Does Mercury hold the key to understanding the origins of life on Earth?

The Problem with science



"Everything that exists, and everything that happens, exists or happens as a necessary consequence of a previous state of things. If a state of things is repeated in every detail, it must lead to exactly the same consequences. Any difference between the results of causes that are in part the same must be explainable by some difference in the other part of the causes." Professor Thiele, a leading Continental astronomer in the early 1900’s

The law stated in the above words is called the Law of Causality.

There are several stories of the creation, but none as complete as that of Genesis. But problems with science will always remain in the mind of mankind. Why?

Well, there are several reasons, but one is the fact that scientific reasoning and scientific observation can only hold good so long and in so far as the Law of Causality holds good. We must assume a pre-existing state of affairs which has given rise to the observed effect; we must assume that this observed effect is itself antecedent to a subsequent state of affairs. These facts also includes the Creationist. Their science nor any science can go back to the absolute beginnings of things, or forward to the absolute ends of things. It cannot reason about the way matter and energy came into existence, or how they might cease to exist; it cannot reason about time or space, as such, but only in the relations of these to phenomena that can be observed. It does not deal with things themselves, but only with the relations between things.

Science indeed can only consider the universe as a great machine which is in “working order,” and it concerns itself with the relations which some parts of the machine bear to other parts, and with the laws and manner of the “working” of the machine in those parts. The relations of the various parts, one to the other, and the way in which they work together, may afford some idea of the design and purpose of the machine, but it can give no information as to how the material of which it is composed came into existence, nor as to the method by which it was originally constructed. This includes the “Cell”, the “Atom” and all the parts and counterparts that have been discovered through medical research. Like the Universe, the Body is a machine, though that may offend many, nevertheless, it is the truth. Once started, the machine comes under the scrutiny of science, but the actual starting lies outside its scope. And here we find a great difference between the science of God, and the science of man. God has the far greater power of understanding that man cannot comprehend, because God knows how to perform cosmic scientific creation as easily as folding a piece of material (Hebrews 1:12)

Men therefore cannot find out for themselves how the worlds were originally made, how the worlds were first moved, or how the spirit of man was first formed within him; and this, not merely because these beginnings of things were of necessity outside his experience, but also because beginnings, as such, must lie outside the law by which he reasons.

By no process of research, therefore, could man find out for himself the facts that are stated in the first chapter of Genesis. They have been revealed, but science cannot inquire into them for the purpose of checking their accuracy; it must accept them, as it accepts the fundamental law that governs its own working, without the possibility of proof.

And this is what has been revealed to man:–that the heaven and the earth were not self-existent from all eternity, but were in their first beginning created by God. As the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews expresses it: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” And a further fact was revealed that man could not have found out for himself; is that this creation was made and finished in six acts, comprised in what the narrative denominates “days.” However, it has never been revealed whether the duration of these “days” can be expressed in any astronomical units of time.

Since under these conditions science can afford no information, it is not to be wondered at that the hypotheses that have been framed from time to time to “explain” the first chapter of Genesis, or to express it in scientific terms, are not wholly satisfactory. At one time the chapter was interpreted to mean that the entire universe was called into existence about 6,000 years ago, in six days of twenty-four hours each. Later it was recognized that both geology and astronomy seemed to indicate the existence of matter for untold millions of years instead of some six thousand. It was then pointed out that, so far as the narrative was concerned, there was more than likely a period of duration that is impossible for man to examine between its first verse and its fourth; and some have suggested that the six days of creation were six days of twenty-four hours each, in which, after some great cataclysm of time that ended 6,000 years ago, in which God shaped the face of the earth and replenished for the habitation of man, the preceding geological ages being left entirely unnoticed. However, we have some that say man was in parts of the world more than 104,000 years ago.

Some writers have confined the cataclysm and renewal to a small portion of the earth’s surface–to “Eden,” and its neighborhood. Other commentators have laid stress on the truth revealed in Scripture that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,” and have urged the argument that the six days of creation were really vast periods of time, during which the earth’s geological changes and the evolution of its varied forms of life were running their course. Others, again, have urged that the six days of creation were six literal days, but instead of being consecutive were separated by long ages. And yet again, as no man was present during the creation period, save Adam, it has been suggested that the Divine revelation of it was given to Moses in seven successive visions or dreams, which constituted the “six days” in which the chief facts of creation were set forth, and a seventh day on which God rested.

So, until we can answer the above questions with facts instead of assumptions, we will never be able to completely understand the global warming and cooling that brings Ice ages, any more than we can understand the ways of God (Isaiah 55:8-9). All I can say with any known certainty is that God never changes (Malachi 3:6), but man is always chasing Change.

That's based on the assumption that God actually exists. Even if you could prove there was a first cause you then have to prove it was an intelligent entity and that it was the particular god you are seeking. Genesis makes no factual claims and instead holds many disproved notions to be true such as the earth being older than the stars. Nonsense.

