The Tree of Life
Evolution’s tree of life was depicted on episode 2 of
Cosmos utilizing great computer generated graphics. In his book, Case for the Creator, Lee
Strobel interviews Jonathan Wells , PhD of the Discovery Institute and asks the
following question: We now have more
than a century of fossil discoveries since Darwin drew his picture. Has the evolutionary tree held up?
Dr Well’s response:
Natural selection occurred, per Darwin, “slowly by
accumulating slight, successive, favorable variations” and that “no great or
sudden modifications” were possible.
This theory is not supported by the physical evidence of the fossil
record. Fossil evidence, even in his day,
showed the opposite: the rapid appearance of phylum (divisions) level
differences in what’s called the “Cambrian explosion.” And Darwin knew this. Cambrian was a geological period that we
think began a little more the 500 million years ago. It has been referred to as the Biological Big
Bang, because it gives rise to the sudden appearance of most of the major
animal phyla that are still alive today, as well as some that are now extinct.
To illustrate the abruptness and suddenness a football
field was used as an illustration.
- · Goal line at one end – represents the first fossil a single celled, microscopic organism.
- · These are encountered in the record all the way down to the 16 yard line at the other end of the field and now there are sponges, and maybe some jellyfish and worms.
- · Then - boom! – in the space of a single stride, all these other forms of animals suddenly appear.
Did you know there is also a Tree of Life referred to in
the Bible? Its first mentioned in
Genesis ch3 and last mentioned in
Revelation ch 22, and it has to do with
eternal life and a promised blessing during eternity.
So would you rather have a part in an imaginary or a real
tree of life?
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