Facts & Faith

1992 Quarter 2
Volume 6, No. 2

Articles

Departments

* Due to copyrights, original graphics and tables may not appear in these articles

Big Bang Breakthrough: Ripples Reach Headlines

By Hugh Ross, Ph.D.

[graphic excluded]

During the past few months I uncovered articles on four important findings that would help unravel one of the unsolved mysteries of the big bang creation event. As I was working excitedly to report these findings to you, WHAM! along came the cosmological discovery of the decade. In Stephen Hawking's words, "It is the discovery of the century, if not all time."1 On April 24, the first observations of the tiny ripples in the radiation left over from the big bang were reported to the public.2

Science historian Frederic B. Burnham was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying that the findings now available make the idea that God created the universe "a more respectable hypothesis" today than at any time in the last hundred years.3

Euphoria Among Scientists

The exclamations of researchers have been even more grandiose. Michael Turner, a University of Chicago astrophysicist, exclaimed, "We have found the Holy Grail of cosmology." And George Smoot, project leader for the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) satellite, declared, "What we have found is evidence for the birth of the universe"4 and "It's like looking at God."2

This euphoria is understandable. The lack of understanding of how the galaxies developed out of the big bang has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the big bang theory for the origin of the universe-at least among the big bang opponents and hyperconservative theoreticians.

Researchers have known that if they could discover more about the timing and processes of galaxy formation they would gain not only confirmation of the big bang theory, but also a more accurate picture of what the big bang was like and what the physics of our universe must be.

The Hubble Space Telescope. Its capacity to make quality observations at ultraviolet wavelengths has led to discoveries that corroborate the new results from COBE.

Ripples to Galaxies

The first three-dimensional maps of galaxies, published about two years ago, revealed that the galaxies are not evenly distributed. They are clumped. In that case, the cosmic background radiation must also show some bumpiness.

Here's why. The matter we are used to (ordinary matter), the stuff made up of protons and neutrons, strongly interacts with radiation. Thus, if the radiation is smooth, the distribution of matter likewise will be smooth.

The first observations from the COBE satellite showed background radiation much smoother than those first maps of galaxy clusters would seem to predict. Thus, astronomers abandoned what is called the standard big bang model, a model in which the universe contains only matter made up of protons and neutrons, i.e., ordinary matter.

Unfortunately, many members of the press mistook this abandonment of one big bang model (the simplest one, of course, because that's where we scientists always like to start) for an abandonment of the entire big bang theory. Big bang opponents both inside and outside the science community grasped at this straw and waved it wildly.

Let me say again that the abandonment of this one particular model in no way represented a rejection of the big bang. For details on the solidity of the evidence supporting it, evidence that has been convincing through the past twenty-five years, you may wish to see the ninth chapter of my book, The Fingerprint of God, second edition.5 The book also explains why the big bang has opponents. In short, many scientists and philosophers have been bothered by the notion of a beginning-a fairly recent one at that, just fifteen to eighteen billion years ago-and, thus, of a Beginner so close at hand. Some Christians have been bothered by that age figure, mistakenly believing that it contradicts the teaching of the Bible about when God created.

The new COBE discovery is not so much a proof of the big bang theory, as some popular news reporters have indicated, as it is a significant step closer to an accurate big bang model.

When that old big bang model was tossed out, the one that included only ordinary matter, theoreticians recognized that the clumpiness of the galaxies might be explained by the existence of a large amount of "exotic" matter (see inset). Exotic matter is stuff that weakly interacts with radiation. Since this kind of matter can act relatively independently of radiation, it is possible for this exotic matter to clump while the radiation remains nearly smooth. Then, through the action of gravity, the exotic matter could attract ordinary matter to it.

In a universe containing much more exotic matter than ordinary matter, the background radiation could be relatively smooth while the galaxies are clumpy.

Die hard opponents to the big bang were hoping that even this tiny level of unevenness in the background radiation never would be seen. But, all their forlorn hopes were dashed on April 24.

New COBE Results

The first results from the COBE satellite, released in January 1990, showed the background radiation to be perfectly smooth down to a level of better than one part in 10,000.6 (This measurement is the one referred to above as the eliminator of the simplest big bang model).

This finding did not really excite the astronomical community, for researchers already had inklings from other studies that exotic matter must have played a significant role in the make-up of the cosmos. The beauty of the COBE satellite is that it can record data over several years. Through long-term measuring and refining of measurements, irregularities in the background radiation as fine as one part in a million could be detected.

The results released on April 24 are ten times more precise than measurements previously published from the satellite. These newly refined measurements show irregularities in the background radiation as large as about one part in 100,000.

The size of these irregularities tells us that the universe contains roughly nine times as much exotic matter as ordinary matter. This ratio may be lowered somewhat as we learn more about the effects of some very powerful quasars in the early days of the universe (see inset). Nevertheless, the amount of exotic matter in the universe is now known much more accurately than before. Though this ratio will not tell us exactly which big bang model is correct, it does narrow down the possibilities to a particular subclass of big bang models; this narrowing down, in turn, permits a more definitive and confident statement about how God created the cosmos. And, that is something to be excited about.

What is Exotic Matter?

Exotic matter is the strange stuff that only weakly interacts with radiation. Exotic matter includes such particles as WIMPs, MACHOs, and axions (WIMP and MACHO are acronyms). Exotic matter also may be classified as hot dark matter (particles moving at velocities that are a significant fraction of the velocity of light at the time the galaxies are forming), cold dark matter (particles moving at velocities much less than that of light when galaxies form), and warm dark matter (particles moving at velocities in between those of hot and cold).

