Intelligent Design and Irreducible Complexity

“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” — Charles Darwin, Origin of Species

Irreducible complexity is an argument, by some scientists who believe in intelligent design (creation/God designed), that certain life systems are too complex to have evolved from simpler organisms, through natural selection or evolution.

Bacterial Flagellum

Modern biology has discovered that cells are like tiny factories that function using machines. So, irreducible complexity means that inside all living things are very small machines that perform complicated and extremely detailed tasks. Bacterial Flagellum are tiny machines that are living and breathing.

The bacterial flagellum is a cellular outboard motor that bears the marks of intelligent design.

Long before today’s modern technology, students of biology compared the workings of life to machines and recently, this comparison has become stronger than ever.

Why is all of this important?

Because origins (beginnings) do matter! How we look at how the world and how it functions matters just as much. The universe is very complex, in not only size but how it functions. The universe of the small cell is also very complex – complex beyond all understanding, even for our scientists today.

Darwin’s Black Box

In his 1996 book, “Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution”, biochemist Michael Behe explained the surprising discovery that life is based upon machines!

“Life is based on machines – machines made of molecules! Molecular machines haul cargo from one place in the cell to another along highways made of other molecules, while still others act as cables, ropes, and pulleys to hold the cell in shape. Machines turn cellular switches on and off, sometimes killing the cell or causing it to grow.

Solar-powered machines capture the energy of photons and store it in chemicals. Electrical machines allow current to flow through nerves. Manufacturing machines build other molecular machines, as well as themselves. Cells swim using machines, copy themselves with machinery, and ingest food with machinery. In short, highly sophisticated molecular machines control every cellular process. Thus, the details of life are finely calibrated and the machinery of life enormously complex,”

Amazing! All of this is going on inside of my body? In the body of every living thing? Wow!

Behe then posed the question,

“Can all of life be fit into Darwin’s theory of evolution?” and answered, “The complexity of life’s foundation has paralyzed science’s attempt to account for it; molecular machines raise an as-yet impenetrable barrier to Darwinism’s universal reach.”

Again, I ask, why is all of this important?

Psalm 19:1 says “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” We, as humans, do not need a telescope to see the glory of God. All we have to do is look at the nighttime sky and gaze out at the stars and marvel. A telescope does help to see how absolutely huge and complex it is.

In the same way, the inner workings of life on a very small scale, with the use of microscopes, has also unlocked this vision of complexity. You could say, “The living creatures declare the glory of God; the molecular machines proclaim the work of his hands.”

Fine-tuned for Life…

…is another term that is used by believers of intelligent design, including many scientists today. It means that a fine-tuned universe, to have life, has to have conditions that can only occur when found or lie within a very narrow range, so that if any of these conditions were only slightly different, the universe would be unlikely to have life.

This fine-tuning is found not only on the very largest element, like the universe itself, but also found in the very smallest cellular level of all life. When they talk about a very narrow range that life can be sustained or even form, it is very narrow indeed. One example would be planet earth, where we call home.

As you begin to take in all the different parts of the complex puzzle that make up life you have to ask yourself a question. Can an unguided theory like evolution and natural selection account for life on any level?

To this day scientist have no idea how life got its initial start.

They CAN NOT reproduce any kind of life in a laboratory from non-life. They have not figured out the mechanism for triggering life from non-life. Whole life forms turning into completely different life forms as in Macro-evolution is also not been proven.

They can test small adaptations as in Micro-evolution and watch small changes occur within animal and plant life. That is one species adapting to its environment but not one species turning into a new species.

Many scientist across the world are coming to this same conclusion about Darwinian Evolution and are now making their voices heard. Dissent from Darwinism are over 1,000 scientist with objections. 

Fine-tuned is also found in the universe on a much more massive scale but that is for a future article on The Big Bang and Intelligent Design.

Today I was just staying in our own backyard.

Video on Amazing Flagellum : Michael Behe and the revolution of Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design and Irreducible Complexity

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