Facts & Faith
1991 Volume 5, No. 1
|
 |
Science in the News: New Insights to the Moment of Creation
By Hugh Ross, Ph.D.
The new year started off with a bang for publications citing new research studies on the moment of creation. In fact, I can recall few other months in my lifetime during which so much new information has been published about the origin of the universe. Unfortunately, the popular press, with few exceptions, grossly misinterpreted and misreported the findings. The Denver Post, for example, ran the headline, "Big Bang theory shot to pieces," with the subhead, "Scientists say origin-of-universe explanation should be abandoned." Many atheists, of course, relished this seeming turn of events, trumpeted the "news" that the universe was not necessarily created just 16 billion years ago.
The question remains, "What did the astronomers really discover?" What appeared in the scientific literature were the first (ever) maps of local galaxies at infrared wavelengths and of distant galaxies and quasars at x-ray wavelengths. These maps complement the much more extensive map published a year ago by Margaret Geller and John Huchra plotting medium distance galaxies at visual wavelengths.
[graphic excluded]
This map of the local universe shows the distribution of a sample of 2,163 galaxies detected by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Dark bands mask areas of incomplete satellite coverage. IRAS/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
As a previous Facts & Faith article (Volume 4, Number 1, page 2) explains, the Geller-Huchra map is combination with the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) satellite measurements of the cosmic background radiation apparently disproved the standard big bang model. That model presumed all the mass of the universe to be ordinary matter, matter that interacts strongly with light and is composed largely of protons, neutrons, and electrons. It also presumed that this matter expanded from an infinitesimal volume at the moment of creation in a smooth, uninterrupted fashion.
In place of the standard big bang, a new model moved to the fore, an inflationary cold dark matter big bang. This model posits that for a split second very near the moment of creation, the universe experiences an expansion much more rapid than normal and that a large fraction of the mass of the universe is cold dark matter. Cold dark matter interacts weakly with light. A favorite candidate particle is a certain low-mass neutrino. As I reported in that same Facts & Faith article, a highly simplified simulation of a universe composed of 50% ordinary matter and 50% cold dark matter showed a near perfect match with both the COBE satellite data and the Geller-Huchra map.
Astronomers, however, have not been able to reconcile the two latest maps with the most popular version of the cold dark matter big bang. This model presumes that all the matter hidden from their direct observation (about 99% of the matter in the universe) is cold dark matter and that the rest (about 1 %) is ordinary matter. Herein lies the problem: For the last seventeen years astronomers have been discovering, through indirect observations, that there is at least four times as much unseen ordinary matter as there is ordinary matter we do see; therefore, if the mass is fixed, the ratio of cold dark matter to ordinary matter must be about 19 to 1, rather than 99 to 1. So, it really comes as no surprise that this favorite cold dark matter big bang model is flawed.
The verification of this flaw, however, has in no way damaged the case for the big bang or for the viability of a refined cold dark matter model. As University of Chicago cosmologist David Schramm says, "The big bang is in better shape than ever." Speaking of cold dark matter, Yale University's Lawrence Krauss says "It remains the best model we have."
These statements are conservative. The only possible explanation for both the temperature and the extreme smoothness of the background radiation observed by the COBE satellite is that the universe began with some kind of hot big bang. No other astrophysical source or combination of astrophysical sources can account for the data. Likewise, it is impossible for galaxies to clump the way they do without some kind and amount of cold dark matter playing a significant role in the dynamics of galaxy clustering.
It is much too soon to tell which of the various big bang models will fit all the observations. The earliest and simplest of the big bang models have been ruled out. Several complexities in the universe, particularly in galaxy formation, lead me to predict with confidence that the next set of big bang models to be tested will also fail, but will at the same time lead us closer to an accurate model. To my knowledge, no one is yet working on a big bang model with sufficient parameters to account for all of the observed complexities.
What are these missing parameters? Here are a few:
- more general calculations of the gravitational dynamics, down to the level of individual stars, within galaxy clusters
- calculation of electromagnetic forces, which, in addition to gravity, affect the dynamics of galaxies and galaxy clusters
- ratios and distributions of cold dark matter relative to ordinary matter
- the effects of different kinds and proportions of cold dark matter
- the effects of different sources and distributions of ordinary matter
In addition to these confirmed complexities, there exists the possibility of other forces and other particles operating at different times and on different scales.
Additionally there is the problem of the quantity and the quality of our observations. The three existing maps of galaxies and quasars are all for very tiny fractions of the observable universe. All three are fraught with selection effects. For example, the sensitivity of photographic plates is superior in the center compared to that of the edges. All three could benefit from improved sensitivities. High sensitivity studies on brown dwarf stars, on halo structures in galaxies, on gravitational lensing by galaxies, on galaxy collisions and encounters, and on both the interstellar and intergalactic medium would assist in better determining the amounts of ordinary and cold dark matter in the universe. Fortunately, new mapping and research projects are underway that should significantly rectify some of these deficiencies. For example, a digital sky survey conducted by the Astrophysical Research Consortium, representing six American institutions, will have mapped by the year 2002 a region of the universe more than a hundred times larger than that covered by the largest currently existing map.
I excitedly anticipate what the future holds. But, I am also encouraging patience. Only twenty-five years ago the big bang model was definitely confirmed. Only thirteen months ago the first of many possible big bang models was eliminated from contention. Only one month ago the first of many possible cold dark matter big bang models was eliminated. I am sure we can look forward to many more big bang models being "disproven" as our understanding increases and significant refinements to these models are made. But, in the process, I expect to see another current trend continue: as new research discoveries are made, there is a powerful accumulation of evidences supporting the Biblical doctrine of Creator and creation.
