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CSA News
The Creation Science Association for Mid-America
Volume 30: (10)
October 2013

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."
Psalm 118:8


 

In This Issue

Ancient Human Migration
Coming Events
How to Live Longer, Part III

 

Ancient Human Migration

by Douglas R. Dexheimer

 

In the September 2013 issue of this newsletter, I wrote a little about the migration of the Mississippian people that inhabited Cahokia Mounds near present-day St. Louis. Signage in the visitor center suggests that these Indians had come to North America via the ancient land bridge that connected Siberia to present-day Alaska.

This migration account “rang a bell” with me, since I had prepared a report on human migration for a genetics course I took several years ago.  In my research I came across a map showing paths of human migration, based on DNA evidence of people groups collected by geneticist and anthropologist, Dr. Spencer Wells, “Explorer-in-Residence” at the National Geographic Society, and 1956 graduate (now Professor) Frank H.T. Rhodes of Cornell University, who leads “The Genographic Project.”  Dr. Wells’ work “has helped to establish the critical role played by Central Asia in the peopling of the world, and has been published in journals such as Science, American Journal of Human Genetics, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (emphasis added).

 

Here’s the double spread map that appeared in National Geographic:1

 

 

During my classroom presentation, I drew attention to the migration paths from Central Asia, all originating from one central point in Asia. This central point represents the location of the Tower of Babel, from which all the populations of the world were then distributed across the globe, according to Genesis 11.

A very similar report, “The Ancient Americas: Migrations, Contacts, and Atlantis,” and accompanying maps can be viewed at http://www.davidpratt.info/americas2.htm.  The article by a secular scientist draws conclusions similar to those of Dr Spencer Wells’ study.  An additional article by Guy Gugliotta very recently caught my eye.  Entitled “THE FIRST AMERICANS,” it appears in the February 2013 issue of Smithsonian Magazine

Based on careful comparisons of Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA of the various people groups involved, all three of these secular articles/papers independently conclude that the earliest Americans migrated through Central Asia.

After completing my course in Genetics, I had an opportunity to meet Dr. Robert Carter at the CMI Superconference in Ashville, NC in August of 2012.  He is a senior scientist with Creation Ministries International.  In an article on the CMI website, this is what Dr. Carter states regarding a map showing ancient human migration:

The evolutionary map of world migrations is startlingly close to the biblical account of a single dispersal of people from Babel. The evolutionary “Out of Africa” theory tells us there was a single dispersal of people, centered near and traveling through the Middle East, with three main mitochondrial lineages, with people traveling in small groups into previously uninhabited territory, and that all of this occurred in the recent past. Every item in that list is something directly predicted by the Tower of Babel account in the Bible (emphasis added). 3

 

(Used with permission.)

 

He further states,

It comes as a surprise to most people to hear that there is abundant evidence that the entire human race came from two people just a few thousand years ago (Adam and Eve), that there was a serious population crash (bottleneck) in the recent past (at the time of the Flood), and that there was a single dispersal of people across the world after that (the Tower of Babel). It surprises them even more to learn that much of this evidence comes from evolutionary scientists. In fact, an abundant testimony to biblical history has been uncovered by modern geneticists. It is there for anyone to see, if they know where to look!

And…

The last remaining significant reference in the Bible that will help us build our model of human genetic history is called The Table of Nations. It is found in Genesis chapters 9 and 10. 4

Being well aware of the Genesis table of nations, I found this map showing approximate locations for the people groups mentioned there: 5

 

 

Dr. Carter comments,

The Table of Nations is a record of the post-Babel tribes, who (sic) they descended from, and where they went. If the Bible is an accurate source of history, one might expect to be able to find a significant amount of evidence for the Table of Nations in genetic data. The truth is not that simple, however, and it is important to keep several things in mind. First, the account was written by a person in the Middle East and from a Middle Eastern perspective. It is incomplete in that there are huge sections of the world that are not discussed (sub-Saharan Africa, Northern Europe, Most of Asia, Australia, the Americas, and Oceania). It also reflects a snapshot in time. It was written after the dispersion began, but not necessarily before the dispersion was complete. Indeed, much has changed in the intervening years. People groups have migrated, cultures have gone extinct, languages have changed, separate cultures have merged, etc. The history of man has been full of ebb and flow as people mixed or fought, resisted invasion or were conquered. The history of man since Babel is very complicated. Modern genetics can answer some of the big questions, but answers to many of the smaller details may elude us forever.

