U. How can I believe the Bible when all scientists think it is a bunch of foolishness? They don’t believe in your God.
B. Do all scientists disbelieve? A Pew poll in 2009 showed that just over half of the scientists interviewed believed in God or a higher supernatural power. Only 17 % claimed to be Atheists, the rest were either Agnostic or nothing. In fact this ratio is very close to a poll taken a hundred years ago.
Even if every scientist disbelieves in God, do you want to base your life on beliefs of other people?
U. No, but I might value their opinion.
B. If their opinion is based on evidence and not prejudice?
U. Sure. But don’t scientists base their beliefs on facts?
B. What scientific facts would cause you to disbelieve?
U. Evolution. Everyone believes in evolution.
B. Do you think everything around you just happened or evolved? Even the complicated relationships between plants and animals? How could they develop such synergistic relationships?
U. Are you suggesting Intelligent Design? Isn’t that just another name for creation?
B. It’s not exactly the same, but no. I am saying that when I look around me, I can’t conceive of anything as complicated and interrelated as our earth and universe just happening. I don’t see anything just happening like that today.
U. The world is a complicated place, but it had lots of time to evolve. I don’t have any difficulty in believing that it could.
B. How did the universe come to be?
U. It all started with the Big Bang.
B. When did the Big Bang theory come into play?
U. I think it began in the 1930’s.
B. What did the science textbooks say about the earth before that?
U. Perhaps that everything had just existed forever just like it is today.
B. And did you know that some scientists ridiculed the Bible because it said there was a beginning?
U. I didn’t know that, but it doesn’t surprise me. Maybe it was the seven days of creation and Usher’s belief that the earth is only about 6000 years old. Everyone knows that evolution needs more time than that.
B. The Bible’s account of how it began was written about 3500 years ago, and it hasn’t changed. Science textbooks do, but the Bible hasn’t. It has always stated there was a beginning, but science didn’t start promoting that until less than 100 years ago. Isn’t that enough to cause some concern about staking any belief on just science? Isn’t science a constantly shifting foundation whereas the Bible has remained constant?
U. If the Bible was right, but scientists say it isn’t. Just yesterday, I read where one of the premier astrophysicists said that Genesis need to be rewritten to get the order right.
B. Really. Wonder how long it has been since he read Genesis?
U. I don’t know, but he is very well recognized. He says the Big Bang explains how the universe began.
B. The big bang theory doesn’t contradict the Bible.
U. How could that be? The Bible says it was created in 6 days, whereas the Big Bang occurred about 14 billion years ago.
B. Let’s see if what science says about the order the earth formed contradicts the Bible. Do you know what order most scientists say the earth developed?
U. Yes. First the Big Bang about 14 billion years ago, then the earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
B. Let’s make a chart of what science currently says. We’ll come back later and compare it with the Bible.
U. That’s funny. I've got to see that.
B. Then we have something to look forward to. After earth formed, what happened?
U. Most scientists think the moon was then captured by earth’s gravity.
B. What was the condition of earth at that time?
U. Hot with a heavy atmosphere of dust and debris. Many years later, it cooled and the land and seas came into existence.
B. That reminds me of what God said. Read this. In verse 4 and 9 where God asked questions about the creation of the earth.
U. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?...When I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness. God said that in Job?
B. Yep. So, now our chart looks like this, agreed? If you had been standing on the earth at that time, could you have seen the sun?
Science Bible
Big Bang ~ 14 GA
Earth Forms ~ 4.5 GA
Moon captured
Earth covered with clouds and debris
Land and seas
U. Like you said, first question first. Yes, that’s what the chart should look like and second, no if there were thick clouds I couldn’t see the sun. But no one was alive then.
B. No argument there. Now read Gen. 1.
U. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
B. Notice that when the Bible begins, the earth exists, but it is formless and empty. Also notice that the point of view is from the surface of the earth where the Spirit of God hovered. This point of view is important. Continue reading in Genesis.
U. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.
See, it mentions day whereas science says it was 9.5 Billion years. Light must have been generated when the big bang started and this has it on the first day.
B. So, is time our only issue? Could it be that the clouds over earth were so dark, light couldn’t penetrate?
U. Oh. Could be.
B. Now read verses 6 through 10.
U. And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day.
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas."
So then there was water on earth, in the sky and then there was dry land and seas. Interesting.
B. So now the chart looks like this.
Science Bible
Big Bang ~ 14 GA Light, heavens and earth
Earth Forms ~ 4.5 GA Is there but formless and empty
Earth covered with clouds and debris Separated waters on earth and in sky
Moon captured
Land and seas
Skip down to verse 14. We’ll come back to 11 when we start talking about how life formed. Right now we’re looking at the development of inanimate things.
U. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
But the sun and stars were formed before earth.
B. So let’s add this to the chart. Isn’t it interesting how the earth’s development in Genesis corresponds with science?
Science Bible
Big Bang ~ 14 GA Light, heavens and earth
Earth Forms ~ 4.5 GA Is there but formless and empty
Earth covered with clouds and debris Separated waters on earth and in sky
Moon captured Set lights for day and one for night and seasons
Land and seas Made dry land appear
U. But science says the sun and stars already existed before earth.
To be Continued.
