Science in the News: High Aims for the Hubble Space Telescope
By Hugh Ross
After nearly seven years of delays, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) finally got off the ground. With a price tag twenty times that of any other astronomical instrument, this telescope carries with it some lofty expectations. NASA's associate administrator for space science and applications, Lennard Fisk, claims, "This is the dawn of a new era in astronomy. It is a turning point of humankind's perception of itself and its place in the universe."
It sounds as though Fisk is expecting the HST to precipitate the dawning of a new space-age religion! The expectation that has been most widely publicized for the HST is that it will let us see out to the very limits of the universe.
Ironically, the primary job the HST has been advertised to achieve (getting us to the "edge" of the universe) already has been accomplished. Last March, three American astronomers discovered a quasar that is moving away from us at 93 percent of the velocity of light.* That's only 7 percent short of the theoretical limit for any possible observable object. More importantly, the best big bang models predict that the most distant galaxies and quasars will be found at recession velocities of about 93 percent the velocity of light. In other words, our existing ground-based telescopes already are seeing out to the limits of the universe.
Historically, the big breakthroughs in astronomy have come through increasing the collecting area of a telescope's primary mirror and through advances in the equipment receiving and processing incoming signals. In this respect, the 400-inch (diameter) Keck telescope now being constructed on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, has a distinct advantage over the HST. Its light gathering capacity is nearly 12 times greater than that of the HST, and there is virtually no practical limit on the kind of receiving equipment that can be attached to its focal point. And, the Keck telescope will never cost the taxpayer a penny. Both its construction and all its operating expenses will be covered by funds from private foundations.
I say none of these things to demean the very real contributions that the HST will undoubtedly make. No ground-based telescope can resolve (show the separateness of) objects as close together as can the HST, and only the HST will be capable of observing faint objects in the ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum. These capabilities should make possible a deeper understanding of both the physics and chemistry of stellar atmospheres, particularly during the later stages of star burning, and may possibly provide some new insights on stellar and planetary formation. However, one must admit that it that it is easier to get politicians--and taxpayers--excited about the "edge" of the universe than about stellar atmospheres.
One of my concerns is that inflated claims for the HST could sour the public on spending money in the future for pure research. Most astronomers, however, are not going to complain about the HST. With research funds so hard to come by, who wants to look a gift horse in the mouth? I am sure, though, that if the 1.7 billion dollars had been given to astronomers with no strings attached they would have spent it very differently.
One project I have been hoping to see funded since my graduate school days is a spaced-based interferometer. An interferometer is an array of widely separated telescopes linked up in such a way that the array yields the equivalent observing power of a single telescope with the diameter of the entire array. Ground based interferometry is possible only at radio wavelengths since the earth's atmosphere destroys vital information at all other wavelengths. Unfortunately, radio waves are so long that the resolution gained even by the transcontinental interferometers is only about ten times better than that of the HST. However, in space we could operate an interferometer at wavelengths much shorter than radio and spread the telescopes over distances exceeding 100,000 miles. Such an array would provide dramatic increases in both the resolving and light gathering power of existing interferometers, exceeding by several orders of magnitude anything possible either by the HST or by our largest ground-based telescopes. Furthermore, it would be much cheaper to construct than the HST.
What is the chance that congress will fund a space-based interferometer? Slim to none. The concepts on which it is based are a bit too complicated. Will the HST, the Keck 400-inch, or even a space-based interferometer give us the basis for a new religion? I doubt that too, though people's (including scientists') imagination certainly can and does run wild these days. That the Creator of the universe is the God of the Bible can already be substantiated with currently available measurements of the universe. What I expect these new instruments to do is to provide even more detailed and voluminous evidence for the characteristics of our awesome Designer.
* Donald P. Schneider, Maarten Schmidt, and James E. Gunn, "PC 1158+4635: An Optically Selected Quasar with a Redshift of 4.73," TheAstronomical Journal, v. 98 no. 6 (December 1989), pp. 1951-58.