Water formed before the land. Nope.

The Heavens were created at the same time as the Earth. Not even close.

Light was created after the heavens and water? When you have a massive dispersal of energy that causes the first elements to form you're going to get a lot of light two of these elements would eventually become water.

Light and dark were then separated? suddenly every physicist bursts out laughing. You cannot separate light from dark except in laundry.

Night and day came before the sun? I hope i do not have to explain this one.

Then God made a firmament... okay a big wall of water between the sky and space. Ummm no.

Then it goes on and on about grass and fruit bearing trees... Sorry again but this is wrong too. Prokaryotes are single celled organisms found to be older than any plant or animal life. 3.5 billion years old according to radiometric dating and wait...where is the sun? Without sunlight photosynthesis doesn't happen.

Okay and now comes the sun. We may as well put some emphasis here because the Sun had to have come before the Earth because without the newborn Sun's gravity the planets could not have formed and without left over stellar dust there would be nothing to form the Earth from. The stars are also being created now as are the other lights in the sky however we know that the galaxies that surround us and stars are far older than the Earth as we are all travelling away from a single source and there are galaxies out there that are ahead of us and had to have been formed first. We know through physics that stars are very very old and live for a very long time.

We do make an understanding of the universe with facts and that is what theories are. Scientific theories are gatherings of evidence supported by facts that explain how a natural event occurs. They must make predictions and be subjected to the most strenuous fact checking around in order to remain a theory. Just as scientific laws are not absolute. They too must suffer scrutiny and cannot be applied in all situations. Science embraces change and unlike dogma does not hang on to disproved beliefs in order to demand adherence. Look at once accepted theories such as Steady State it was supplanted by The Big Bang Theory which has been tested and observed to be the dominant theory in how the universe formed. Evolution too has been tested and observed and is accepted as fact even more so than any other theory.

"Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed. Faith is the denial of observation so that belief can be preserved." - Tim Minchin

You are partially right, but the Bible does not say that everything was created at the same time, in fact, today science watches new planets formed and spreading out from our own Milky Way galaxy. The very center of our galaxy is marked by an intense radio source named Sagittarius A, which is likely to be a supermassive black hole. The Galaxy rotates differentially, faster towards the center and slower towards the outer edge. The rotational period is about 200 million years at the position of the Sun. Scientist believe the Galaxy as a whole is moving at a velocity of 552 to 630 km per second, depending on the relative frame of reference. It is estimated to be about 13.2 billion years old, nearly as old as the Universe. Take note of that; “nearly as old as the Universe.” That is, if that is correct. Scientist cannot mark out a mile with a telescope, if they do not measure it with a meter beforehand.

As to your statement; “Genesis makes no factual claims and instead holds many disproved notions to be true such as the earth being older than the stars.”
The Bible was not talking about the Universe, it was talking about either the Galaxy or the Solar System. Since there are more than one “heaven” on the earth, it is possible the Bible could be talking about the earth alone, although I am convinced it is talking about the Galaxy. The info on the stars and the heavens is meant only as a reference that God created them as he did the Universe. People should really study the Bible, ALL of it, before they make statements about what they don’t understand. Usually, a child has to have it explained WHY 2+2 makes 4 before they completely understand it. The same holds true with the Bible. Of course, studying the Bible is a lot more complicated than studying most math, that is why Solomon wrote; “And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this SORE travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”

The Bible really does answer all questions, but it takes a life time to know the right questions to ask. I have been studying for 20 years, and still have a long way to go. Actually, I do not believe that a man could every know all the wisdom of the Bible, even if he lived to be 200 years old.

Putting aside the Religious aspect of this discussion,, ( Which I personally find NO conflict with ) let's take a look at how the scientists view this situation..

There is some question,, a basic question that has risen over the amount of water here on Earth.. I won't go into the entire process of how they came to this conclusion but to THEM,, the process of the evolution of our Planet can't account for the amount of water that Earth has.. NOT by a long shot..The only explanation ( and admittedly,, it is ONLY speculation at this point ) that they can come up with is that alomost 75% of the water on Earth was deposited here by Impacts from extraterrestrial sources like Meteors,, Asteroids and even Comets ( ie,, We have discovered that the visable TAILS of Comets are mostly water ) throughout the early developement and evolution of this planet. ( And remember,, the Planet itself is thought to have been formed by the same process..)

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.. ANY water found THERE may very well be a result of those same types of objects missing this planet on their way towards the sun and impacting Mercury instead.... IF the water on Mercury is found to be chemically similar to that here on earth.. It would answer the riddle of how this planet got the water it did..

AGAIN,, Religious considerations aside,, there are those who believe that the basic building blocks for life,, such as an assortment of Amino Acids and the like,, MAY have been deposited here on Earth in the same way..

Hope that helps some..