| Whatever happened to using common sense when determining the age of the earth? Listening to some creationists, you'd think that God was attempting to deceive man by placing ancient dinosaur fossils on a young earth. The more enlightened of us realize that evolution is not only true, but gives us a good excuse to screw people over in fits of Social Darwinism. I decided to do some investigative reporting here...in FUN WITH CREATIONISTS. (The letter I sent to them) Subj: A Quick Question Date: 10/29/00 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Hello, I am a 23 year old male who is acquainted with someone who received the herpes simplex virus as a result of an erroneous blood transfusion. This person informed me that his pamphlets stated that viruses are primitive organisms that were around long before man, but I don't think that this agrees with the Bible. My question is, did Noah purposefully viruses on board the ark, knowing that they would later endanger humans? Or do you think that some animals may have just been infected with herpes as a result of homosexuality (which may be the reason the dinosaurs are no more!), and that Noah was unaware that he was transporting vectors? And if noah did deliberately take viruses on board, would he need to take one or two of each type, assuming that viruses don't need to have relations to reproduce? Your help would be appreciated! Regards, Wyclef Faust (And their reply...) Subj: (no subject) Date: 10/29/00 11:44:09 PM Mountain Standard Time From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Dear Brother Faust, Thank you for your question about viruses and creation. There is no mention of bacteria or other microscopic species in Genesis, but I think that they were a part of the original creation. Viruses probably were also. Neither bacteria nor viruses were injurious, at least to mankind, at the time of creation, and they never would have become injurious had Adam not sinned and put the entire universe out of its original state of perfection. After the ruin of creation by sin occurred, God must have removed restraints on genetic changes that made bacteria and viruses injurious to the life of higher species. Since bacteria and viruses are able to survive extremely harsh environmental conditions, they did not have to be on the ark, and Adam was not given any responsibility for them. Incidentally, there is no sex in viruses or bacteria. Bacteria reproduce by cell division, and viruses reproduce by taking control of the genetic machinery in the cells of plants or animals, and using that cellular machinery to produce more viruses. I lost your original e-mail message when I pushed wrong key while saving it (sic). However, I think I have addressed in a rudimentary way most of the problems you have raised. If I have missed anything important, please write me again. Sincerely, Robert Kofahl |