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THE BIBLE ON THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE (Investigator 46, 1996 January)
ARCHAEOLOGY. In his book The
Archaeology of Bible Lands
(1977) M Magnussen wrote:
"…there is a
not a
single contemporary
reference to David or Solomon in the many neighbouring countries which
certainly were keeping written records during the tenth century. At a
time
when the
Bible tells us that Solomon created a major Empire in the Middle East, none of his contemporaries, not even the Phoenicians, apparently noticed the fact." (p. 155) In 1993 a ninth century B.C. inscription on basalt reading in part "House of David" was found in north Israel. Another debate
is the date
of the original
composition of the Gospel of Matthew. New research could push this back
to before 70 A.D. (TIME 1995 Jan. 23)
ASTRONOMY. In the 1970s I
got a
reduced grade in a university
science essay for suggesting that impacts of asteroids affected Earth's
geology and evolution. This seemed contrary to
"Uniformitarianism".
My reference was Bombarded Earth (1964). In Genesis 1:2 we can
translate
"spirit of God" as "wind of God". (Compare Gen. 8:1) This figure of
speech
refers to an exceptionally powerful wind. This granted, the description
of Earth in Genesis 1 as empty, water-covered, dark, lifeless and
windswept
then corresponds with the effects of a major asteroid impact in an
ocean.
See details in Investigator 38.
After 1980 the
idea of
asteroid impacts became
common science. (D Steele 1995 Rogue Asteroids And Doomsday Comets;
See also Investigator 43, pp 20-24)
GENETICS. The science of
Genetics
reveals that many
behaviours about which moral judgments are made, have a genetic basis
which
predisposes persons to those behaviours. For example, alcoholism,
aggression,
gambling, homosexuality, adultery, etc.
The Bible explains that "sin" began in one man and spread to all (Romans 5:12) and makes many: "do what I do not want." (7:15-20) It's: "in my flesh." Death in humans,
according
to the Bible,
also began "through one man". The implication could be there are genes
or interactions of genes which cause death and so death could be
preventable
theoretically.
HUMAN ORIGINS/ANTHROPOLOGY. The Bible
teaches that all
humans descend
from two original humans. (Acts 17:26; Genesis 3:20) The scientific
theory
of a "Mitochondrial Eve" now has a counterpart with the possibility of
an original "Adam". (New Scientist 1995 June 3)
Time (Australia) commented: "Scientists
have dealt a
blow to the idea
that modern humans arose simultaneously in different parts of the
world."
(June 5 p. 23)
Scientists also teach that modern humans started off in Africa, but the Bible says Asia. (Genesis 2) The pendulum could soon swing on this question. MEDICINE/PSYCHIATRY. Do you want to
be healthy?
Yes keep your
balanced diet but also do good to others, be altruistic. Readers
Digest
had an article: The healing power of doing good. (1990
February)
This idea is flowing on into psychiatry (Juan, S 1990 Only Human p.
81)
Helping others helps yourself!
The wisdom of
the Bible,
we're told, promotes
"long life" and "healing". (Proverbs 3:16; 4:22) That wisdom
includes
altruism – I Thessalonians 5:15, Luke 10:29-37. Another
reference
is American Health 1988 March.
MEDICAL SCIENCE & MORAL VALUES. Over the
centuries
sexually transmitted diseases
were among the greatest killers of humans. The Bible gave warning – see
Romans 1:24-32; Proverbs 5:1-14. Science confirmed the risks.
The 1994 film Philadelphia
was sympathetic
to homosexuals. Andrew Becker played a sodomite lawyer and got an Oscar
from Hollywood. The film had 53 sodomite actors of whom 43 died of AIDS
within a year.
THEOLOGY. The Documentary
Hypothesis
which seeks to
analyse the Pentateuch according to sources, commenced with Jean Astruc
(1684-1766). Recent research suggests that numerous scholars were
mistaken
and: "The Documentary Hypothesis must be abandoned." (Rethinking
Genesis D Garrett 1991 p. 32)
A long article
on this
topic is in preparation.
ZOOLOGY. The anticipated revision of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the hearing ability of cobras (Psalm 58) remains in abeyance. (Investigator, 38 pp 32-33) *** The Bible quotes Jesus: "Thy Word is truth." Accumulating evidence suggests these words might be completely objective! (A)
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