Meet Our Staff
By Philip Kassel
if you have made a phone call to Reasons To Believe during the past six months you may already have met our office manager, Lisa Nehring. Lisa brings her organizational skills to Reasons To Believe at an appropriate time. As the ministry continues to grow, daily operations are becoming more complex. Lisa is effectively organizing the office to handle the increased work load and initiating procedures that will be prepare us for even greater expansion. Further facilitating that expansion, Lisa is also involved in our public relations and marketing efforts.
Born in Chicago and raised in Ohio, Lisa graduated from Anderson University, Indiana, in 1984 with a degree in religious studies. After graduation she moved to Lafayette, Indiana, where two noteworthy events occurred in her life. First, she launched her career, taking a position as activities director of a geriatrics facility. Second, in 1985, she married David Nehring, whom she had met while studying at Anderson.
The newlyweds moved to Connecticut where they worked in a facility for emotionally disturbed children. On Christmas Eve, 1986, the Nehrings' daughter, Rachel, was born.
Lisa and family moved to California in 1988 when David was accepted into the doctoral program in clinical psychology at Fuller Seminary. Lisa took a job as an admissions counselor at Fuller, eventually working into a management position. She worked at Fuller until starting with Reasons To Believe in January 1990.
Lisa says that her faith has been tested in the process of moving to California, a place (and a pace) so different from her previous homes. Motherhood has also brought great challenges, as well as joys. She sees these experiences as maturing her faith and she expresses gratefulness for that growth.
When Lisa is not keeping a watchful eye on the daily operations of the ministry, she enjoys gardening, and arts and crafts. When time allows, Lisa goes camping or just out driving with David and Rachel. Lisa is looking forward to the arrival of her second child this summer.
Field Report
During this past quarter, for the first time, Reasons To Believe has sent out two apologists. Dr. David Block, an author, astronomer, and professor at the University of Witwatersrand (multiracial) in South Africa, has given a portion of his sabbatical leave to serve with Reasons To Believe. Both he and Hugh have seen amazing things happen as God has touched hearts and minds through their message. It's the simple message that "the heavens declare the glory of God" and that He wants us to "read" what the heavens are saying about Him.
[2 graphics excluded]
RTB volunteers and staff barbeque at the Scheeles' home. David and Liz Block shared their testimonies, and Hugh told of recent and upcoming ministry activities.
In addition to working on research papers, David has shared his testimony (along with his wife, Liz) and in many cases his gorgeous slides of the universe with diverse audiences, including
- churches--Peninsula Bible and Sierra Madre Congregational,
- university groups--Caltech and Cal State Fullerton,
- business and professional people--ASL Engineering in Arcadia and the Open Forum luncheon in Pasadena,
- radio and television audiences--KBRT radio in Southern California, plus "Coast to Coast" and the 700 Club in Virginia Beach,
- RTB volunteers--our annual barbeque in honor of RTB's volunteer team, and
- Jews for Jesus outreaches--over a long weekend in Chicago.
Hugh's itinerary for the past quarter has taken him to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, as well as to Denver, the Bay area, and various parts of Southern California. The trip "down under" had a dual purpose: 1) to conduct outreaches in a variety of settings, from university lecture halls to churches to private homes, and 2) to assist in launching Reasons To Believe/Australia. These aims were accomplished with wonderful results. Many people turned their hearts to the Lord for the first time, some returned to Him after months or years of wandering, and two university professors are considering service as a speaking team for RTB. Bruce Ogden, an Australian businessman and a member of World Vision's International Board, coordinated the many meetings and facilitates the distribution of RTB materials in his country.
For a more detailed description of the Australia events, you may write or phone the office for a copy of Update, RTB's quarterly publication prepared specially for our financial partners.
In the next issue of Facts & Faith, look for a report of Hugh's ministry trip to the USSR.
Special Feature: Meeting the Messiah: A Close Encounter of the Ultimate Kind
The Testimonies of David and Liz Block
David's Story
I was born into an Orthodox Jewish family near Johannesburg, South Africa. My growing up years are sprinkled with vivid memories of my Friday evening walks to schul (the synagogue) for Shabbat (Sabbath services). By the time I reached high school age, I found myself wrestling with a perplexing problem: God appeared to have changed. From the rabbis' sermons I understood that the God of Moses was a personal God--directing Moses's steps, telling him His plans. But my God was impersonal, distant, an historical figure. The vital relationship with God enjoyed by the prophets of old seemed no longer possible. How tragic!