 

This is an important topic for the creation model. The world does not look at the Bible in a favorable light. In fact, it disparages it, sometimes with open hostility. Attacks are often centered on the claim that the Bible is not reliable on historical grounds, and if the history of the Bible is inaccurate, what about the theology? Think about what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:12, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” Many people today see no history in the Bible; therefore, the spiritual implications are meaningless to them. What would happen for evangelism if the history of the Bible turns out to be true after all (emphasis added)?

The next part of our study will focus on what we’ve discovered regarding human migration between Africa and the Middle East.

 


1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Wells

2 James Shreeve The Greatest Journey Page 60 – 73 (National Geographic Magazine 2006). The map is available at:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0603/feature2/images/mp_full.2.jpg

3 http://creation.com/noah-and-genetics

4 Ibid.

5 http://www.ldolphin.org/tnations.jpg

6 http://creation.com, loc. cit.

 

Ω

 


November Monthly Meeting

Tuesday November 5th, 2013
Karst, Missouri Caves, and Mineral Placement
by Bob Farwell, Doug Dexheimer, and Kevin Anderson

 

Many types of topography are commonly associated with the term karst. The word itself comes from the Adriatic coastal region of Slovenia where this specific type of landform is featured prominently in the landscape. Karst is considered to be any terrain based on a layer of soluble bedrock, usually (though not always) of carbonate rocks. In the American Midwest, karst is mostly found on a base of limestones (calcium carbonate) and dolomites (magnesium calcium carbonate.)  This aspect of karst will be the subject of Bob Farwell’s presentation.

The karst observed in the Missouri Ozarks is considered to be of a near-textbook type.  It is characterized by well-eroded rolling hills, deep hollows, springs, caves, sinkholes, “losing streams,” natural bridges, and tunnels. Established science tells us that Karst forms when rainwater picks up carbon dioxide from the air and dead plant debris in the soil, which then percolates down through cracks in the rock, dissolving the rock.  Some creationists, however, believe that karst formations are the result of sulfuric acid welling up from below, instead of carbonic acid percolating down from above. Some areas of the American West contain karst features that appear to have been formed by a mixture of both processes.

The major difference between the above “old-earth” view, and the creationist’s view, is the time required to form the structures.  Many creationists do NOT believe that the process was slow, occurring over eons of time.  We believe, instead, that a major portion of the processes occurred at the time of Noah's Flood, when “the fountains of the deep BURST FORTH,” as recorded in Genesis 7.  This process will be explored by Kevin Anderson in his presentation.

Metallic ores are generally found in igneous rocks, such as those found in northern Minnesota, the Rocky Mountains, and the volcanic region of southeast Missouri.  Mineral placement in some sedimentary rock in the Midwest is different, however.  We believe that such minerals were deposited in newly-laid sedimentary rock during, and shortly after Noah's Flood.  The metallic ores found in sedimentary rock resulted from the action of geothermal hot springs.  Doug Dexheimer’s presentation will address this proposed process.

 

Ω

CSA Monthly Meeting Location

Westbrooke Church
9777 Antioch
Overland Park, KS 66121
10 blocks east of 69 Highway (or Switzer) on 95th St. to Antioch, south two blocks on Antioch, on east side of street.
Fellowship & book table: 6:15PM. Meeting: 7:00PM (meeting entrance in back of building).


Monthly Meetings

2013

 

(1st Tuesday of each month; content subject to change; no signup or registration necessary.)

  • November 5: “Cave Formation, & Mineral Placement,” Bob Farwell, Doug Dexheimer, and Kevin Anderson.
  • December 2: “The Star of Bethlehem” DVD, moderated by Bob Farwell.

Ω



Creation Safaris by CSA

Ha Ha Tonka Safari

October 19 Saturday
7:15 PM

Meet at park headquarters on Hwy D (just west of Camdenton on Hwy 54).  We suggest you bring a sack lunch.  Saturday morning we visit the karst (caves, sink holes, rock bridges) topography of Ha Ha Tonka State Park around Camdenton, MO and later, Jacob’s Cave.

