King's Business - 1954-03

Out of the Lab

“ I Can’t Even Change M y Clothes!” F rom very early childhood all I have known is poverty and suffering. I was only five years old when I lost my parents. There was no one to care for me, no one to whom I could tell my troubles, no one to give me even a piece of bread. I just roamed the streets—in the morning I would be in one place, in the evening an­ other. Finally, a distant relative took me in, not for love, but to work as hard as I could for a few crusts of bread each day. I was soon so ex­ hausted that I contracted tuberculosis, just like thousands of other young people of Greece. “ The State provides hospitalization, but not the necessary drugs for my treatment. They have told me to get some streptomycin and Rimifon, but who will bring them to me? Who comes to see me? No one at all. I am all alone in the world and have noth­ ing. I do not even have a change of clothes, only the ones I am wearing. “ Please, won’t you take me, a poor orphan girl, to your heart and be my parents? I want to live, and shall be grateful to you all my life if you will rescue me.” —Katina (Katherine) Bakopoulou Katherine has thousands of broth­ ers and sisters in misery, and their letters reach us daily. To send this girl the help she needs would cost $25 for medicine, $6 for a clothing package and $10 for food. As God provides through His children we send them medicine, food, clothing, and above all the Word of God for their comfort. Our missionaries visit them where possible and seek to lead them to the Lord. In addition to this relief ministry God has entrusted to us an Orphanage whose little ones can be cared for by any of you for $15 each a month (picture and his­ tory on request); also a Christian Day School, a Macedonian Bible In­ stitute, a Christian Book Store in the heart of Athens, the support of 35 native Greek missionaries, qs well as a great Scripture distribution min­ istry and a growing publication work. Write for a free copy of our quar­ terly, the “ Greek Harvest Gleanings,” to: A m e r ic a n M issions to G reeks 156-5th Ave., New York 10, N.Y. Rev. Spiros Zodhiates, General Sec’y.

Donald S. Robertson, Ph.D. Chairman, Dept of Science, Biola Bible College

In the Beginning

I n a recent book by George Gamow, a theoretical physicist from George Washington University, entitled The Creation of The Universe (Published by Viking Press, New York, 1952), there is presented a semi-popular summary of scientific discoveries and theories which have led some scien­ tists to the conclusion that the uni­ verse had a beginning. Scientists have not always, believed this. Not very many years ago it was gener­ ally held that matter could not be created or destroyed. That is, matter was thought to be eternal and thus there could be no beginning. What are some of the reasons why the scientist had changed his mind? First of all, within recent years the atomic physicist has been able to demonstrate that matter is not eter­ nal by experimentally changing mat­ ter into energy. This is accomplished every time an atomic bomb is ex­ ploded. Then too, there has been ac­ cumulated evidence which indicates that there is a definite age to the universe which means there must have been a beginning. For exam­ ple it has been possible to estimate the age of rocks very accurately by the “radio active clock” method. This technique is based upon the observa­ tion that uranium, which is radio active, decays at a constant rate and as a result of this decay produces lead. This rate of decay is not in­ fluenced by temperature pressure or any other known factor. When rock is molten the uranium which it con­ tains can become separated from the Self-denial A few years ago I read Return to Religion by Link. The author was a great psychologist. For the last few years we have heard much from the psycholo­ gists about the danger of suppressed de­ sires. Young people have been taught that what they want they have a right to have. Parents have taken the bridle off youth. Modern education has said, “ Do as you please.” The world has waked up to find itself in the middle of a bad fix. It is refreshing to find an outstanding psycholo­

lead that is produced, but as soon as the rock solidifies then the lead will remain in association with the uranium. Now, by determining the ratio of uranium to lead in different rock samples and knowing the rate with which the uranium is decaying it is possible to determine how long ago the rock solidified. By applying this method scientists have determined the age of various rocks. The oldest have been found to be around two billion years old. Since this only tells us when the rocks solidified it gives us a minimal estimate of the earth’s age. Recent estimates as to the earth’s actual age have placed it at about 3.35 billion years. The scientist has also estimated the length of time it took for the moon to arrive at its present position in relation to the earth. The estimate is in the neigh­ borhood of four billion years. Then too, there are methods for estimating the age of the galactic systems in the universe; these estimates give an age of about 3.4 billion years. Thus at the present time some scientists are saying the evidence suggests that the whole universe had a definite be­ ginning about 3 to 4 billion years ago. What we want to emphasize here is not the estimated age but the fact that evidence of a definite age indi­ cates a beginnirtg. A beginning which the Christian knew about long be­ fore the scientist was able to estab­ lish the fact of a beginning, for the Scriptures proclaim that “ In the be­ ginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1.) END. gist come back to the old-time Christian philosophy which says, “ Deny yourself. Do what you ought to do whether you feel like it or not. Think of the other fellow. Learn obedience.” Link even accepts the old orthodox position of human depravity. He admits that man is really a fallen crea­ ture. He agrees that sin is really sin. Return to Religion is very comforting to some of us old-time parents who reared our children under the old-time methods of discipline and self-control. — Comments, Bob Jones Univ.

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THE KING'S BUSINESS

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