Science! In the Bible?

"Science derives its power and persuasiveness from the fact that its assertions can be checked against the real world--unlike the assertions of religion, art, and other modes of knowledge." (Lynn Margulis of the University Massachusetts at Amherst, as quoted on p. 130, in The End of Science, a book by John Horgan.) THE QUOTE YOU JUST READ     verbalizes a common sentiment     shared by many scientists today. Many of them view Science as the only source and champion of the truth.   Religious books, such as the Bible, are often viewed as a collection of myths and superstitious claims, voided of any working knowledge of how the universe truly functions. However, such sentiments are often based on ignorance of what the Bible actually teaches.   Jesus Christ encountered a similar ignorance in His own day, to which He replied, "YE DO ERR, NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES, nor the power of God."   Mat. 22:29 Let's read some of the "unrealistic" claims, casually sprinkled throughout the Bible's narrative: ■ Isa. 40:22 "It is he that sitteth upon THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH."    What is the assertion here?   Can it be "checked against the real world"?   Is the earth square, rectangular, trapezoidal, or shaped like a circle?   This Bible assertion AGREES with the real world. ■ Job 26:7 "He stretched out the north over the empty place, and HANGETH THE EARTH UPON NOTHING."

Is the assertion here that the earth is sitting upon a giant turtle?   No!   When checked against the real world, the "nothing" referred to here, is obviously space. ■ Isa. 45:12 "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have STRETCHED OUT THE HEAVENS, and all their host have I commanded."    Are the heavens "stretching out," as galaxies "fly" way from one another? Does science assert an expanding universe? Well, so does the Bible!   "Thus saith the LORD; IF HEAVEN ABOVE CAN BE MEASURED..." Jer. 31:37 ■ Gen. 15:5 "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able TO NUMBER THEM."    Does science, with its modern means of detection, assert that there are more stars than meet the naked eye?   So does the Bible!   Jer. 33:22 "As the host of heaven CANNOT BE NUMBERED." ■ 1 Cor. 15:41 "...for one star DIFFERETH FROM ANOTHER star in glory."    Science now asserts that no two stars are exactly alike.   And so does the Bible. ■ Job 38:19 "Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof."    This verse would make little sense, sounding almost poetic, unless you check it against the real world and discover that light dwells in no one place--it's constantly moving, behaving wavelike.   Yet, each wave propagates in a given direction--"a way." Darkness, likewise, has no "dwelling place," being merely the absence of light.

JOB 28:25 "To make the WEIGHT FOR THE     WINDS; and he weigheth the waters by     measure."    A poetic statement, or does air exert weight? Science asserts that air can be weighed, since air molecules have mass. ■ Gen. 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."    In the spirit of reductionism, science has reduced the universe into three fundamental components--time, matter, and space.   This verse reveals the same three components: "In the beginning [TIME] God created the heaven [SPACE] and the earth [MATTER]." ■ John 4:24 "God is a Spirit," cross referenced with, 1 Cor. 15:44 "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."    The Bible makes a distinction between the spiritual realm (often thought of as hyper- dimensional), and the natural realm.   It never claims that God is part of the natural realm; He is described as being outside of nature.   With that in mind, the first law of thermodynamics states that matter-energy can neither be created nor destroyed naturally.   But since the natural universe is generally considered closed, where did all its energy come from?   The Bible resolves this dilemma by stating that all this energy came from outside the natural realm.   It was created by God, who being a Spirit, exists OUTSIDE the natural realm.   "For by him were ALL THINGS CREATED....and by him ALL THINGS CONSIST."   Col. 1:16-17 ■ Isa. 51:6 "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner:"    The second law of thermodynamics states that all the useful energy in the universe (considered a closed system) is running down, slowly dissipating into "useless" background

