Life from Molecules: 1 - Creation Moments

Genesis 1:11
“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.”

If you ask an apologist for evolution how life could have developed from non-living molecules, it is usual for them to reply pompously that the Theory of Evolution does not address this question of what is called biogenesis.

However, a recent article on a popular science website attempted to answer this awkward question. In their answer, they relied heavily on the famous Miller-Urey experiment, so we should really revisit our thoughts on this experiment before we tackle the main article in the next Creation Moment.

The experiment involved a reaction circuit, commenced by boiling water to make water vapor. This was mixed with methane and ammonia to replicate what was thought to be the earth’s early atmosphere. Electric sparks were passed through the gases, and the resultant mixture cooled and products trapped and analyzed. The product mixture contained amino acids – the building blocks of proteins.

As creationists, we have frequently pointed out the many errors in this 1952 experiment. Two significant problems are that the mixture contains some amino acids not found in life, and incorrect mixtures of isomers. The gas mixture used is highly conjectural, chosen as it was the most likely mixture to give the “correct” result.

But even if it had worked properly, the experiment would not have proved life came from non-life because the experiment was carefully designed, mimicking the way that God carefully designed every cell in our bodies.

Prayer: Lord God, we look at everything that You have made – every cell in every organism and are amazed at how it all works for Your glory. Amen.

Author: Paul F. Taylor

Ref: Weizmann Institute of Science. “Origin of life: Which came first? An experiment in recreating primordial proteins solves a long-standing riddle.” ScienceDaily, 22 June 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200622095023.htm>. Image: CC BY-SA 2.5 Generic.