Scientists agree that most of our DNA does not code for protein. The question is whether this non-coding DNA is just useless junk left over from a very long line of evolution, or whether the non-coding DNA actually serves some useful purpose. The reason this question is important is that some vocal evolutionists have used the junk DNA theory to mock the idea that life was intelligently designed. If life was intelligently designed, why, they ask, would an intelligent designer spread so much useless junk throughout our genome?
The Myth of Junk DNA by Jonathan Wells (Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from U.C. Berkeley) cites hundreds of articles by over 1,000 scientists—many, if not most of whom are evolutionists—who are now saying that this so-called junk DNA is not junk after all. They are discovering that even though the “junk” DNA does not code for proteins, it does serve numerous other important functions in the cell (one scientist cited in this book “listed over 80 known functions for non-coding repetitive DNA”). The book also answers those who are still, despite the evidence, defending the junk DNA theory, some of whom seem to be not up to speed on the latest research and are just parroting outdated information.
It almost looks to me like a few evolutionist ideologues wanted the non-coding DNA to be junk so badly, they stopped looking for possible reasons for its existence. In other words, their faith-commitment to naturalist philosophy prevented them from pursuing scientific investigation into the possible purpose of non-coding DNA.
The Myth of Junk DNA is a short but excellent book. Highly recommended.