radiation--a.k.a. Heat Death!   In essence, "the heavens shall vanish away like smoke."   The second law also defines positive Entropy, the measure of disorder; the degradation of matter and energy, causing the earth to "wax old like a garment."   Our own PHYSICAL bodies are also wearing out.   Therefore we, "shall die in like manner."   The Bible asserts Entropy, stating that everything in the natural realm is under "the bondage of CORRUPTION."   Rom. 8:21    NOTE: even though the earth is an open system, bathed in the sun's energy, it is still    wearing down toward disorder.    "Openness" is not enough.   You need    an energy-conversion mechanism, a    means of redirecting all that energy    toward "upward growth."   The only    non-man-made mechanism capable of    such "negative Entropy" is LIFE!       This brings us to the next verse. .    .    ■ Gen. 2:7 "And the LORD God    formed man of the DUST OF THE    GROUND, and breathed into his nostrils THE BREATH OF LIFE; and man became a living soul."    The first half of this verse says the human body was formed out of the "DUST OF THE GROUND."   Science has shown that our physical bodies share some of the same elements found in dirt.   The Bible states that our physical bodies are subject to positive Entropy.   "...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. 3:19).   [See also 1 Cor. 15:52-56]    The second part of the verse, "and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life," reveals the fact that all the necessary chemicals in the right proportion are still not enough to produce life--you need a "spark," what the Bible calls, "the breath of life."   This "spark," the catalyst behind life's negative Entropy, must come from outside a natural realm that only knows positive Entropy.   The breath of life comes from God, a Spirit--from outside the natural realm. ■ Eccl. 1:7 "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence

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These verses
could have easily
prompted the
ancient scientists,
pointing them,
early on, in the
right direction.

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the rivers come, THITHER THEY RETURN AGAIN."    The water cycle is alluded to here, as well as in the next verse . . . ■ Job 36:27-28 "For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to THE VAPOUR thereof: Which the clouds do drop and DISTIL [condense] upon man abundantly."    In other words, the condensation of the evaporated water contained in the atmosphere becomes rain. ■ Eccl. 1:6 "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it WHIRLETH ABOUT CONTINUALLY, and the wind returneth again ACCORDING TO HIS CIRCUITS."    Here, the Bible is describing convection currents in the atmosphere. ■ Psa. 8:8 "The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the PATHS OF THE SEAS."    The major sea lanes and currents were charted within several years of Oceanographer Matthew Fountain Maury reading this verse. ■ Prov. 6:6-8 "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider HER ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the HARVEST."    Not only are the workers in an ant colony female, but in 1871 a British naturalist showed that ants actually harvest grain. After leading the Jews from Egyptian     captivity, God gave them the following promise: "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and....give ear to his COMMANDMENTS, and keep all his statutes, I will put NONE OF THESE DISEASES UPON THEE" (Exo. 15:26).   Was God threatening them with a curse?   At first, it sounds that way until one realizes that God's "COMMANDMENTS" contained proper hygienical practices.    For example, the next two verses warn against salmonella contamination:

■ Lev. 11:34 "Of all meat which may be eaten [yet uncooked], that on which such water cometh [makes contact with] shall be unclean [considered contaminated]: and all drink that may be drunk in every such [contaminated] vessel shall be unclean." ■ Lev. 11:35 "And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase [dead uncooked animal] falleth [i.e. makes contact with] shall be unclean [considered contaminated]; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down [destroyed]: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you." ■ Lev. 15:13 "...and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh IN RUNNING WATER, and shall be clean."    Not standing water, mind you, where germs can hang around and spread to someone else. ■ Num. 31:23 "Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it GO THROUGH THE FIRE, AND IT SHALL BE CLEAN: nevertheless it shall be PURIFIED with the water of separation [clean water]: and all that abideth not the fire YE SHALL MAKE GO THROUGH THE WATER."    Eating utensils were to be first sterilized with fire if they could withstand the heat.   In any case, they were to be rinsed in clean water. ■ Lev. 6:28 "But the earthen vessel [clay pot] wherein it is sodden [cooked] SHALL BE BROKEN: and if it be sodden [cooked] in a brazen pot [metallic pot], it shall be both scoured [polished], and rinsed in water."    Clay pots used for cooking could develop cracks, trapping salmonella.   Therefore, they were to be destroyed after use. There are many more examples showing that Biblical assertions "CAN be checked against the real world."   One can only imagine how further ahead science might be, had it not made the assumption expressed in Ms. Margulis's quote. Please take the time to read the back; find out what the Bible also has to say about death . . .

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE you would go to Heaven?   The Bible says YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13). BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you from going to Heaven are your sins, because: "...your iniquities [sins] have separated between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2. In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. SECONDLY, you must realize that there is NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."   (Eph. 2:8-9)   Baptism, good deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are all examples of good works that cannot save you, because, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he [Christ] saved us," Titus 3:5. THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   (John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."   Romans 5:8-9 THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.   "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   Romans 10:9 SEND THE LIGHT P.O. Box 815   Fargo, ND 58107

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