Question of the Week: Did God create disease-causing microbes?

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answersingenesis.org | newsletter archives | contact us October 29, 2011 a weekly look at answersingenesis.org
In this issue . . . Q&A: Did God create disease-causing microbes? Video On Demand: Artificial Authority, Part 3 (Sidebar) Ken's Blog (Sidebar) News to Note Quick Look Answers ... with Ken Ham After Eden Network with Us! Job Opportunities at Answers in Genesis (Sidebar) Q: Did God create disease-causing microbes? A: Based on the creation account in Genesis, it appears that God originally made microbes to perform only beneficial functions. If so, one would expect many present-day bacteria to continue to perform their "very good" functions. Creation biologists predicted this and have documented examples. What mechanism caused some microbes to go bad? Did God directly modify them, or did they change over time? At least three possible changes may have occurred, or a combination of all three: Displacement. Microbes were originally designed to perform beneficial functions in restricted places, but after the Fall they spread to other places and began to cause disruption and disease. Modification. Microbes were physically modified to become pathogenic (disease-causing). Uncontrolled growth. Their numbers were designed to remain within safe ranges, but now they fluctuate, causing either under- or over-population that results in disease and disruption of a once-balanced system. Continue reading to further consider each of these possibilities and their biblical implications. News to Note Quick Look iSteve: Steve Jobs and the innovations his creativity and determination have brought into this millennium abound. His recent death at 56 called to mind his 2005 speech when he said, "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life." Read more. Flapping robots: Tiny ground-based six-legged reconnaissance robots have trouble scrambling over inclines and obstacles, so Berkeley engineers Ronald Fearing and Kevin Peterson have been working on "a hybrid locomotion mode, where flapping wings and legs combine to propel the robot." Not content with peeking into the future, the engineers decided to team up with paleobiologist Robert Dudley for a peek into the past. Read more. Also: The not-so-mighty meteorite Serpentine paternity Great Oxidation Event And Don't Miss . . . Answers ... with Ken Ham radio program "Train up a child"—evolutionists do it, too! Destroying human clones—now, it's wrong! Music—evolution just can't explain it! Now beware the word "creationist"! Satan—now when did he fall? After Eden Network with Us! Answers in Genesis Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Creation Museum Ark Encounter Ark Encounter Answers Magazine   Note: Facebook and Twitter are both social networking sites with user-contributed content. Children should not visit the sites without parental supervision.  Free app for iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad	This Week . . . Feedback: Grand Canyon Elevation (Oct 28) Chapter 2: Sunday School Syndrome (Oct 27) Adam, Free Choice, and the Cause of Sin: A Creationist Response to a Christian Evolutionist (Oct 26) Creationist Students Armed for Battle (Oct 25) Prayer Requests and Praises, October 2011 (Oct 24) Good Designs Gone Bad (Oct 23) Video On Demand Artificial Authority, Part 3 Watch Video Ken's Blog First-ever Creationist College Expo Large Canadian Group Visits It's Rare—It's a Creationist Seminary! Thousands at AiG Conference in Cordova (Memphis) Foundations Series in Russia! Previous entries Prayer Requests Visit our prayer site to keep track of and pray for current ministry needs. Resources Answers Magazine Subscription: United States Big Book of History Answers Book For Teens IndoctriNation (public schools documentary) More current bestsellers Upcoming Events California Sacramento - Psalm 119 Conference, November 4–5 California Modesto, November 5–7 South Carolina Teach Them Diligently Conference, March 15–17 Minnesota Answers in Genesis Conference, April 29–30 More events Job Opportunities Seasonal Customer Service Associate Internship Opportunities Seasonal Food Service Support Staff Seasonal Warehouse Specialist
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