Reasons To Believe - Spokane Chapter

June 2006 Newsletter

Chapter Meeting: Sunday, June 25, 3-5 P.M.

We invite you to attend our monthly meeting.

A presentation is offered to the group, followed by discussion and questions, and we conclude with snacks and a little club business. This month we'll watch part of the recent debate on the John Ankerberg Show between Dr. Ross and Dr. Walt Kaiser of Reasons to Believe, and Ken Hamm and astronomer Dr. Jason Lisle, of Answers in Genesis.

  • Date: June 25, 2006 (Sunday)
  • Time: 3 - 5 P.M.
  • Hosts: Dan and Cathy Bakken
  • Location: 13003 N. Miami Ct, Mead
  • Phone: 466-2693 (for directions, etc.)

Jupiter and Saturn: Miraculous Planets

Reprinted from our August, 2002 Newsletter

Scientists have been discovering some amazing things about the two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn. These giant planets play an important, God-given role in the safety and stability of Earth.

Jupiter and Saturn Protect Earth from Comets

In July of 1994, over twenty fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with the planet Jupiter. This comet had been caught in an orbit around Jupiter and had broken up. The impacts caused massive explosions and created spectacular fireballs which rose hundreds of miles from the planet's surface. The total force of these impacts released energy greater than 500 times the power of Earth's entire nuclear arsenal. The impacts left huge black clouds, which remained clearly visible for weeks.

It is now understood that this was not the first time this has happened. Astronomer George Wetherill of the Carnegie Instutute believes that Jupter and Saturn "may be essential to life" on Earth because of their role in "sweeping up" comets that might otherwise have snuffed out life on Earth. (Nature, 9 February 1995.) The great gravity of these two giant planets either attracts comets toward them, or disturbs the comet's orbit so that it is directed away from Earth and the other inner planets.

Wetherill was conducting computer simulations of the solar system's formation. When our solar system was young, many comets orbited the sun. But over time the gravity of Jupiter and Saturn has ejected most of them from the solar system. Wetherill tried a simulation in which the solar system had no planet as large as Jupiter or Saturn. He found that comets struck Earth a thousand times more often. In fact, Earth would have suffered a major impact every 100,000 years instead of every 60 million years or so. This would have made it impossible for the planet to support advanced, intelligent life such as mankind. God certainly thought of everything!

The Outer Planets Stabilize the Inner Planets' Orbits

The planets of our solar system have nearly circular, stable orbits. This is due partly to the fact that Jupiter's orbit is so circular. Jupiter's gravitational influence makes the inner planets "toe the line", so to speak. French astrophysicist Jacques Laskar wrote, "If the outer planets' [orbits] were less regular, then the inner planets' motions would be so chaotic that Earth would suffer changes too large in its orbit to ensure climatic stability on its surface." ("Large-Scale Chaos in the Solar System", Astronomy and Astrophysics, Issue 287, 1994) In other words, Earth's climate would not be suitable for life. The orbits of Jupiter and Saturn have been made to fit within certain parameters to allow life on Earth to be possible.

Earth-Like Solar Systems Are Rare in the Universe

Astronomers have found over 100 planets around other stars since 1995. The planets that have been found are almost all large, gas giant planets similar to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Large planets have a gravitational effect on their suns that scientists can measure. We don't yet have the techniques and measuring instruments needed to find small, earthlike planets.

There are two common problems with these 'extrasolar' planets (what scientists call planets outside our solar system). First, many of the planets that have been discovered are orbiting very close to their suns. What we know about planet formation suggests that the planets that are orbiting close to their suns must have drifted inward from their original starting point. These planets could definitely not support life, because they are so close to their star that they are very hot. Any moon orbiting these planets would also be too hot. If an earthlike planet (hospitable to life) existed in that solar system, the inward movement of the large gas planet would have disturbed the small planet's orbit so that it could not support life, or even ejected the planet out of the solar system or into the sun.

Second, many extrasolar planets have eccentric, oval orbits. The nearly circular orbits of solar system planets had led to the expectation that extrasolar planets would travel in circular orbits as well. But this is not the case. Eccentric orbits take the planet outside the 'habitable' zone for part of its 'year'. Life would not be able to survive there.

We have many things to thank God for. Now we can add to them the meticulous planning that God has put into our solar system and our companion planets, Jupiter and Saturn.

Jupiter Facts:

  • Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and the fifth from the Sun.
  • The average gravity on Jupiter is 2 1/2 times greater than the Earth's gravity.
  • Jupiter is about 11 times wider and 1,200 times more voluminous than Earth. Jupiter contains more material than all the other planets put together. It is believed that if Jupiter had been much more massive, it would have become a star.
  • Jupiter is mainly made of very thick hydrogen and helium gases. At its center is a small rocky core.
  • Jupiter has many huge, swirling storms that can last for years. The Great Red Spot is a massive storm hundreds of years old.
  • Jupiter spins faster than any other planet. A day on Jupiter lasts 9 hours and 55 minutes.
  • This fast spin rate causes the metallic hydrogen near Jupiter's core to form a huge magnetic field. It is much stronger than the magnetic field on Earth and has a lot of influence on Jupiter's moons.

What Are Bacteria Good For?

Reprinted from an earlier newsletter

When we think of bacteria, we often think of germs, disease and illness, and how important it is to wash your hands! However, most bacteria are not harmful to us, and in fact, without bacteria there would be no life on Earth as we know it. Here are some of the useful and vital activities that bacteria perform.

Bacteria living in soil break down and decompose the remains of dead plants and animals. In the process, they make available nitrates and other useful substances living plants can use as they grow, and which are passed on to animals that eat the plants. If this didn't happen, the earth would be swamped in waste, and soil would be infertile.

Nitrogen is essential for all forms of life. Even though over three-fourths of our atmosphere is made of nitrogen, it is cannot be used by plants in this form, because it will not easily combine with other substances. Rhizobium bacteria form symbiotic relationships with some plants, including clover, alfalfa, beans and peas. The bacteria live inside nodules in the roots of the plant, feeding off of it, and in return, supplying the plant with nitrogen compounds that the plant uses to make proteins, the basic building block of life.

Bacteria live in the digestive systems of humans and animals, where they not only get a safe home and food delivery system, but break down cellulose and other food, thus releasing nutrients for our use that would otherwise be lost as waste. One type of bacteria that lives in pits at the back of our tongues help kill cavity-causing bacteria by changing one form of nitrogen compound into another.

We use bacteria to ferment milk to make cheese, butter and yogurt. A bacteria found in 'live' yogurt, Lactobacilli, helps heals ulcers and other bowel wounds by keeping harmful bacteria at bay.

Septic systems and other methods of sewage disposal depend on bacteria to decompose wastes. The underground septic tanks in many Spokane yards contain billions of microbes slowly breaking down sewage.

We use bacteria in mining processes to dissolve minerals out of rocks. About 25 percent of the world's copper industry uses 'biomining' to extract copper from ores which come from rocks containing sulphur. The bacteria attack the ore, taking nutrients they need from the sulphur compounds and releasing the copper. Another bacterium is currently being used to release gold from low-grade gold ore.

Web Site of Note

Evidence for God from Science: http://www.godandscience.org/

Is God real or just an outdated concept? Do we need God or can we get along fine without Him? This site provides answers to questions about God, evidence for God's existence, His care and love for mankind, and His provision for joyful living both now and into eternity through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Institute of Biblical Defense: http://www.biblicaldefense.org/

A Christian apologetics ministry dedicated to helping train Christians to boldly defend the faith. The Institute provides training in theology, philosophy, Christian apologetics, world religions, counter cult studies and much more.

CADRE: Christian Colligation of Apologetics Debate Research and Evangelism: http://www.christiancadre.org/

This site is a comprehensive guide to the apologetic efforts of CADRE members, as well as a guide to contemporary and traditional Christian scholarship not affiliated with the CADRE. It is broad in scope, offering websites and articles related to almost every facet of Christian apologetics.

Research and Reason: http://www.geocities.com/darrickdean/

This site exists to: 1. Promote critical thought and quality scholarship in scientific and theological study; 2. Show that science and Christianity are not at odds; and 3. Address questions and issues & irrational philosophies such as naturalism, relativism and others, which often corrupt science & Christianity through a lack of critical thought.

Who We Are and What We Do: Your Local Reasons To Believe Chapter

We're here to answer your questions and help local Christians and churches get more answers about science and the bible issues.

  • We offer trained apologists and bring in national speakers to speak at local churches and other events to share these exciting discoveries.
  • We build alliances with churches, ministries, and groups to share the Reasons to Believe message.
  • We help Christians overcome their fear of science and equip them to use it as an effective tool in spreading the Gospel.
  • We reach out to skeptics and non-believers with gentleness and respect, encouraging them to evaluate their worldviews.

Contact Information

For more information about the Reasons To Believe Spokane Chapter, contact:

  • Phone: Dan Bakken (509) 466-2693
  • Email:

  • Web Page: www.reasons.org/chapters/spokane

  • Newsletter Editor: Cathy Bakken, cgbakken@yahoo.com

Resources To Know About

www.reasons.org: Many useful documents are available, as well as their daily new "reason to believe" from the latest scientific research.

Reasons' Web Store: Buy the books you read about here! http://store.reasons.org/

Reasons Institute: RTB's online distance learning program. Take college-level apologetics courses. Contact RTB for information at 626-335-1480.

Reasons To Believe television show: Thursday mornings, 3:00 A.M. Pacific time on TBN. An archive of recent shows is at www.reasons.org.

Creation Update Web Radio Show: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/creation_update/Archives.asp.