SCIENCE & THE BIBLE by Bolton Davidheiser, Ph.D., Chairman of the Science Division, Biola College
A New Film Release The Beginning of Wisdom Two Reels - 75 Minutes
T/ieadwientetttA,
S u p p o s e you make two marks at ran dom on a smooth surface and then ask ten people to measure the distance between them. If all ten give you the same answer you can be certain of one thing -— none of them measured very accurately. This apparent para dox occurs because an a c c u r a t e measurement i n v o l v e s estimations based on judgment. The more precise the measurement the more difficult it is to line up the scale used in measur ing and to estimate small fractions of it. If the ten people measure to the nearest eight of an inch, they may all get the same answer. However if they make a more accurate measurement - - t o the nearest hundredth or thou sandth of an inch — it is not likely that they will all obtain the same result. But even though the answers vary they will be better than the an swer which gave the distance to the nearest eighth of an inch and by a suitable mathematical technique one can ascertain which is probably the best. Science has been called the art of measuring, and the progress of science has paralleled refinements in methods of measuring. In early times some of the standards of measurement were crude indeed. At one time the Jews had a series of ten standard weights with a mustard seed at one end of the scale and a citron at the other. It is said that in the first century A.D., to demonstrate the inexactness of such a standard, Rabbi Akiva produced a citron so large he had to carry it on his shoulder. In contrast to the crude ness of such weighing, there is in the National Physical Laboratory of Great Britain a balance so nearly accurate that the error in its weighing is only one part in a billion. The person who operates it stands in an adjoining room and performs the manipulations
by remote control while making ob servations through a small telescope. These precautions are necessary be cause if he were closer the heat of his body would cause an expansion of metal parts of the instrument and decrease its accuracy. In scientific work the metric system is most commonly used, and its unit of length is the meter. A meter is the distance between two microscopic lines on a certain platinum-iridium bar when the bar is at 0° centigrade and one atmosphere of pressure -—- plus some other specifications. In the United States the inch is so defined that a meter is 39.37 inches, but in England the meter is 39.370079 inches. At the present time a recommenda tion is under consideration to re-define tire meter in terms of the wavelength of light at a certain part of the spec trum. This is expected to increase its accuracy nearly a hundred times above the presently maintained pre cision of about two parts in ten mil lion. In striking contrast to the require ments for difficult and e x a c t i n g measurements in science, those in our Christian life are very easy. Dividing by ten to find a tithe is one of the simplest of mathematical procedures, and a fraction incurred in figuring the tithe of any amount of money can be more than compensated for by the addition of a single cent. Beyond the tithe, it is best that our giving be so uncalculated that figuratively the left hand does not know what the right is doing. The followers of our Lord were told that according to the generosity with which they gave, they would also receive, pressed down, shaken to gether, and running over. Certainly there is no careful measurement here. God loves a cheerful giver. C h u r c h n r e s s h r i s t i a n | r i n t i n g You can now get cloth bound books at a price comparable to that formerly paid for paper bound. Our new idea: For accuracy —type is set by us. For economy —printing ana binding are done abroad. Write for details.
Can an intelligent, well-educated person be a Christian? Can he accept on faith things that he cannot understand? These are the questions that Steve Jones asked himself—and they are questions that thou sands of young people like Steve are also asking. You’ll receive real blessing and inspira tion as you see how Steve’s doubts are settled, and you’ll share the struggles of Sherryl Winston as she seeks to do God’s will at any cost. This dramatic new motion picture dem onstrates that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” C . O. Baptista Film Mission Wheaton, Illinois Evangelism , Dispensaries, Bible Schools, Orphanages, Reading Rooms, Literature and Radio W ork. W rite for free literature 107 North Hale W heaton, Illinois Subscriptions to King's Business make excellent gifts. STUDENTS! Write to us giving your name, address, and age, and we will send you the FREE CAMPUS CORRESPONDENCE COURSE in the Gospel of John. Over 5,000 have now received their diploma for completion. TRI-C, INC. Box 910 Hollywood, Cal. CEYLON and INDIA GENERAL MISSION
For a Vacation
with a Purpose .
BIOLA WEEK MOUNT HERMON August 9-16 For Reservations, write:
THE CHURCH PRESS 3900 San Fernando Road Glendale 4, California
MOUNT HERMON CONFERENCE ASSOCIATION Mount Hermon, Calif.
THE KING'S BUSINESS
38
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker