Creation Worldview Ministries: Our perfect home Page 1 of 2

Our perfect home

As we enter a new year I want us to reflect upon the unique nature of the planet on
which we live. As we boldly(?) go into 1999, let us do so with the proper awe and
reverence which we should have for our Creator. Modern scientists seem to get all fired
up when we are able to design, build and maintain a spacecraft which will enable seven
people to stay alive in outer space for a couple of weeks. Or, in the near future to be
able to keep a dozen people alive for months each (in their work rotation).

Yet we live on a spaceship which was originally designed - PERFECT! Even in its current
degenerated condition this spaceship is able to sustain about 6,000,000,000 people for
year after year, without replenishment of supplies, new oxygen bottles, etc. Yet most
people just take it all for granted and believe that such a planet just happened to
happen.

Evolutionists tout that there must be many such planets in the universe, yet we have no
evidence that there is. If God wants to place other planets around other stars that is His
business. The many reports now starting to circulate in the press about planets being
discovered outside of our solar system are based on nothing more than the variation of
light beams arriving here on earth - a highly speculative venture and a great leap of
faith. Even by their own admission, if these results are in fact proof of planets orbiting
other stars then these stars certainly do not have the environmental conditions to
support life. Last, but most important, God tells us that this is the only planet in the
universe where people live. (Psalm 115:16)

What then are some of the factors that make this such a unique and special place? While
this is only a partial list, these conditions are not known to exist anyplace else in the
universe.

To start with, the earth is just the right size. The earth is about 25,000 miles around and
8,000 miles across. If the earth were even 10% smaller (7,200 miles across) the lower
gravitational pull would allow most of the atmosphere to escape into outer space,
leaving the heavier gases behind - like carbon dioxide and argon, neither of which would
benefit our health. The much smaller atmosphere would cause the earth to cool rapidly
and become an ice planet, not a nice planet. If the earth were only 10% larger (8,800
miles across) the higher gravitational pull would pretty much nail everything to the floor
- an equally unpleasant prospect.

Then there is the rotation rate of about 24 hours. What would happen if we were
spinning significantly faster or slower? What if the rotation rate were slower, say 240
hours per day? (Venus spins at a rate of once every 243 days.) Well, during the 120
hour day the surface temperature would reach +200 F, while during the 120 hour night
the temperature would fall to -200 F. We know of no organism which can survive a
temperature fluctuation of 400 degrees. And, if the spin were faster the wind velocities
on the surface would blow us all away. (Saturn rotates once every 10 hours, the winds
are phenomenal.)

We all know from our high school science classes that the rotation rate of the earth is
slowing down. This is because of tidal friction with the moon. The rate of slowing
amounts to about five minutes per 1,000 years. Arguably a small number, but one with
great significance. If we only use a linear rate (the most conservative approach, since in
reality the rate is exponential) then only a few hundred thousand years ago the rotation
rate of the earth would have been measured in minutes - not days! As a secondary
thought, if the earth were spinning much faster in the past, then the centrifugal force
would make all the dry land masses bunch up in a line along the equator. Yet the
physical evidence clearly shows that, in fact, the dry land masses have moved away
from the equator in the recent past.

We all take breathing for granted, at least while we are alive - but our atmosphere is a
wonderful creation. In our solar system the other eight planets either have atmospheres
with only traces of oxygen or they have atmospheres which are made up of highly

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poisonous gases. Our basically 80%-20% mix of nitrogen and oxygen is an ideal
proportion for life on earth. If we had an atmosphere containing 50% oxygen, then one
lightening strike would cause an entire forest to explode in flames. Likewise, we "carbon
based units" could not breath without causing ourselves irreparable damage. If our
atmosphere contained only 10% oxygen then there would be no fires. What would that
do to our ability to warm ourselves in the winter, to conduct industry or to transport
ourselves quickly (no cars)?

Our 20% oxygen atmosphere does other things for us as well. You have to have oxygen
to have ozone. The ozone layer protects us against ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light kills
organic organisms. That is why barbers can use an ultraviolet lamp to sterilize their
combs and scissors preventing the spread of disease from one customer to another.
Therefore, no ozone layer around the earth - no life on earth. As I have mentioned
before, this is one reason you know that evolutionists are lying to you about inorganic
chemicals forming living organisms by random chance sometime in the past when
supposedly there was no oxygen present. If there was a time when there was no oxygen
present, then any organic compounds that would have formed by random chance would
have been destroyed quickly by the ultraviolet light coming from the sun.

Consider the earths magnetic field. It is oriented so as to almost line up with our axis of
rotation. This is not true of the other planets in our solar system. Our magnetic field
protects us from the harmful radiation of the solar wind. Some of you may remember
that the earth is surrounded by the Van Allen Radiation Belts. When I was growing up
we only knew of two of these belts, today we know that there are three of them. The
earths magnetic field pushes this dangerous radiation away from our populated areas
and dumps it harmlessly at the frozen poles. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Let us rejoice as King David did: "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou
hast done, and Thy thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with Thee; if I would
declare and speak them, they would be too numerous to count." (Psalm 40:5)

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http://www.creationworldview.org/articles_view.asp?id=47 6/11/2008