Let Us Reason: Methuselah Lived How Long?
Part Nine in a Series
By Hugh Ross, Ph.D.
A question you may have encountered-I certainly hear it often-has to do with the Biblical record of life spans on the order of 900+ years for many pre-flood people, including Methuselah, who is said to have lived 969 years. Most people wonder if the ancient "year" was the same as the modern year.
Let me begin by noting that the Bible is not alone in claiming life spans much longer than we can imagine. Taking into account their propensity for exaggeration, we can still draw some corroborative evidence from Mesopotamian records. Stories from the ancient Akkadian and Sumerian cultures declare that their most ancient kings lived thousands of years each. The "Weld-Blundell Prism," for example, written about 2170 B. C., speaks of eight pre-flood rulers each reigning for several thousand years.
Nothing in the Biblical context indicates that pre-flood years were significantly shorter than ours. References to agriculture indicate that the ancients counted years similarly to the way we do. Some early Mesopotamian records (circa 1500 B. C.) indicate a calendar of twelve months, each month 30 days long. We have no record of any ancient society counting a shorter year. Further, it is clear that the Mesopotamians were aware that their twelve 30-day months fell short of a year by a little more than five days. Though there were some variations from one society to another, the ancients typically celebrated a set of festival days every few years or so to make up the difference.
That the ante-diluvians lived much longer than we do seems borne out by God's command to Adam to limit his diet to vegetables (Genesis 1:29) and by God's giving permission to Noah after the flood to eat meat (Genesis 9:2-3). A diet which includes meat brings a sufficient concentration of heavy elements into the body as to prove life-threatening after a few hundred years. But, if no one lives past 120 years, this health threat becomes negligible (except in cases of extreme industrial pollution).
Another indication of long life spans for the ante-diluvians is the rapid advance of civilization described by the Biblical text. Nine hundred years gives plenty of time for an individual to make, develop, and exploit (in the positive sense) significant discoveries and then to pass his knowledge and experience on to future generations for their use and augmentation. Among post-flood peoples, archaeology attests to the effect of short life spans. The use of various metals, for example, frequently appeared and disappeared in the historical record.
Until recently, we had no scientific explanation as to how the pre-flood peoples could have lived so much longer than modern people can. Several canopy theories have been proposed, but none of them works. The hypothesized canopies would filter out some ultraviolet radiation, but they offer no effective mechanism for blocking out hard cosmic rays. These hard cosmic rays do far more to limit human lifespans than do ultraviolet rays.
In 1981 a possible explanation for the long lifetimes and the subsequent shortening of them (along a geometric curve) was unknowingly proposed. A paper entitled "Terrestrial Paleoenvironmental Effects of a Late Quaternary-Age Supernova" was published by geophysicist G. Robert Brakenridge in the journal Icarus (v. 46, pp. 81-93). Dr. Brakenridge describes measurements that date the Vela supernova as having occurred sometime between 9300 and 6400 B. C. (A supernova is the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star; this one is called the Vela supernova because it occurred in the Vela constellation.) These dates fit well with the Biblical date for the Genesis Flood.
Dr. Brakenridge also points out that this supernova occurred about three times closer to Earth than any other supernova event in human history. Thus, it is probably responsible for most of the cosmic rays that now come our way, cosmic rays which break down protein. Further, the Vela supernova would have affected the upper atmosphere in such a way as to bring about a global cooling and would have damaged the ozone layer so as to increase ultraviolet by two to ten times. Dr. Brakenridge documents geological evidence for both effects in the era between 8,000 and 9,000 B. C., also the time of the disappearance of some diatom and plankton species. The Vela supernova may have been the means God used to shorten man's life span from 900 years down to less than 120 years. I wish it were possible to be more definite, but there are reasons why I cannot be. First, no experiment has been performed on sustaining advanced life in a low-radiation environment. Such an experiment would be difficult, to say the least. If we were to go deep enough underground to avoid the effects of cosmic rays, we would then begin to experience the far more damaging effects of increased radioactivity from exposure to radioactive elements in the earth's crust. Another important experiment would be to expose advanced life to the equivalent of a nearby supernova event and to observe the consequences over several generations. However, this experiment would be even more difficult to perform.
Whether the Vela supernova offers a full, partial, or only a minor contribution to the shortening of man's life span remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it helps us demonstrate that what has sometimes been considered a scientific and historical absurdity-the 900+ years of Methuselah and his peers-really does have scientific and historical plausibility. If you would like to pursue this and other questions about Genesis and science further, you may wish to request a catalog of our audio and printed materials using the order panel at the back of this newsletter. In Part Ten of this series focusing on answers to objections to the Christian faith and to the reliability of the Bible I will discuss the matter of rain before the flood and the rainbow Noah saw as he came off the ark.
From the President's Desk
Dear friends,
As you can probably detect from reading my "Science in the News" column, I have been irked lately by all the shoddy reporting on the "demise of the big bang," especially by the use of headlines in direct contradiction to information buried on back pages. Although some of this nonsense may be attributable to deficiencies in the physics education of reporters, I cannot help but be suspicious of an anti-theistic bias. Some of you must share my suspicions, for we at RTB have received many calls and letters asking us to recommend where to go for trustworthy science reporting. I offer the following, admittedly subjective and over-generalized, guidelines.