2013
Past and Future

  • April 12: Astronomy.
  • April 13: South East Kansas Fossils and Mineral.
  • May 10: Astronomy.
  • May 25 - 27: Western Kansas.
  • June 8: Photo.
  • June 20 - 22: A Float Trip Down the North Fork of the Black River.
  • June 29: Astronomy.
  • July 20: Kansas University Natural History Museum.
  • July 27: Astronomy.
  • August 9: Astronomy.
  • August 17: Greater KC Fossil Hunt.
  • Aug. 31 - Sept. 3: Southeast MO.
  • September 6: Astronomy.

  • October 18 - 19: Ha Ha Tonka.
  • October 4: Astronomy.
  • November 1: Astronomy.
  • December 7: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge; Eagle Days.
  • Recurring safaris not scheduled for 2013:
    • (July) Rock Bridge / Connor’s Cave.
    • (August) Zoological Park Caney KS.
    • (October) KATY Bike Trail.

Ω

You must register for any safari.
To register please call
(816) 618-3610 or (816) 246-4517
or visit:
http://www.csama.org/Safarisignup.htm


Astronomy safaris only, call:
(913)-515-6421.


For detailed safari information:
http://www.csama.org/events.php

 

Too far away to attend CSA meetings?
Why not attend via audio or video tape?

Attend CSA Meetings by ordering the audio ($5) or video ($13) copy.
To order, request by meeting date and topic. Copies of above items may also be borrowed from...

The CSA Lending Library
8904 Mastin
Overland Park, KS 66212
(913) 492-6545

How to Live Longer, Part III

by Douglas R. Dexheimer

 

In part one of this series, I suggested three “methods” for extending one’s lifespan:

  1. Limit your exposure to the sun.
  2. Carefully pick your parents.
  3. Avoid accidents.

Having completed the first and second installments in this series of articles, I came upon two more methods for life extension in recent news reports.  Surprisingly they are based, at least in part, on sound biblical principles.  They are:

  1. Get adequate sleep, and
  2. Fast.

Get adequate sleep

 

Sufficient sleep is essential to good health:

Here’s something you need to understand: Poor sleep makes you feel old. You can sleep through the night, getting the recommended 8 to 9 hours, and still suffer from lack of quality sleep.…

 

If you’re feeling older than you should be, perhaps you’re not sleeping well. One common reason for this is an excited brain that won’t calm down enough to cycle through sleep’s many stages. This means you’re not experiencing the restful and restorative sleep that your brain and body require. 1

The Creator designed a mother’s anatomy to deliver warm milk to her young.  Many humans continue the practice of drinking milk long past the age of infancy:

As a kid, did your mom ever tell you to drink warm milk if you couldn’t sleep? Well, she was right. Warm milk contains small proteins, called peptides, that help calm the brain so that you can sleep well, cycling though all of the stages of sleep.

 

However, there’s a trick to preparing warm milk. You first have to bring the milk to a slight boil and then immediately remove it from the heat. Let it cool a little and drink. The boiling actually breaks up the milk proteins (the peptides) into smaller fragments. It’s the peptides that calm your brain.

 

To help, try doing some mental relaxation techniques before bed. Things like reading a book, listening to soothing music and avoiding anything electronic two hours before you hit the hay. Then try drinking some warm milk….

 

See if you feel better the next day and even a little “younger” over the next month. If you do, then your problem was poor-quality sleep after all! 2

According to another article, more sleep leads to a longer life:

Sleep, of course, is the most undervalued contributor to optimum health and performance….Did you know that sleep had anything to do with success in sticking to a diet? Get to know leptin and ghrelin. They sound like a Hungarian comedy act, but they are hormones that regulate appetite. Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and signals the brain when it's time to eat. Leptin is secreted by adipose tissue (i.e., fat) and has the reverse effect, telling your brain when you are full. Chronic lack of sleep increases ghrelin and decreases leptin, leading you to feel hungry when you don't really need to eat and to keep eating after you have gotten the calories you need.

 

…even with other benefits, including greater mental alertness, improved concentration, better mood - even lower risk of car accidents - sleep remains underrated when it comes to health promotion. Over a nine-year period, a study found that people who routinely slept six or fewer hours a night had about 70 percent higher risk of dying than did people of similar age who slept seven or eight hours a night.

