How to Block a Slam Dunk – Part 3

This is the last in a three part series where we’re addressing an article written by Paul Braterman entitled, “How to slam dunk creationists when it comes to the theory of evolution” which was published in “The Conversations” on August 2, 2017.
Hopefully we’re showing that evolution isn’t so much of a “slam dunk”, but that it’s actually more like a left handed layup by a toddler.  In other words, it’s staring you in the face just asking to be thrown into the third row!
In Part 1 we addressed the first sentence of the article where he used Sahelanthropus to support evolution.  In Part 2 we addressed the supposed use of word games.
But this time, he’s breaking out the big guns.  He’s not putting some rookie in the game, he’s paid the big bucks, traded for LeBron James and turned it over to him to win the game.  Sorry, lost focus for a second.
So, let’s look at his “Evolutionary Ammo”:

1. “Start with family relationships.”

The argument is that all you have to do is look at the “family trees” and they’ll prove evolution.
This is one of my favorite topics quite frankly and another area that pushed me into believing that God’s Word is true and that the evolutionary process doesn’t have a leg to stand on.  Here’s the example he uses in his article:
“All dogs are canines, so dogs share an ancestor with foxes; all canines are carnivora, so dogs share a more remote ancestor with bears; all carnivora are mammals, so dogs and sheep are, albeit more remotely, related, and so on.”
So, let me get this straight, dogs prove evolution?
Just a second, of the approximately 35 dog species that we see today 80-85% of them have “evolved” within the last 150 years.  Yes, there was an original DOG kind that through the process of speciation gave us the various breeds of DOGS that we see to day.  So therefore, DOGS have always been DOGS.  Do I have that right?
By the way, what do we read in the Bible?  God used the word “kinds” 10 times in Genesis when talking about what He had created.  IF that history is true, we should see that in the world today.  And guess what, that’s exactly what we do see.
Just because someone takes the evidence that we see around us and arranges it into a family tree doesn’t mean that what on that tree all came from a common source.  Let me prove that to you.  Here’s one of my favorite phylogenetic trees of all times.

Donut Evolution!
As you can clearly see over the course of 65 million years a lump of dough mutated into all of the donuts, cookies, bagels and cereals that we see in the world around us.  It just took time and mutation.  Take that you pesky creationists!
Do you see how easy it is to “prove” evolution?  The evidence is all there, all you have to do is go and look at it!

2. Braterman’s next point is that the family relationships are all proven at the molecular level.

The argument he uses is that “humans share 99% of their genes with chimpanzees, our closest relatives.”  
Well, first of all, that’s just NOT true!  Humans and chimps are not 99% similar.  First, chimps have 24 chromosomes and humans have 23, so that doesn’t match up.  If you want to get the 99% similarity, you have to ignore 18% of the chimp genome and 25% of the humans by excluding 1.3 billion letters of information.
It’s even worse.  The tiny mistakes that they’re not counting are mistakes that have a profound impact.  Read the two following sentences and you tell me if you see any differences between them:
Let’s eat, mom.
Let’s eat mom.
It’s just a comma, how big of a deal is that?  Hmmm.
BUT, even if we were 98% similar there’s still a huge problem.  The 2% that’s dissimilar is so dissimilar that there’s no way they came from the same source.  Please allow me to suggest that the similarities that we see between animals is because we have a common creator, not because they cam from the same source.

3. “Observe the fossil record.”

I LOVE the fossil record.  Dr. Braterman says, “Once lamentably full of gaps (Darwin was among the lamenters), it is now densely populated.” 
There are quite a few hominin listed for sure, but what you’ll find as you research every one of them is that there is NO rock solid missing link between apes and humans.  I say again, NONE!  We’re actually in the process of preparing a tool that will cover every one of the supposed ancestors that you see in museums showing that none of them are transitional between apes and humans.  By the way, we’re using nothing but secular material to show this!  Pray for us.

4. “Biogeography”

The question he raises is, why are marsupials only found in South America and Australasia?  Doesn’t this prove evolution?
Actually marsupial fossils are found almost anywhere on the planet, including Antarctica.  So, in the past they were found around the globe.  Just because they died out in other parts of the world and only survived in specific regions today doesn’t mean they evolved.  They’re actually very amazingly designed animals.

5. “we can actually observe evolution, and study it in the field or in the lab.”

Now we’re talking!  Here’s the stuff we’ve been waiting for:

1. Insects evolve resistance to pesticides.
2. Russians breed tame foxes.

Well, it’s been good talking with you.  I guess we lost.
Are you kidding?  This has got to be the lamest evidence in the history of evidence.  This is like me doing the left handed layup with Keven Durant just waiting for me to get to the basket so he could laugh at me as he blocks my shot with his forehead!
First, insects don’t evolve resistance to pesticides.  Some insects already have a resistance.  Spray a group of insects with a pesticide.  Most of the ones that don’t have the resistance will die while most of the ones that do have the resistance will survive.  They reproduce.  They pass on the resistance to their offspring.
Spray the bugs again.  This time you’ll not kill off as many as the first time because more of them now have the resistance.  Keep doing this, over time you could get to the point where there are very few and possibly no more insects without the resistance to the pesticide.
What did you start with?  Bugs!  Some with, some without resistance to a pesticide.
What did you end with?  Bugs!  Nothing new was added to their genome.
The same thing is true for the tame foxes.  What did you start with, what did you end with?
If this is the process you’re relying of to turn a dead thing into a living thing into a worm into a fish etc . . . you’re in big trouble!  As a matter of fact I think a new record has been set for how far the ball has been thrown into the stadium on a block!
Don’t be afraid of the big headlines.  KNOW that you can trust the Lord with ALL of your heart, soul and MIND!  His Word is true, get in it, study it, live it and share it.
Stay Bold!