Although inaccurate, America's education system presents evolution as just-about-to-be-proven scientific fact. This leads the majority to believe only a few "minor" issues need to be resolved before complete worldwide acceptance. There are more than a few "minor" issues to resolve. The evolutionists "desire" for evolutionary truth, clouds their minds, and colors their judgments. Evolutionists are constantly defending the credibility and certainty of change over time and natural selection. But a closer look reveals numerous missing pieces to the evolutionary puzzle that the scientific community continues to intentionally ignore or keep out of sight. What follows is a description of the issues and missing pieces in the evolution puzzle.
The first thing you need to understand about evolution is that it's proponents will obfuscate, deceive, misinform, and misrepresent facts to "prove" their anti-religion, anti-God, pro-atheism, and Darwinist worldview. Their Darwinist evolutionary dogma causes them to ignore unsupported data, speculate "truths" if convincing data is not found, and intentionally intimidate non-believers as ignorant unsophisticated religious zealots. In high school and college classrooms across the nation, liberal progressive evolutionists pontificate about evolution's current and impending scientific certainty. Students are bombarded with dubious evolutionary "truths" in classrooms, textbooks, books, movies, and newspapers by teachers, scientists, screen writers, and authors who are proponents of evolution and firmly anti-religion.
In thousands of publications, the certainty of evolution appears to be supported by tables of related fossils, diagrams of ancestral relationships, references to external sources, and assurances that existing computer simulations have proven that evolution is beyond reproach in creating irreducible complexity such as the human eye, human organs, and DNA. Evolution is a done deal! Proven science! Anyone who does not believe that is no better than a holocaust denier. Evolutionary theory is believed to be so sound, that most scientists can't be bothered with presenting an accurate, exhaustive, factual, and complete dissertation on the subject. It's true! We know it's true! We've passed the point where we have to convince skeptics! Well they have not proven evolution, not convinced most of the skeptics, and most books, tables, charts, diagrams, and explanations are incomplete, pure speculation, intentionally misleading, and just plain wrong.
Evolution and belief in God are not mutually exclusive. They can both exist simultaneously. In fact, evolution has nothing to do with the universe, the solar system, or planets existence at all. So even if current evolution teachings are 100% correct, whether they do/do not conflict with religious doctrine, they still leave out all cosmological components so it is an incomplete assessment of the origins of life on earth. The precise placement of the earth, the moon, the planets, and the universe to support life is completely ignored by evolutionists. Many consider the cosmological origins even more crucial than evolution in understanding the origins of life.
Evolutionists are forever searching for their holy grail, the missing link. The link between man and primates. It is amusing that whenever a new "oldest" fossil of man or man-like creature is found the media is blitzed with declarations of "missing link found". The fossils characteristics are discussed, speculated, extrapolated, analyzed, and interpreted. In every case so far, the scientific community groans with angst as the search for the missing link is not over. It has not been found, and very likely a missing link will never be found.
Darwin writes that the genetic variations that occur are random and that the process of natural selection takes action based on those variations. The idea it takes many millions of years for "things" to evolve, is based on the fact that changes are in fact random. There is a lot of trial and error going on in these variations or mutations. Unfortunately, evolutionists can't explain how "natural selection" works at all. In the software field there's an old joke.....a mess of interrelated tasks, paths, data are all jumbled on the left side of the chalk board. On the right side is the streamlined perfect target solution. In between is a simple sentence: "and then a miracle occurs". That's what natural selection is. An unexplained miracle that occurs and drives genetic variations and mutations in a certain direction. Now it is important to note that if natural selection is not random then that implies there is some sort of plan, goal, direction, or intelligence driving the natural selection process. If that is true then where does that plan, goal, direction, or intelligence come from? Scientists vow it is not God, after all no one believes in God anymore. But they never explain it. Current biological, chemical, and geological sciences have no explanation of "natural selection". It is just a catch-all term for any part of the evolutionary mutations, variations, choices, direction, and development that is unexplained or unresolved.
Now you will also hear about "survival of the fittest". In some texts it is presented as the robustness, probability of surviving, for a genetic variation. Species with genetic traits that promote survival will propagate and continue their evolutionary development because more examples of the species survive. Species with genetic traits that don't promote survival are becoming extinct and will disappear because less examples of the species survive. Unfortunately, genetic variations, natural selection, and survival of the fittest do not explain all choices and mutations that occur during the evolutionary process.
Their are 2 major categories of evolution. Micro-evolution defines the changes within a single species over time. For example: a bird whose beak gets longer over generations. There are thousands of examples and virtually no argument of it's provable scientific validity. Micro-evolution occurs everywhere. Macro-evolution defines the changes that occur during the transition from one species to another species. To date, there are NO verifiable examples of this type of species-to-species transition. This transition must be proved, and is required if evolution is the complete single scientific explanation for origins of life on this planet.
Lets look at one of the best examples of so-called successful complex evolution, the human eye. The human eye is a marvelous thing. It's complexity, detail, operation, functionality, and successful development in the human being is awe inspiring. Yet scientists continue to pontificate that the eye is totally compatable with evolution. There are problems that are never explained.
First problem: Irreducible complexity. Like a mouse trap, all parts of the human eye need to be present for the eye to properly function. Otherwise the human is blind, a very bad situation when he/she is trying to survive with the fittest. Remove one part of a mouse trap and it doesn't work. Remove one part of an eye and it doesn't work. Now this implies that all the pieces of the human eye must evolve simultaneously. Well there is no way a random mutation can create all the parts of the human eye simultaneously. It's impossible. Unless it is not random at all, and there is some sort of "guide" or plan for the development. Now there are individuals that will claim that there are software programs that simulate evolution of the eye and it is completely possible randomly. They are lying. Ask to see the program. No one knows where it exists, but they all say it exists. That's where the evolutionists start whining that evolution of the eye is already proven. Yet no one can provide the specific evidence of that proof.