Hubble Telescope Discoveries

As I mentioned in my introduction, I had begun to write an article about some other recent discoveries concerning the big bang creation event. It turns out that these new findings, via the Hubble Space Telescope, provide a beautiful corroboration of what George Smoot's team has just released from the COBE satellite.

At a meeting of the American Astronomical Society held in Atlanta, Georgia, several weeks ago, Jeffrey Linsky, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado, announced a more precise measurement than any to date (less than 10 percent uncertainty) of the ratio of deuterium atoms to hydrogen atoms. This ratio gives us a measure of the amount of ordinary matter in the universe. Linsky's figure tells us that ordinary matter comprises about one-tenth of the "critical mass density" of the universe.7 (The critical mass density is the mass density that would bring an eventual halt to the expansion of the universe. The critical mass density is a convenient point of reference since the value in grams is complicated by several parameters.)

If we can combine an accurate measure of the ordinary matter in the universe with an accurate measure of the exotic matter, we will have another means-independent of the ripples in the cosmic background radiation-for homing in on the correct big bang model.

Since exotic matter so weakly interacts with radiation, it is difficult to detect. In fact, the only direct tool we have found for measuring the amount of exotic matter is a technique called gravitational lensing. It's a bit tricky. This technique gives us the combined total of ordinary and exotic If we have a pretty good measure of the amount of ordinary matter, we can then subtract it from the total to get a measure of exotic matter.

So far, ground-based telescopes have helped us find about a dozen objects that can serve as gravitational lenses.8-11 Measurements on these objects, together with measurements (such as Linsky's) of ordinary matter, confirm the presence of a significant quantity of exotic matter.

Exactly how much is still uncertain and will remain uncertain until many more gravitational lenses have been found and studied. The Hubble telescope has the capability of finding one or two per year, and this will help.10 In due time we will have an accurate measure. What we can say now, with reference to findings by this technique, is that the universe contains about two to ten times as much exotic matter as ordinary matter.12

There is one additional set of Hubble telescope findings I would like to report. These findings also help explain the clumpiness of the galaxies and, thus, to confirm and clarify the big bang. For the first time, astronomers have been able to detect boron and beryllium in elderly stars.13, 14 Let me explain why this detection is important.

Such stars cannot manufacture either boron or beryllium; so, these elements must have been made during the big bang fireball. But, the big bang can only make these elements if the distribution of mass in the universe is, to some extent, lumpy. The amount of boron and beryllium will give some indication of how lumpy the universe was in its early history. This information in turn will give an indication of the ratio of exotic matter to ordinary matter and will tell us how clumpy the galaxies of today could be (something we are still trying to find out).

Quasar-induced Galaxy Clumping

Findings in the last two months reveal that quasars in the early history of the universe may have been radiant enough to disrupt galaxy formation. The force exerted by the light flowing out from such brilliant objects is actually strong enough to blow apart giant gas clouds anywhere in their vicinity. Thus, galaxies cannot form within a certain radius of such an energetic object. They must form beyond that radius. These ancient quasars, then, may be responsible for some, though not all, of the clumpiness of galaxies. If so, their part in causing the clumpiness may lessen, to some degree, the clumping of galaxies induced by irregularities in the cosmic background radiation.

Finding the Holy Grail

Together these Hubble and COBE discoveries have helped us solve the problems of how galaxies and clusters of galaxies form out of a big bang. The level of irregularity in the background radiation observed by the COBE satellite fits the rough values and ratio of exotic to ordinary matter derived from the Hubble measurements. And these findings fit the observed abundance of deuterium, boron, and beryllium, as well as the observed clumping of the galaxies. Everything fits.

It is all quite wonderful. In fact, I have rarely, if ever, seen physicists and astronomers so ecstatic. Their work is far from finished. But its focus is much sharper. Some eye specks, such as the hypothesis of an infinitely old, uncreated universe (dredged up for a last gasp in Eric Lerner's book, The Big Bang Never Happened15) have been cleared out of the way.

Ironically, many Christians still feel compelled to fight the fact of the big bang. For some strange reason, they call it a "godless myth," even though non-theistic scientists have despised it for its potent theological ramifications. I suspect that the persistent problem of the age of the universe and the length of the creation days is once again getting in the way.16

My prayer and my hope is that at least some of these fellow believers in Christ will begin to see Genesis 1:1 as the most eloquent statement of the big bang ever penned. Rather than some kind of random explosion, the big bang was a carefully controlled burst of matter, energy, space and time from a reality which exists beyond. The more we learn about that burst, the more we see the hand of the transcendent God of the Bible in it. As if we needed yet more reason to believe in Him, He has graciously provided it.

References

  1. Hawkes, Nigel, "Hunt On for Dark Secret of Universe," London Times, Saturday, April 25, 1992, p.1.
  2. Maugh, Thomas H., II, ``Relics of Big Bang, Seen for First Time," Los Angeles Times, Friday, April 24, 1992, A1 and A30.
  3. Briggs' David, Science, Religion, Are Discovering Commonality in Big Bang Theory, " Los Angeles Times, Saturday, May 2, 1992, B6- B7.
  4. Associated Press, "U.S. Scientists Find a 'Holy Grail': Ripples at Edge of the Universe," International Herald Tribune, London, Friday, April 24, 1992, p. 1.
  5. Ross, Hugh, The Fingerprint of God, second edition (Orange, California: Promise Publishing, 1991), pp. 84-87.
  6. Hogan, Craig J., "Experimental triumph," Nature, 344 (1990), pp. 107-108.
  7. Cowen, Ron, "Hubble: A universe without end," Science News, Vol. 141 (1992), p. 79.
  8. Roberts, David H., et al, "The Hubble constant from VLA measurement of the time delay in the double quasar 0957+561," Nature, 352 (1991), pp. 4345.
  9. Jauncey, D. L., et al, "An unusually strong Einstein ring in the radio source PKS 1830-211,"Nature, 352 (1991), pp. 132-34.
  10. Cowen, Ron, "And a search for dark matter," Science News, 141 (1992), p.79.
  11. Peterson, l., "Gravity lenses for peering into darkness," Science News, 141 (1992), p. 293.
  12. Loh, Edwin D., and Earl J. Spillar, "A Measurement of the Mass Density of the Universe," Astrophysical Journal Letters, 307 (1986), L1-L4.
  13. Cowen, Ron, "Boring into an ancient star," Science News, 141 (1992), p. 79.
  14. Pagel, B. E.J. "Beryllium and the Big Bang," Nature, 354 (1991), pp. 267-68.
  15. Lerner, Eric, The Big Bang Never Happened (New York: Times Books, 1991), pp. 12-32.
  16. Gish, Duane, "Big Bang Theory Collapses," Impact, No. 216 (June 1991), pp. i-iv.

Los Angeles Under Siege

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I am writing on the morning of May 1, after two nights of rampaging violence in Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Darkness fell 40 minutes early last evening because of the thick pall of smoke from thousands of arson fires. I was told by fire marshals to attach my hoses front and back as a precautionary measure. Two hours later an angry, chanting mob passed by my home. I was glad my two sons had gone to sleep early.

The violence sent a shockwave through our community Many here were convinced that we were too advanced, too well endowed, and too enlightened on the race and poverty issues for any such thing to happen. I would like to address that shock, for I believe it shows our blindness to some important facts.

I can guess that in the next few days and weeks many leaders and citizens in America will be wringing their hands with remorse-if only we had paid more attention to social inequities, none of this would have happened. While I fully acknowledge that these inequities exist and join in crying out for a compassionate response, I also believe that compared to other urban areas, Los Angeles has done no worse than most and better than some in addressing socioeconomic ills.

When we look at the targets of destruction during these awful hours and at those who participated, we cannot see either race or poverty as the core issue. What I see is a correlation between the levels of external and internal restraint.

The level of violence rose to horrifying pitch only when the police and fire departments were so intimidated or overwhelmed that they began to ignore calls for help. Simply put, the external restraint system proved inadequate. And, who was perpetrating the destruction and violence? It began with some who already had a record of violent behavior, but many others were drawn in, too. What we saw was "lawless behavior that emerged as soon as people became convinced that no authority would attempt to intervene.

A Loss of Restraint

The events of the last two nights may seem unprecedented, even to those who witnessed the Watts riots. And yet, they are not. In Africa whole army units have been known to invade coed dorms to rape the women and kill any men who might attempt to intervene.

In France, people laugh at anyone so "stupid" as to pay all of his or her income tax. In Brazil, hundreds of thousands of parents dump their little children onto the city streets to fend for themselves. Here in America we kill millions of unwanted children before they are born. My list of atrocities could go on and on.

In our grandparents' generation, many terrible problems existed, but as each year goes by the problems related directly to man's sin seem to get worse and worse, even as other things improve. Why?

One reason is that society's attempts to respect individual rights and freedoms have simultaneously reduced the restraints against sin. In fact, the concept of "sin" has all but disappeared. Our laws are more lenient, and what laws we do have are more laxly enforced.

I think there's a connection between these changes and the dramatic eroding of the family. In just one hundred years, U.S. divorce laws have been greatly liberalized, and the divorce rate has climbed from one divorce for every twenty marriages to one divorce for every two marriages. The statistics are similar elsewhere in the world.

"As in the Days of Noah"

While sin has been with us since Eden, I believe we are now seeing it practiced and tolerated at a level reminiscent of Old Testament times. I cannot think of any time since the incarnation of Christ when murder has been the prime cause of death. Nor do I know of any time when the divorce rate has been so high.

Matthew 24:10-12 records Jesus' warning that in the days before His return, "many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.... Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will row cold...." In Matthew 10:36 He warned that a man's enemies would be members of his own household. Today we are seeing these prophesied consequences of society's rebellion against God.

A God-Given Opportunity

How encouraging to know that wherever and whenever the evil one strikes, God raises up a standard to confront him. The prophet Malachi foretold that God would send us "the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes," to "turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers," (Malachi 4:6).

I believe that Elijah will return in person to Earth in the days before the Lord's return. He did not die, and he was present with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, where he joined in the discussion of end-times events. I sense that the spirit of Elijah is already at work through ministries such as Pocus on the Family, the Navigators, Priority Living Issues of Life, and many more, even Reasons To Believe.

The Role of Apologetic Ministry

We fit into the picture of family-oriented ministries by opening the way for people to see that they need help and to reach out for it. Many nonChristians (and Christians, too) keep their guard up, unwilling to trust anyone with the troubles and hurts in their family relationships. Some need first to be convinced that the way of Christ is utterly trustworthy. They also need to see that Christ's emissaries are secure in their faith, free of guile, full of compassion-and that they offer some genuine hope.

Once I asked a group of non-Christian professors for their response to my presentation of the new scientific evidences for the God of the Bible. They said tat they could not deny the truth of what I had shared. I asked if they could see, then, that their only rational option was to give their lives to Christ. Their reply at this point was to admit that they were not ready to behave rationally.

Then, without any further words from me, four of the professors began to share personal and family problems. The students present were stunned at their professors' sudden willingness to expose personal issues. I was not so surprised because I have seen this kind of response so often.

As I tell our hotline volunteers, if people discover that they can trust us to treat their minds with respect and patience, they may also trust us with other areas of their inner lives where they are struggling. At this point we have an opportunity to refer people to the kinds of help they need.

Marriage, family and personal counseling is often essential. Such services are best offered by those who are mature in Christ and appropriately trained. Out calling at Reasons To Believe is to maintain and sharpen our effectiveness as door-openers.

We door-openers, too, need to continue allowing the Holy Spirit to expose our own needs for growth and healing. Please pray that we will do this, and that we will never lose sight of our role as a bridge to other Christians and ministries. Our desire is not only to see that minds are convinced, but also to see that emotions and relationships are healed.

--Hugh Ross

For a closer 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 entitled End Times Prophecy. See the resources section and the order panel at the back of this newsletter.

As I See It: ICR Victory and Then Some

A recent article in Nature proclaimed, "Creationist Victory.... 'It's a shocking and puzzling decision.... The state lawyers gave away the store '"1 A Science article had a kinder title, "Creationism Compromise," but continued in a negative tone.2 The commentary referred to the recent out-of-court settlement of a suit brought to the Federal District Court by the Institute for Creation Research (ICR).

The ostensible purpose of the suit was to reinstate the right of the ICR to award non-accredited master's degrees in science. The settlement actually went much farther. As a result of the agreement, the Declaratory Judgment effectively stipulated that the state has no control over the curricula of private schools, including Christian schools.

This could be a powerful statement of freedom of opinion, in general, and of freedom of religion, in particular, especially since it was formulated by a federal court and may be used as case law in future freedom-of-religion actions. But why would a state so insistent on the teaching of evolution as fact "give away the store"?

A third article, appearing in Science, may reveal the answer. It was entitled "California Evolution Defender Indicted."3 After a long and not-so-secret investigation, California Superintendent of Schools, Bill Honig, was indicted on March 31, 1992, on criminal conflict-of-interest charges. Honig was charged with improperly channeling federal funds to an organization that paid his wife more than $100,000. The ICR settlement took place on January 24, 1992, while the investigation was visibly in progress.

A key portion of the federal suit was based on improper intervention by Honig in the state approval process for the ICR's master's degree programs. The initial investigative committee granted approval by a 3-2 vote. Honig then intervened, persuading one committee member to change his vote, which led to the rejection of the ICR's degree granting ability. An appeal by the ICR led to the formation of a second committee to perform an in-depth review of ICR programs.

I have personally reviewed the report of this second committee. Although it shows several severe short comings in ICR programs, it also proposes "requirements" for acceptability that even some accredited institutions would not meet. Remember that all this was for allowing the ICR to grant non-accredited degrees.

In my opinion the report was just a premeditated hatchet job. Honig and the state would tolerate no opposition to the teaching of evolution as scientific certainty, and the intent was to put the ICR graduate school out of business.

Enter Honig's indictment. It is possible that Honig saw the indictment coming and wanted no additional unfavorable information on his improper interventions surfacing. Perhaps through discrete disclosure by sympathetic state employees or through attorneys' astute observation, it became clear that Honig needed a quiet settlement at any cost. ICR attorneys took full advantage of the situation and pulled off an incredible coup.

--David G. Carta

References

  1. Nature, Vol. 355, No. 6363 (February 27, 1992), p. 757.
  2. Science, Vol. 255 (February 21, 1992), p. 927.
  3. Science, Vol. 256 (April 10, 1992), p. 173.
David has a bachelor's degree in physics from Caltech and a Ph.D. in computer sciences from Washington University, St. Louis. He is currently a consultant for personal computer applications.

From the President's Desk

Dear friends,

For years I have looked forward to visiting Wheaton College, even more so since getting to know my friend and fellow RTB founder Steve Scheele, a Wheaton alumnus. My opportunity to go there last month and to speak before the students, faculty, and community was a privilege and honor beyond my dream.

I must admit, though, that I was caught off guard by the response of one theology professor, the one chosen as the respondent to my talk on science and Genesis One. Ignoring every point of my message, he used his turn at the podium to vent his disdain for the use of evidences in evangelistic outreach. I am prepared to hear this kind of attack in some venues, but I was sadly surprised to hear it at Wheaton, where professors through the years have articulated some of the more potent evidences for the Christian faith.

Looking back, I'd say that what upset me most was a phrase the professor repeated four times: "We intuit God; we cannot prove Him." Clearly, he saw intuition and evidences in opposition to each other. He went so far as to say that evidentialists, such as I, leave no room for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, deny the grace of God, and promote legalism.

If this were just an isolated incident, I would not bother to mention it. But, I am seeing a growing tendency in Christian colleges and seminaries to exalt and to reinterpret Cornelius Van Til's "presuppositionalism," so as to deny the worth of giving evidences for the God of the Bible from any source other than the Bible itself. It is one thing to say that the existence of God and the authority of the Bible follow from a set of self­evident propositions, but it is quite another to say that, therefore, it is both useless and wrong to appeal to reason and evidence in seeking to win people to Christ.

My heart yearns to see people who emphasize either the propositions or the evidences appreciating the value of each approach and working together instead of against each other. Good presuppositional apologetics can be especially effective in telling us what is not true. Good evidential apologetics can be especially effective in telling us what is true. Different people have different barriers to faith. I believe we should be more concerned with guiding people around their barriers than with defending our favorite appeals.

