The Master Designer

Intelligent Design, The Series

The Master Designer
God and DNA
The Brain
Imagination and Kingdom Truths
Body and Soul

This is Part 1 in a five-part series about Intelligent Design, a view founded by theorists who recognize that life in the universe came about from an intelligent, powerful being and not from undirected natural processes.

Intelligent Design was formulated in the 1990s, primarily in the United States, as an explicit refutation of the Darwinian theory of biological evolution. Proponents of Intelligent Design observed that the functional parts and systems of living organisms are "irreducibly complex" in the sense that none of their component parts can be removed without causing the whole system to cease functioning. From this premise they inferred that no such system (human) could have come about (evolved) through the gradual alteration of functioning precursor systems by means of random mutation and natural selection, as the standard evolutionary account maintains; therefore, living organisms must have been created all at once by an intelligent designer. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Although Genesis has always taught the above-mentioned premise as truth, supporters of Intelligent Design shy away from tethering the concept to God and other monotheistic religions. They fear the "mere mention" of God would be overly offensive to some groups, such as atheists who prefer to believe a non-entity gave them life. God created a wondrous world and filled it with life. To walk through any part of any day and not see His creative and intelligent authority is to miss life itself. Although the idea of Intelligent Design is not new and dates back to ancient civilizations, the Bible persuasively teaches God was involved from inception to creation and from beginning to end. In fact, the first five-words in the Bible say, "In the beginning God created...(Genesis 1:1)."

The Example of One

Of all God's creation, the organic cell is the most interesting of all. It alone has challenged the minds of men. It is the building block of life. The cell possesses all the basic functions for life and is the common denominator shared among all life forms. Cells are electro-biochemical factories with multiple purposes and functions. You and I were once single cell entities and now look at us, trillions of cells plus or minus a few billon. Some scientists estimate that within a lifetime, the human body will replace some of its billions of cells many times over and in doing so regulate the enormity of the process without a glitch. How amazing is that?

The simplest of cells does nothing more than duplicate itself, or copy DNA to form a new cell. Sounds easy enough! However, the design implemented within the simplest cell to accomplish this feat is enormously complex because it operates like a factory. It all begins with the nucleus or control center where DNA is found. Some refer to the nucleus as the main office in the factory:

All the instructions for cell duplication come from the main office. The "cell membrane" controls what goes in and out of the factory. The "endoplasmic reticulum" is a river of fluid, like a conveyer belt that moves things around on command. "Ribosomes" perform like small machines that make protein, the building blocks for the next cell. The "Mitochondria" is the biochemical energy source producing power, enabling the cell to work. (Source)

And on and on it goes. Get the picture? The simplest cell is an industrial factory and a marvel to behold. No matter what anyone says, the cell is an amazingly multifaceted piece of engineering that could never have evolved from random mutation and natural selection.

What the Bible Says

Although the Bible is silent about the cell and its miracle workings, it does allude to cell meiosis wherein the embryo forms within the womb. David the psalmist wrote:

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works...
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
the days fashioned for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
(Psalm 139:13-16)

Although the cell is one example of God's creative genius, His grand design for organic life is unfathomable, a wonder to behold, and placed well beyond human comprehension. His creative work is one reason why "faith" must be the tether to the One who lives in unapproachable light, the true architect and source of Intelligent Design.

Image Credit: Michael Knowles; "Lego DNA"; Creative Commons

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Published 6-21-12