Eggspanding on the video

 

At first glance, this question may seem like a bit of a silly one to ask in a discussion about Evolution VS. Creation. However, the reason we ask it is because egg laying, and the various other forms of reproduction, are irreducibly complex, and thus they simply cannot have evolved gradually.

 

First, I feel it is quite important to note that the actual species is irrelevant. It doesn't necessarily have to be a chicken. Obviously, Evolutionists believe egg laying evolved long before chickens. The leading theory is that birds are descended from dinosaurs, or that they at least share a common ancestor. That means the "egg came first, from a different species" answer is not a valid answer, as it does not understand the question. This is a genuine answer I have heard in the past, which is why I felt the need to adress it here.

 

The truth is, the question can be applied to any reproductive system, not just chickens. Not even egg layers exclusively. Rather, the question is one of irreducible complexity. Irreducible complexity is when, in order to function, a machine must have fully functional, interlinked parts in order to be successful. The famous example is a simple mouse trap. In order to function correctly, a mouse trap requires several basic componants. For example, it needs a board in order to hold all the other componants together. It needs a trigger, or it will not go off when the mouse enters the trap. It needs something to close, or the mouse will just take the bait and run off. Without these basic componants (and the others which were not mentioned), the mouse trap simply would not work.

 

The reproductive system of a chicken is much the same. There are several interlinked parts that are absolutely essential for the system to work. If these parts are not present, or are faulty, the chicken will not be able to successfully reproduce. Looking only at the female chicken, there are 7 vital parts of the reproductive system that need to be fully functional in order for the chicken to be able to reproduce. These parts are the ovary, the infundibulum, the magnum, the isthmus, the uterus, the vagina and the cloaca. Each of these parts play a different role in the reproductive system of the female chicken. Without the ovaries, for example, there can be no eggs in the first place.

 

Adding to the irreducible complexity of the female chicken's reproductive system, there is of course the male chicken (rooster), which must, of course, be compatible with the female chicken, or again reproduction cannot occur.

 

Misunderstanding the question, some Evolutionists point out that other reproductive systems do not have the same parts as the chicken's, and therefore you do not need all of the parts for the reproductive system to work. As an example, human beings do not have an infundibulum because we do not lay eggs, and thus there is no need to create yolk. In much the same way, chickens do lay eggs, so they do not need a womb in which to hold their chicks. However, this does not answer the problem, it only shifts it. As I pointed out, the chicken only puts a face on the problem, but the species is actually irrelevant, as we can apply it to all plant and animal reproductive systems, which are all irreducibly complex.

 

Ultimately, since Evolution requires reproduction to work, the origins of complex reproductive systems is an important question that Evolutionists absolutely must answer in order for their theory to be possible. On the other hand, the Bible gives a simple, more logical answer: The reproductive systems of all living beings were desinged by a very clever designer. Chickens, like all animals, were created with the ability and command to reproduce. Not just to reproduce, but to reproduce after their own kind. In other words, the only animal that can produce a chicken is a chicken, and a chicken can only produce a chicken. This fact is scientifically observable. There has never been a time (short of intelligent genetic manipulation, performed by human beings) when any animal has produced anything other than would be expected of its own kind.