But down deep, at the molecular heart of life, the trees and we are essentially identical.... The usual explanation for this molecular unity is that we are, all of us-trees and people, angler fish and slime molds and paramecia-descended from a single and common instance of the origin of life in the early history of our planet (Carl Sagan).

1. The myth of the prebiotic soup{18}
   1. The original scenario for chemical evolution on earth called for an atmosphere rich in methane, ammonia, hydrogen, and water, yet devoid of oxygen. These gases would be sparked, heated, shocked, or irradiated to form the building blocks of life such as amino acids, sugars, lipids, and nitrogenous bases. These building blocks would rain on the earth into the oceans where they would accumulate and polymerize to form proteins, DNA, RNA, phospholipids, and carbohydrates. Over time these macromolecules would arrange themselves into living, replicating cells.

   2. Chemical and geological evidence now shows that the early atmosphere was not reducing and may have contained some oxygen. The likely constituents were carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, and water, with a few traces of other natural gases.

   3. This mixture would produce mostly non-biological organic molecules. Even if biological building blocks were produced they would have either been destroyed by the same energy sources that made them or they would be eliminated by cross-reacting with the other molecules rather than polymerizing with themselves

   4. "Furthermore, no geological evidence indicates an organic soup, even a small organic pond, ever existed on this planet. It is becoming clear that however life began on earth, the usually conceived notion that life emerged from an oceanic soup of organic chemicals is a most implausible hypothesis. We may therefore with fairness call this scenario, 'the myth of the prebiotic soup'" (Thaxton, Bradley and Olsen)." {19}

2. Prebiotic Simulation Experiments

   All of the prebiotic simulation experiments have been influenced by the investigator to achieve the desired result either by using isolated energy sources, exaggerated levels of energy input, unrealistically purified reactants, removal of the product from the destructive effects of the energy source, or the use of implausible "photosensitizers" that absorb harmful sources of radiation.{20} Even if life is synthesized in the laboratory, it does not mean that it could have happened this way on the early earth.

3. Macromolecules to Cells

   The biggest chasm that must be crossed by chemical evolution scenarios is the assembly of biological macromolecules into a functioning, replicating cell.

   1. In order for DNA to be replicated, transcribed, and translated into protein, a host of specific proteins must already be present. It is a sophisticated "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" question.

      

   2. The odds of achieving a 101-amino-acid-specified-sequence protein in five billion years by shuffling the sequences of proteins contained in a layer around the earth one meter thick at a rate of 10¹⁴ per second is only 1/10⁴⁵. The chances of obtaining two thousand proteins by random shuffling is 1/10^40,000. There is a statistical probability that a pot of water will freeze when placed on a lighted stove, but it is not realistic{21}

   3. Since RNA has some catalytic properties, some researchers think that RNA may have come first. But RNA is difficult to synthesize under prebiotic conditions; it does not self-replicate easily; a key component-the, sugar ribose-inhibits RNA synthesis; and another crucial ingredient- phosphorous-is a rare substance in nature. Experiments simulating the early stages of the RNA world are too complicated to represent plausible prebiotic scenarios.{22}

4. Cell Complexity

   The cell is an extremely complex and highly ordered machine. Machines do not come about without a well-thought-out plan preceding them. Though there was plenty of energy available on the early earth, there was no mechanism to channel the energy into performing the work necessary to construct an ordered, complex, and specific machine.

   More than 30 years of experimentation on the origin of life in the fields of chemical and molecular evolution have led to a better perception of the immensity of the problem of the origin of life on earth rather than to its solution. At present all discussions on principal theories and experiments in the field either end in stalemate or in a confession of ignorance.{23}

5. Informational Codes

   Informational codes require intelligence to construct the code and to transmit the information from a source to a receiver. DNA is such a code. Therefore, its origin requires an initial creative intelligence.{24}

   1. The use of words such as code, transcription, and translation in reference to the structure and function of DNA are not just convenient analogies. These language terms accurately describe what is going on.

   2. information scientists have shown that informational codes do not arise from noise or by chance, but only from intelligence.

   3. Some level of order does arise in nature due to the physical properties of the matter involved. Ripples in the sand along a river bank result from the physical properties of the sand and moving water. If further down the river bank, however, we see "John Loves Mary" scratched in the sand, we intuitively understand that this did not occur naturally but is the result of intelligence communicating a message.

      God is not only eternal, omnipotent, and loving, but from a study of biochemistry and molecular biology, we see revealed His intelligence.

6. Discounting the Evidence

   Just as in the origin of the universe question, there will always be those who, because of their commitment to a naturalistic world view, will discount any evidence of the necessity of intelligence in the origin-of-life scenario. Stanley Miller, who agrees that the origin-of-life field needs a dramatic discovery to put a curb on the rampant speculation, was asked if he ever entertained the possibility that life was a miracle not reproducible by mere humans. Not at all, Miller replied, "I think we just haven't learned the right tricks yet.... When we find the answer, it will probably be so damned simple that we'll all say, 'Why didn't I think of that before?'"{25}