During my high school years I did well in school and knew that I wanted to go on to university, but I hadn't yet narrowed down a specific career direction. To study astronomy had never really occurred to me. Then, in 1970, amid all the publicity about Bennett's comet (discovered by South African astronomer Jack Bennett), my father bought me a telescope. One morning I arose at 4 A.M. and saw the spectacle of a lifetime, one of the great comets of the century. With its tail blazing across the eastern horizon, Bennett's comet ignited my desire to know and understand the heavens.
My deeper quest was to know the God who so obviously to me had designed the majestic cosmos, to know the personal, loving, powerful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Each Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) I would fast and pray, according to tradition, "Lord, inscribe my name in your book for another year." But I would return home with no assurance of His forgiveness. How could I meet the God of the Torah? Where was the intimate discourse, the personal relationship?
In 1972 1 entered the University of Witwatersrand (one of the largest in South Africa) to pursue a degree in applied mathematics and computer science, subjects fundamental to any serious study of astronomy. During those undergraduate days I began to meet regularly with a dear family friend, Dr. Lewis Hurst, a professor of genetics and medicine at Wits. He had asked for some private, informal lessons in astronomy.
We discussed the universe and its constituents--galaxies, stars, and planets--what they were like and how they had formed through the eons. It was awe-inspiring for both of us. We also tackled questions about origins, exploring various arguments for the "accidental" existence of everything, including life. Professor Hurst always listened patiently as I wrestled my way through various issues and reached for answers. Then one day he introduced me to a friend of his, an Anglican minister. Rev. Spyker read aloud from the book of Romans, a passage declaring that Jesus is a stumbling block to the Jews but that all who believe in Him will never be ashamed.
I was struck. Would I allow Jesus of Nazareth to be a stumbling block to me, or could I in good conscience acknowledge him as the Messiah foretold in the scriptures? My mind and my heart raced. As when the pieces of a puzzle finally come together sufficiently to reveal their picture, the bits of evidence I had pondered suddenly made clear to me that Jesus was--and is--who He claimed to be. I asked and received His forgiveness of my sins and committed my life to Him. That memorable day of my senior year, His peace and joy flooded my whole being.
I could know the living God, not on the basis of blind faith or wishful thinking, but because He took the trouble to show me, and anyone else who looks, that He is there and that He wants to be known. He even came to live on this planet in human form to fulfill the requirements for our eternal life right before our eyes, so that we could not miss His message. As Albert Einstein once said in an interview:
Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrase-mongers, however artful. No man can dispose of Christianity with a bon mot... No one can read the gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.
I was born a son of Abraham, but now, by faith, I am also a son of God, an heir to all the blessings and promises of God's eternal kingdom. In coming to know The Anointed One, I have discovered the meaning and purpose of my life right now and a hope for the life to come. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die... " (John 11:25-26).
Liz's Story
I grew up in a small village in South Africa, the fourth of five children born to my Jewish parents. Although the synagogue nearest our home was not a very active one, my mother and father taught me many Jewish traditions, and I was (and still am) tremendously proud of my Jewish heritage, of being a daughter of Abraham and a child of the Covenant. When I was little, the highlight of each week was the lighting of the Sabbath candies and returning to the dining room at supper time to find a little gift at each place-- from my father.
I was only nine years old when my father died. Soon thereafter, perhaps from a yearning for contact with him, I began to study all kinds of Eastern, mystical belief systems: Buddhism, Hinduism, astral projection, astrology, yoga, and the like. I enjoyed telling friends' and teachers' fortunes with Tarot cards. I was fascinated with notions of "kharma" and of communication with the dead. This is not to say that I left behind my Judaism. I still celebrated the great festivals, including Passover, and I fasted every Yom Kippur--not from the usual age of twelve or thirteen, but from the age of ten.
For years I avoided studying anything to do with Christianity, possibly because I considered all non-Jewish Western peoples as Christians. That meant Hitler was a Christian, and so was the boy who pushed my brother off his bicycle shouting, "Bloody Jew! Jesus killer!"
During my last two years of high school I compromised a bit by dating one of these "Christians," i.e. a gentile. During the second year of our relationship, he did the unthinkable: he actually committed his life personally to Jesus Christ. Immediately and enthusiastically he began to share with me what he had done and why. True to my tradition--and my personality--I argued and argued and argued with him. I was sure that I already knew who Jesus was: a guru like Krishna, a prophet like Mohammed.
One of this young man's gifts to me was the Gideon Bible he had received in school. He had read it carefully and marked what to him seemed key passages. We talked on the telephone once a week. Each time we would debate his claims about the Messiahship of Jesus, and each time, after his call, I would open the Bible randomly to a place where his underlining highlighted the very subject about which we had just argued. Hmmm. What could this mean?
During a brief visit to his home town I decided to attend church with him. I was drawn to the people I met there; their love for each other made a deep impression. I only wished they wouldn't mention Jesus so often, and after each service I made a long list of the "nonsense" I had heard, perhaps to keep myself from being taken in. At one particular Bible study, the last night of my stay, I decided to make particularly careful note of all the incorrect teachings. But, as I sat there listening, my pen poised, it began to dawn on me that what they were saying rang true.
Though our relationship came to an end, I soon began attending church on my own, still clinging to the view that Jesus was only one of the ways to God. One day a guest speaker-a man of Jewish birth--came to preach. What else he said I do not recall, but he did declare that Jesus is the Only Way. Infuriated, I walked out. Back home I lay on my bed telling God I could never accept such a narrow view. Then I had a vision. Jesus stood before me and affirmed that He was indeed that One and Only Narrow Way, the Savior whom the patriarchs and prophets had anticipated.
From that time on I began to follow Him. My life was filled with a peace I had never known. Of course I still had many questions that needed answering, but I found in studying the scriptures and discussing concerns with people I respected that my subjective experience had roots in a rational, objectively-based belief in the Messiah of Israel.
I began my faith walk with Jesus Christ in 1976, as I was about to begin my university training, the same year as David, my husband, came to believe. David and I did not meet, however, until 1981. That meeting is another incredible story we both love to tell, but for now it will have to keep.
David Block, Ph.D. and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of London, is a professor of astronomy and applied mathematics at the multiracial University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. He published his first paper in the Royal Society's journal at age 20 and contributed an extensive work on black holes to the 1976 Yearbook of Astronomy. His research and teaching assignments have taken him to Cape Town University, the University of Fort Hare, the University of Hawaii, and the European Southern Observatory. He is the author of Star Watching (Lion Publishing, 1988) and the narrator-designer of a slide show entitled "The Cosmos Is Shouting."
Liz Block has served for several years as a lecturer in English and geography at a teachers' training college in Soweto, South Africa. She has assisted in the development of the geography curriculum for South African schools and has given workshops, exhibitions, and seminars on the teaching of geography. Currently Liz serves on the board of directors for the new Jews for Jesus branch in South Africa.
David and Liz were married in 1982.
From the President's Desk
Dear Friends,
Three times recently I have been interviewed by radio hosts who described themselves as atheists. Hearing in advance that I believe in the Bible and its account of creation, each of them began the interview asking me how I, a scientist, could possibly deny the overwhelming evidence for the big bang. When I countered that the big bang provides some of the strongest scientific evidence yet for the Biblical doctrine of creation, they lost their composure and never regained it. In fact, I was able to present more evidence for the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible in those three interviews than in many interviews on Christian radio.
You can understand my consternation, then, when I hear Christian speakers, usually young-earth creationists, ridiculing the big bang as a godless evolutionary myth! Why do these Christians insist on treating as an enemy one of our strongest allies? If I take a moment to consider with compassion their possible motives, I can think of at least seven. These seven are listed directly below this letter and on the next page.
What can we do to keep open the lines of communication with those who hold the young-earth view? I think we need to explain as simply and as lucidly as possible the physics of the big bang and of the second law of thermodynamics, gearing our presentation both for technically-trained and for lay audiences. We need to make clear that the big bang provides not only powerful evidence for God, but also some wonderful insights for understanding complex doctrinal issues. We need to test and refine our apologetics in front of our peers and demonstrate a capacity to win scholars for Christ without compromising any fundamentals of the Christian faith. We need to document the fact that the weight of conservative Biblical scholarship strongly favors the interpretation of Genesis creation days as long periods of time. We need to help young-earth creationists see what they have to gain, rather than lose, by changing their views. Finally, and most importantly, we need to exemplify a spirit of humility. This is an exhortation as much for me as for anyone else. Please pray that I will be faithful to what I have written here, that I will pray for all of you, and that I will pray compassionately for my young-earth brothers in Christ.
Sincerely,
Hugh Ross
Seven Reasons Why Many Young-Earth Creationists
Deny the Big Bang
-
Misunderstanding of the Second Law of Thermodynamics
At first glance, the big bang appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, for out of the seeming disorder of hydrogen gas arises the seeming complexity of galaxies, stars, and planets. The most basic statement of the second law is that the entropy (disorder) of a closed system continuously increases. What these individuals do not comprehend is that the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets out of hydrogen gas does increase the overall entropy of the universe. The universe today manifests much greater entropy than when it was in its early hydrogen gas state. -
Fear of What They Do Not Understand
The big bang is not a terribly difficult physical concept, but true familiarity requires a knowledge of advanced mathematics. As astrophysicist Engelbert Schücking commented, "We have been able to scare most of the ministers out of cosmology by a straightforward application of tensor analysis." Big bang geometry is four dimensional for the most part, and nine (or more) dimensional near its beginning. -
Misunderstanding of the Case for Evolution
Since the big bang tells us that the universe began some 15-18 billion years ago, it may seem to lend credence to the possibility for life's coming together by natural random processes. However, the statistics for the chance formation of life (much less than I chance in 10100,000,000,000) show that the universe, even at 18 billion years of age, is far too young to support the probability. -
Failure to Appreciate the Importance of Peer Review
Paul exhorts us in I Thessalonians to "test everything." Many Christians fail to make sure that their science apologetics can withstand the scrutiny of reputable scholars, Christians and non-Christians, in relevant fields of study. -
Misunderstanding of the Biblical Message of Creation
Many Christians presume that the only way to interpret the Genesis creation account is to see the creation days as six consecutive 24-hour days. Thus, any date for the creation of the universe older than a few thousand years seems a threat to their belief in an inerrant Bible and consequently their personal salvation. -
Fear of Losing Face
Many young-earth creationists have a history of emphatic, dogmatic declaration of their position, also of openly ridiculing both non-theists and old-earth creationists. After all that they have said publicly, to admit that the big bang may not be just an evolutionist deception and is not a denial of the fundamentals of the Christian faith would bring more humiliation than they feel they could bear. -
Gloating Attitudes of Opponents
In Proverbs 24 we are told that God will not use a gloating prophet to bring someone to repentance. Who likes to hear the words "I told you so"? Unfortunately, few opponents of young-earth creationism, even those who are evangelical Christians, have been gracious.
Pray-ers' Closet
By Mal Scharer
Have you ever wished that you could accomplish something extraordinary for the Lord? Perhaps while reading scripture or meditating you have longed to be a mighty man of valor such as David or yearned for the excitement of being one of the twelve apostles. Perhaps most of us would say that men of this caliber are rare, and their accomplishments far beyond the ken of ordinary men and women. From God's perspective, however, accomplishments such as theirs need not be rare. What God views as a great accomplishment for His kingdom may not always be recognized as such by us.
What are the essentials of greatness, or of great accomplishments, in the eyes of God? Scripture indicates that humility, servanthood, the fervent prayer of a righteous person, and the simple faith of a child are what matter most to Him. Each of these seems related in some way. The simple faith of a child requires a humble heart. The prayers of the righteous, to be effective, must be made in faith, and the faith like that of a child delights God. If we can each develop in our character the essence of these qualities, who is to say what the Lord might accomplish through us?
Let's look again at the fervent prayer of the righteous. Prayer is one vitally important way that we can all take a direct and active part in furthering God's kingdom. Reasons To Believe, for example, depends upon the prayer team that meets once a month to pray for the needs of the organization, the staff, the volunteers, and any personal needs of those in attendance. We strive to pray in humility, as servants, with faith like that of a child. Although God has allowed us to see some of what has been achieved, we won't know all that our prayers have accomplished until we arrive in heaven.
If you would like to be part of this experience and be mightily used of God, join us on the fourth Thursday evening of each month at 7:30 P.M. We meet at 154 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard in Sierra Madre, just east of the Sierra Madre Congregational Church. There is a parking lot in the rear and the entrance to the building is from the parking lot.
Once every three months we plan a time of prayer and fasting. This event usually takes place on the fourth weekend of the month (January, April, July, and October) and replaces our Thursday evening prayer meeting for that month. We pray individually Friday evening then meet together for prayer during the day on Saturday. We conclude with communion and singing and continue our fellowship over a potluck dinner. For additional information, please call the Reasons To Believe office at (818) 355-6058.
Readers Write
"I have just finished listening to some tapes that you made quite a few years ago. One was 'The Bible and Science Agree.' Firefighters for Christ taped them. I was so impressed! I took God out of the solar system and tried to imagine His greatness as the King of the Universe. Why He would be interested in me is more than I can imagine. However, I am extremely grateful. Thank you so much for opening my eyes. Your messages are so understandable, and coming from an astrophysicist to a retired housewife that is saying something."
--Terry, Victorville, CA
"I am glad to hear you are already considering spreading your ministry to the Soviet Union. People on our streets believe the Bible is a fraud. How much more have the Soviet people been taught that. They are about to receive Bibles and I am sure the people who teach that the Bible is a fraud will be very active to counter the introduction of Bible influence in the Soviet Union. They will need a reason to believe as badly as our people do..."
--Tony, Mountain View, CA
"...I am so glad that through your materials I now have something organized and tangible to pass along to my family and acquaintances that I feel is balanced, accurate, forceful, and at the same time faithful to the goal of not compromising God's Word..."
--Sharon, Colville, WA
"...In your article 'When Did God Create the Heavens and the Earth?' [F&F V. 4, No. 1] you write: 'It is pointless, even damaging, to make an issue Of something that is neither critical to the case against atheistic evolutionism nor critical to one's faith in Christ and confidence in the inerrancy of the Bible.' That is a good statement ... but you could practice the ideal you believe in if you would present the views of a scientist who has such an understanding of 'time' in relationship to 'information' that he believes the world was created with speed. This is also a 'reasonable option.' Rather than answer the question 'when ... ?' it refers to 'how' which you indicate is important, and I agree."
--Evelyn, Spring Valley, CA
Editor's note: We can appreciate your respect for the man whose work you
cite in your letter, Evelyn. And we are glad when you and others take the time
and care to critique our work. The reason, however, for our not presenting this
individual's 'understanding of time and information' is that it seems to
represent a 'misunderstanding.' This may look like a stand-off--our word
against his--but it can be resolved by taking his interpretations and
applications of Information Science to experts, Christians and non-Christians,
in the field, also to experts in related disciplines. Theoretical physicists,
for example, have demonstrated that time moves only and always in one
direction: forward. Our belief is that when God's time dimensions intersect
with our own, e.g. in the occurrence of a miracle, he shows us evidence of that
interruption of our time line so that we may know and glorify Him. In this
case, we would expect to see an absence of red shifts and no broadening of
spectral lines.
--K. R.
"I am a student at UCSB. I have been a Christian for the past 6 years. This quarter I decided to take a class on human evolution. The professor has completely destroyed creation/God/the Bible. He is teaching evolution as fact.
"As I have researched the issue I've been thrilled to understand the trustworthiness of the Bible as well as the many gaps in scientific theories. I have read few pages from Reasons To Believe which a friend gave me. But I am really interested in obtaining more. Do you have a newsletter, magazines, or books? Please send me information on your resources. I'd like to learn more through your articles as soon as possible! I believe the professor is leading people astray and I would like to know more so I can help lead these people towards God!"
--Jenni, Santa Barbara, CA
"...Your publication helps to sharpen us as suggested in Proverbs 27:17 and helps us to be a light to others, Acts 13:47..."
