SCIENCE & THE BIBLE by Bolton Davidheiser, PhD ., Chairman o f the Science Division, Biola College
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T h e Lord’s people in Old Testament times were not permitted to have their children pass through the fire, a heathen p r a c t i c e associated with idolatry. Perhaps the closest thing to this today is firewalking, which has not yet been adequately explained on a scientific basis. Those who practice it attribute their ability to super natural aid, and if this is so we may assume it is diabolical. In Polynesia, firewalkers step on rocks which are placed among the logs before the fire is started. Else where rocks are not used. Some fire- walkers hurry, while others walk deliberately. Many repeat the walk several times during the same cere mony. Calloused feet would hardly seem to offer effectual protection, and besides, at least one group of firewalk ers is composed of people who at other times habitually wear shoes. Fire walking while wearing stockings ap pears to be quite uncommon but it has been done, and upon examination of the stockings later, they were found to be smudged with charcoal but not burned. It has been suggested that successful firewalkers are small people who step lightly, but the Spanish firewalkers will not venture into the fire unless carrying another person on their shoulders. Some even carry two pas sengers. In Malaya, some carry heavy idols, and one such walker who was oberved to sink into the embers to his ankles was afterward examined and found to have charcoal still adhering to his ankles but with no sign of bum anywhere. S o m e work themselves into an ecstacy; others do not. At some places it is customary to prepare for the cere mony by fasting, while at other places there is no special preparation. In some localities only those who pre pare, walk safely through the fire; while elsewhere a leader may by vir tue of his own preparation invite any one else to walk. On different occa sions in Polynesia, an American man and an English woman reluctantly accepted the invitation. Their descrip tions of the experience are essentially
the same. The woman said, “ . . . amid shouts of joy from all the natives, I stepped down into that glowing pit. Never could I have imagined such tre mendous heat with no attendant pain. . . . Flames could be seen licking the red hot stones below me and my face, hands, arms, and legs seemed to be on fire. I never knew it could take so long to walk 20 feet. What relief, finally, to reach the other end and take a long breath of cool air. My feet showed no signs of bum, although they did seem unusually hot for several hours. I had crossed the fiery pit unharmed.” 1 There are two groups of firewalkers who consider themselves to be Chris tians. In Macedonia the archbishop permits firewalking once a year and a priest blesses the ikons which the participants carry. The ceremony occurs at the time of the feast day of Constantine and his mother. Constan tine was the Roman emperor who was influential in making Christianity the state religion, thereby placing ene mies of Christ and other non-believers inside the nominal church. His mother is noted for allegedly finding the cross upon which Christ was crucified. Such a relic would indeed have consider able historic interest, but religious relics tend to divert attention from that which is essential, and to many the cross has become a fetish replac ing the power of the risen Lord. At San Pedro, Spain, the ceremony is performed to fulfill vows to the virgin Mary and the time is the eve of the feast day of John the Baptist. It is thought to be a continuation of ancient fire ceremonies to a sun god, performed for purification. The asso ciation of baptism with purification seems to have been the reason for the selection of this particular day for the firewalk. Unfortunately there are also many others who consider themselves to be Christians who have not received the gospel message that it is only the blood of Christ, shed vicariously in atoning sacrifice, which cleanses from sin and saves from the fire which can not be quenched. 'Travel, February, 1953, page 22.
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