February 1943
45
. .! and Science
Q. Will you furnish some specific Instances? A. Yes. The Geological Eras are the Archeozoic, the Proterozoic, the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, the Cenozoic, and the Psychozoic. They provide a perfect pattern for the content mat ter of the Mosaic account of creation. The order is identical. Botany divides all plant life into the Thallophytes, the Bryophytes, the Pteridophytes, the Spermatophytes, with their Gymno- sperms and Angiosperms. This is the exact order of the Mosaic outline of Botany. Q. What élément in science helps to establish faith? A. While faith comes by the Word of God, the world of God reflects that Word. He “bringeth out their host by number"' (Isa. 40:26). The mathe matical background of Nature, t h e “law of octaves,” percentage compo sition, all indicate a mental concept. That calls for personality. That pre sents to us God. Q. Why then do many of our sclen-' tists fail to see God in Nature? A. Many see the accidents instead of the patterns. Q. Are there accidents in Nature? A. Yes; I take them to be the evi dences of the blight of the curse, since man sinned. Q. I have avoided the s t udy of science because I feared it would rob me of my faith in God’s Word. Now I am beginning to think this is a mis take. What do you think? A. Our faith is not founded on avoidance of facts. “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). A knowledge of science together with your knowledge of the Bible would enable you to help those in scientific difficulties. Q. Why do so few of our leading educators and ministers encourage the correlatioh of science and religion? [Continued on Page 78] graduated from the Texas State Universityrwith highest honors, and was e l e c t e d to Phi Beta Kappa. He was made a member also of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Texas A c a d emy of Science. Mr. Sanden was graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in 1923. He is a graduate of Austin Presbyterian Theologi cal Seminary of Austin, Texas.
By O. E. SANDEN
they are surprisingly receptive to the appeal of the gospel. The next best place is the Army centers. Q. Whot type of appeal do you find most effective? A. The use of scientific concepts to illustrate spiritual truths ■seems to work most readily. The student hears “in his own tongue’’ the wonderful works,of God. Q. What is the advantage of using science? -A. To many students the Bible is an unknown Book. M o s t students h a v e had some science. Strangely enough, science is saying the very t h i n g s the Scriptures have always held. For instance, one of the most prevalent bits of medical counsel given today is that of the rest cure. After citing a number of illustrations of how health is restored by the sim ple process of complete rest and relax ation, it is then quite easy to proceed to such texts as, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength"' (Isa. 40:31). Or, for example, the subject can be a p p r o a c h e d from the inorganic sciences: One of the most well-known words among present-day students is “parallax,” which is an astronomical term, indicating a geometrical shift ing of the base. A still more modern expression is the “Variable” s t a r s . These are caused by partial or total eclipses. After discussing these for a while, I turn to James 1:17, “The Father of lights, with whom is no variableness [Greek: “Paralogia” ], neither shadow of turning [eclipse].” There is neither a shifting of the base nor a blackout in God! At once I have the attention of those who are surprised to find such expressions in the Bible. Q. Do you regard the Bible as a textbook on science? A. 1 do not so regard it. But where- ever it touches on “ earthly Things,” it speaks the truth. Q. Which scientific study is most usually calculated to destroy faith? A. None in particular, but rather any interpretation that robs God of
His creative power and of His glory. Q. Why do so many science stu dents seem to lose their faith in the Bible? A. Because of ignorance of what the Bible actually teaches. Q. What do you consider the great est çtumblingblock to an uncondi tional acceptance of the Bible as the Word of Gbd? A. Preconceived notions about the Bible, as for example, “that the world was made 4,000 B. C.” The Bible says, “In the beginning God created.” Q. What scientific studies have tended to confirm your faith in the Bible as the inspired Word of God? A. To quote from my pamphlet No. 2, “This is not to say that I look upon the Bible as ‘a textbook of science,’ nor do I regard the various authors of the Bible as scientists, nor do I be lieve that they wrote with a view to anticipate and confirm science. But I affirm that the confidence I have held in the Scriptures as the divinely inspired oracles of God has not been shattered nor destroyed by any scien tific study. I do not go beyond my own limited area of research. Nor do I speak for others. My testimony is this—that in so far as I have been p r i v i l e g e d to study the various sciences, under the most competent instructors, my f a i t h has been strengthened rather than destroyed.” To hundreds of’ young people who have sought his advice on campus and elsewhere, the au thor of this article has brought the authoritative "Thus saith the Lord." Mr. Sanden has made the cor relation of science and the Bible his principal study for a number of years. - He resigned a success ful pastorate in order to return to the University, that he might car ry out his project He was
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