Creation Science Book Review
Is the Big Bang Biblical?
Question #34. Has life ever been created in a laboratory?
Review by Greg Neyman
© Old Earth Ministries
Review Published April 2006
Morris reports on a laboratory experiment in 1953, where a scientist re-created the early atmosphere of earth, with zero free oxygen, and was able to produce amino acids, the building blocks of life, from an electrical charge.
Morris attacks this with an argument based on free oxygen. He says that earth has always had free oxygen. Free oxygen is a problem to non-living organic molecules, as it destroys them. Therefore, too much free oxygen, and life's building blocks could never have formed. Morris thinks that because there is evidence for free oxygen throughout earth's history, that life could not have formed in this manner.
While it is true that the earth has always had free oxygen, the real question that matters is...how much? This is easy to measure. In the Archaen Eon, from 4.55 billion to 2.5 billion years ago, the level of free oxygen was less than 1 percent what it is today. It was enough to leave traces of its existence (which Morris uses for evidence), but not enough to prevent the formation of life. In fact, free oxygen levels did not reach their present day levels until 400 million years ago. (For more, see Free Oxygen.)
It is not a matter of there being no free oxygen...it is a matter of how much. Morris fails to address this point.
From an old earth creationist perspective, this argument has little impact anyway. Progressive creationists, and many theistic evolutionists, would believe that God created that first life form, therefore any discussion of how life has naturally formed is a moot point. There are some theistic evolutionists, however, that seek an all natural approach to evolution, saying that life formed on its own. These creationists have to figure out this issue.
If you are not a Christian, and you have been holding out on making a decision for Christ because the Church always preached a message that was contrary to what you saw in the scientific world, then rest assured that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and you can believe in Christ and receive salvation, while still believing in an old earth. Click here for more.
Are you a Christian who believes in young earth creationism? Now that we have shown the many difficulties of the young earth creation science model in this and many other articles, how does this impact your Christian life? If you are a young earth creationism believer, click here.
Is the Big Bang Biblical Book Review Home
Section 2 - Biology
Q24 - Evidence Against Evolution
Q25 - Babies / Animal Characteristics
Q30 - Dinosaur / Bird Evolution
Q32 - Evolution's Tree of Life
Q34 - Life in a Lab
(23 Questions)
Section 3 - Creation Questions (8 Questions)
Section 4 - Geology, The Flood, The Young Earth (16)
Section 5 - Physical Science (10 Questions)
Section 6 - Impact on Society (20 Questions)
Section 7 - Personal Application (11 Questions)
To learn more
about old earth creationism, see
Old Earth Belief,
or check out the article
Can You Be A
Christian and Believe in an Old Earth?
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provide rebuttals to the bad science behind young earth creationism,
and honor God by properly presenting His creation.