Beware of newspaper headlines and lead paragraphs. The facts, if they are there, tend to be found in the fine print and toward the end. When it comes to science reporting, some foreign newspapers (particularly the major British, German, and Canadian papers) seem to do a better job than American ones. Of the American papers, I would say that the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times usually do the best job, at least that's what I saw in the reporting of recent discoveries about the big bang. I would have given a grade of D or F to the dozen or so newspaper articles I saw, except the ones in the Journal and the Times, where I thought a grade of C or C- was deserved.
As for the popular news magazines, I would have dished out D grades for all but Insight on the News, which to me warranted a B. As for the popular science magazines, I find myself continually disturbed by their focus on the bizarre, the unorthodox, the sensational, and the anti-theistic. I am still bemoaning the demise of Science 86, the now-defunct publication of the American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences.
In all this muddle, however, I see one consistently bright light-Science News. This weekly magazine surveys the most significant research papers, conferences, and discoveries of the past week. Though each article is written for professional scientists in unrelated fields of study, the layman is not left in the dust-at least not always, my wife adds. In fact, in many articles, the authors take the care to explain concepts that will help bring the layman up to speed. The tone of Science News seems conservative and remarkably even-handed where science and theology overlap. Of everything I have read (for public consumption) on the recent big bang developments, Science News receives my only A. I am not a part of the magazine's promotional staff, but I am willing to give you the number to call for a subscription, in case you are interested. It's 1-800-247-2160.
What I am out to promote is a personal relationship with God, through the redeeming work of Christ, based on carefully considered objective evidences available to everyone, including children, a faith that is enhanced, rather than shaken, by our probing into the universe He made for us.
Sincerely,
Hugh Ross
Word from the Editor
By Kathy Ross
It's time for an English major (yours truly) to jump into the creation v. evolution fracas. What propels me is a misstatement that I have seen in print more frequently than I can tolerate. And now I must speak up about it. No doubt you have seen it too, and if by some bizarre chance it has escaped you, you may see it in Tonya's letter, excerpted below. It is this statement or some form of it: "Evolution is fact."
I sincerely hope that every student who passed through my English 1A class would immediately know how to respond (regardless of his/her beliefs on the subject of evolution) if I asked, "What's wrong with this statement?"
The text I used, and virtually all others I examined, for this basic college course includes a section on opinion writing and/or persuasion. Invariably such sections begin by making clear the distinction between "fact" and "inference." At the risk of insulting my readers' intelligence, let me review the definitions of these terms. Facts are things that can be verified by observation or measurement. For example, if I say, "The high temperature in Los Angeles today was 86 degrees," I have stated a fact. Of course, my means of observation or measurement affects the accuracy of my reported fact. If I relied solely on my body's thermometer, my "fact" might be off by a few degrees. If I relied on a mercury thermometer, my "fact" can be trusted at least to within the error bar of that instrument and of my eyesight.
Inferences, on the other hand, are interpretations or conclusions drawn from facts. Inferences may be more or less trustworthy depending on the accuracy and adequacy of the facts from which they are derived and depending on the soundness of the logic they reflect If I were to add to my temperature report the prediction, "A warming trend has begun," I would be making an inference, a conclusion about what can be expected in days not yet observed. I may or may not be correct. The probability for my correctness increases with the quantity and quality of data on which my inference is based, not to mention the validity of my reasoning from the data. If the warmth of today is all I am going on, you'd better not pack away your sweaters and jackets.
The problem with assertions that "evolution is fact" now becomes apparent. Without any reference to the case for or against it, we can say that evolution is not a fact, but rather an inference. Evolution (the theory that all species of life developed by natural process from earlier forms all the way back to the first life form) is a more or less logical interpretation of the more or less reliable and adequate data available on the development of life on Earth. At this point I will hand the matter back to "the experts" in relevant disciplines.
As I See It: The Puzzle of Perfection
By Michael Denton
from Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Adler & Adler, 1986)
"The intuitive feeling that pure chance could never have achieved the degree of complexity and ingenuity so ubiquitous in nature has been a continuing source of skepticism ever since the publication of the Origin of Species; and throughout the past century there has always existed a significant minority of first-rate biologists who have never been able to bring themselves to accept the validity of Darwinian claims....
Perhaps in no other area of modern biology is the challenge posed by the extreme complexity and ingenuity of biological adaptations more apparent than in the fascinating new molecular world of the cell. Viewed down a light microscope at a magnification of some several hundred times, such as would have been possible in Darwin's time, a living cell is a relatively disappointing spectacle, appearing only as an ever-changing and apparently disordered pattern of blobs and particles which, under the influence of unseen turbulent forces, are continually tossed haphazardly in all directions. To grasp the reality of life as it has been revealed by molecular biology, we must magnify a cell a thousand million times until it is twenty kilometers in diameter and resembles a giant airship big enough to cover a great city like London or New York. What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design. On the surface of the cell we would see millions of openings, like the port holes of a vast space ship, opening and closing to allow a continual stream of materials to flow in and out. If we were to enter one of these openings we would find ourselves in a world of supreme technology and bewildering complexity. We would see endless highly organized corridors and conduits branching in every direction away from the perimeter of the cell, some leading to the central memory bank in the nucleus and others to assembly plants and processing units. The nucleus itself would be a vast spherical chamber more than a kilometer in diameter, resembling a geodesic dome inside of which we would see, all neatly stacked together in ordered arrays, the miles of coiled chains of the DNA molecules. A huge range of products and raw material would shuttle along all the manifold conduits in a highly ordered fashion to and from all the various assembly plants in the outer regions of the cell.
