What is the Queen of Problems for evolution?

T​here are many significant problems regarding the idea of “molecules-to-man” evolution, but it has been stated that the “Queen of Problems” for evolutionary biology is the origin of sexual reproduction. (Yes, this article is “safe” for all ages. I made a concerted effort to discuss this issue very tactfully and respectfully, as well as biologically rather than relationally.)

      “There are significant gaps in our knowledge on the evolution of sex, according to a research review on                  sex chromosomes from Lund University in Sweden. Even after more than a century of study, researchers              do not know enough about the evolution of sex chromosomes to understand how males and females                    emerge.”  (Lund University, “Knowledge Gap on the Origin of Sex.” Science Daily, 26 May 2017.)

Let me set the stage. According to evolutionary theory, life began approximately 3.8 billion years ago when non-living molecules combined in just the right way to form a living cell, fully capable of reproducing itself. And the way it accomplished this reproduction was by making a copy of its “innards” and then splitting in two. These initial two cell copies were the product of the very first “single-parent” home. This is technically called “asexual reproduction”. That is, reproduction that does not require a male and female. (See how tactful I’m being?)

However, at some point along the evolutionary timeline something happened. “What was that?” you ask with baited breath. It was the very first “mom & dad”! Actually, when they first appeared they weren’t a mom and a dad just yet, but as fate would have it… they became just that! How exciting… the first proud parents of a bouncing baby… something or other. What would it have been? Well, most likely something much like what the parents were. But just like eating potato chips, they couldn’t stop with just one, because the rules have changed and now it takes two to tango. (More tactfulness, along with a dull sense of humor.)

Mr. & Mrs. FirstParents (we’ll assume they were married, not having cells out of wedlock), needed to have at least one additional child, but it had to be of the opposite gender. (I am going to be fairly politically incorrect and write from the perspective of assuming just two genders.) You see if you only have one child at this point, or only male children or only female, your family tree will end right there. There won’t be any grandchildren to fill with sugar and return to their parents. How sad!

So how did this major transition occur? How do you go from copying your DNA and splitting in two, to requiring two separate individuals, both with exactly half of the needed DNA instructions, in the same place, at the same time, having a delivery system to transport one of those halves to the other, and a safe environment in which to combine the two in just the right way to produce offspring which will in turn have half the genetic information from one parent and half from the other, but will only pass half of the total DNA on to its own progeny?

And it gets worse because there are millions of species of animals out there, plus plants and other living creatures. The concept of species is hotly debated amongst scientists, but for sake of our discussion, let’s consider a species to be a group of animals (or living beings of some kind) that cannot breed with other animals. They are incapable of doing so. (There certainly are exceptions and that’s one of the reasons it is so hard to define “species”.) The main point here is that every time a new species appears, there has to be both a male and a female, or the new species is toast. The millions of existing species include a vast variety of reproductive “equipment” and processes used to combine the two sets of DNA to produce offspring. Therefore, every time there’s a new system, there has to be not only one new creature created in the process… there needs to be a “male” version and a “female” version. Everything has to go just right the very first time, or it goes no further; any subsequent evolution is kaput. How does that happen time and time and time and time again for millions and millions of years? Secular scientists can’t even explain how it happened once, let alone millions of times!

The scientific literature is virtually silent about this problem. Oh, they’ll mention the challenge and even once-in-a-great-while speak fairly honestly about it. However, when they pretend to address the problem, they merely talk about the supposed advantages of sexual reproduction, but that doesn’t explain its origin. By way of an analogy, simply showing why there are advantages to being a multi-billionaire does not explain how to actually become one!

To say that I have only scratched the surface on this topic would be a gross understatement. There’s so much more to this and I plan on elucidating it much further in one of the DVDs we will be producing this summer (2018). For now, feel free to checkout the livestream broadcast we did on May 31, 2018, in which I discuss this in a bit more detail with some helpful (and also tactful) visuals.

More Questions of the Month

Should Christians judge others?

“Quit judging me! The Bible says, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged!’” How many of us have heard that from someone else? (Or perhaps more transparently, how many of us have actually said that to others?)

Dinosaurs never existed?

​​I’m guessing many of you are reading this, not because you have a particularly high level of fascination with dinosaurs or that you have so much extra time on your hands that you have nothing better to do, but because you simply want to find out if I am actually going to make the bold assertion that dinosaurs never existed. Well… keep reading!

Human cloning?

Last month we discussed the question of human/chimp breeding. In sharing the fact that it is not genetically possible, I mentioned the idea of cloning and said I would consider discussing that in this month’s “Question of the Month”. That’s what prompted this particular topic. It’s a fascinating subject and one that truly isn’t just “black & white”.

Breeding apes & humans?

This month’s question was driven by a recent news headline, albeit from a non-standard source that tends to promote sensationalistic stories. In addition, I had a pastor recently contact me inquiring about this news report.

Do you check expiration dates?

​It is my normal mode of operation to use these “Question of the Month” articles to explore various interesting topics in a fairly simple manner, while making an important “larger point”. This month will only be a slight, temporary diversion from the norm, taking somewhat of a break and providing some comical relief.

True for you, but not for me?

We’ve all been in conversations where we are passionately debating an issue with someone, and suddenly, they make a claim that seems to stop us in our tracks. We don’t even know how to begin to respond. This month’s question is related to one of those claims that is often very challenging for Christians to properly address: What is true for you is not necessarily true for me.

Sign Up for The Starting Point Project Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list

Powered by Robly