Unveiling the Divine Design: Creation, Evolution, and Thermodynamics Explained

Evolution, Creation, & Thermodynamics — Part 2

Introduction

In this article, we will delve into the topic of evolution, creation, and thermodynamics. Specifically, we will explore the relationship between thermodynamics and the naturalistic self-transformation required by evolution. The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that an isolated system tends to become more disordered over time. This principle contradicts the notion of evolution, which suggests that the universe has evolved from simplicity to complexity. Many evolutionists argue that the Earth is an open system and that local increases in order are possible. They often point to examples such as seed growth, car assembly, and saltwater cooling to form salt crystals. However, we will examine these claims in detail and see if they hold up to scrutiny.

Example 1: Seed Growing into a Plant

Evolutionists often use the growth of a seed into a plant as an example of how order can increase in an open system. They argue that the energy from the sun helps transform a seed into a complex plant. However, this analogy is flawed. While it is true that energy from the sun is essential for plant growth, it is not enough on its own to create order. The growth of a seed into a plant involves highly complex processes such as photosynthesis and genetic coding. These processes are already encoded in the genetic blueprint of the seed. In other words, the information necessary for the growth and development of a plant is already present in its DNA. Evolution, on the other hand, requires new information and complexity to arise and increase over millions of years.

Example 2: Car Assembly

Another example often cited by evolutionists is the assembly of a car by workmen. They argue that an open system with available energy can produce ordered systems like cars. However, this analogy also fails to hold up under scrutiny. The assembly of a car requires machines and ordered systems to produce ordered systems. Similarly, living organisms rely on complex mechanisms and genetic information to overcome the effects of the Second Law. The information necessary for biological order is passed on from generation to generation through the DNA code. This information is not spontaneously generated but has its origin in the mind of God during Creation Week.

Example 3: Salt Crystals

Evolutionists sometimes point to the formation of salt crystals from saltwater as evidence that order can arise spontaneously. However, this example is not relevant to the problem at hand. Crystal growth involves regularity, not complexity or information. When a large salt crystal breaks up, it forms smaller salt crystals, but no new information or complexity is created in the process. In contrast, biological growth processes involve complexity and information. For example, breaking up a molecule of a biological protein into smaller pieces results in the loss of specific sequence information encoded in that molecule. The formation of crystals does not provide a mechanism for the increase in complexity and information required for evolution.

Mutation and Selection

Evolutionists often argue that mutation and natural selection can act as the necessary mechanisms to overcome the effects of the Second Law and drive evolution forward. However, this argument is flawed as well. Mutation is a random change in a pre-existing code and cannot create new codes or mechanisms by itself. Natural selection, on the other hand, is simply the elimination of unfit individuals or traits and does not provide a mechanism for generating new complexity or information. Even when combined, mutation and selection do not address the fundamental problem of how new order and complexity arise without a mechanism or motor.

The Problem with Micromutation

Some evolutionists propose that small random fluctuations in order, known as micromutations, can accumulate over time through natural selection to drive evolutionary change. However, this argument faces serious challenges. The absence of transitional forms in the fossil record, the difficulty of explaining the usefulness of proposed transitional stages, and the low amount of genetic variation in living organisms all undermine the idea of micromutation as a sufficient mechanism for evolution. In fact, some evolutionary thinkers are now turning to the concept of macromutations, which involve sudden leaps or "saltations" in the genetic code. However, proposing random changes as the cause of significant increases in order and information goes against the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which tells us that this cannot happen without a mechanism.

Conclusion

The Second Law of Thermodynamics presents a significant challenge to any proposed evolutionary scheme. Biological order and complexity cannot arise spontaneously but require pre-existing coded mechanisms. The formation of the first cell from naturalistic processes is thermodynamically implausible. Mutation and selection do not provide an adequate mechanism for overcoming the effects of the Second Law in an open system. In light of these scientific principles, it is worth considering that God, as revealed in the Bible, created the universe with its order and complexity built-in and that it is now running down. This view aligns perfectly with the Second Law of Thermodynamics but contradicts the concept of evolution.

Why This Matters: Understanding the relationship between thermodynamics and evolution is essential for evaluating the validity of evolutionary claims. The Second Law of Thermodynamics poses a significant challenge to the naturalistic self-transformation required by evolution. By critically examining examples used by evolutionists to support their claims, we can see that they do not provide a sufficient explanation for the increase in order and complexity required for evolution.

Think About It: How does the concept of pre-existing coded mechanisms challenge the idea of spontaneous complexity and information arising through naturalistic processes? How does the Second Law of Thermodynamics align with the biblical perspective on creation and the nature of the universe?