Letters From Grandpa #38

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 38

Dearest Grandchild,

• Recently I caught three mice with a mouse trap. Granny was happy. The standard mouse trap is both simple and familiar. It consists of 6 essential components. (1) A platform. (2) A bar which kills the mouse. (3) A spring which moves the bar. (4) A trigger and (5) Bait to attract the mouse. All 5 of these essential components can be present, however, and never catch a single mouse. Step
• 6 is also essential. This step involves activating the trap so that touching the trigger will cause it to snap shut. These 6 components are all essential. If any one of them is missing the trap won’t work. This concept is considered as “irreducible complexity”.

This simple illustration can be used to demonstrate the folly of evolution. The theory of evolution argues that the millions of complex designs happened by accident. The mouse trap helps to illustrate that even this simple trap could not have evolved one step at a time. All 6 components have to be present for the trap to work. While the world is filled with examples of the same principle, let us focus on just one, the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). This remarkable plant was designed by God and is, of course, much more complicated that the mouse trap.

The Venus flytrap is an exotic insect-catching plant. It even fascinated Darwin. He wrote a book about plants that catch insects in 1875, and considered the Venus flytrap ‘one of the most wonderful plants in the world.’. As you know, it is almost impossible to catch a fly by hand. Here is a quote from researchers to explain why:

“Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) say it is down to quick-fire intelligence and good planning. They filmed a series of experiments with fruit flies and a looming swatter. The researchers discovered that long before the fly leaps it calculates the location of the threat and comes up with an escape plan. Flies put their bodies into pre-flight mode very rapidly - Within 100 milliseconds of spotting the swatter they can position their center of mass in the right way so that a simple extension of their legs propels them away from any threat. The scientists found that flies were able to put themselves into this rapid reaction position no matter whether they were grooming, feeding or simply walking. According to Caltech's Professor Michael Dickinson this illustrates the speed and complexity of the fly's brain.”

We must remember, however, that the same God who designed the fly also designed the fly trap. The fly trap plant was discovered in 1763, almost a century before Darwin. There are many more than 6 essential ingredients in this amazing plant, and all of them have to be present for the plant to survive. For example, it takes two strokes of the trigger hairs to activate the trap. God designed it this way so that a leaf, or other non living material, would not trigger the trap. In the world of evolutionary thought, it would take perhaps thousands of generations for the plant to “adapt” to this need. Unfortunately for the evolutionist, this amazing trigger and other components of the Venus fly trap are all essential. The irreducible complexity of the plant cannot wait for

thousands of generations. When this special trigger is activated by a living insect, an electrical impulse is released that closes the trap in 1/10th of a second. Then, of all things, the plant has the capacity to digest the prey and reset itself without human intervention.

Nobody who discovers a mouse trap would assume that it assembled itself by accident and the Venus flytrap is a thousand times more complicated than a mouse trap. Why should anyone think that such an amazing mechanical marvel happened by accident? Consider how crude and simple the mouse trap is by comparison. Imagine if you can, an engineer charged with the task of constructing a mouse trap that could grow from a seed, develop it’s own bait, trap a mouse, digest the mouse, and then reset itself. The digestive system alone would be so complicated that it would be beyond the reach of finite man. Yet, men who claim to be intelligent want you to believe that the “irreducible complexity” of the Venus fly trap just “happened”.

It is important to remember that the devil also sets traps. Paul put it like this: “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). The forbidden fruit was good to look at, good for food, and desirable to make one wise. If only Adam and Eve had listened to God, they would have been safe. They decided, however, to make up their own rules and obviously thought they could get away with it. In a previous letter we made reference to Balak, the King of Moab, who set a trap for the Hebrews. The church at Pergamum was warned against the teaching of Balaam. Balaam taught Balak to set a trap for the Hebrews (Rev. 2:14). The Bible word used is “skandalon” from which we get our English word “scandal”.

The Scriptures teach “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ “ (Ps 14:1). The word translated “fool” is “nabal,” which means to be “shamelessly immoral”. The “shamelessly immoral” person may not be an atheist. Adam and Eve were not atheists. Some “shamelessly immoral” people may even go to church. It doesn’t matter what people “say”, what they “do” is what matters. Adam and Eve apparently thought in their hearts that they could get by with disobedience to God. They were wrong! They took the bait and wound up being trapped.

Please avoid the devil’s traps. He would love for you to be involved in a scandal. The trap he sets for you may use a different bait from the one he sets for someone else. Whatever temptation you face, however, remember that it comes from the devil and not God (Ja. 1:13). The outcome you experience from your conduct is both simple and profound. You will be happy if you don’t take the bait and sad if you do. The way of transgressors is hard (Prov. 13:15). Adam and Eve found this out by experience. You can learn from their mistake if you only will. Sheep are safe when they stay close to the shepherd. You will also be safe if you stay close to Christ.

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce