NewsWatch

Arachnid Origin—WGD (What God Did)

ICR.org, 3/10/25, “Arachnid Origin—WGD (What God Did)” [Excerpts]:Where did spiders (arachnids) come from? What was their origin? Clearly, the fossil record shows spiders have always been spiders, along with other chelicerates (a subphylum of the arthropods).

The alleged evolution of the chelicerates (i.e., Arachnida) has recently become complex and problematic. According to [an article] in the Annual Review of Entomology, the “longstanding hypotheses and textbook scenarios of chelicerate evolution, such as the monophyly [creatures sharing a single common ancestry rather than being a polyphyletic group] of Arachnida and a single colonization of land by the common ancestor of arachnids, have come into contention.” Agreed. The first problem is the common ancestor of arachnids has never been discovered. Creationists predict such a creature never will be found.

Dr. Gavish-Regev stated, “The idea that all arachnids share a single terrestrial ancestor has been widely accepted for decades, but the latest molecular evidence and a different interposition of some homologies points to a more complex scenario.”

[Another writer] Dr. Gajbhiye reported on Earth.com that whole-genome duplication (WGD or polyploidization) might have played a role in arachnid evolution.

However, a new study presents a different picture, suggesting that this transition [of arachnids moving from water to land] happened multiple times rather than once. The research also highlights the role of whole-genome duplication in shaping key traits in spiders and scorpions, particularly silk production and venom synthesis.

There are serious scientific problems with the alleged “ancient” duplication of the entire genome of an organism (WGD). Such an event in most animals would lead to genomic instability, disruptions in cellular metabolism and harmful effects on the organism’s overall viability.

https://bit.ly/44ncyt8

The way of the leaders of Hamas and Hizbullah…is very far from Allah

Memri.org, 3/20/25, “Palestinian Journalist: The Way of the Leaders of Hamas, Hizbullah and the Entire Resistance Axis Is Very Far from Allah and Leads Only to Death” [Excerpts]:In a February 26, 2025 article on the Elaph website, Palestinian journalist Majdi Al-Wahhab slammed the leaders of Hamas, Hizbullah and the entire resistance axis, stating that only getting rid of them will save the Arab nation from the situation it has reached. These leaders, he says, purport to raise the banner of resistance and liberation, but actually lead only to destruction and death. They also pretend to champion Islam, but are actually far removed from the righteousness and the compassion that characterize this religion.

Focusing on Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, both of whom were killed by Israel in the course of the war, Al-Wahhab points to the discrepancy between their names and their deeds: The name Nasrallah means “Allah’s victory,” but Nasrallah and his organization are “very far from Allah, from His Names and from His attributes,” and the name Yahya means “he will live,” but the path of Hamas and the resistance axis leads only to death.

These leaders, says Al-Wahhab, should be stripped of their names, for they are not worthy of them. He calls on the successors of Nasrallah and Sinwar to learn from the ways of the donkeys, who know how to overcome obstacles and difficulties, and exhorts them to lead their people to “a safe haven, far from wars and destruction.”

https://bit.ly/43tl0pO

Pro-Israel and Questioning Transgenderism 

TheCollegeFix.com, 3/19/25, “Conservative student under investigation for pro-Israel pamphlets, questioning transgenderism” [Excerpts]: The president of Davidson College’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF)—who has received death threats from peers for criticizing abortion—was recently told she likely violated the school’s Code of Responsibility for distributing pro-Israel materials.

Mak Tompkins, Davidson’s director of student rights and responsibilities, wrote in the disciplinary letter that the accusations were examples of misconduct because they allegedly include “misinformation” and could foster Islamophobia and transphobia.

https://bit.ly/4k4CDlq