Facts & Faith
1991 Volume 5, No. 4
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Science in the News: Fears Rise as Ozone Levels Drop
By Hugh Ross
Like the friends of the boy who cried, "Wolf!" many people ignore news of impending environmental disaster, thinking it to be environmentalists' hysteria over distorted scientific data. My experience in environmental research at the University of Toronto tells me that environmental data is usually good, but because of the enormous complexity of environmental problems, it is difficult to draw really definitive conclusions.
The global warming problem provides an example. There are so many factors both natural and man-made influencing temperature trends that no one can yet make secure predictions as to when or whether the current warming will cease.
The ozone problem is different. Yes, it is complex, but less so, and the body of data is far more complete. Measurements have been made over Antarctica (where the atmosphere is most stable and its constituents are most accurately measurable) every year since 1956. 1
Rapid Depletion
What alarmed atmospheric physicists in the '70s and '80s was how rapidly the ozone layer appeared to be thinning. Through the '50s and '60s minimum levels of stratospheric ozone over Antarctica had measured to be a stable 225 Dobson units (these units are the recently adopted standard for describing measures of the quantity of atmospheric ozone). During the '70s, however, the quantity dropped dramatically downward.1 When it fell into the low hundreds, researchers began to talk about "the Antarctic ozone hole." By 1987 the hole had deepened. The ozone layer was as thin as 121 Dobson units.2
Initial Response
This precipitous depiction was found to correlate perfectly with man's increased use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These chemicals did not exist in the earth's stratosphere until after the '50s. Each measured increase of CFCs in the stratosphere was complemented by a proportionate decrease in ozone.
When news of this undeniable correlation was released to the public in the '80s, the governments of many nations enacted legislation to limit the manufacture and use of CFCs. Unfortunately, there is a considerable time gap, ranging from two to thirty years, between the release of CFCs on the earth's surface and their arrival in the stratosphere. Therefore, a swift response to the problem brings neither swift nor swiftly measurable results.
Problem Worsens
There was a momentary sense of relief in 1989 and 1990 when the minimum ozone level appeared to hold steady at about 125 Dobson units. Researchers clung to hope that the ozone crisis had been abated.
However, just two weeks ago the figure for 1991 was released. On October 6 the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer on the Nimbus-7 satellite detected a scant 110 Dobson units in that thin spot over Antarctica.3 This drop came in a year when the typical two-year pattern of fluctuation in ozone levels led to expectations of an increase.4
Further cause for alarm this year comes from balloon measurements revealing a significant ozone loss not just in the lower stratosphere over the South Pole but also in a layer from 27-29 kilometers in altitude. 3 Researchers also see the possibility of a negative feedback loop. Ozone destruction leads to colder polar temperatures. These colder temperatures produce stable airflows that prevent the mixing of ozone depleted air with ozone-richer midlatitude air. Thus, greater ozone depletion occurs, leading to even colder temperatures, and so on.3
Problem Widens
Still greater concern arises from the discovery that the problem is not confined to the polar regions. This was also the first year when summertime ozone decreases were detected over midlatitudes.5 In fact, a United Nations science panel announced in late October that ozone levels have been decreasing everywhere except over the tropics. In an Environmental Protection Agency (USA) report last April the ozone layer over heavily populated regions of the Northern Hemisphere was said to be thinning at twice the previously reported rate. As a result the EPA adjusted upwards its estimates of new cases of skin cancer in the U. S. by several million.6 Dupont, the world's leading producer of CFCs, announced that it would phase out its manufacture of CFCs by 1996.5
Additional concern surrounds the impact of the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption in the Philippines. The dust cloud from this eruption, the largest of the century, could possibly chill the earth sufficiently to hasten the destruction of the ozone layer over large portions of the world, primarily the tropics and lower latitudes.7 Though this will be a significant factor for only the next few years, we cannot ignore the prospect of future eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo and/or of other volcanoes.
Environmental Consequences
As a result of the accumulating evidence in the last several weeks, virtually all ozone researchers agree that we are facing a major environmental problem, most would say "crisis." The levels of damaging ultraviolet radiation in Antarctica have already reached twice their normal values.8 To put this change in some perspective, Drs. John Frederick and Amy Alberts of the University of Chicago assert that the Antarctic may be experiencing its highest level of ultraviolet radiation since the ozone shield first formed about a billion years ago.8
One of the first and worst environmental consequences to be seen may be the large-scale destruction of certain species of phytoplankton. Since these species form the base of the polar food chain, the loss of fish, birds, and sea mammals could prove considerable.
