The other night as my wife fell asleep watching the seventh rerun of her favorite "Law and Order: SVU," I took the opportunity to channel-surf to the History, Military and Discovery channels. Lo and behold, here was a documentary on animal survival.
The zebras were particularly interesting! There are many theories about their stripes. They camouflage the zebra by helping it to blend into the grassland and, some suggest, even the heat rays rising from the savannah. It appears to be very effective, but one must ask the question, "How did this come to be?"
Are we to believe that the member of the horse family that was to become the zebra underwent numerous mutations before it arrived at the black-and-white stripes that enhanced his likelihood of survival so much that it became the dominant pattern in the zebra population? I wonder how many mutations and eons that took. Did anyone notice this happening?
Consider the lowly flounder. This bottom-dweller is born with two eyes, one on each side. As it matures, one eye migrates, so as an adult, both eyes are on the upside. Quite a trick! Do we find other bottom-dwelling fish mutating migrating eyes?
Look at the chameleon. It is a small lizard that takes the color of its surroundings, so as to avoid predators. Its camouflage is extremely effective and definitely enhances this lizard's chances for survival, but just how did this get started? Seems like this great mutation would have found its way throughout the animal kingdom!
Many believe nature is survival of the fittest, and if a certain trait enhances survival, that feature will be handed down from generation to generation. Because of this advantage, the offspring will live longer, and therefore reproduce more often. As generations pass, the population will reflect that trait. Some would argue that as populations become isolated and genetic traits become more dominant, eventually new species will arise.
Science calls it evolution. That sounds good and makes sense, but there are problems with that theory. Why have some life forms remained essentially unchanged for millions of years? Are they perfectly evolved? Why have some disappeared? Couldn't they evolve?
Others believe in "intelligent design." I don't like the term "intelligent design." It seems like a politically correct term for God, without the danger of offending someone by mentioning that three-letter word.
Is it evolution or God's creation? Let's take for example the biggest problem with the evolution theory: human beings. Proponents of evolution believe we evolved from apes and after all, there is a family resemblance. Skeletons of ancient hominoids have been found and speculation is that they are our earlier ancestors. Missing links, if you will!
It could be true! Thousands of years ago in Europe, there was a population of hominoids called Neanderthals. Studies have shown them to be rather primitive, dim-witted, living in caves and eating a strict organic diet. They built no homes or villages and had no agriculture. They were certainly liberals, sharing their wealth and respecting the ecosystem.
Then about 80,000 years ago, Homo sapiens encroached upon their environment and our cousins, the Gumps, were history. Some scientists conclude that the Neanderthal gene is still active in a sub-species of human called liberal Democrats.
But seriously, where did we come from? Why is it that the rest of the animal kingdom is pretty much on the same level of intelligence, and then you have man? No other species has ever dominated the world so quickly or so completely. Has any other species even harnessed fire, let alone electricity, nuclear power, or space travel? Of course not!
What other species has developed hundreds of complex languages, built cities, organized governments or transplanted organs? None! Why have we put men on the moon and dogs are still chasing their tails?
The majority of human beings believe in God. We call him many different names and the belief in an eternal afterlife is common. Many do not believe, but what other animal knew there was even a choice?
The latest "estimated" size of the universe is 150 billion light years. The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second. Can we even comprehend 186,282 miles per second x 60 seconds x 60 minutes x 24 hours x 365 days x 150 billion years? We can not imagine!
Why are we head and shoulders above the rest? Why have we done what no other species has ever done? Is all this just evolution and happened by chance, or is this God's creation? I don't believe in chance. I believe in God's creation.
Chuck Pinkey is the owner of River Valley New Holland Inc. in Otego. He can be reached at chuck.rvnewholland@gmail.com.
Chuck Pinkey
Random chance doesn't explain man's greatness
- Chuck Pinkey
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Blessed is he who is not offended by me
A few weeks ago in our column, we included an old joke about the advantages a tractor has over a woman. We received the following email: "I was offended by your jokes about a 'good woman' in the April 10, 2012 column. This type of humor lacks taste, and unnecessarily offends people. Please do not include this type of humor in your column."
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Remembering Patton's Third Army at Buchenwald
NetSummary
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President Obama provides little hope and change
With a little luck and divine providence, my President Barack Obama will be elected again. He certainly deserves another four years.