Perhaps the superiority struggle arises from differences in training and in personalities. At academic meetings I have noticed that lawyers and scientists communicate easily with one another, and so do philosophers and theologians. But I can see sharp tensions when scientists and theologians get together.

What can be done to help? I offer these few suggestions

  1. Scientists and theologians would benefit greatly from "cross­training" in one another's disciplines.
  2. More opportunities for dialogue, for working through differences and animosities, must be provided.
  3. Apologetics tools coming either from scientists or from theologians must be tested in both Christian and secular arenas, among both academics and non­academics.

Why should we waste time and energy fighting each other when there is a world of people who need to hear and understand the truth of the gospel and to receive salvation in Jesus Christ? Unity is what we need, not uniformity. Let us remember Jesus's prayer for us, recorded in John 17.

Sincerely,

Hugh Ross

Puzzles & Paradoxes

The person who sent me Solomon Golomb's matchstick puzzle did not include the answer. Having one solution in mind, I presented the puzzle to you, hoping that someone would corroborate my solution or find another. You did not disappoint me. Bev Moline of Duarte, California, was the first to submit a solution, and hers was identical to mine. That was encouraging. Since hearing from Bev, I have received two more solutions, one from Donald Long of Tucson, Arizona, and another from Artaxerxe Bubulac of Bell, California. (Artaxerxe graciously pointed out a wording error in the puzzle-the redundancy of "perfect square"-which may have been misleading to some puzzlers.) The puzzle: Relocate, only, one of the four matchsticks in the configuration to form a perfect [sic] square.

[graphic excluded]

Field Report

The dream of fielding a team of apologists still seems a long way off in light of finances. Yet, as we work and wait for fulfillment of that long-range goal, God provides a team in His own creative way. Board members Alex Metherell and Dave Rogstad and hotline volunteers Mark Clark, Mike Finney and Marj Harman have been speaking on behalf of RTB at many outreach events. Also, a small army of scientists and scholars contributed their time and expertise to the making of our second series of "Reasons To Believe" programs for the Trinity Broadcasting Network. (The 9 P.M. Wednesday programs are now repeated Monday mornings at 8:30 A.M., Pacific Daylight Time.)

The "Science and the Bible" survey course for Simon Greenleaf University, which met at First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, came to an exciting close in April. A CBS film crew invaded the classroom to shoot a two-minute segment for "Ancient Secrets of the Bible," a May 15 special.

Among the new fields of ministry RTB entered this past quarter were Wheaton College and the University of Buffalo. During Hugh's travels to these events, he was interviewed over radio in Chicago and Indianapolis (also the site of a Christian Businessmen's Committee luncheon). Letters of inquiry and encouragement are still coming in from listeners to those broadcasts.

Closer to home, Christians at TRW in El Segundo organized something new, an after-work outreach (5 to 7 P.M.). They scrambled to set up extra chairs for the more than 300 employees who attended. Many guests announced themselves as non-theists as they came, including a woman who volunteered to assist with our book table. But after Hugh's presentation on "The Origin and Design of the Universe," the audience was buzzing with amazement, interest, and newly-kindled faith. Several people stayed well past 7 P.M. to ask questions.

Publications director Janet Kobobel has updated our catalog and has just completed the draft of a 13-lesson study guide for The Fingerprint of God. Much of the guide's content was prepared by Gordon Peterson, science teacher (now retired) and friend of the ministry. This publication is designed for use in adult Sunday school classes and Bible studies. Watch for an announcement of its availability.

Here is a more detailed account of the events mentioned above and of others, too:

Churches - Hotline volunteers Marj Harman and Mike Finney answered questions on science and the Bible for the women's group at San Marino Community Church. Dr. Mark Clark, another hotliner, spoke at Chino Valley Church of the Hills and at Evangelical Free Church of Laguna Hills, presenting new scientific evidences for the God of the Bible. Drs. Alex Metherell and Dave Rogstad participated in a Skeptics Forum sponsored by Bel Air Presbyterian Church. Alex also gave "The Case for Christ's Divinity" via videotape to the Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. At the Arcadia Community Vineyard, Hugh gave his testimony and some suggestions for use of science apologetics in one-to one sharing.

Campuses - Wheaton College, Illinois and the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) jointly sponsored a symposium on "Christian Apologetics and Modern Science" at which Hugh presented two lectures, one on new scientific evidences for the God of the Bible, the other on Genesis and the scientific record. These talks were open to the campus and the community, and many of our newsletter readers came to listen and to encourage. Thank you. Campus Crusade for Christ leaders at the University of Buffalo, New York, asked Hugh to extend his trip a little farther east to do an outreach at their campus. They anticipated potent challenges to the message, but after Hugh responded to the first couple of questions, the opposition seemed to melt awe' as the Spirit of God warmed hearts to His truth and His love. Dave Rogstad gave a slide show of the universe to 70{) students, parents, and teachers at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) science fair held at Biola University in La Mirada, California.

Radio - Phil Gabriel, host of "Focus," WBRI in Indianapolis, and Chris Fabrey, host of "Open Line," WMBI in Chicago and 91 U. S. affiliates, interviewed Hugh on a wide range of science-and-the-Bible topics and allowed him to take questions from callers. Jan Shober of World Radio Florida, which beams Christian programs (in some cases via shortwave) to all continents but Africa, taped two half-hour interviews with Hugh for broadcast this spring. Rich Buhler, KKLA in Los Angeles; Craig Hawkins, KBRT in Los Angeles; and Mark Halverson, WWIB in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, all interviewed Hugh about recent findings relevant to the big bang (see Science in the News). Dr. James Dobson asked Hugh and Duane Gish to discuss their views on the age of the universe for a "Focus on the Family" program to be aired this summer (date to be announced).

Television - During the week our spring newsletter was mailed, Hugh appeared as a guest of Jan and Paul Crouch on their "Praise the Lord" program, TBN. We are just now recovering from the inundation of mail that followed. Within the month of March, our mailing list grew by more than 10 percent. In that same month, we received word that the "Reasons To Believe" pilot series garnered an Angel Award from the Hollywood organization called Religion in Media. 'The second series of programs began airing the Wednesday before Easter. Mark Clark was a guest of Hal Lindsey on a "Praise the Lord" show in April, responding to the question, "Where did Cain get a wife?" Hal also gave Mark the opportunity to share some of his personal testimony. As mentioned above, CBS interviewed Hugh briefly for a May 15 special, "Ancient Secrets of the Bible," which includes interviews with many other scientists and Bible scholars.

Business and Professional Groups - Open Forum for skeptics continues to meet monthly at the University Club in Pasadena. Recent discussions have focused on new evidence for divine design in the universe. (See Calendar for summer meeting dates.) A southern California chapter of the Gideons invited Hugh to share his personal story at a banquet in honor of pastors.

Magazines / Publications -The August 9, 1992, edition of "Power for Living," a Sunday school paper distributed by thousands of churches across America, will feature a story on Hugh and Reasons To Believe. Arthur Matthews, of World magazine, interviewed Hugh for an article on the spiritual implications of the big bang.

Conferences / Conventions -The 1992 conference of the Association of Church Ministries to Internationals was held this year at Sierra Madre Congregational Church, just east of Pasadena, California. Hugh presented a plenary talk on faith barriers most frequently encountered in his outreach to internationals. Hugh also addressed a meeting of the "ad hoc origins committee," part of the American Scientific Affiliation. His talk, an update on scientific developments pertinent to creation v. evolution in the courts, sparked much interest in and enthusiasm for a new approach.

From Africa

RTB associate Dr. David Block holds his firstborn, Aaron Eliyahu, on the day of Aaron's dedication to the Lord February 16, 1992. David, a professor of applied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, calls his personal ministry "Look Up!" and already has scheduled two dozen outreaches for 1992. His wife, Liz, has contacted Go - Tell Communications, South Africa's largest distributor of Christian films and videos, to suggest that they offer RTB videos through their catalog. We await the reply.

From Australia

Bruce Ogden stopped at our offices again recently to replenish his supply of The Fingerprint of God and of covers for RTB videos, which are now being distributed in Australia. He continues to develop plans for an RTB outreach trip to Australia in 1993.

Correction: It was wrongly reported in the Field Report of our last issue that the Bible Science Association of San Fernando Valley jointly sponsored a Northridge event with members of the Christian Home Educators Association. The meeting was organized by members of the latter group only. My apologies. K R.

Word from the Editor

by Kathy Ross

I'm sure you've noticed that the masthead of the newsletter places an and, not an or, between Facts and Faith. Faith and facts must go together. This essential togetherness has been driven home to me by my experiences with people, as well by the Bible.

In my years as a college student and as a college teacher I met people who zealously defended their faith‹in Zen Buddhism, scientology, astrology, etc. They gave glowing personal testimonies of changed lives, and friends corroborated their stories. Having been raised in a Christian home and Christian church, I was baffled by and often speechless in my encounters with these individuals In a duel of testimonies, they could match me or even win. And they apparently felt as certain of their beliefs as I felt of mine.

When I saw them winning converts (more than I could say for myself), I got mad. I also got moving. I had to learn more about why I believed, why anyone should believe, that Jesus Christ is the one and only Way, Truth, and Life. I began to think, to read, to ask questions, to study, and to pray.

I needed more than the subjective evidence that convinced me at five years of age to commit my life to Christ. For my own sake and for the sake of fulfilling God's purpose to lead others to Him, I needed to know that there was objective evidence to support my faith. In fact, I needed to answer the challenge of those who claimed that I simply believed what I was "conditioned" to believe. I was scared, but I figured that facing even the ugliest of truths would be better than living lies.

The more facts I gathered, the more my faith grew. Some of my beliefs changed a bit, but the basics remained intact. Through this process (which is still going on), sharing my faith became more relaxed and enjoyable, not to mention more fruitful.

Perhaps this personal story will help you see why I react strongly to the following statement, which I have encountered too often of late: "We are to believe in God based on our hearts, not our heads." I see such a statement as self-contradictory. The Greek word for heart, "kardia'', used repeatedly in the New Testament, fully encompasses the bead According I to W. E. Vine s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the word for I man's physical heart also came to represent the core of "man's entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and the emotional elements." Vine's cites verses In which heart denotes the seat of our spiritual life, our perceptions, thoughts, understanding, reasoning powers, imagination, conscience' intentions, desires, affections, grief, and joy. He adds that the Old Testament (Hebrew) word for heart similarly encompasses the emotions, the reason, and the will.

I think I can understand where the false dichotomy of head v. heart comes from, though. It may be an attempt to address the subtle but significant difference between believing that something is true, e.g., the words of the Bible, the deity of Jesus Christ, etc., and believing in Christ. Perhaps to some people we seem to emphasize the former over the latter. May that never be. Our only aim is to firmly connect the two.

In Honor of Those Who Pray

Look Again

For two years I lived in Geneva a studying at the European Organization for Nuclear Research. My friends and I willingly played the part of wide-eyed graduate students, eager to be impressed by the important men and women of science who came and went there. From the corners of our eyes we watched those whose names we e knew were connected to important theorems and breakthrough experiments.

One day on the bus to the lab I spotted a man who was unimpressive to look at; but the sight of him gave me a smug feeling of self-satisfaction at probably being the only one on the bus to recognize him as a Nobel laureate. His name was a household word among us; we used to repeat anecdotes about his legendary eccentricity, and we ached to be just half as brilliant.

I wanted to tell even one on board that here' disguised by outward ordinariness, sat one of the world's great minds.

I suppose it's like that with great heroes of the kingdom of God, too. They revel down the same road as the rest of us, unnoticed because what counts in heaven is not what counts on Earth. Faith, hope, and love count in heaven, but they don't seem to draw public attention the way having a great voice or some other special talent does.

Maybe the seats at ChristÕs right hand and at His left are not reserved for people whose names we all would recognize Maybe they're for humble, unobtrusive folks, people who prayed in obscurity and gave beyond their means to God's work, cheerfully and without fanfare. On Earth they might not draw a second glance, but in heaven former heads of state will fall back respectfully on each side to let them pass because of the glory of their resurrected bodies. 

--Rob Kroeger

Rob is a post-doctoral research assistant in particle physics for the University of Tennessee currently working at the Stanford Linear Particle Center He writes fiction for enjoyment

Letters

"...My husband is not a believer. He has a lot of friends who ask me some very in-depth questions. I seem to always say, 'God is God. Just believe.' I know that that is very coldhearted because a lot of people need proof. Not many people just believe. This weekend I am going to the bookstore to buy one of your books....

"Through the way you explain things, I can put much more trust in God, it seems. I always knew He was awesome, but through science He sounds really awesome!...."

--Dawn, Munroe Falls, Ohio

"I come from a strict Mormon background, and I really wasn't aware of their strange doctrine until I was about 15 years of age. I left the church and began a search. I felt the Bible was just an imaginary fairy tale like Alice in Wonderland. The way I saw it, why would I commit to another religion (Christianity) if it was only going to let me down like the Book of Mormon did? So, I became an unbeliever. I personally don't believe I or anyone else could be an atheist. To be an atheist you have to know there's no god. I probably fell under the category of agnostic.

"...Until a few weeks ago when I stayed up till midnight and 'Reasons To Believe came on. When I heard Dr. Hugh Ross talking of the creation account, that was enough for me to go out and buy his book, The Fingerprint of God. I did, and I read it. It was then I prayed to give my life to Jesus Christ.
"I just wanted to write and say thank you.... After all my searching I have found a reason to believe."

--Michael, Royal Palm Beach, Florida

"I enjoy your explanation of the Bible in relation to science. I do some personal [outreach] work and teach a Bible class in the county jail, and I am sure some of your books would help me to answer questions the prisoners ask me. Not to mention my eagerness to learn the explanation and possible background...."

--Charles, Radford, Virginia

"...I think evidential apologetics is essential to awakening our age to God and that RTB in particular speaks to the good-hearted modern man who would Like to believe but whose education has made the Bible hard to accept as factual, plausible, or even possible. Until I read The Fingerprint of God I felt that my intellectual integrity would not allow me to take the Bible or religion seriously. I believe the world is full of doubting Thomases such as I who merely need someone to show them the facts....

"I used your materials as a basis for an apologetics Sunday school discussion group for college students last summer, also materials from Anthony Campolo, John W. Montgomery, and Josh McDowell. As I had hoped, the kids found it to be a good antidote to a secular science education steeped in evolutionary theory and twentieth-century rationalism. It has been very gratifying to hear their comments. May I share that gratitude with you and RTB!"

--Daniel, Bone Gap, Illinois

"I was very offended by your recent program, 'Reasons To Believe.' I wonder to myself about the narrator's motives for being a part of this act of disinformation. The evidence that UFO's exist is more than enough to even convict in a court of law. It is also clear that we as human beings are not remotely ready for contact with beings much more civilized and intelligent than ourselves.

"As a Christian I believe in the relevancy of all religion except Judaism, and no particular religion speaks of UFO's being connected to evil in any way nor does our Bible say there is or isn't life on other planets. Your vague use of the scriptures discounting UFO's was uncalled for and may lead people to believe UFO's are connected to some great evil atrocity yet to come. This is appalling, and I as a neo-conservative, God-loving person will never view your programs again. This program could only convince the weakest, most desperate portion of your supporters. It was clearly a piece of trash!"

--Joseph, Ventura, California

"...There are so many people who are 'too smart' to believe in God and the Bible, but unfortunately these people are not staying up till midnight hearing [your program] on TBN....

"Dr. Ross' talk gave me a desire to equip myself better to help unbelievers turn to the Lord."

--Verna, Wewoka, Oklahoma

"...If you ever travel through Estonia and wonder how your tapes found their way to Tallin, I left them there. I was fortunate enough to travel with the Jesus Project team last June to provide a conference for school teachers...."

--Roy, College Station, Texas

"I have Just completed The Fingerprint of God, and I must write to thank you. In the 3-1/2 years since I became a disciple of Christ I often wondered if I am the only evangelical alive who sees faith and hard benchtop science as complementary revelations, not as irreconcilable antagonists.

"I hold degrees in philosophy and computer science, and I have been a professional programmer for 14 years. But physics has always been my secret love, and I freely admit that I am a true dilettante. How I loved to bait the non-scientific Christians before my conversion, and how I lament now the mutual ignorance on both sides of this weary battle

"...I shall put a review of it [Fingerprint] into some of the Christian as well as science news groups on the Internet worldwide computer network. Perhaps it will raise the necessary questions in some minds which are otherwise closed...."