Certain food crops are sensitive to even slight increases in ultraviolet radiation. Wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans are notable examples. And, as the EPA has pointed out, skin cancer, melanoma (much more deadly), and eye disorders can be expected to drastically increase.
Warnings from the Past
As I mentioned in an article three years ago (Facts & Faith, v. 2, no. 4, p. 5), all these catastrophes were man-made disasters were predicted not just a few decades ago, but thousands of years ago. The Bible clearly foretells a time when loathsome and malignant skin sores will break out on much of the world's population (Revelation 16:2), when everything in the oceans will die (Revelation 16:3), and when grain supplies will drop catastrophically (Revelation 6:5-8). The prophet Isaiah placed the blame squarely on man's shoulders. He declared that a day would come when man's foolishness and greed would grow so far out of control that man would literally pollute himself and his environment to death (Isaiah 24).
Believers' Response
From both a physical and spiritual standpoint, what are God's people to do? From a physical standpoint, we need to be wise in providing whatever ultraviolet protection we can for ourselves and our loved ones--sunscreen, hats, etc. We can also curtail our use of CFCs and whatever other chemicals we learn do damage to the ozone shield.
From a spiritual standpoint, we can prepare ourselves to address people's fears and their attempts to escape those fears. Some will pretend that the problem doesn't exist, believing that a few wild-eyed radicals are simply out to scare everyone. Some will console themselves with the fantasy that if there is a problem, someone will surely come up with a solution in time--at least in time to save us from any major discomfort. Others will rush to join one of many environmentalist groups and devote themselves to the cause of sociopolitical reform.
In our encounters with each of these types of individuals and others, we can gently, respectfully, and prayerfully point to the truth--that the problem is real, that political action (though necessary and good) will never be adequate to solve it, and that God is offering, free of charge, the one Son-screen that gives perfect and lasting protection--Jesus Christ Himself.
Our loving God uses man-made disasters to turn people's attention, and their hearts, away from self-destructive beliefs and actions, and toward Him and the eternal, indescribably wonderful life He has planned and prepared for us in His presence. Let's be ready to talk about it.
References
- Monastersky, R. "Ozone Hysteria?" Science News, v. 138 (1990), p. 307.
- Monastersky, R. "Antarctic Ozone Hole Sinks to a Record Low." Science News, v. 140 (1991), p. 245.
- Holden, Constance. "Antarctic Ozone Hole His Record Depth." Science, v. 254 (1991), p. 373.
- Monastersky, R. "Antarctic Ozone Hole Sinks to a Record Low." Science News, v. 140 (1991), p. 244.
- Monastersky, R. "Summer Ozone Loss Detected for the First Time." Science News, v. 140 (1991), p. 278.
- Monastersky, R. "Ozone Decreasing over U. S." Science News, v. 139 (1991), p. 231.
- Peterson, I. "Volcano Could Cool Climate, Reduce Ozone." Science News, v. 140 (1991), p. 7.
- Science News editors. "UV Pours through Ozone Hole." Science News, v. 140 (1991), p. 214.
From the President's Desk
Dear friends,
Many of you have asked us to respond to the report carried by many newspapers and news magazines of Loyal Rue's address to a recent symposium of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS is the largest and perhaps most prestigious of all the associations for scientists in the U. S. More than five thousand scientists attended the symposium Dr. Rue addressed in our nation's capitol.
Dr. Rue, a professor of religion and philosophy at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and a church-attending Lutheran, told his audience that science "has eroded the plausibility of the Judeo-Christian myths," such as Moses' receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the resurrection of Jesus, and certain "archaic views of the universe." The latter he identified specifically as the "assumption that humans are at the center of existence."
Dr. Rue acknowledges, however, that humanity cannot function without religion. His recommendation: replace the "discredited myths" of the Bible with "a noble lie." What kind of lie does he mean? In his words, "one that can't be shown to be a lie by exposing it to a known truth or to science ... a lie that inspires us to give up selfish interests in the service of noble ideals ... a lie so imaginative and so compelling that it can't be resisted."
It is hard to believe that this prestigious group would put up with such an insult to both Jews and Christians, let alone tolerate such an insult to scientists and the rest of humanity. To suggest that we knowingly abandon ourselves to a lie is to demand that scientists stop being scientists.
In one sense, the scientists present at Dr. Rue's lecture did stop being scientists. Who protested Dr. Rue's dismissal of the Ten Commandments or the resurrection? And who had enough knowledge or courage to refute Dr. Rue's assertion that the Bible teaches geocentricity? Apparently, no one.
Perhaps these AAAS scientists have been conditioned by atheistic literature. In countless publications, the Bible's focus on man, the idea that God created the earth and the universe for man, is equated with the belief that the earth is at the center of the universe.
Ironically, at a time when scientific discoveries converge to corroborate the cosmology of the Bible, scientists, who pride themselves as truth-seekers, willingly accept hearsay about the Bible's teachings. More than ironic, this case is tragic, for "what may, be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them... Professing to be wise, they became fools, and ... exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." (Romans 1:19-25, NKJV).
I am further saddened by a sidebar that accompanied the Science report on the AAAS conference. Author Constance Holden lamented that only 45% of Americans accepted the statement that "human beings developed from earlier species of animals" whereas 79% of Japanese "knew the right answer." Holden admitted that the "poor showing" of the Americans could not be chalked up to science illiteracy since three times as many Americans as Japanese knew the right answers to questions about lasers and antibiotics. Religion must be the culprit.
Dr. Rue is right about one thing. A lie is coming, but it is not noble. "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in ... every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie" (II Thessalonians 2:8-11, NIV).
That day is coming, but it is not here yet. Many who are in danger can still be rescued. Together may we diligently and prayerfully apply Jude 22-23 (NIV): "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear..."
Sincerely,
Hugh Ross
Meet Our Staff
By Daphne Trager
A timely addition to the staff of Reasons To Believe is Dr. John Rowe, Vice President for Development. John will be applying his array of skills and experience--including 40 years in Christian ministry--to helping RTB grow large enough to support a team of scientists and writers.
As an ordained minister of the gospel, John took his first preaching position in rural Minnesota in 1951. From there he went on to lead an inner-city church in Nashville, Tennessee, plant a church in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and preach at the historic Mountain Christian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. Meanwhile he completed the first of his two advanced degrees, a Doctorate of Ministry in higher education and psychotherapy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The second, a Ph.D. in preaching ministry, he earned ten years later at the California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale, California.
John came to California in 1967 to serve as Dean of Students and Professor of Preaching at Pacific Christian College in Long Beach. In 1979, after the College moved to its present campus in Fullerton, he took charge of development. In his free time he also assisted a number of churches as their interim pastor. One of these churches was the First Christian Church of Thousand Oaks, where he met Hugh Ross.
Hugh was guest speaker in an adult Sunday school class and in the pulpit, invited by an elder of the church. John sat in to hear Hugh's message and afterwards approached him with this declaration: "I want to be the development officer for your ministry."
Why would he be so bold? As John recalls, "It was the most compelling message I had ever heard, compelling because so much of our culture has been affected by the breakdown between science and the Bible. Humanistic, atheistic philosophy has held sway, supposedly supported by science. Now science, I learned, points in the opposite direction--towards God!"
John remembers his undergraduate astronomy course at the University of Minnesota as the place where he first was hit by the clash. "Despite what the professor said, I knew that somehow science and the Bible must agree because they have the same author behind them, but through the years I never heard anyone present the resolution as adequately as Hugh did that Sunday in January."
Within a few months John indeed was the candidate chosen for the newly formed position with RTB. Since joining our staff he has formed a development committee, drafted plans, and deployed a large corps of volunteers to raise up resources for our upcoming move to new facilities. Perhaps you have received a phone call from one of these helpers already. In addition to his normal responsibilities, John has scouted out over a hundred possible office sites in recent weeks, seeking the one that best fits our budget and our needs.
In the evenings and on weekends, this slim, energetic executive continues to carry out some personal ministry activities of his own. Partnered by Katherine, his wife of 38 years, he conducts leadership seminars for churchmen and preachers, encourages and guides ministerial students, and assists people with estate planning. He invites you to call him at the Reasons office, (818) 355-6058, with questions and/or offers to participate in development.
Puzzles & Paradoxes
The puzzle presented in the fall issue may have scared some of you because it looked like a complicated math problem. Here is the equation given, which you were asked to solve for a. Two answers are possible (the math geniuses among you may find more than two):
(√a)(a-1)=a
Perhaps you took the time and trouble to work through the equations for an answer. However, by the simple process of trial and error you could have come up with two correct answers, 1 and 3.
The Biblical paradox presented this time may be more accurately referred to as a problem. It has to do with a supposed Biblical misstatement of the value of pi. In I Kings 7:23 the "Sea of cast metal" for the temple of the Lord is said to be ten cubits from brim to brim and thirty cubits in circumference. This seeming inaccuracy (since the precise value of pi is 3.14159..., not 3.0) comes up in the questions at outreach events and appears in several atheistic publications aimed at discrediting the authority of the Bible. How would you reply if someone were to confront you with this problem? As in the case of the equation above, two answers are possible.
Let us Reason: Finding a wife for Cain
Part Twelve in a Series
By Hugh Ross
The question concerning possible candidates for marriage to Cain comes near the top of the list of most frequently asked questions at our outreach events. It stems from the apparent problem of the first couple's having only three sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth. Cain, the firstborn, after murdering Abel was banished to a land towards the east called Nod. If we are all descended from Adam and Eve, where could Cain have found a wife?
The problem is actually more serious yet. According to Genesis 4, Cain not only found a wife, but by the time of the birth of his son Enoch, he found enough people to help him build and populate a city. Furthermore, Adam and Eve did not give birth to Seth until after Cain murdered Abel and was banished to Nod.
Resolving the Population Problem
The first step in the solution of this problem is to recognize that Adam and Eve had many more children than Cain, Abel, and Seth. Genesis 5:4 says that "after Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years," and it also tells us that "he had other sons and daughters." In fact, the genealogy of Genesis 5 records that every descendant of Adam down to Lamech had "other sons and daughters." These other sons and daughters were born to men even older than 187 years.
Considering the long life spans recorded in Genesis 5 (which I take seriously based on evidences described in Facts & Faith, v. 5, no. 2, pp. 4-5) and assuming that couples remained reproductive for about half their lifetime, the possibility existed for a veritable population explosion. In fact, the world's population could have approached a few billion by the time of Adam's death at the age of 930 (see table).
Table: Expected Population Growth in Adam's LifetimeAccording to Genesis 5, life spans from Adam to Noah averaged 912 years. Each of the patriarchs mentioned had "other sons and daughters" in addition to the sons recorded by name. The table calculations are based on
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According to the simple mathematics, if Cain waited to marry until he was about 200 years old, he probably had several women to choose from, providing some migrated eastward to Nod with other family members. If he waited another 200 years to build a city, he could have had at least a few thousand people to help him, again assuming some migration occurred. It is not entirely impossible that Cain had sisters from whom to take a wife even before his banishment and the birth of Seth. The text does not tell us.
Archeological evidence indicates that population growth did not take off explosively in the pre-Flood era. What happened? My view is that the sin of Cain eventually grew out of control. Murder may well have become the number one cause of death. This scenario would explain the very strong language God used with Noah in Genesis 9:6, commanding Noah's descendants to exercise whatever means necessary, up to the death penalty, to restrain the sin of murder.
The latter part of the fourth chapter of Genesis suggests, however, that the sin of murder took several generations to reach catastrophic proportions. Thus, the numbers suggested above for Cain's marriage candidates and fellow citizens are not likely to have been significantly affected.
Resolving the "Incest" Problem
Given that we are all descended from Adam and Eve, either Cain or one of his brothers must have married a sister. This would seem to violate the commands recorded in the book of Leviticus forbidding marriage between brothers and sisters. The Levitical laws, however, must be considered in their proper historical context.
Though the book of Genesis condemns sexual relations between children and their parents, it nowhere prohibits a man from marrying his sister or niece. Abraham, for example, married his half-sister without compunction. Not until the time of Moses were laws established forbidding a man from marrying a sister or niece. The timing of this command makes perfect sense biologically, for genetic defects as a result of intra-family marriage would not begin to crop up until after the first few dozen generations.