--Dean and LeAnn, Quinter, KS
Let Us Reason: Adam and Apparent Age
Part Six in a Series
By Hugh Ross
The question as to when God created the heavens and the earth, which I addressed briefly last time, remains the focus of attention for now because of an argument that has arisen again recently and is causing confusion. It is the argument, used by some young-earth creationists, that the universe was created with apparent, not real, age just as Adam was created in a "mature" adult state. One such creationist, a popular international speaker, presented this argument on a recent radio interview as the coup de grace to the old-earth view.
I would like to take this opportunity to give a brief response. Remember the old debate over which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer for advanced creatures must be "the chicken." The first human must have been fully functional for the obvious purpose of survival. For Adam and Eve, size and functionality would have nothing to do with age but everything to do with survivability. Even for Adam and Eve's descendants, size and functionality are unreliable indicators of age. My four-year-old son, for example, wears size 10 shirts and adult-sized hats and has the verbal skills of an eight-year-old, but, because of a congenital neurological problem, has the motor skills of a three-year-old.
What, then, would qualify as reliable age-indicators for Adam and Eve? Some examples that come to mind would be the number and size of liver spots on their hands, the cholesterol count in their blood, the amount of scar tissue and dental erosion, and the wrinkling of their skin, especially on the face and neck. I am firmly convinced, on the basis of God's character, that when God created Adam and Eve, the true indicators of their age would have shown them to be newly formed, not twenty or thirty years old. Why do I say this? God's word clearly establishes that whatever God created, including all of nature, reveals truth and nothing but truth (Job 10:8-14, 12:7, 34:14-15, and 38-41; Psalm 8, 19:1-6, 50:6, 97:6, 98:2-3, 104, and l39; Proverbs 8:22-31; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Habakkuk 3:3; Acts 17:24-31; Romans 1:18-25 and 2:14-15; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 6:18). Adam and Eve are certainly part of His creation.
The universe as a whole is God's creation. Therefore, it too, must speak truthfully of Him, not deceptively. In this case, we can prove the point scientifically. Since the universe measures billions of light-years across, the doctrine of "apparent age" would require that the light coming from stars and galaxies did not actually arise from those sources, but was sent from distances less than 10,000 light-years away from us or simply arrived instantaneously, intact. However, astronomers can measure how far (and thus how long) the light has actually traveled. Interstellar and intergalactic material broadens spectral lines and reddens the continuum radiation emanating from stars and galaxies in direct proportion to the distance the light travels. This statement is not just an unverified assumption; it has been tested and proven. The observed broadening and reddening confirm that the light has indeed come from the stars and galaxies and is, therefore, as much as billions of years of old.
Lest you think that I exalt science above the Bible, let me remind you that scripture itself bears witness to the antiquity of the earth and the universe. Nor am I presenting "an evolutionary hypothesis." A few billions of years is far too short a time to make evolution or random process a viable theory of life's origin. You may call or write for a copy of my paper--soon to be made into a booklet--on the Biblical basis for long creation days.
Puzzles & Paradoxes
Several F&F readers came up with solutions to our latest puzzle. As you may recall, we gave a front view and a side view (made to the same scale), of a simple, symmetrical, three-dimensional object, shown below. The challenge was to sketch the object, showing what it looks like in three dimensions.
[2 graphics excluded]
No one came up with the solution presented by the puzzle's designer, solution (a) below, but Curt Deckert came closest with solution (b), Dan Davis and Mike Harman submitted solution (c), and Dan Davis and Marj Harman, solution (d).
[4 graphics excluded - a, b, c, and d]
Look for another brain teaser in our next issue. Meanwhile, we offer another Bible paradox to keep the cobwebs away: Scripture reveals God as changeless, immutable, never lying or changing His mind (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Ezekiel 24:14; Malachi 3:6; and James 1:17), and yet we find several instances in which He is said to "repent" or "change his mind," e.g. about making mankind, about destroying Nineveh in Jonah's day, about making Saul the king of Israel, etc. How can this seeming contradiction be explained? We invite your response.
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1990 by Reasons To Believe.