...What we would be witnessing would be an object resembling an immense automated factory, a factory larger than a city and carrying out almost as many unique functions as all the manufacturing activities of man on earth. However it would have a factory which would have one capacity not equaled in any of our own most advanced machines, for it would be capable of replicating its entire structure within a matter of a few hours. To witness such an act at a magnification of one thousand million times would be an awe-inspiring spectacle....
It is the sheer universality of perfection, the fact that everywhere we look, to whatever depth we look, we find an elegance and ingenuity of an absolutely transcending quality, which so mitigates against the idea of chance. Is it really credible that random processes could have constructed a reality, the smallest element of which- a functional protein or gene-is complex beyond our own creative capacities, a reality which is the very antithesis of chance, which excels in every sense anything produced by the intelligence of man?"
Michael Denton is an Australian medical doctor and research scientist who has lived and worked in London and Toronto as well as in Sydney, where he has most recently served on the faculty at the University of New South Wales.
Puzzles & Paradoxes
Here is a puzzle for our readers who say that science is not their bailiwick. Willie Mays hit 660 home runs in his baseball career. More than 20 percent came in the first inning. That's one-fifth of the home runs in the first one-ninth of the game. it seems reasonable to conclude that he lost momentum as the game progressed. What's wrong with this simple conclusion?
[graphic excluded]
The paradox presented in our last issue comes from Jesus' response to the disciples' questions about the signs of His return and or the end of the age. After listing more than a dozen dramatic, literally earth-shaking indicators, the Lord says (as recorded in Matthew 24:34), "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." What did he mean by "this generation"?
Few if any interpreters would argue that Jesus was referring to his own contemporaries, to those who sat listening to this discourse atop the Mount of Olives. The most popular view seems to be that he was speaking of the generation that would see all the signs converging. The comment, in this case, would seem to suggest something about the rapidity with which the many events will come together.
Footnote readers (NIV) and those who like to do word studies may have developed another possible interpretation. The Greek work used for "generation" here is genea, also (though not quite as commonly) translated "race." Jesus may have been prophesying, reassuringly, that the Jewish race would still exist at the time of His return to earth. Considering that most of the ethnic groups of Jesus' time have indeed died out or blended with others and considering the many dispersions, persecutions, and outright attempts at annihilation to which the Jews have been subjected through the centuries, we cannot help but see the survival of the Jewish race (not to mention the rebirth of their nation and language) as something of a miracle.
Greek, however, is the language of the written text. Jesus probably gave this message in Aramaic. In the Syriac Peshitta (an early Syrian vernacular version of the scriptures), the word that appears in this verse is just as commonly used for "race" as it is for "generation." This usage proves nothing, to be sure, but it does support the acceptability of the Jewish "race" interpretation.
References
- Archer, Gleason L. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982.
- Orr, James, General Editor. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956.
Field Report
The field of RTB ministry widened again during the past few months, this time with much help from the broadcast media. The ministry team stayed within the borders of the U.S. but addressed audiences with whom we have previously had little of no contact. One of those groups is the international viewing audience of Trinity Broadcasting Network and its affiliates, which reach even to such places as the Persian Gulf. Thousands of letters and requests for materials have come since Hugh Ross and Alex Metherell (chairman of the RTB board and a Christian apologist in his own right) appeared on the "Praise the Lord" program one December evening. With each rerun of that show and with each subsequent appearance, another deluge of calls and letters comes our way, and the testimonies they bear are heartening, to say the least. (See "Letters" column for a few samples.)
[graphic excluded]
Hugh fields questions after his message at a Christian Leadership Ministries conference for university faculty.
The faculty and student body of the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Illinois) comprised another new audience. Hugh had the honor of being the first scholar other than a seminary graduate invited to present the Kenneth S. Kantzer Lectures in Systematic Theology. His co-presenter was Bruce Waltke, distinguished theologian and author. Students, faculty, administrators, and the public who attended, some from Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin, responded warmly and enthusiastically to the talks on new scientific evidences for the God of the Bible and on the theological and personal implications of His multi-dimensionality.
Dr. James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, introduced Reasons To Believe to his vast radio audience in a two-part interview which will be aired April 17 and 18. Hugh's last visit to Dr. Dobson's radio studio back in 1983 helped to set some wheels in motion for the launching of the RTB ministry. Now Focus on the Family broadcasts on much more than ten times the number of stations. We will see what God has in store. Focus will also be offering The Fingerprint of God (2nd edition) among its resource materials for the family.
[graphic excluded]
A small group of the conferees develop outlines for their own outreach messages.
Producers of religious programming for the Netherlands national television zoomed in on Reasons To Believe for the taping of a two-part special presenting new scientific evidences for the God of the Bible. The programs are currently in the editing stage and will be aired later this year.
In addition to these wonderful opportunities, the team enjoyed talking with people in
- Churches - a five -week series at Faith Community in Covina, CA, on resolving Biblical paradoxes; Sunday classes/or services at Sierra Madre Congregational, Thousand Oaks Christian, and Chinese Alliance of Fullerton, CA, also Colorado Springs United Methodist.
- Schools - including First Lutheran School of Monrovia and UC Irvine,
- Conference Facilities - in Denver, for a regional meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation, and in Dallas, for apologetics/outreach training of university professors brought together by Christian Leadership Ministries, and
- Hotels, Restaurants, Homes, and Elsewhere - outreach events in Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale, AZ; in Tustin, El Monte, and Pasadena, CA; throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties via KBRT radio "Talk from the Heart," and in many parts of Texas through several different radio stations there.
Pray-ers' Closet
In the "Field Report" column you learn of the places we have gone to share the good news that the good news can be scientifically, historically, and personally trusted. In this "pray-ers" column we want to feature the real front-liners whose work is hidden from view but, in an important sense, who go ahead of the ministry team. At their monthly meetings in Sierra Madre, a small but mighty corps of praying friends of RTB talk to God about the needs and dreams of the ministry as a whole as well as the individual staff members and volunteers. They pray for the people whose lives our materials and speakers will touch in the days ahead and for the lives of the people whose lives will touch the ministry by their commitment to support us in some tangible way. And they give Him praise.
In recent weeks they have asked God to open new doors for the ministry of RTB, enabling us to efficiently and effectively multiply our impact in encouraging the faith of many. You can read about some of the answers to this request in that field report column mentioned above - television broadcasts, radio interviews, seminary invitations, an opportunity to train Christian faculty to do what Hugh does but in their own individual expertise. Dozens of new volunteers have also been raised up to assist in the office and at outreaches, and many new financial partners have joined with us, as well.
Most importantly, they have asked that God touch the hearts of people plagued by doubts and injured by the rampant skepticism and sometimes open mockery toward Biblical truths expressed in our educational system and in the media. Lately our team has been encouraged more than ever not only by such letters as you see on page 10, but also by the countless others who have stepped up to them before and after our events to tell personal stories of coming to faith in Christ or of renewing their faith and commitment after something we wrote, hearing our tapes, or attending a talk. One man told of struggling for five years with the gnawing fear that he had committed the unpardonable sin and could never be accepted by God. He said, "I decided I was better off following Christ, even if he sent me eventually to hell, than to continue in the degrading life I had been leading." What a joy to see this precious individual grasp the reality of his complete and permanent pardon for sin and the hope of eternal fellowship with the Lord Jesus! We are not sure why he needed to receive this assurance from a scientist, but what matters is that he did receive it.
If you would like to join our corps of Pray-ers in person or otherwise, please write or phone the RTB office to indicate your interest, and we will let you know how to get started in this strategic and exciting ministry venture. Call us at (626) 355-1480.
Kids Ask
By Hugh Ross
When I visited my son Joel's grade school a few weeks ago to give a slide presentation, "Journey to the Edge of the Universe," an alert fourth grader asked me this question:
"If there's life only on Earth and not on other planets, then where do flying saucers come from?"
Since other kids had already mentioned that their uncles, family members, and friends have seen such things, I knew I had to proceed diplomatically, and yet honestly. Here is what I can remember of what I said that day: A big majority of flying saucers and other UFOs-about 19 of 20-are actually natural things or natural events that are mistaken for something mysterious. One example is the planet Venus. About once every three years Venus will shine so brightly in the early morning hours that a person could read a book by its light. The sight of it can be so startling that it gets reported as a UFO. Some years ago, a pair of California Highway Patrolmen chased it across the Mojave Desert and even reported to headquarters that they were gaining on it!
Other natural objects often mistaken for UFOs include a bright star cluster called the Pleiades, very large meteors (shooting stars) called fireballs, migrating birds with phosphorescent dust on their bodies, and unusual reflections of light from atmospheric layers called inversion layers. Most so called flying saucers are found to be one of these or other such natural things, and chances are good that what your relatives and friends saw fell into this category.
Some flying saucers or UFOs are definitely real, but are not among the natural things or events such as I described. They are real, but they are not physical. In other words, they are part of the spirit realm, which is where God and the angels and the rebellious angels, led by Satan, live. Sometimes these rebellious angels, called demons, like to be seen in fascinating forms to draw people's attention away from God and toward the mysterious. They don't show themselves to just anyone, though. They show themselves to people who want to see them or to people who unknowingly invite them into their life (even their family members' lives) by getting involved with Ouija boards, palm reading, tarot cards, fortune-telling, astrology, magic spells, and similar types of activities which God forbids. In my many years of taking and analyzing UFO reports, I have never found an exception to this rule. The people who see these real, but not physical, flying saucers or other UFOs are those who possess occult materials or who have involved themselves (and sometimes their family members) in occult activities.
Letters
"...I am a refugee who ran out from the communists in Ethiopia. I am a Christian who wants to know deeply the Bible. Who knows but one day I will go back to my country and will open my mouth and the Bible to my people? Please send me any material that can help me to study the Bible..."
--Hailu, Dallas, TX
"...My age is 53 years. This is the first time in my life anyone has given me a tangible reason to believe..."
--Mary, Saugerties, NY
"...When I saw you on 'Praise the Lord' December 13, 1990, I wanted to stand up and Cheer! As I listened to your teaching re: dimensions of time and space, I thought, 'Where were people like this during my agnostic years at college and afterwards?'..."
--Myrna, Sturgis, MI
"...I almost had the feeling of holding my breath-grateful that I knew you wouldn't be interrupted by a commercial-but terrified that in some unforeseen way the conversation would veer off in some inane and pointless direction that would cause the thrust to be lost. Guess I should have more confidence..."
--Sharon, Mojave, CA
"...I have been studying for years without being able to understand as much about what you were revealing in just a precious few words and a very few moments of time..."
--Steve, Athens, TN
"Every once in a while someone comes along who illuminates the gospel in such a clear and concise way that my understanding of God is quickened and changed forever. I had such an experience when you and Alex Metherell were able to make your presentations on our local TBN affiliate. I do not understand particle physics, yet your illustration of Mr. and Mrs. Flat has begun to open my understanding of God and the wonderful mystery of the incarnation and atonement..."