The Mystery of Cain's Mark
Genesis 4 tells us that God found it necessary to put a mark on Cain as a warning to other humans not to take vengeance upon him. The necessity of this mark indicates that the population of the human race had reached (or would reach) such a level that mistaking Cain for someone else would be a problem.
The text says nothing about what kind of mark Cain received or about its being passed on to his progeny. I see no basis for believing that any one of the races of man carries the mark of Cain.
The origin of the races of man is another issue about which people have many questions. Look for a discussion of this intriguing subject in a future issue of Facts & Faith.
A "Last Days" Warning
In many places Scripture speaks of horrible wickedness again overtaking humanity in the "last days." One indicator that these last days may be approaching is the fact that for the first time since the Flood, murder has become the prime cause of death for the human race. In case you wonder about my statistic, it includes the murder of living humans before their birth. According to the widely published data on abortion, one individual in three experiences death by murder in the United States, exceeding the toll taken by both heart disease and cancer. The figures for the rest of the world's nations are typically worse. In the case of Eastern Europe, the USSR, and the People's Republic of China, the figures are much worse.
Amazingly, God holds back His judgment upon such rampant evil and widespread lack of repentance, even among believers. He patiently waits for those who will yet throw themselves upon His mercy and receive His grace. May we who are His show the way until He comes.
For further discussion of Cain and the world of his time may I recommend the audiotape set entitled "The Flood" (see order panel on p. 15). Soon we will be distributing a video commentary on the Genesis Flood. Look for an announcement in our next issue.
As I See It: The Materialist's New Clothes
By Gary Meredith
The view that Western society in general, and the United States in particular, are in rapid decline may be a matter for debate. Gathering support for that position would require perhaps 90 minutes' research at a public library, or a five-minute scan of the daily paper. A dozen references to violent crime, gang activity, official corruption, drug abuse, financial disasters, crises in health care, and more could easily be found in that time. My favorite bit of evidence, however, is an often-cited national poll.
In 1940 public school teachers were asked to list their worst student problems. The top three offenses were Talking, Chewing Gum, and Making Noise. In 1980 the poll was taken again. This time the top answers included Rape, Robbery, Assault, Drugs and Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Suicide.
The 1940 items weren't even mentioned in 1980, probably because they were no longer viewed with annoyance but with nostalgia. Equally disheartening, I have yet to meet anyone surprised by the survey's results. What changes in our society could possibly have caused--while we watched--such a tragic transformation at our schools in less than four decades? Effecting a change of such magnitude in so short a time requires a massive shift in the public's philosophy, a major shift in people's basic assumptions about reality. I believe the change has taken place with the establishment of materialism as the basic world view.
By "materialism" I mean (with apologies to the real philosophers) the doctrine that the only reality is matter, the material realm. Naturalism, existentialism, and agnosticism are examples. Materialism provides the basis for such value systems as relativism, humanism, and hedonism, and for such political systems as Marxism, communism, and fascism. Materialism, say its proponents, explains everything from the universe to our existence in it to our thoughts and feelings. With enough scientific research, we could even learn how the human race came up with such ideas as justice, morality, sin, right and wrong, good and evil (now explained as biological "leftovers" from the evolutionary process, mere chemical movements in the brain). Everything is the result of random processes, without purpose of any kind. And, if there is a supernatural being, "it" has nothing to do with us.
Materialism has become the basic assumption of reality for a vast majority of modern civilizations, of people and of those in the most influential positions. The practical problem with materialism is that it can't honestly co- exist with moral law (i.e., first principles or traditional moral values). Throughout all but recent history this set of laws, or values, was the basic assumption of virtually all civilizations to guide the conduct of society. But, from the current viewpoint, the moral law is a by-product of chance biological processes with no authority above man, only hindering his "progress" toward a "glorious" and "self-determined" future (meaningless words, by the way, if the universe is truly random).
The Western intelligentsia, having won a majority of converts to materialism in its own ranks between the two world wars, and armed with a considerable body of scientific evidence, began the re-conditioning of society. After World War 11 materialism enjoyed wide circulation through the educational system, with the concomitant dropping of the moral law. We abandoned our former emphasis on the classics, "dead" languages and cultures, and even (to our great national embarrassment) geography. History, littered with countless references to the accursed moral law, was re-packaged into "social science." Why?
