Chapter 5: Science versus Religion

In today’s society, the prevailing implication is that science is always right and religion is always wrong.

  • Religion and science are in more agreement today than ever before.
  • The gap between science and religion is rapidly becoming smaller.

This chapter reviews past history and discusses scientific theories once held by scientists as being inviolate for not only centuries, but millennia – only later to be proven wrong by other scientists.

  • Spontaneous Generation, (flies could come from putrid matter; mice could come from dirty hay; crocodiles could come from rotting logs, etc.) was introduced by Aristotle in the 4th century BC.
    • Theory was finally proven false by Louis Pasteur in the 1800s.
  • This chapter examines the Geocentric Model of the Universe or the Ptolemaic system. These models were proposed by Aristotle (384-322 BC) and later by Claudius Ptolemy (100-170 AD).
    • These models put the Earth at the center of the Universe. The sun, the other planets, and all the stars rotated around the Earth.
    • These models stood for centuries until Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton proved them wrong.
    • Copernicus replaced the Geocentric Model with the Heliocentric Model where the sun was the center of the Universe and everything rotated around the sun.
    • Scientists now know that the sun is not even the center of our galaxy much less the center of the Universe.
  • These scientific theories were not proven false by religion, but by other scientists.

The scriptures have taught for a long time that the theory of Spontaneous Generation was false and the sun does not rotate around the Earth.

  • Genesis has always taught, “Let the Earth bring forth the living creature after his kind …”
  • Around 400 AD, a prophet is quoted as saying, “It appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still … it is the Earth that moveth and not the sun.”
    • This scripture was recorded over 1,000 years before Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton determined that the Earth rotated around the sun.

The writings of Abraham (2,000 years BC) provide more information about the Universe:

  • He said that the planets do not rotate at the same rate. This was 3,500 years before scientists knew.
    • For example, a day on Jupiter is only ten Earth hours long, and a day on Mercury is 176 Earth days.
  • Abraham informs us that the sun also rotates. This was 4,000 years before scientists knew.
  • Abraham informs us there are other Solar Systems. This was 4,000 years before scientists knew.

The writings of Moses (1,500 years BC) also give us more information about the Universe.

  • The Lord told Moses he had created worlds without number.
    • NASA didn’t verify there were planets outside of our Solar System (exoplanets) until the 1990’s.
  • The Lord told Moses that new planets were continually being created, other planets were being destroyed.
    • Information from the space probes tells us new stars are continually being created.
    • Planets are being formed from material left over from the creation of new stars.
    • Other planets are being swallowed up by stars as the star turns into a red giant.
    • Again Science substantiating the scriptures!

The first verse of the Bible says, “In the beginning …”

  • There was a beginning. There was a time when the Earth and Universe did not exist.
  • Science did not suggest there was a “beginning” until the Big Bang theory was introduced in the 1900s.
  • This chapter discusses the similarities of the scriptural account of the creation and the Big Bang theory.
  • George Lemaitre, Father of the Big Bang theory, was an ordained Catholic Priest.
    • The New York Times reported as Lemaitre lectured across the USA, “he told audiences that there was not any conflict between science and religion”.

The scriptures have always taught that originally the Earth was made up of one large continent.

  • This continent was later divided up into many continents and islands which we have today.
  • The scriptures tell us when the Savior comes again, all of our present continents will return to just one large continent.
  • Alfred Wegener proposed his continental drift theory in 1912. In 1968, his theory was replaced with the tectonic plate theory.
  • The tectonic plate theory informs us originally there was one large continent.
    • This continent is named Pangaea.
    • Pangaea broke up into our present day continents which we have now.
  • The tectonic plate theory also assumes the continents will continue to move until they once again form one large continent (Pangea Ultima).

The chapter discusses more examples of Science and Religion coming together and demonstrates Science and Religion are closer together now than ever before.

The chapter also discusses many Scientists who believe in God. Sir Isaac Newton had a strong conviction of God, and many other modern day scientists also believe in God.

 

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