From the fertilized egg in the womb of the mother, a fully formed human being develops in the period of approximately nine months. High-resolution ultrasound images can now follow closely that development and tell us many things about when certain capabilities are developed. Looking at sequential images is to follow the hand of God in the process of forming a human being. Dr. Steven Brantley will share ultrasound images and walk through an explanation of the developing human to show how we are all created to be in the image of our Creator.

Steven Brantley, M.D., is a Radiologist who graduated from the Medical College of Georgia and has spent many years doing imaging of vascular systems and breast disease as well as the imaging of developing infants. He serves with Quantum Radiology for which he served as president for seven years. An important interest has been in providing his expertise in imaging to the Atlanta Pregnancy Resource Center – the provision of ultrasound images of developing infants has been a powerful way to encourage women in the early stages of pregnancy not to abort their infants. Steven and his wife Susan have started a ministry called Grace Link for Life where they support the pregnancy crisis centers through reading ultrasounds, providing post-abortion healing, and giving personal testimony to open eyes to the sin of abortion and the grace of our Lord. 

In light of the adoption, by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), of a diversity-of-view position regarding the interpretation of Genesis 1, Ray Williams will present a first-hand account of the effort of eight PCA geologists to equip the members of the PCA with a scientific (geological) position regarding the antiquity of the earth.

The technical paper generated by the geologists, provides two examples of their science: (1) the accumulation of sedimentation (varves) at the bottom of a fresh water lake and, (2) the movement of the earth’s crust commonly known as plate tectonics. Dr. Rod Nave will further discuss the reliability of radiometric dating techniques that corroborate the plate tectonic data.

Ray will also review Gregg Davidson’s book (one of the eight geologists), entitled “When Faith and Science Collide”, which will highlight the author’s views on biological evolution and intelligent design.

“… science and faith are rightly allies and not enemies.

The battle is not between science and faith, but between materialism and faith.”

It is the position of Reasons to Believe that science and faith are rightly allies and not enemies. The battle is not between science and faith, but between materialism and faith. Materialism argues that matter is all there is, but that takes a lot of faith. There was agency in forming a universe – contrary to Stephen Hawking’s recent statements, laws by themselves don’t get anything going. And multiple recent authors have made strong arguments for complex specified information in life. Such information is non-material but essential.

Rod Nave will lead a discussion session that highlights strong recent writing by Christian apologists. John Lennox in “God’s Undertaker” argues for both agency and information that cannot plausibly come from pure materialism. Stephen Meyer in “Signature in the Cell” and Don Johnson in “Programming of Life” strengthen the case for a kind of information that does not arise from chance and necessity. Stuart Pullen in “Intelligent Design or Evolution?” adds to the picture of information that must be in place at the very beginning of life.

This will be a “countering materialism” session and will hopefully strengthen your arsenal for response to materialistic worldview statements like Sagan’s “The cosmos is all there is, was, or will be”. Come up with your best counter statement and come ready to discuss it with us.

One of the things that can evoke reverence as we look at the details of life is the collection of interdependent systems that work together and had to be developed together.

Following up on our active session on “The Code of Life” and the role of DNA and the cell nucleus, this month’s session will expand the perspective to the whole cell and some of its finely-tuned regulatory mechanisms. One of the things that can evoke reverence as we look at the details of life is the collection of interdependent systems that work together and had to be developed together. One such collection of mechanisms serves to regulate the volume or size of the cell. Too little volume and the cellular proteins will not function while too great a cell volume will rupture the cell membrane, killing the cell. The topic of cell volume regulation leads to a number of structures and mechanisms associated with the delicate cell membrane – it leads us again to reflect upon how improbable it would be for these mechanisms to spontaneously develop at the same time.

This will be an educational session that draws from Dr. Barfuss’ extensive experience in teaching physiology and the session will be targeted at explaining and discussing some of the remarkable mechanisms that are required for a living cell to survive.

We welcome Dr. Barfuss back as a presenter. He did a session for us on “The Miracle of the Kidney” and another on a review of the book “The Cell’s Design” by Rana.

Within the nucleus of each of our cells a code is being employed to manufacture complex proteins at astonishing rates. But the use of a code implies information. A powerful case can be made that information only arises from intelligence.

Dr. Rod Nave

Bruce Phillips

Within the nucleus of each of our cells a code is being employed to manufacture complex proteins at astonishing rates. But the use of a code implies information. A powerful case can be made that information only arises from intelligence. Stephen Meyer makes just such a case in his "Signature in the Cell" that what we find in the cell constitutes the signature of a Creator.

Our topic for this month is drawn from the work of Donald Johnson.  Dr. Johnson holds PhDs in both chemistry and information science.  He pushes the case further in two short but powerful books titled "Probability's Nature and Nature's Probability" and "Programming of Life".

This month's RTB meeting will build upon Myer's case using material from Johnson's work to strengthen the case that life's code points to a creative intelligence. Our goal is to create a graphic tour through the case that a working code by definition extends beyond the capacity of chance and necessity alone.  Rod Nave will address the code with information from the Johnson books.  Bruce Phillips will review the error correction inherent in the genetic code.