In Iraq we learned again that the best way to defeat an opponent is first to cut off its communications. This isolation leaves the enemy blind, confused, and demoralized. In the same way, the materialists, through reconstituted education, cut us off from the voice of virtually all previous humanity, leaving society morally blind and bewildered.
C. S. Lewis in The Abolition of Man (1947) warned that the consequences of departing from traditional values "must be the destruction of the society which accepts" such an irrational course. In 1947, the proponents of the new philosophy were still better than their espoused beliefs. Not so the generation they reared and educated. The new emphasis on "valueless" education has had its tragic and necessary results--the teachers survey of 1980. The separation of moral values and education has turned out to be the height of self-deception, the shortest road to self-destruction, for our society.
"Few if any advances have been made in modem times," decries Mortimer Adler, Chairman of the editorial board of Encyclopedia Britannica. "On the contrary, much has been lost as the result of errors that might have been avoided if ancient truths had been preserved..."
The last decade has brought forth yet more evidence-this time scientific evidence-that twentieth century man has fallen into serious error. Materialism required a universe of infinite age and material. What science now reveals is a universe with a beginning, a universe so relatively young (even at a few billion years) and limited that evolution is an utter absurdity. Worse still for the materialist position, a Beginner who is also an involved Designer is the inescapable and only logical conclusion.
There was a certain noble stoicism about the materialist philosophers. They were willing, as Huxley advised, to sit down and face even the most repugnant fact science revealed (e.g., man's descent from the apes) and then to follow wherever it might lead. It will be interesting to see if they are still as good as their philosophy now that their old ally, science, has swept away their favorite "fact," infinitude.
In the fairy tale from which my title comes, the assembled crowd finally realizes that the emperor's new clothes are not just invisible, they are non- existent. Ignoring their remarks, the emperor finishes the parade wearing only his underwear. Like the emperor, many materialists in authority still say that those who would bring back the moral law are, in the tailor's words, "either stupid or unfit for their positions."
But they can only continue to hold sway at a terrible price. They can deny the Bible. They can ignore centuries of the common voice of humanity. They can ignore Adler, Lewis, and countless others. They can--and do--deny the implications of the new scientific data, resorting to increasingly irrational explanations. But for the teachers survey--the rapid, catastrophic failure of their grand experiment--they can say not one word. Indeed, any argument they might offer would only make clear that our society's reconditioners are still parading their god--Materialism--in his underwear.
Gary Meredith is a marketing consultant who lives with his wife and two sons in San Gabriel, California.
Letters
"I was reading astronomy back in the days when the steady-state versus expanding universe argument was the latest thing in cosmology. I joined an astronomy club, but quit when I discovered that everyone in the club was a professed atheist (I was only 14 at the time)....
"I have marveled at the unfolding of the cosmological riddle over the past 30 years and have felt strongly that it tended to confirm the Bible more remarkably than most people could understand... I still remember vividly the abstract of an article in the Astrophysical Journal by Allan Sandage where he wrote something to the effect that 'the value of the Hubble constant is..., therefore the universe had a definite beginning and is proceeding to a definite end.' This was what I firmly believed, but I had never expected to see it in a journal, much less the Astrophysical Journal!
"After this I began to notice the absurd arguments astronomers used to avoid the logical consequences of their own work. As I observed this, I became convinced that a book like yours could and should be written. It was a real pleasure to read it this evening... I shall be praying for your work, that you will be effective in holding up a light to show more of God's incredible handiwork to the world that has rejected Him."
--Don, Knoxville, Tennessee
"I saw your program last evening and was pleased with the scientific reasons you offered to believe in Jesus Christ.
"I am a meteorology major at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. In all my time in science, I cannot remember a presentation as thorough and compact as yours for presenting scientific data for creation...
"In particular I liked your mention of natural phenomena as mistaken for UFO'S, and I think more people should first consider the possibility of natural occurrences before reaching a conclusion of a UFO sighting..."
