Should Pluto be a Planet? Conclusion, Part 2

 

By Clint Bishard

Jesus Created Ministries

 

From the list of reasons I discussed last week, I am inclined to exclude Pluto from planetary status. Instead, from a design perspective, I think that Neptune was originally created at the 9th predicted orbit and has somehow moved slightly inward to where it now lies. This would leave Pluto and the other Kuiper Belt objects as a remnant of whatever happened to cause this move of Neptune from its original position.

Interestingly, a recent study has found that of the four gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune), the first three have a consistent ratio of the total mass of their moons to the mass of the respective planet. Specifically, the total mass of Jupiter’s moons is 1/10,000 of the mass of Jupiter itself, and this is the same ratio for Saturn and Uranus.[1] However, Neptune does not follow this pattern. Instead, Neptune has one very large dominating moon, Triton, that even some secular scientists believe was somehow captured by Neptune and disrupted its previous moon system.[2]

Maybe Pluto and the other Kuiper Belt objects are the remnants of Neptune’s destroyed moon system. This past event could have been the cause of Neptune’s move away from its original position. It could even be that Triton is a lost moon or fragment of the previously discussed planet that blew up in the past. Additionally, the fact that Triton rotates in a retrograde motion around Neptune may be an additional indicator that it is a captured satellite of Neptune after its creation. Lastly, if all of the gas giants, including Neptune, where originally created with a moon to planet mass ratio of 1/10,000th, this would be consistent with the God of order and purpose described in the Bible and another indicator of the original design.

I must caution that this proposed past relationship between Neptune and Pluto should not be taught dogmatically – along with many aspects of historical science. Instead, it only points to the great need for more people to be actively studying God’s creation from a Biblical perspective to help clarify the picture of our solar system in light of God’s revelation. For too long, we have let science be highjacked away from its Biblical roots and into the abyss of philosophical humanism that denies the historical record of the Bible.

In conclusion, our original question starting this series asked “Pluto, did God make nine?” planets. As you have seen from this series, this creationist’s viewpoint is that God did originally make nine planets in a once perfectly created solar system. Unfortunately, one of the original nine planets appears to have exploded in the past, and Pluto is likely a result of catastrophe rather than one of the originally created planets. So for those Pluto sympathizers wanting planetary status for Pluto – they have little support from me – as if anyone in the scientific community is listening to this creationist anyway!

God created our solar system with order and a purpose. The Biblical creationist should find comfort that what we find in our solar system is consistent with what God has revealed to us in His Word concerning a supernatural creation of the solar system followed by a possible catastrophe(s). Our solar system bodies do not represent the accretion of dust and gas out of chaos over a process of millions/billions of years as taught by the secular nebular hypothesis. Our solar system was created supernaturally by an infinite Creator.

“For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth…By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Ps 33:4, 6, & 9, NKJV)