddling up and riding the trail of the origin of life question, there are many presuppositions that are not actually scientific. Credit: Pixabay / Roy Buri Just as no human was there to see the origin of the universe and take notes, no human observed the origin of life — both are historical events. We can attempt to put scientific methods to the process, but we want to know the origin of life, the possibilities are very limited. Indeed, abiogenesis has many insurmountable problems.There are only a few possibilities to consider involving the origin of life.. Secularists use materialistic presuppositions that are based on faith and apply evolutionary ideas. Likewise, biblical creationists presuppose the e

Elephant Genome Study Supports Creation Science

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While biblical creationists recognize the established (and not so established) categories such as species, genera, family, and so forth, they also study biblical kinds. Secularists get on the prod about this, preferring their own classification system as "right", but the definition of species is in dispute. Part of the problem there is speciation, hybridization, and interbreeding. Also, the biblical kind is a larger classification than species, more closely fitting with the family level. Credit: RGBstock / Sias van Schalkwyk A very extensive genome study was conducted among living elephants, and since remains of American mastodon were more than happy to provide samples, those were included as well. The results were startling in several ways. For one thing, Darwin's "tree of life" should have been chopped down and composted long ago, and the study results support that notion. Hybridization and breeding between these big critters was found as well, challeng

Convergent Traits Best Explained by Engineered Adaptability

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We have been examining a number of posts on the subject of engineered adaptability, which is a concept for setting up a framework of design . Instead of accepting the erroneous but persistent view of Darwin and his followers that changes are based on external influences, engineered adaptability is about how organisms adapt from the inside. That is, the Master Engineer built the ability to adapt into organisms. Darwin need not apply. Vieja cichlid image credit: Unsplash / The Cofish Store The hands at the Darwin Ranch (take Folly Road up yonder to Deception Pass, but the Winkie Guards are likely to turn you back) are being more unscientific than usual of late. They are appealing to various forms of mysticism en lieu de observational and testable science. One of these is the secular miracle of convergent evolution , which is a rescuing device that has no actual substance. Many critters have similar traits that evolutionists cannot successfully evosplain, so they appeal to