Unlocking Divine Mysteries: The Power of New Information in Christian Genetics

What Counts as 'New Information' in Genetics?

As biblical creationists, we often discuss the concept of "information" in genetics. However, defining this term can be challenging. Creationists argue that certain types of information would be expected if life was designed by a Creator. On the other hand, Darwinists claim that DNA can change, suggesting that information can either be absent or evolve through random mutations.

It is true that the information content of a cell can change, and mutations can add information to the genome. However, the changes we observe are not the type of information-gaining mutations necessary for large-scale evolutionary processes. While there are examples of mutations that allegedly cause a gain of function, they actually arise from corrupted genetic information rather than creating something genuinely new.

Quantifying information is a difficult task. Critics often challenge creationists by asking for the rate of decrease in information or the ability to quantify changes in the information content of cells. While it is impossible to quantify information at its base level since it is an immaterial concept, biologists have attempted to measure it using summary statistics or proxies based on things in the genome.

To illustrate the increase and decrease of information, consider the concepts of "color red" or "feeling of sadness." These are abstract ideas that can both increase and decrease in quality and quantity. Similarly, genuine increases in biological information are difficult to pinpoint precisely. Mutations occur incrementally, making it challenging to determine when meaningful information is being added. Moreover, achieving meaningful results through random mutations requires foresight, which contradicts the idea that mutations must be random and unguided.

While natural selection is often presented as a non-random process, it cannot explain the origin of complex functional information in the genome. Natural selection lacks foresight or agency and cannot implement meaningful concepts over time. Therefore, it cannot stop the slow degradation of genetic information.

Gene duplication is another argument put forth by evolutionists. While gene duplications can occur, they are also prone to deletion mutations. Additionally, most point mutations do not have a significant enough effect to be acted upon by natural selection. Therefore, gene duplications do not provide a solution for the problem of genetic entropy.

In conclusion, the concept of information in genetics is complex and difficult to define or quantify. Creationists argue that the vast quantities of complex functional information in the genome cannot be explained by random mutations and natural selection alone. The existence of information in living things points to the necessity of a Designer. Ultimately, beliefs about the past are influenced by personal convictions and interpretations of reason and Scripture.

Why This Matters: Understanding the concept of information in genetics is crucial for evaluating different perspectives on the origins of life. It helps us critically analyze scientific claims and consider alternative explanations that align with biblical creationism.

Think About It: How does the existence of information in living organisms impact your understanding of the origin and complexity of life? How might this perspective influence your interpretation of scientific evidence and biblical teachings?