What Does NATURE Teach? (Taken from the September 2006 Awake!, Pages 4 to 8)
The Society kicks off this topic with the verse from Job which reads: "Ask, please, the domestic animals, and they will instruct you; also the winged creatures of the heavens, and they will tell you. Or show your concern to the earth, and it will instruct you; and the fishes of the sea will declare it to you." - Job 12:7, 8. - NWT.
The article then covers a montage of comparing various animal capabilities with what human designers and engineers have learned from them, and been able to copy them. Notably, the airplane is a copy of flight capability of birds. The Society also cites whale flippers and seagull wings to improve flight, and the sticking power of Gecko's feet that still puzzles scientists. The gist of using the verse the Society selects is that God's design in nature is so superior, that even intelligent humans look to nature to find help to make useful intelligent designs.
Here is the context of the verse selected, this time taking from Job 12: 1-10, King James Version:
[1] And Job answered and said,
[2] No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
[3] But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
[4] I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
[5] He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
[6] The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
[7] But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
[8] Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
[9] Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
[10] In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Notice how Job is tying in instruction from the animals and the earth as among those creatures and things that also suffer injustice, inequalities, unfairness by those that did nothing wrong, but whose existence (soul) is subject to the hand of the Lord (Yahweh) and in whose hand is every living thing, even the breath of all mankind. The verse has nothing to do with intelligent design, or learning intelligent processes in such as way so as to be able to copy the capabilities of animals. While we do learn from the capabilities of other creatures, they learn from us. So what? What benefit is it to lift a scripture out of context to say anything you want it to say?
Using the Society's logic in reverse, we can see how animals have learned from humans. Dogs and cats have learned how to use and flush toilets. Birds and chimps have learned how to talk. Animals can be trained to help police find drugs, or guard facilities, as well as lead the blind. There is a species of monkeys that have learned to use tools to make tools, and have complex social structures. Another species of monkeys understand comparative value. While fantastic as all this exchange of information, none of it has anything to do with the Bible at Job teaching us to study nature because of its supposed "intelligent design."
The punch line? Of course, the article gives God the credit for intelligent design, which obviously is going to be used to draw the "logical" conclusion that "thinking people" just understand that these things must be the work of an all wise and supremely intelligent God ... and thus, the JW is now subtly prepared to consider evolution as the 'theory' of worldly men who do not value God.
The lead in to the next article ask the question, "Did God Use Evolution to Create Life?" The lead in acknowledges that many sincere people who respect the Bible and believe in God make the argument that God used evolution to create the natural world. This is at least a fair statement consideration by the Society. So, in Part 3, I will parse this article to see how they develop the topic.
Jim Whitney