The doctrine of Creation occupies an important place in Seventh-day Adventist message and mission. The reason for this is twofold: First, Adventists believe in a fiat Creation; and second, they are committed to the proclamation of the three angels’ message of Revelation 14.
One of the most interesting challenges in understanding Earth history is explanation of the order in the fossil record. Study of fossil patterns and trends should help improve our understanding of the underlying processes. Published in Origins v. 23, n. 2.
A collection of short commentaries on scientific papers published in 1993-1994, covering such topics as parasite degeneration, convergence in diapsid reptiles, induced neoteny, genetic code, directed mutation in bacteria, radiohalos in a diamond, coelacanth phylogeny, marsupial phylogeny, origin of life, and fossil change in Jurassic rocks. Published in Origins v. 22, n. 1.
Now is the time to tremble at the words of the God of Israel, particularly in the creation and flood narratives, and not to tremble at the words of Darwin, whose theory is in crisis.
A collection of short commentaries on scientific papers published in 1993-1994, covering topics such as C. elegans genes, hotspots, stromatolites, insecticide resistance, and the Cambrian Explosion. Published in Origins v. 21, n. 2.
Survival on earth seems bleak as the environmental crisis worsens. Amidst the destruction, how should Adventists respond to the environmental crisis? Creation and incarnation dominate Christian understandings of ecology. However, I think that a third theological theme, the Resurrection, best illuminates the relationship of Christianity to the environment.
A collection of short commentaries on scientific papers published in 1991, covering topics such as Permian trees, molecular genetics, epigenetics, inheritance of paternal mtDNA, water and formation of petroleum, water in mantle rocks, impacts, Ordovician volcanism, molecular phylogenies of ratites, termites, cichlids and sabertooths, osteocalcin in dinosaur bones, fossil flowers, origin of life, Precambrian predation, stromatolites, Cambrian Explosion, quality of fossil record, rapid speciation, tree biogeography, Miocene ape, fossil dermopteran, Asian marsupial, dinosaurs, mammal-like reptile. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.
A recent survey shows about 9% of the population accepts the viewpoint of naturalistic evolution, about 40% accept divinely guided evolution, about 47% accept a recent creation of humans, and about 4% registered they don't know. These results are nearly the same as a similar survey taken three years before. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 2.
A review of the book, The Origin of Species Revisited: The Theories of Evolution and of Abrupt Appearance. This is an attempt to meet the legal requirement that religion not be introduced into the science class by using the term "abrupt appearance" rather than a term implying a specific process such as creation or evolution. Published in Origins v. 17, n. 2.
A review of the book, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History. The book describes the history of discovery of the Burgess Shale fossils and their classification. Published in Origins v. 17, n. 1.
Foraminifers exemplify many of the problems of fitting the fossil record into a short chronology, including thousands of named species and apparent evolutionary sequences. Any short-time creationist model must be able to explain these features. Published in Origins v. 15, n. 1.
Some prominent scientists had educators have declared that creation has failed the test of science and has to be discarded. However, ideas that have been discarded are sometimes found to be true. Creation should not be discarded, because there is no better explanation for design in nature and the origin of life. Published in Origins v. 12, n. 1.
The ocean floor is largely covered with a layer of sediments derived from the remnants of dead organisms, such as the "shells" of foraminifera. At present, these accumulate too slowly to account for the depth of sediments in a few thousand years. However, a catastrophic flood would provide difference conditions with very large amounts of nutrients and the opportunity for rapid growth of these organisms. More data are needed to analyze the situation more satisfactorily. Published in Origins v. 12, n. 1.
Life is a property of precisely ordered biopolymers maintaining a non-equilibrium state. The ordering requires information, and this, with the chemical state of non-equilibrium, are conditions not available to natural processes, and point to the existence of a Creator. Published in Origins v. 11, n. 2.
Bird and mammal footprints are most common in the same stratigraphic intervals where their body fossils are common. However, reptile and amphibian tracks are more common in stratigraphic layers lower than their body fossils. Published in Origins v. 9, n. 2.
A review of the book, Puncuated Equilibria: The Tempo and Mode of Evolution Reconsidered. The new theory of punctuated equilibria acknowledges the gaps in the fossil record used by creationists as evidence against evolution, and explains them as due to the nature of the speciation process. However, the new theory applies only to gaps between species, and does not help with the problem of gaps between higher taxa. Published in Origins v. 5, n. 1.