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Tebow, Zimmerman are suffering the slings and arrows
After watching the news for the last few weeks, I have to wonder what the heck's going on. To any rational person, things are little skewed. To illustrate, let's follow the saga of two young men.
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Entitlement in U.S. has created 'permanent poor'
In the early '80s, our family began a farm equipment dealership on Route 10, south of Stamford. I had put an ad in the paper for a mechanic and the same day the ad came out, I was at that store, and there was a classic Delaware County January blizzard.
- Tuesday, March 13, 2012
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Anti-drilling activists wasting time on inevitable
As Otis Redding once sang, "I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time." This pretty much sums up New York state and the gas drilling issue.
- Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Who is really to blame for global warming trend?
Last Monday evening, my wife was at a meeting about funding a World Vision well for a Kenyan village. So, not having to watch any "Law and Order" reruns, I tuned to the National Geographic Channel and they were profiling the Alaskan village of Shishmaref, located on the island of Sarichef.
- Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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GOP gets no credit for caring about the working man
During this election season that never seems to end, I've noticed that the Democratic Party is called "the party of the common man" and the Republican Party is referred to as "the party of business and industry." Is that so?
- Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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On the Right Side: 'Robin Hood' can teach us a thing or two this election
A few nights ago, we needed to make a decision. Should we watch another heart-stopping Republican presidential candidate debate or the swashbuckling movie, "Robin Hood," starring Russell Crowe?
- Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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Guns should be seen as protection, not danger
Yesterday, 85,000,000 American gun owners, with their 350,000,000 firearms, shot no one.
- Tuesday, January 3, 2012
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Top 10 wishes for 2012
It is now a new year, and time for River Valley New Holland's Top 10 Wishes for 2012. Warning: Some may find the following graphic nauseating, or hallucinatory.
- Tuesday, December 20, 2011
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'Merry Christmas' should not cause controversy
A good friend of mine is a retired Jewish fellow now leading the equestrian lifestyle in the mountains of Delaware County. I asked George a couple of years ago if he'd be offended should I wish him a "Merry Christmas."
- Tuesday, December 6, 2011
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Cain scrutiny was needed on Obama's birth certificate
Imagine you live on Mars and are using an interplanetary-pulse reduction-flux-capacitor-transponder, supplied by the Obama administration's seventh stimulus package. By thus being able to receive broadcasts from Earth, you would conclude that we have the most depraved, sexually permissive society ever.
- Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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It's hard to blame companies that flee, except Ommegang
In 1932, Will Rogers said: "This country has gotten where it is in spite of politics, not by the aid of it. That we have carried as much political bunk as we have and still survived, shows we are a super nation."
- Tuesday, November 8, 2011
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Beware of group seeking to control drilling rights
Today is Election Day. Thank goodness the campaigning is over! Seems like every October and November, our roads are lined with thousands of campaign signs and slogans. There are so many that one begins to ignore them, much like "Rollback Pricing" at Walmart.
- Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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Occupy protesters do little to help their own causes
The liberal left has a new "darling." With the sweeping success of the conservative Tea Party movement in the 2010 fall elections, liberals and their media allies were grabbing at straws. Like Dorothy in the Land of Oz, they found their scarecrow, but unlike Oz, there is no wizard.
- Tuesday, October 11, 2011
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Things seem to be a little strange these days
Maybe it's global warming, sunspots or pre-fracking hysteria, but hasn't last week had more than its share of peculiar editorial columns, insane settlements, bizarre verdicts and outlandish causes?
- Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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Obama to push for oil, gas drilling fees, tax increase
A Sept. 19 Fox News article on the proposed Obama administration's fees and tax increases states: "Another proposal would charge $4 an acre on non-producing oil and gas leases on federal lands, raising $1 billion over a decade. The idea is to prod energy companies to get their leases into production or give them up and allow others to develop them."
- Tuesday, September 13, 2011
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The mindset of Mother Nature 'is senseless'
Last Tuesday evening, my wife, our son Adam and I took a drive to Prattsville, Gilboa, Middleburgh and Schoharie. We had heard about all the flood damage from Hurricane Irene, and having friends and customers in that area, we decided to visit and see if we could be of help.
- Tuesday, August 30, 2011
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'You have made mothers mad, you'll wish you hadn't'
"As far as I'm concerned, the Tea Party can go straight to hell." -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
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Blessed is he who is not offended by me
