The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel
Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Origin of Life: Chicken, Egg, and DNA
Read Chapter 4 of The Case for a Creator (Student Edition). Key passages: Psalm 139:13–16; John 1:3–4.
Previewing Week 5 of The Case for a Creator
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 9-week guide when you’re ready.
Even if you grant a finely tuned universe, a massive question remains: How did life begin from non-life? Strobel digs into the staggering complexity of DNA and asks whether chance is a satisfying answer.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Strobel describes DNA as a 'language' — an information-rich code that carries the instructions for every living organism. What makes the DNA analogy to a language or a library so striking? What does the presence of complex, specified information imply about its origin?
2.Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the DNA double helix and a committed atheist, admitted that the origin of life seemed 'almost a miracle.' Why is it significant that even a scientist who did *not* want to believe in God found the complexity of life so staggering? What does his admission suggest?
3.The Miller-Urey experiment (1953) was once celebrated as evidence that life could arise naturally from chemicals. Strobel examines why scientists have since concluded it falls far short of explaining the origin of life. What were its limitations? What does it show — and what does it leave unexplained?