--Steven, Utica, NY
"I am a nineteen-year-old college student. I have been desperately searching for spiritual truth for so long that I may have embraced every major world religion. I started out as a Christian but had so many doubts that I began searching elsewhere. I kept searching and searching but couldn't find anything that seemed right. Before I finally burned myself out, I thought I had found the answer in the New Age movement. Karma and reincarnation seemed so logical. When I heard you speak on TBN the other night, some of what you said went over my head. The information I was able to comprehend convinced me that Jesus is the only truth...
"I am especially thankful that you have made me realize that just because my mind can't fully comprehend God and His ways, it doesn't mean that they are not valid. I can't wait to further research your literature."
--Michelle, Lancaster, NY
"...As a vascular surgeon, I find that supplying adequate blood supply to marginal tissue has the effect of declaring what is dead vs. alive. Your ministry appears to work on the same principle, serving to eliminate the possibility of neutrality toward our God. Thanks for your effort in His name..."
--Drew, Palo Alto, CA
"...I have been praying, 'Oh, that I might know Him, ' and my answer came tonight. I am no physics scholar, just a 'great-gramma'-age 72-but never have I had so much revelation as by your teachings tonight. I have a family of 9 children who also have families, and I want them all to hear what you are saying! "I am praying for you..."
--Nettibel, Bethel, OH
"...I spent a semester in a class with an instructor (retired chemist) who taught evolution as pure fact. Sometimes I would feel I was going to explode. Through much prayer and many tears I began to develop (with the Lord's help) questions he couldn't answer and ideas that made sense, biblically and scientifically .
This semester the same instructor has asked me questions about God and is even attending church. I am thrilled with what God can do through a willing soul..."
--Tonya, Ardmore, OK
"...I am halfway through Stephen Hawking's book. Oddly enough, the chapter I'm struggling through is on quantum mechanics. Your statements defining the false precepts of 'new age' philosophy as misconstrued [sic] quantum mechanics were like light in the void to me..."
--Glenda, Tulsa, OK
"I am instructor of art at Mt. San Antonio Community College.... I was absolutely [sic] thrilled to hear of your work and am 'hungry' to read your book and receive your newsletter.
"As with those in the science area, the arts are full of 'intellectuals' (I use the term loosely) who think that to be a Christian is naive and the Bible is a nice piece of literature but certainly not the word of God.
"I have longed to have the kind of ammunition to combat the skeptics who do not accept God's word in faith believing and therefore are blind to its riches and truth.
"Since my own art work is highly connected to the natural sciences and the spiritual links I see intuitively existing between the laws of nature, nature's visual impact, and God's greater plan, I would love to have the verbal, 'rational' back up in order to have dialog with others in the arts who don't have a clue...."
--Linda, Duarte, CA
"...I have four boys in school who believe most of what their teachers tell them, or at least enough to question what my wife and I tell them. This is exciting Please put us on your mailing list and send us information on what you have available. Fascinating! Really fascinating! My mind is boggled "
--Rick, East Wenatchee, WA
Meet Our Board
By Daphne Trager
"I LOVED GEOLOGY IN COLLEGE," says Buddy Wunderly, engineer, businessman, and vice chairman of the RTB board of directors, "because it always started with the origin of the universe." We spent lots of time on the fossil record and on the likelihood of lower levels of life developing into higher ones. That seemed like gibberish to me even though I was not a believer at the time."
Born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bud moved to the San Gabriel Valley at the age of 15, attended what was to become Pasadena High School, and has lived in the area ever since. At Stanford he studied geology and mechanical engineering as part of a degree in petroleum engineering. Following Stanford, he attended Harvard Business School and then served in the army during the Korean War. Shortly after coming home from the service, Bud met a lovely young UCLA senior named Carole on a Friday, April 13, 1956, blind date he had reluctantly allowed his mother to arrange. Bud and Carole were married in 1957. Bud worked in the oil industry for a while but left it in 1963 to run a small family-owned business manufacturing medical supply items.
In 1989 he sold the business and officially retired, although not into obscurity. He and Carole remain among the most active members of Sierra Madre Congregational Church, which they have attended for 27 years. Bud says he has served on just about every kind of committee possible at SMCC and has recently famished his third term on the Elder Council.
Several years ago Bud heard from someone at church about a Caltech researcher who had begun attending. He took initiative to meet this fellow named Hugh and immediately shared in his desire to develop answers to questions scientists often use as an excuse to ignore or deny God. I loved my engineering," says Bud, "for the opportunity it gave me to observe how the world runs on natural laws, but I was always asking why God did things the way He did." The forming of Hugh's Paradoxes class on Sunday mornings at SMCC gave Bud the chance to explore some reasons why. He has been a dedicated supporter of Hugh's work ever since, becoming a charter member of the RTB board in 1986.
Bud and Carole live in Arcadia. They have three grown children-Eric, now in Wisconsin with his family, Glenn, who just returned from a short-term mission in Haiti, and Karen, who lives with her family near San Bernardino. Bud likes reading and hiking and used to be a rock hound. These days, both he and Carole are volunteering considerable free time to help at Reasons To Believe.
Current Events Commentary
By Hugh Ross, February 27, 1991
As the allied coalition went to war with Iraq the number of doomsayers declaring the approach-or arrival-of Armageddon rose sharply. The vast array of amazing new weaponry perhaps could be expected to provoke such pronouncements. I am surprised, however, at the number of normally cautious pastors and other Christian leaders who joined the rabble.
From my perspective, the most that this Iraqi crisis could achieve towards the fulfillment of end-times prophecy would be to propel the nations of the world more toward a global confederacy. The Biblical Armageddon is the culmination of a series of events that follow the forming of this ten-nation, world-wide confederacy.
