The Limitations of Science to study the past

Science is investigation
of recorded information,
experimenting, testing theories,
giving thought to awkward queries,
and alternative suggestions,
never jumping to conclusions.

When considering the past,
science has got limitations,
looks for traces that remain,
tries to think what they may mean. –

Many fossils show death-agony,
speaking of a great catastrophe,
which makes calculations harder
for we must admit, with wonder,
age-assessment needs more knowledge,
since the modes of rock formation,
and the rates of degradation
of the chemicals we measure,
may have varied in such epochs;
also content of the rocks
when first formed, cannot be known;

– tree-trunk-fossils crossing strata
show how quickly rocky matter
was laid down around to bury them;

in some ‘fossils’ they are finding
protein, tissue still surviving,
bone unfossilised – impossible
if they’d lain there for a multiple
of millions and millions of years.

What framework for interpretation
fits this new accumulation
of unearthed facts, – Darwin’s suggestion,
or the Creator’s revelation? –
the former brings no obligation,
the latter duty and salvation.

How many molecular switches in your brain?

How many stars in the Milky Way?
How many nerve links in part of my brain?
How many switches, – well, now they can say
more than the number of computers and routers,
and internet connections all over the earth,
a thousand times more than that number of stars,
– and all so transportable, useful, compact,
– amazing, impossible, miraculous fact!
(ref: “Human brain has more switches than all computers on Earth” – news.cnet)

Disasters

This earth was perfect, now it’s flawed,
perfection soon will be restored,
but now uncertain are the days,
and troubles rise in many ways,
so we must turn our eyes upon
him who can help, neglected One;

instead of anger for what’s come,
no longer help and mercy shun,
for soon he will take death away –
we need to pray before that day
to him who is a King who can
forgive and rescue mortal man.

Biochemistry

Intricacy of living tissue!
Atoms of differing weights and activity,
linked to make molecules high in complexity,
ordered, and structured, and placed in the cell
where they’ll meet when they should, slow down or compel
different reactions, interactions on cue,
with multiple triggered effects when they’re due.

Like keys and their locks making contact,
when chemicals correctly impact,
their functional purpose is altered and changed,
as groupings of atoms attract, rearranged.
The chemical drawings, and intricate stages
of all that goes on would take pages and pages
to detail, explain, and we never could fully
describe the controls, and the programming truly,
the transport and switches within each small cell,
positioning within each minute organelle.

So that light can be ‘seen’,
or a scent can be smelt,
our dinner transformed,
and our blood pumped and warmed.

Computer and factory:
fragility sustained,
arrangements maintained:
precise, and particular,
awesome, spectacular,
satisfactory!!

‘Billions of years’ ???

‘Millions of years’ – who says?
‘Billions of years’ – who knows?
There aren’t any ways to test
these ages, but why have they guessed
that there haven’t been changes in the rate
of reactions they use to fix the date?
The rocks show us creatures suddenly smothered
in silt, and engulfed in mud, and covered.
And aeons of time
won’t create design:
no statistical gamble
with molecular jumble
produces a programme,
the genes of a human.

Who can make a planet?

A Being supernatural
can make a flower or planet,
and yes, he chose to make this place,
– it was his Word began it.
He didn’t need a million years
to make the earth and man it.
It wasn’t chance designed my brain,
and only he can scan it; –
this great salvation he procured,
– and offers, don’t decline it.

and for children

Look! and see how beautiful
is every flower you’ve found,
and how complicated are
the insects in the ground.
Someone very clever
made the things we see around:
He is our Teacher for ever.

No BANG! nor luck, could ever make a snail;
A BANG! and luck, could not design a whale;
and a billion years weren’t needed –
God had made his plan:

He is our Teacher for ever.

Tune: Marching through Georgia

Macro-Evolution?

(Romans 1:20 1 Timothy 6:20)
I look at a flower or feather,
I look at the fish in the seas:
my heart says there’s Someone far greater –
Designer, Creator of these.

I look at a small protozoa,
I look at an animal’s brain:
I’m filled with amazement and wonder –
such intricate detail again!

Examining cellular structure,
activity under control,
a complex molecular picture –
our minds can’t encompass it all.

I look at the laws of statistics,
and cannot see ‘chance’ as the cause;
I notice that thermodynamics
defines two significant laws.

The rocks and the fossils I ponder,
and look at the stars in the skies:
those people who don’t want a Ruler,
inadequate theories devise.

Great changes there’ve been, devolution,
catastrophe, change that was vast
of climate and fossilization,
and that in the quite recent past.

Some theories demand many aeons,
presumptions, much data  ignored;
we weren’t there to make observations:
test both what they say, and God’s Word.

There’s nothing to contradict Scripture, –
the words of the God who was there;
the studies of science and nature
his power and justice declare.

I’m filled with amazement and wonder,
for all is so complex and grand.
There’s nothing to contradict Scripture –
creation was skilfully planned.