--Anne Marie, Houston, Texas
"Thanks for writing your book, The Fingerprint of God, and thanks to James Dobson for having you on his program. For a number of years I have not been able to swallow the 'young earth theory'...even though my pastor promotes it. It has been a very divisive concept in the Christian community and I believe has caused some scientists to reject Christianity..."
--Stanley, Wooster, Ohio
"After doing my own investigation, based on reason instead of faith, I no longer consider myself a Christian, but a Deist. And the more I investigate, the more I'm considering an atheistic position. However, after seeing Dr. Hugh Ross on the TBN show, I wanted to contact your group. I understand Dr. Ross is applying reason to theology and Christianity. Is it possible to receive any information about your work? I am very interested in finding out what errors I may be making in my quest for honest answers..."
--Ronald, Springlake, North Carolina
"You have widened my concept of God tremendously. I have been a Christian since 1984 but have had doubts about whether God created the entire universe and whether evolution was possible. In reading The Fingerprint of God and Evolution: A Theory in Crisis all of my doubts are gone. I now understand that most scientists have believed in evolution not because of observations and facts that prove it but because of their unwillingness to accept the alternative: a God who is much more intelligent, wise and loving than they are and to whom they are accountable. Thank you for removing lies that were in the back of my mind and replacing them with truth..."
--Bruno, Downsview, Ontario
Word from the Editor
By Kathy Ross
Transcendent. I first encountered the word in my eleventh grade English class, not as part of a vocabulary list, but as part of the name attached to a group of American writers, the Transcendentatists. In case you were dozing in those classes, I'll remind you that the group included such luminaries as Emerson, Thoreau, and Alcott (Louisa May's father, Amos Bronson). I was wide awake, of course, but my Penguin Companion to American Literature reminds me that this nineteenth century New England avant-garde articulated some of the notions which underlie current cults and philosophies: all things are one, Soul (i.e., divinity) resides in all nature, including man, and truth may be known through "primal intuitions" which transcend the knowledge gained via physical senses and science.
Perhaps the word or this little bit of background recalls to your mind the practice of "TM," Transcendental Meditation, popularized in the sixties and seventies. (I used to be horrified at TM's local popularity until I discovered that the ubiquitous TM-logo bumper stickers advertised Tune-up Masters.) Recently a friend asked me to clarify what Hugh means when he says in his writing and speaking that the Creator is transcendent.
Let's take transcend apart. It comes from the Latin trans- meaning "over" or "above," and scendere, "to climb." In reference to mystical experience, transcendence is focused on man, on his "rising above" certain limits, thus glorifying himself.
In Reasons To Believe publications and tapes, and generally in theological contexts, the word transcendent carries a different connotation. With respect to man, it refers to man's supremacy--by virtue of God's endowing him with a spirit--over the rest of Earth's creatures. Man, alone, was created "in the image of God." This "glory" was not something he attained, but something he was given.
With respect to God it refers to one of the key distinctives of Christianity. Not only does it speak of God's supremacy over all things in heaven and earth, His perfection and glory, but it tells of His existence apart from the material universe, apart from the length, width, height, and time dimensions--also the energy-which define the physical universe. He is neither confined to nor contained within the universe, as vast and awesome as it is. He is the reality beyond and before the universe, existing in "dimensions" we simply cannot picture, dimensions which, however, intersect our own, by His design.
He is unfathomable, yes. But He is not obscure. He has given us His clear imprint on the creation, His imprimatur on the pages of the Bible, and His incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ. Despite His transcendence (also because of it), He has made a way for us to know of Him, and infinitely better yet, to know Him, personally. Personally--now there's a word for further discussion.
Field Report
Reasons To Believe ventured into new territory during recent weeks. One of these new places of ministry was Knoxville, Tennessee, where Hugh addressed a wide variety of audiences--church folks, university faculty and students, medical center staff and nuclear engineers, among others. The people of Cedar Springs Presbyterian worked hard and prayed faithfully to pull these events together, and the results were wonderful. Several new Bible study-discussion groups have been launched for those who responded with keen interest to Hugh's messages.
In Colorado, we returned to some familiar places, such as Cherry Hills Community Church and the Denver Tech Center, and entered some new ones, including the School of Mines and Denver University. A radio interview (over a secular station) about UFO's drew many people from the community to each of the events.
To appear as a guest on Trinity Broadcasting Network is not new, but to launch a series--with sidewalk interviews, audience interaction, co-hosts, and panel discussions--certainly is. The first few segments of "Reasons To Believe" have been so favorably received that TBN plans to repeat the series when all fifteen episodes have been aired, then produce fifteen more next spring.
Another first was a colloquium, sponsored by Murdock Charitable Trust, for science faculty of Christian colleges and universities in Oregon and Washington. Hugh was invited to be the speaker for the weekend gathering in Seattle attended by twelve teachers from six institutions. The response was mixed, some enthusiasm, some discomfort in connecting faith with facts of science.
These and other events of the past quarter included the following:
Churches - a weekend symposium on creation and evolution and Sunday morning messages for two adult classes at Cedar Springs Presbyterian in Knoxville, Tennessee; a breakfast outreach at Cherry Hills Community in Denver, Colorado; regular Sunday morning meetings of the Paradoxes class at Sierra Madre Congregational Church; a Monday evening outreach series by hotliner Miguel Endara for the ACT I singles group at Arcadia Presbyterian in Arcadia, California.
Campuses - an evening outreach at the Methodist Medical Center in Oakridge, Tennessee; private meetings with faculty and an evangelistic symposium at the University of Tennessee; student and faculty outreaches at the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, and at Denver University.
Radio - discussion of "The Origin of Man" with Al Cresta on Talk from the Heart, WMUZ, Detroit, Michigan; talk show on "UFO's" hosted by Peter Boyles, KBIG, Denver, Colorado.
Television - taping of the final eight parts of the "Reasons To Believe" series and an appearance on the "Praise the Lord" program with Paul Crouch, TBN studios, Tustin, California; live appearances on "100 Huntley Street" broadcast across Canada from Toronto, Ontario.
Business and Professional Groups - a banquet for the scientists and engineers (and their spouses and guests) of Oakridge Nuclear Laboratories, Tennessee; monthly meetings with the Open Forum for skeptics at the University Club, Pasadena, California; Christian Businessmen's Committee luncheon and dinner outreaches in Boulder and Denver, Colorado; question-and-discussion session on "Interpreting the Bible" for business executives at David Holder's home in Santa Ana, California.
Conferences / Conventions - conference at the Sea-Tac Marriott, Seattle, Washington, on "Equipping for Outreach" for science faculty at Christian colleges/universities in the Pacific Northwest; workshops on "Creation and Evolution" and "UFO's" for the annual convention of Greater Los Angeles Sunday Schools at the Convention Center, Pasadena, California.
Others - a meeting in Denver, Colorado with NavPress to firm up arrangements for publishing and distributing RTB materials; a meeting with Hank Hanegraaff and other staff members of the Christian Research Institute, El Toro, California, to continue discussion begun this summer on guidelines for interpreting both Scripture and the facts of nature.
Pray-ers' Closet
Christmas Prayer
We yearn, our Father, for the simple beauty of Christmas--for all the old familiar melodies and words that remind us of the great miracle when He who had made all things was one night to come as a babe, to lie in the crook of a woman's arm.
Before such mystery we kneel, as we follow the shepherds and Wise Men to bring Thee the gift of our love--a love we confess has not always been as warm or sincere or real as it should have been. But now, on this Christmas Day, that love would find its Beloved, and from Thee receive the grace to make it pure again, warm and real.
We bring Thee our gratitude for every token of Thy love, for all the ways Tbou hast heaped blessings upon us during the years that have gone.
And we do pray, Lord Jesus, that as we celebrate Thy birthday, we may do it in a manner well pleasing to Thee. May all we do and say, every tribute of our hearts, bring honor to Thy name, that we, Thy people, may remember Thy birth and feel Thy presence among us even yet.
May the loving kindness of Christmas not only creep into our hearts, but there abide, so that not even the return to earthly cares and responsibilities, not all the festivities of our own devising may cause it to creep away weeping. May the joy and spirit of Christmas stay with us now and forever.
In the name of Jesus, who came to save His people from their sins, even in that lovely name we pray. Amen
From the book The Prayers of Peter Marshall compiled and edited by Catherine Marshall, copyright © 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954 by Catherine Marshall. Renewed 1982. Published by Chosen Books, Fleming H. Revell Company. Used by permission.
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1991 by Reasons To Believe.
