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science and the Bible by Bolton Davidheiser, Chairman, Science Division, Biola College I t is i m p l i e d in the title of a recent book* that science is returning to He points out that this cannot be, since the Bible says it was perfect. This demonstrates, he believes, that miracles must occur within the bounds of natural law.
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God. Because of the lack of precision with which words are frequently used in our times, it is necessary to ask if it is really the Christian God to whom science is returning. The answer seems to be the same which we re ceive from other sources: It is the God of “ increased religious belief’ and of “ increased church member ship.” The author says that there is evi dence on every hand that the con flict between Christianity and the the ory of evolution seems to be disap pearing. He then tells how the con flict is being resolved: “There are a great number of biologists who at least tentatively believe in evolution, but who nevertheless are active mem bers of Christian churches and find no problem at all. The general atti tude is that even if evolution were proved true, instead of making God unnecessary, it would merely show that this was the method God used.” This is theistic evolution. He states that his view of the Bi ble is “ the traditional, or conserva tive, view which claims that the Bible in its entirety is the word of God and, as such, is accurate in everything that it says in every branch of knowl edge, including science and history.” He holds rigidly to this position in showing that archeology has proved the Bible right in its encounter with the higher critics. In a sense, this is potentially more damaging to Chris tian faith than a book written by an admitted modernist, for Christian readers may be impressed with the testimony of his conservative position and with his treatment of the Bible’s accuracy in historical matters, and then conclude that they may trust ingly follow the argument of the book in the field of science. Concerning miracles, he says that if they break or interrupt natural law it means that the laws of nature or dained by God are not flexible enough for His purpose. He believes that this leads logically to the conclusion that the original creation was not perfect.
He notes a peril in explaining mir acles in the light of current scientific knowledge, since science may change its views, leaving the “ explanation” revealed as untrue. He says that this brings fresh discredit upon the mira cle, though it seems the correct state ment would be that it brings fresh discredit not upon the miracle but upon the miracle-explainer. Concerning the death of the first born in Egypt, he says it could have been caused by a number of diseases. However, he does not mention any disease which would destroy only the firstborn. Furthermore, there is the matter of the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites, which prevented the death of the firstborn in their homes. As to the ax head that floated, he admits we do not know the explana tion but offers three suggestions. It could have been composed of light material. But even aluminum is more than two and a half times as heavy as water, and furthermore aluminum was not known as a metal until 1825 A.D. If it had been made of a ma terial light enough to float, there would have been no problem in the first place. Secondly, he mentions chemicals in the water. The incident happened at the Jordan, but even the high concentration of chemicals in the Dead Sea will not float an ax head. In the third place, he says that rapidly moving water will bring even boulders to the surface. But if this were the explanation, it soon would have been far downstream, and it is stated that the ax head was re covered at the place where it fell into the water. With the increase of this sort of writing by authors who profess to be conservative Christians, the reader needs to be cautioned to become more discerning. *Science Returns to God, by James H. Jauncey. 119 pages; cloth; Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids; $1.95.
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MAY, 1962
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