The “Facts” of Science Are Provisional
When the writer was at school, he was taught that Lamarckism (the idea that an organism can transmit acquired characteristics to its offspring) was an old and exploded theory. Body-builders do not pass on their acquired muscularity to their children; and the giraffe did not get its long neck by continually stretching upwards, with each generation having a slightly longer neck than the previous one. Instead (we were told) the correct theory to account for the present-day form of biological organisms was Neo-Darwinism: natural selection acting on genetic variation.
Since then, it has been found that the experiences of one generation can affect the outward appearance of the next, even though the genes are unaltered. One example arose from the Dutch famine of 1944-5 during the Second World War. It was found that where pregnant women were exposed to the famine late in pregnancy, their children had low birth weight, but their grandchildren had normal birth weight. On the other hand, where the mothers were exposed to the famine early in pregnancy but not later on, the children had normal birth weight but the grandchildren had a high incidence of low birth weight.
Many other examples of these so-called “epigenetic” changes have been found among both men and animals. Alcohol, smoking, heavy-metal poisoning and stress can all lead to non-genetic changes which are transmitted to the next generation. Unlike genetic changes, these epigenetic changes tend to be reversible and to last only a few generations. It is clear from the examples that there are probably innumerable further examples to be discovered, and also that the subject is highly relevant to evolutionary theory. Even if the epigenetic changes last only a few generations, they introduce a “noise” into the supposed evolutionary process whereby the organism with the “best” genes does not necessarily have the “best” body to go with those genes. The Neo-Darwinists are having to think again. If British children are not allowed to study Creationism at school, they could profitably study the history of evolutionary theory, with its various u-turns, and could thus derive a healthy cynicism on the subject.
Meanwhile one wonders if there is anything of “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Ex 34:7) in epigenetics? While these words are primarily to be understood spiritually, in that ungodly parents give their children an ungodly background and upbringing, perhaps there are physical aspects as well.
DWBS
American Vice President Elect: Mike Pence
Rarely has an election attracted so much global media attention as the recent American presidential election. All eyes were fixed on the contest between the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, and the Democrat, Hilary Clinton. The battle between the two parties has been fierce and often merciless; indeed some of Mr Trump’s electioneering rhetoric was extremely distasteful. Yet this wealthy businessman, with no previous political experience, has been elected as the forty-fifth President of the United States. We have learned a lot about Donald Trump, but less well-known is his running mate, Michael Richard (Mike) Pence, Governor of Indiana, who will become Vice President of the United States on 20 January 2017, DV.
Unlike Mr Trump, 57-year-old Governor Pence has extensive experience in government and was elected Governor of the State of Indiana in 2012. He states he is “a Christian, a Conservative, and a Republican, in that order”. As a member of the House of Representatives, Pence is said to have had a “reputation as a culture warrior that was unsullied – he opposed expansion of abortion rights and federal spending on stem cell research, pushed a constitutional amendment against same sex ‘marriage’ and briefly cut off new federal funding for Planned Parenthood”, the biggest organisation in the USA carrying out abortions. He is convinced that allowing “marriage” between same-sex couples “will lead to societal collapse”.
On being elected Governor, Mr Pence continued to put his Christian convictions into practice – but not without opposition. As a result he became involved in several high-profile controversies. In 2015 he signed the Indiana Religious Objections Bill (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) into law. It was designed to protect citizens from being compelled to enter into business contracts against their consciences and religious beliefs. However, the signing was severely criticised by groups complaining that the law would permit discrimination against homosexuals. Pence himself strenuously denied discriminating against any group and it was evident that he was seeking to return Indiana to Christian principles. However, on encountering fierce resistance from liberal members of his own party and the LGBT lobby he felt forced to sign a further bill intended to “protect” LGBT people.
He also signed several abortion bills, including one in early 2016 that both banned certain abortion procedures and placed new restrictions on abortion providers. However, here again he ran into opposition. A federal court vetoed the bill. The liberal wing in Indiana clearly sought to thwart his endeavours as he struggled to change that State’s moral culture. Mr Pence is also passionate about religious freedom for the individual. In 2016 he pledged, “I will not support any bill that diminished the religious freedom . . . or that interferes with the constitutional rights of our citizens to live out their beliefs in worship, service or work. No one should ever fear persecution because of their deeply-held religious beliefs”.
In a pre-election debate Mike Pence spoke about his beliefs: “My Christian faith is at the very heart of who I am”. He states his Christian faith only became real to him when he came to trust in Christ as a young man at college. He declares, “I have tried to live that out, however imperfectly, every day of my life with my wife at my side”. Responding to a question on the value of life, he referred to the Bible; for him the sanctity of life proceeds from a belief that God is telling us in His Word that He knows all in the womb before they were formed. He continues, “From my first time in public life I sought to defend with great compassion the sanctity of life. . . . [That] a child almost born into the world could still have their life taken is just anathema to me”. He concluded, “I try to spend a little time on my knees every day” – although one would have wished him to speak more positively.
In July 2016, when Governor Pence accepted the Vice-Presidential nomination, at the Republican convention, he said, “I have faith that God can still heal our land . . . should I have the awesome privilege to be elected as your Vice President I promise to pray daily for a wise and discerning heart, for who is able to govern this great people without it?” We pray that God will uphold him in this role and that we in Britain would see rulers raised up with the fear of the Lord in their hearts. Above all, we should pray that God would send His Spirit to bring every nation to repentance. “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14). KHM