So far, the conflict seems to foster no immediate possibility of Arab unity. Thus, it seems too soon to expect a quick formation of the "new world order." The most surprising development I see is that Israel, for the first time in its 43-year history, has relinquished its policy of immediate and massive retaliation in favor of trusting its security to foreign military power. The prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John all predict that just such a development would be a necessary ingredient in the forming of the ten-nation confederacy (Is. 28:14-19, Ezek. 38:8-13, Dan. 7:23-25, 8:13-14, 8:26, 9:25-27, and Rev. 13:1-8). In fact, the Ezekiel passage predicts that in return for a guarantee of its security by the ten-nation confederacy, Israel would agree to a total disarmament. If the allied coalition is successful in thwarting further attacks on Israel and in restoring the full sovereignty and security of Kuwait, then the feasibility of this future treaty between Israel and the ten-nation confederacy will have been demonstrated.
I view as more ominous the reports from Jordan. Political posturing aside, there seemed to be a growing fervor among the citizenry of Jordan to join Iraq-or anyone-in an attack on Israel. If such an attack were to be made (perhaps sometime following the resolution of the Kuwait issue and the withdrawal of the allied forces), Micah 5:5-6 could be fulfilled. A strike at Israel could be followed by the Israelis' marching through Jordan to "crush the Assyrians."
At this point a disclaimer is necessary. Some Bible scholars interpret this Micah passage as having its complete fulfillment when the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib, invaded Israel in the days of Isaiah and were thoroughly routed by the hand of God. If this prophecy is among the many which could also represent the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:14, Amos 9:12, Obadiah 19-21, and Zephaniah 2:8-11. These four passages speak of the Jews, in Israel, gaining control over the territories of the ancient kingdoms of Edom, Moab, and Ammon (now, for the first time in history, perfectly encompassed by Jordan), not necessarily to settle there, but certainly to control external affairs.
It has been a long-stated goal of Israel's Likud party to turn Jordan into a true Palestinian state established in such a way that it would never threaten Israel. Whether it's an Iraqi attack or some other political scenario that leads to Israeli control over Jordan, Biblical prophecy does tell us that the loss of Jordanian sovereignty to Israel will occur before, or at the same time as, the forming of the ten-nation confederacy.
I am looking for all these events to happen in years, rather than in months. Why? I do not yet see sufficient mobilization of evangelicals and their resources towards the fulfillment of the great commission to bring to pass Christ's end-times prediction (Matthew 24:14), to obey His command (Matthew 28:19) to make disciples of all the people groups of the world.
I can say, however, that the last ten years has brought the most impressive advance towards this goal the body of Christ has seen to date. And, it is also true that evangelicals now possess the resources (another historic first) to complete the task quickly. But, l do not yet see the wholehearted commitment that this completion will require.
What could be better for the world than the soon-return of Jesus Christ? Would you please join me in praying that Christians everywhere would greatly increase their involvement in bringing the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ to all the peoples of the world. Please pray that the entire Reasons To Believe team will set a good example. Similarly, we will pray for you.
For a more in-depth look at how current events foretold in the Bible are pointing to the return of the Lord, you may wish to obtain our eight-tape album, "End-Times Prophecy"; See the resources section and the order panel at the back of this newsletter.
Special Feature: Congratulations - Sandage Wins Crafoord Prize
Dr. Allan Sandage, astronomer, a friend of Reasons To Believe since its founding, has just won astronomy's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Since Nobel made no provision for a prize in astronomy, another Swedish inventor, Holgerd Crafoord, remedied the deficiency by establishing an award to be given every fourth year.
Sandage, who has worked for the last 42 years at The Observatories (a Pasadena, CA, facility maintained by the Carnegie Institution of Washington), has distinguished himself as an incredibly prolific researcher. More than four hundred of his research papers have been published. Early in his career he worked under Edwin Hubble, the "father of observational cosmology." After Hubble's death in 1953 Sandage continued in Hubble's quest to study the expansion of the universe. Largely as a result of his tireless efforts, astronomers now know the date for the event of creation many times more accurately than they did just a few decades ago.
[graphic excluded]
Dr. Allan Sandage in front of the Mt. Wilson 100-inch telescope, the instrument first used to establish that the universe was expanding.
We are particularly grateful for all the help Allan gave in the preparation of The Fingerprint of God. No other reviewer provided such extensive comments. Thanks to his contribution it is a much better book.
Allan lives in San Gabriel, California with his wife and fellow astronomer, Mary. They have two sons, both graduates of the University of California who are working as computer engineers. Allan will receive his prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Sweden on September 25, 1991.
