Filed under: Apologetics, General, Gospel | Tags: cellular protein, Christianity, laminin, religion
Previously mostly only known to scientists, laminin is an important cellular protein that provides for the molecular binding of our cells. Ok, ho hum… At present though, due to the increasingly popularity of Louie Giglio’s ‘How Great is Our God’ presentation and DVD, laminin has become somewhat of a fad amongst evangelicals. If you’re not entirely sure why, do a web image search for laminin and you’ll soon see. Diagrammatically the four strands or arms of the protein are often shown in the shape of a cross. This alone is enough to prompt many evangelicals jump up and down. However when you come to understand the nature and function of laminin there may well be more (genuine) cause for excitement. For a very basic explanation we turn to Wikipedia and read:
Laminin is vital to making sure that your overall body structures hold together. If laminin isn’t produced correctly, your muscles may form improperly, giving you a form of muscular dystrophy.
As Louie correctly notes in his talk, this is a brilliant illustration of the nature of Christ as described in Colossians 1:17 - “… in him all things hold together.”
That the protein is usually depicted in the cross shape is merely coincidental and more than likely just an easy way to draw a cross section of the 4 strands that make up the protein. What laminin does demonstrate is though, is, in the same way that our cells cannot be properly held together without laminin, by extrapolation, our entire life and existence becomes impossible without Christ. And seeing how Colossians 1:16 tells us “all things were created through him and for him” then this applies as equally to laminin as it does to you and I.
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Thanks for the article. Actually the cross shape of laminin shown in diagrams is not for the sake of convenience, but is the actual shape (more or less) of the molecule itself. In his presentation (~6:40) , Giglio shows an slide taken from an electron microscope of the actual molecule.
Comment by Wyatt Roberts May 17, 2008 @ 1:49 amCheers.
Comment by albyg May 17, 2008 @ 8:13 amMany non-Christian scientists also refer to the structure as the “Laminin X”.
Regardless, the functionality of the protein points to Christ - as does all creation - it’s just that this little piece of creation has a louder voice
Hello!
Comment by Stephen Archer June 3, 2008 @ 9:13 pmI think there is a danger here.
There is emergent theologies that are getting into the church that would thrive on this especially Rick Warren, Doug Pagitt, Brian McLaren and others, who believe that God is everything and God is in everything. In other words, it would play right into the hands of panentheism. I am not descrediting the ’shape’ of this molecule in any way and I find it quite ironic that God could use His own creation to give people over to a lie that they want to believe. Only God, who is invisible, who is not His creation, who is apart from His creation, but nevertheless Omnipresent in His creation and outside of it, can get the glory. We are not to find anything, molecule, particle, anything tangent or something that can be ’seen’ in creation, that deserves any glory whatsoever. We can only measure what we believe by what the Word of God says: this our ONLY rule for life and faith in Him.
Regards
Stephen
Thanks Stephen.
Comment by albyg June 3, 2008 @ 11:01 pmCreation shows God’s handiwork - that’s why I noted “this is a brilliant illustration of the nature of Christ”.
It’s only an illustration - anything more has the dangers you mentioned.
That’s why I shy away from the overly excessive fascination some have made with the Giglio talks. Other scientists refer to it as an “X” so it is not a definitive, infallible testimony of the gospel - only scripture provides this.