B. Do all scientists disbelieve? A Pew poll in 2009 showed that just over half of the scientists interviewed believed in God or a higher supernatural power. Only 17 % claimed to be Atheists, the rest were either Agnostic or nothing. In fact this ratio is very close to a poll taken a hundred years ago.
Even if every scientist disbelieves in God, do you want to base your life on beliefs of other people?
U. No, but I might value their opinion.
B. If their opinion is based on evidence and not prejudice?
U. Sure. But don’t scientists base their beliefs on facts?
B. What scientific facts would cause you to disbelieve?
U. Evolution. Everyone believes in evolution.
B. Do you think everything around you just happened or evolved? Even the complicated relationships between plants and animals? How could they develop such synergistic relationships?
U. Are you suggesting Intelligent Design? Isn’t that just another name for creation?
B. It’s not exactly the same, but no. I am saying that when I look around me, I can’t conceive of anything as complicated and interrelated as our earth and universe just happening. I don’t see anything just happening like that today.
U. The world is a complicated place, but it had lots of time to evolve. I don’t have any difficulty in believing that it could.
B. How did the universe come to be?
U. It all started with the Big Bang.
B. When did the Big Bang theory come into play?
U. I think it began in the 1930’s.
B. What did the science textbooks say about the earth before that?
U. Perhaps that everything had just existed forever just like it is today.
B. And did you know that some scientists ridiculed the Bible because it said there was a beginning?
U. I didn’t know that, but it doesn’t surprise me. Maybe it was the seven days of creation and Usher’s belief that the earth is only about 6000 years old. Everyone knows that evolution needs more time than that.
B. The Bible’s account of how it began was written about 3500 years ago, and it hasn’t changed. Science textbooks do, but the Bible hasn’t. It has always stated there was a beginning, but science didn’t start promoting that until less than 100 years ago. Isn’t that enough to cause some concern about staking any belief on just science? Isn’t science a constantly shifting foundation whereas the Bible has remained constant?
U. If the Bible was right, but scientists say it isn’t. Just yesterday, I read where one of the premier astrophysicists said that Genesis need to be rewritten to get the order right.
B. Really. Wonder how long it has been since he read Genesis?
U. I don’t know, but he is very well recognized. He says the Big Bang explains how the universe began.
B. The big bang theory doesn’t contradict the Bible.
U. How could that be? The Bible says it was created in 6 days, whereas the Big Bang occurred about 14 billion years ago.
B. Let’s see if what science says about the order the earth formed contradicts the Bible. Do you know what order most scientists say the earth developed?
U. Yes. First the Big Bang about 14 billion years ago, then the earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
B. Let’s make a chart of what science currently says. We’ll come back later and compare it with the Bible.
U. That’s funny. I've got to see that.
B. Then we have something to look forward to. After earth formed, what happened?
U. Most scientists think the moon was then captured by earth’s gravity.
B. What was the condition of earth at that time?
U. Hot with a heavy atmosphere of dust and debris. Many years later, it cooled and the land and seas came into existence.
B. That reminds me of what God said. Read this. In verse 4 and 9 where God asked questions about the creation of the earth.
U. Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?...When I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness. God said that in Job?
B. Yep. So, now our chart looks like this, agreed? If you had been standing on the earth at that time, could you have seen the sun?
Science Bible
Big Bang ~ 14 GA
Earth Forms ~ 4.5 GA
Moon captured
Earth covered with clouds and debris
Land and seas
U. Like you said, first question first. Yes, that’s what the chart should look like and second, no if there were thick clouds I couldn’t see the sun. But no one was alive then.
B. No argument there. Now read Gen. 1.
U. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
B. Notice that when the Bible begins, the earth exists, but it is formless and empty. Also notice that the point of view is from the surface of the earth where the Spirit of God hovered. This point of view is important. Continue reading in Genesis.
U. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.
See, it mentions day whereas science says it was 9.5 Billion years. Light must have been generated when the big bang started and this has it on the first day.
B. So, is time our only issue? Could it be that the clouds over earth were so dark, light couldn’t penetrate?
U. Oh. Could be.
B. Now read verses 6 through 10.
U. And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day.
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas."
So then there was water on earth, in the sky and then there was dry land and seas. Interesting.
B. So now the chart looks like this.
Science Bible
Big Bang ~ 14 GA Light, heavens and earth
Earth Forms ~ 4.5 GA Is there but formless and empty
Earth covered with clouds and debris Separated waters on earth and in sky
Moon captured
Land and seas
Skip down to verse 14. We’ll come back to 11 when we start talking about how life formed. Right now we’re looking at the development of inanimate things.
U. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
But the sun and stars were formed before earth.
B. So let’s add this to the chart. Isn’t it interesting how the earth’s development in Genesis corresponds with science?
Science Bible
Big Bang ~ 14 GA Light, heavens and earth
Earth Forms ~ 4.5 GA Is there but formless and empty
Earth covered with clouds and debris Separated waters on earth and in sky
Moon captured Set lights for day and one for night and seasons
Land and seas Made dry land appear
U. But science says the sun and stars already existed before earth.
To be Continued.