Resources for Outreach
End Times Prophecy tape album
The events brought together by Desert Storm further illustrate the need for an honest understanding of what the Bible says about these days. In this tape series-End Times Prophecy -Dr. Ross refuses to step into the role of a wild-eyed, know-it-all, prognosticator. Rather, he factually and methodically shows how biblical prophecy continues to be supported and fulfilled by world events. No man can know the day or hour of Christ's return. Yet hundreds of prophecies, and over two dozen "signs" stated in the Bible show the rapid approach of that great event with increasing precision. In his review of these and other "signs of the end," Dr. Ross shows how God has always revealed such things to believers before their occurrence, and how accurately we can we know about the near future today. Also covered is the continuing miracle of Israel's existence, astounding victories and its predicted inability to recognize God's protecting presence. $36.00 ea. (Prices Subject To Change)
The Fingerprint of God
How can we know whether or not God exists? If he does exist, is he the God of the Bible, or some great but impersonal force? Is there solid evidence that he created the universe, our world and all life? In this just updated second edition-astronomer Hugh Ross reviews the recent scientific discoveries that provide clear and understandable answers to these difficult questions. Written for both lay reader and scientist, Dr. Ross presents the evidence that the universe is not only divinely created, but that the Creator Himself is clearly revealed by his creation. The book also provides answers to the most challenging and frequently asked questions Dr. Ross has encountered during his years lecturing around the world. Fingerprint of God is the ideal book for questioning minds that need rational answers to ultimate questions. $11.00 ea. (Prices Subject To Change)
Evolution: A Theory in Crisis
This book has stirred up a ruckus in the scientific community. Michael Denton, a medical doctor, distinguished molecular biologist, and self-proclaimed agnostic, reveals how recent molecular discoveries provide yet more evidence against traditional Darwinism. Denton's view, while still unpopular, is gaining credibility and becoming increasingly difficult for scientists and educators to ignore. Following a clear and methodical presentation, Denton goes beyond theory into direct confrontation: the reader is asked to decide how to react honestly when presented with facts which may well disprove his own fundamental beliefs. This book belongs in every school and home library, not only for its championing of honesty and truth, but also for its challenge to the smug complacency with which modern assumptions have been swallowed. $19.00 ea. (Prices Subject To Change)
The Emperor's New Mind
In the old children's story, the vanity of an emperor led him to parade before his subjects in "invisible" clothes. In like manner, the vanity of the scientific community has led many to accept the invisible "clothes" of materialism while ignoring some rather obvious difficulties with that world view. Roger Penrose, Oxford professor and co-recipient with Stephen Hawking of the prestigious Wolf Prize, looks at the inadequacy of science to explain human thought. On a dazzling tour ranging from quantum mechanics to black holes, he arrives at Einstein's conclusion our "little finger" tells us that physical laws can't explain ultimate reality. This book offers credible evidence from an eminent secular scholar that the human mind is more than a complex computer. It also provides an excellent foundation for demonstrating to serious skeptics the existence of a transcendent Creator. $25.00 ea. (Prices Subject To Change)
Calendar of Events
March 12 - 13: breakfast and luncheon outreaches for business people in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue, sponsored by the Christian Businessmen's Committee (CBMC). For times and locations of events call Dwight Mason at (206) 838-4540.
March 23: in-studio interview/discussion on The Fingerprint of God and on new findings re the big bang. "Talk from the Heart," hosted by Craig Hawkins, 3 P.M., KBRT radio, Costa Mesa, CA.
March 25: Open Forum, lunch-hour Bible discussion for skeptics at the University Club, Pasadena. For reservations call Bill Jones at (818) 449-5222
April 4: 7:30 P.M. outreach sponsored by the singles Bible study of Lake Avenue Congregational Church and of Sierra Madre Congregational Church, CA. Contact person for the event is Brenda Spoelstra at (818) 577-2184
April 6: morning service, 11 A.M. at Vallejo Drive Seventh Day Adventist Church, corner of Vallejo and Holly Drives, Glendale, CA. Contact person is Alan Faehner at (818) 244-0275
April 7: morning and evening services (8 A.M., 9:15 A.M., 10:45 A.M. and 6 P.M.) at Laurelglen Bible Church, 2801 Ashe Road, Bakersfield. Directions and other information are available from the church at (805) 833-2800.
April 11: briefing and quipping session in Chicago with members of the John Guest Evangelistic Team, specifically with the 30-35 professionals who will accompany John to Kiev, U.S.S.R., in April for a major evangelistic thrust.
April 14: evening service, 8 P.M., at Armenian Brotherhood Bible Church, 1536 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA, (818) 791-7773.
April 17 & 18: "The Glory of God in Creation," 2-part interview with Dr. James Dobson on "Focus on the Family" radio program. Check with your local stations for broadcast times.
April 18: men's dinner outreach on "Tough Topics," 6-8:30 P.M., at Ventura Missionary Church, 500 High Pointe Dr., in Ventura. For reservations or further details call Pastor Kelley at (805) 656-0500.
April 19-28: board members Alex Metherell and Dave Rogstad and their wives go to Leningrad, U.S.S.R., for a series of outreaches organized by Christian Leadership Ministries of Dallas, TX.
April 20-21: Saturday evening community-wide outreach event and Sunday morning service at Valley Christian Fellowship, Redding, CA. Coordinator is John Morrell at (916)223-2333.
May 1-9: various outreach events at Kauai, HI. Organizer is Rick Bundschuh at (808) 332-8517.
May 17: banquet at the Gideon Convention in Spokane, WA. For reservations and information call Jim Coons at (206) 532-0473.
May 26: Family Camp at Forest Home Christian Conference Center, 40000 Valley of the Falls Rd., Forest Falls (near Mentone), CA. Call the conference center office for details at (714) 794-1127.
Special Thanks
To our wonderful volunteers, dozens of you, all ages and walks of life, who have kept the ministry rolling through the past few months as we have been inundated with phone calls and mail - hundreds of encouraging letters and of requests for materials and information. Whether you have served as receptionists, shippers, word processors, tape album assemblers, consultants, or coordinator of all these, you have sustained the work of the ministry in a strategic way and we are deeply grateful.
[graphics excluded for each of the following]
Barbara Schwind & Dave Schwind
Jill Theis
Bill Stephens
Gerry Hazlet
Bob Taylor
Else Dahinden & Mel Matthews
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1991 by Reasons To Believe.