 

There are many common sense ways to make it easier to get to sleep, including keeping to a consistent schedule and avoiding big meals, caffeine and intense exercise just before bed. Here’s the bottom line…”If you feel tired, turn off the machines and go to bed. 3

Tongue in Cheek department

 

I couldn’t resist this late breaking addition to the article:  “Catnaps, and Snoozies.  Would you believe, an ‘Ostrich Pillow’ for napping in public?”

 

Napping Pillow

 

 

Sleep tight

Sometimes all you need is a power nap -- after a stressful day; to counter jet lag; or for a chance to relax. The Ostrich Pillow is a dream come true. Burrow your head and arms into its cozy ‘cocoon’ and you’ll be in dreamland before you know it.

 

Created by STUDIO BANANA THINGS, a brand that puts the fun in functional, the Ostrich Pillow puts a new spin on relaxation. Recognizing that we spend so much time at work, in front of the screen or in transit, they created this new pillow to help us disconnect and dream. Power napping increases productivity by 34%. This pillow isolates the head and the hands comfortably so you can relax and replenish.

 

Great for frequent travel, the dorm, the desk, or home, the Ostrich Pillow is like that comfy old sweatshirt you just can’t part with. Block out the noise, the light, and the world for a little catnap. Snooze and awake refreshed. 4

Fast

 

Pictured below is a book (also a video) by authors Dr. Michael Mosely and Mimi Spencer.  It discusses the experimental results of limiting one’s food intake, or “fasting,” for short periods of time.  The subtitle is “Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting.” 5

 

 

The authors cite research conducted on two very similar mice: 

  • One was given all the food it wanted.
  • The other was given a limited-quantity, but nutritious, diet.

The mouse which was kept in a state of “semi-starvation” for most of its life ended up living much longer than the mouse which was provided with the unrestricted diet.

Many are familiar with the practice of fasting, as presented in scripture.  Jesus taught in Matthew 6:16-18:

When you go without eating, do not look gloomy like those who only pretend to be holy. They make their faces very sad. They want to show people they are fasting. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. But when you go without eating, put olive oil on your head. Wash your face. Then others will not know that you are fasting. Only your Father, who can’t be seen, will know it. He will reward you. Your Father sees what is done secretly. 6

Calorie restriction generally involves eating less food than the amount one normally desires.  Doing so every day (which will then supposedly extend one’s life, thus increasing the total number of days one will be required to stifle his cravings!) is difficult for anyone.

On the other hand, “intermittent fasting,” or “IF,” involves eating fewer calories, but only some of the time.  Prior to his study, Mosely had led a very sedentary lifestyle, and suffered from many health problems.  He tried several variations of “intermittent fasting” in his efforts to extend his own lifespan.  After an extended trial of his “5/2 fast diet,” Mosely reports that not only had he lost weight, but he had also obtained better blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  Furthermore, he was able to achieve a socially acceptable schedule by simply juggling the “fast” days so as to accommodate his social and other life activities.

He concludes his study by recommending a restricted caloric intake for two days, followed by a normal diet for the remainder of the week, hence the name, “5/2 fast diet.”

Based on the mouse experiment, Mosely believes he will likewise live a much longer life as a benefit of his IF diet.  Furthermore, he expects to continue the program for the rest of his extended life.

 


1http://blog.lef.org/2012/07/the-signs-of-poor-nights-sleep.html

2Ibid.

3http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/The-More-You-Sleep-The-Longer-You-Live-2506567.php

4http://www.ostrichpillow.com/

5Dr. Michael Moseley and Mimi Spencer, The FastDiet, New York, Atria Books, 2013

6The Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version (1st ed.), Zondervan, 1998

 

Ω

 

Are you participating in CSA as much as you should?

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Are you doing all the Lord has called you to do in the war for the minds and souls of our citizens... especially our youth? CSA is not a closed fraternity. Any born-again believer who is abiding in the words of Jesus, and has been gifted in research, computers, speaking, clerical activities, writing of articles or book reviews, etc., and who has heard a call to serve in an origins ministry should consider and pray about serving with us. Write or call for more information.

 

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CSAMA is seeking an editor for, and contributors to, our newsletter. If you are a born-again Christian, believe the Bible is the infallible word of God, subscribe to the literal 7-day creationist viewpoint, if you have researching and writing skills, and if you have suitable ideas for articles to contribute to our publication and can meet a monthly deadline schedule, please contact the newsletter webmaster via the link at http://www.csamanewsletter.org.

 

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