One other aspect of "pattern of development" involves the fact that although separated by thousands of miles, and geological obstacles preventing migration, similar species evolve similarly throughout the world. Without contact between 2 similar species, how can they evolve alike when their mutations are supposed to be random.
Third Problem: DNA: The reason for this pattern of development is because all life is built from the design information contained in DNA. Although evolutionists attempt to include DNA as one of the evolving components of life. I reject the idea of DNA evolving. I recognize the unique complexity inherent in DNA and firmly believe there is no way this "blueprint for the architecture of life" occurred randomly. There is intelligence, design, purpose, direction, complexity, and amazing generative properties of DNA. To support the evolution of DNA theory, would be like placing a bomb in a junkyard. Exploding the bomb. Watching a complete perfectly formed bus coalesce from the flying shrapnel. It ain't gonna happen. There is nothing random about the structure, purpose, and complexity of DNA. If there is a designer of the Universe, DNA is the schematics used to create all life forms. And DNA is present in all life forms that appeared in the Cambrian explosion.
Fourth Problem: The Cambrian Explosion: The Cambrian explosion occurred about 530 million years ago. The astonishing fact is that during this period of the fossil record we see a virtual explosion of the new most major groups of complex animals and lifeforms at about the same time. The existence of the Cambrian explosion alone challenges explanations by evolutionists about Darwin's randomness. If the genetic variations and mutations of species are random, then how does almost every complex species' evolutionary path of development arrive at the similar development point at the same time. From simple life in the fossil record (pre-Cambrian) to the prolific creation of complex life throughout all regions of the earth at the same time (Cambrian, post-Cambrian). If evolution mutations are random than the Cambrian explosion should not have happened. Each evolving species should have evolved at it's own pace. If evolution mutations are NOT random then the Cambrian explosion is not surprising if there is some plan, direction, or goal present in the patterned development of DNA.
Fifth Problem: Random DNA Mutations: The problem with random evolution becomes clearer when examining DNA. DNA is complex, powerful, and unique to each species. Evolutionists try to extrapolate evolving DNA definition from the beginning of life, and profess that DNA genetic mutations also occur randomly over time. Logically DNA is too complex, too exact, too unique, too powerful, and too sensitive to the slightest changes to have occurred randomly. Nothing this complicated occurs by accident everywhere in all lifeforms.
Conclusions: Given the proliferation, diversity, and abundance of life the in the fossil record, it appears that whatever keeps our world evolving has been successful beyond belief. Mammals, microscopic, fish, amphibians, insects, birds, and human race are all products of this "evolutionary process". Not being scientifically trained or theologically trained means that I can only render my opinions about the observed proven facts and the missing pieces of the puzzle.
Conclusion 1: Does Micro-evolution exist and is it proven by the fossil record? Absolutely! The scientific facts support the variation over time of any species. The scientific facts support the variations between occurrences of similar species developing differently when thousands of miles separate the two similar species.
Conclusion 2: Does Macro-evolution exist and is it proven by the fossil record? Absolutely Not! The scientific facts are missing any proof of inter-species evolution. Evolutionists want to believe, so they often "fudge" the facts. Presenting dubious facts to skeptics will not help the integrity of the individuals or institutions professing the scientific conclusions. It only breeds distrust in all subsequent conversations about evolution and it's scientific proofs.
Conclusion 3: Does God exist and is it proven by any of the fossil record? No! There is nothing in the fossil record that explicitly supports the existence of God as defined in the major religions of the world. Here is the real issue. Each religion, including Atheism (belief in no-God) and Darwinism (belief in no-God and evolution), has supporters that achieve emotional, intellectual, and spiritual comfort from practicing their beliefs. In general, most religions attempt to provide a purpose to life and an overview of the ways to live a successful life (morally, ethically). Regardless of evolution, science does indicate some miraculous event (big bang) occurred that created the universes, the constellations, the solar system, the earth, and the conditions to successfully support and evolve millions of forms of complex life. From man's perspective, something on a massive scale miraculously occurred unrelated/prior to the existence of man. This miraculous event created everything we see, feel, and hear. Not knowing the conditions before the big bang presents a major missing piece of the puzzle. But as believed by many, God can exist with evolution. God could have provided the plan (chemically, atomically, geologically, cosmologically, DNA, RNA) and science trys to explain how that plan was executed. The scientists are comforted by their scientific "beliefs" and work diligently to try and prove their conclusions. Scientific knowledge is as important as spiritual knowledge as science tends to explain the "how, what, and when" of our world, while religious knowledge tends to try and provide the "why". Any religious or scientifc beliefs, regardless of how intertwined with cultures, history, and family, is valid if it provides intellectual, emotional, and spiritual comfort for the individual. One must decide which beliefs satisfy their needs as a believer. One man gathers what another man spills.
Conclusion 4: Is evolution proven by the fossil record? No!. Evolution, although an excellent theory, has not resolved incomplete or contradictory evidence in the fossil record. Darwin's theory is the accumulation of his father's "Transmutationism" theory, his grandfathers "Zoomania" concepts, and his own observations during a five year round the world stint as a ship's naturalist. The major problems evolution still needs to explain are irreducible complexity, the Cambrian explosion, patterns of development, and the role of DNA.
Man could not survive without both science and religion because man is a thinking and feeling creature whose intelligence, curiousity, emotions, and logic create both physical, intellectual, and emotional complexity. I think, therefore I am. I am, therefore I think.
