Is Your Bladder Proof of God's Existence?

I will never forget the look on the faces of the students before me. I was speaking to the secondary students of Covenant Christian School -- 7th through 12th graders -- and I'd just said the "B" word. Yep. You heard me right. The "B" word: Bladder.

A few turned to their neighbors and cupped their hands in hushed whispers. I could almost imagine their brief questions: "Did he just say, 'bladder'?"

That's right.

There are a lot of very complex systems in the body, such as the cardio, pulmonary, endocrine, nervous and circulatory systems - just to name a few. Christians over the centuries I'm sure have pointed to these complex internal workings and said things such as, "The complexity of this system surely points to a Creator." or "This stuff just couldn't have evolved." And I'd be right there with them on those subjects. (Incidentally, the eye's tear drainage system has always fascinated me, but I'll save that for another article.)

Complex and interacting stuff in the body abounds! But what about the "simple" stuff of our bodies? What about the things that we don't often think about. What about the simple item known as your bladder?

"Did he just say the "B" word again?"

Yup.

The bladder - A Convenience Item?

When I first started thinking about this (preposterous?) idea, it kept coming back to me: What 'life essential task' does the bladder provide? Does it pump blood like the heart? Create biochemicals like the liver? Does it help us see or improve our hearing? Do we think better because we have one?

For those of you wondering about the scientific explanation, your bladder is part of the urinary system. In a healthy person, your blood is pumped throughout the body, bringing nutrients to cells and carrying away waste products such as urea and ammonia. The kidneys have a primary role in producing urine, but also work with homeostatic functions such as regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance and blood pressure. Urine produced by the kidneys trickles down from each via the ureter - a tube-like object -- and empties into the urinary bladder. The bladder slowly fills and eventually reaches a point where it signals your brain saying, "Hey, you've got to go!" The urine then passes outside the body via the urethra.

Ok, so there you go. The technological side of things, so to speak.

But, why in the world do we need a bladder?

Let's say, just hypothetically, that we live in a world with no bladders. Our ureters exit right from the kidneys to the outside of your body. Can you imagine such a thing? I'm sure that life without a bladder would certainly lead to a radical different wardrobe, if not lifestyle. We'd most likely all be wearing diapers of some sort, right? But that would probably just seem normal. After all, we would have all grown up just knowing that everyone was a "dribbler" and that's just the way it is. It wouldn't seem unusual; just the norm. The wealthy would surely have fancier "dribbler catchers" than the poor, but would anyone really question the whole setup? We dribble; that's how everyone is. End of story. (On a slightly humorous side note, this could bring a whole new meaning to 'double dribbling' in basketball!)

Ok, back to reality. In healthy adults, we don't usually dribble. Dribbbling is not what we find here on planet earth. Instead, there is this very convenient pouch, a bag of sorts, really. It slowly fills up, and at the convenient time we get to empty it.

How does something like a bladder evolve?

I would imagine that evolutionists (yep, used to even be one) have to go with this line of thinking: When animals and humans first began to appear, and they developed urinary systems, it was important that they not be dribblers. Dribbling urine would allow predators to track them down via scent... and, uh, eat them. So, they began to "hold it" to keep the jackals and T-rexes away. Eventually, over time, those "holding it" moments backed up the flow of urine and resulted in a small pouch. Bing! You've got a bladder.

So, if that's to be believed, then how come regular moviegoers don't have monstrous, football-sized bladders? Come on, you know what I'm talking about. You head down to your local cinema to watch that new Lord of Rings extended edition movie with its running time of 9-1/2 hours (yes, I know I'm exaggerating, but it sure would be cool!). What do you do first? Concession stand, of course! One trashcan sized bag of buttered popcorn, a jumbo box of Jr. Mints, and a 128 oz Mega Gulp drink later, and you're ready to cheer on Middle Earth. But what happens about mid-way through the movie? That's right. Mr. Mega Gulp is letting you know you're going to have to duck out of the theater pretty soon. So, what do you do? If you're like me, you try to ignore it. Not now, bladder! Legolas is close to taking down the enemy! But that can only go on for so long. Pretty soon you've got to 'hobbit' on down the aisle, all the while hoping you don't miss some crucial scene or action.

If the evolutionary processes were fully kicking here, wouldn't we all have gallon-sized bladders? Able to hold it for days? Weeks? Or, at least big enough to make it through a Spiderman, X-men and Iron Man Marvel Comics movie marathon? (We pause now for a science "did you know" infomercial: The normal adult bladder (a full one, that is) is about the size of a softball. This size will put serious constraints on your ability to ride out a movie marathon if you consume copious and bountiful amounts of fluid. You have been warned. We now resume our regularly scheduled article)

So there it is --- the "B" word.

By the way, if you're still reading, I'm really going to award you a "B" for keeping up with this story. Send me some Jr. Mints, and I'll even upgrade you to an "A"!

Why do you have a bladder?

The answer is over in Genesis 1:26-27... and in Colossians 1:16-17. You have a bladder because God gave you a bladder. It's not a dirty word. Sure, you might think it performs some not-so-clean tasks, but that's what it was designed to do.

So the next time when you think that "Mother Nature" is calling, maybe it'd be better, and wiser, to thank "Father God" for His creativity instead.

Your bladder.

What an awesome convenience item.

© Copyright 2010 - Ron Masters