--Gary, Columbia, South Carolina

Calendar

Our Trinity Broadcasting Network series entitled "Reasons To Believe, ' Which airs on Wednesday evenings at 9 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, now is repeated on Monday mornings at 8:30 A.M. PDT. In southern California it can be seen on Channel 40. In other areas, please check your local listings for the channel.

July 6: Open Forum, luncheon and Bible discussion for skeptics, at the University Club, Pasadena, Calif. For reservations call Tom Delahooke at (8l8) 796-2649.

July 9: "Tour of the Universe: Part l," Forest Home Christian Conference Center, Forest Falls, Calif. For information call Rick Hicks, Director of Family Ministries at (714) 794-1127.

July 12: "Proof for a Transcendent Creator and "God Is Caring," Christ Community Church, Chesterton, Ind. Contact person is Chuck Wheeler, (219) 787-9497.

July 15: "The Fingerprint of God in Creation," North American Christian Convention, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., 2 and 6 P.M. Call Rod Huron for information at (513) 385-2470

July 19: worship service, 10:30 A.M., Lake Hills (Community Church, Laguna Hills, Calif., Contact Brian Anderson (714) 837-7729.

July 23: "Tour of the Universe: Part 2, Forest Home Christian Conference Center, Forest Falls, Calif. For information call Kick Hicks, Director of Family Ministries (714) 794-1127.

July 26: morning and evening services 10:30 A.M. and 6 P.M., Lake Hills Community Church, Laguna Hills, Calif., Contact Brian Anderson for information (714) 837-7729.

July 31-August 2: "New Evidences for the God of the Bible" and "Science and the Bible Overview," American Scientific Affiliation conference, Honolulu, Hawaii Contact person: Dr. Oshiko (216) 368-3359.

August 3: Open Forum. See details above.

August 6: "Tour of the Universe: Part 3." Forest Home Christian Conference Center. Forest Falls, Calif. For information call Rick Hicks, Director of Family Ministries, (714) 794-1127.

August 11-15: "Christian Beliefs and Astronomy" workshop, International Pascal Centre Conference, Redeemer College, Ancaster Ontario, Canada. For information contact Lynda Cockroft at (416) 648-2131, ext. 207.

August 20: "Tour of the Universe Part 4," Forest Home Christian Conference Center, Forest Falls, Calif. For information call Rick Hicks' Director of Family Ministries (714) 794-1127.

September 7: Open Forum. See details above.

September 8: Men's Fellowship Dinner, Ventura Missionary Church, Ventura, Calif., 6 P.M. For reservations contact Marty Kelly at (805) 656-0500.

September 21: "How Can You Believe c in Creation With All the Evidence for Evolution?" Fresno State University 7 P.M. For details call Traver Dougherty at (209) 237-3212

September 22: Christian Businessman's Committee luncheon, Fresno, Calif. For location and reservations call Tom Sommers (209) 228-3968.

September 24: Shepherds Fellowship Luncheon Hillcrest Baptist Church Stillwater, Okla. Call John Ware for details (405) 372-7349

September 25-26: seminar at Hillcrest Baptist Church, Stillwater, Okla. Call John Ware for details (405) 372-7349.

September 27: Sunday morning services, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Stillwater, Okla. Call John Ware for details (405) 372-7349.

Resources for Outreach

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VIDEOS

The last three videos in our first Trinity Broadcasting Network series are now available. Complete your set by ordering:

Noah and the Ark

Questions continue to surface about this amazing ship and its passengers. How many animals could the ark accommodate? How did eight people care for all of them? Were dinosaurs part of the cargo? Learn the answers to these questions and take a look at the odds of ever locating this remarkable wonder of the ancient world. 60-minute video, $19.

The Universal Flood

Was the flood global? Did it rain before the flood? Where did all the water go? Why is there an absence of geological evidence for a global flood? Dr. Ross clears up the mysteries and misconceptions about the flood to show, once again, that the Bible and science are in perfect harmony. 60-minute video $19.

Round Table on Genesis One

An anthropologist, an astrophysicist, a philosopher, and a theologian interact on their differing interpretations of Genesis One. They discuss these questions: What is a creation "day"? Was there death before Adam existed? Was there evil and suffering before sin? Is death good? 120-minute video $30.

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BOOKS

Scaling the Secular City:
A Defense of Christianity

J. P. Moreland, the author of this book, believes that secularism is an inadequate world view and that a rational apologetic can be given for historic Christianity. Having set this course for Scaling the Secular City, he begins in the first chapters by offering arguments for the existence of a personal God. He proceeds to present a case for the deity and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to examine scientific objections to Christianity Describing the book as "an intermediate-level work," the author aimed it at those who want a serious discussion of apologetic issues without having formal training in philosophy. A helpful book for those who want to increase their faith or for the skeptic. Paperback book, $13.

The New Testament Documents:
Are They Reliable?

How do we know that the New Testament is the inspired Word of God? Since the New Testament is the primary source of the teachings of Christianity, if its validity is questionable, so is our faith. This 120-page book presents reasons to believe the New Testament. The author, scholar F. F. Bruce, explores how the New Testament was assembled, why the miracles are believable, what archaeology tells us about the New Testament, and what evidence early Jewish and Gentile writings offer. Paperback book, $3.95.

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The Fingerprint of God
second edition

A definitive answer to the centuries-old secular attack on God and the Bible. Citing the most recent discoveries of science, this book firmly establishes the existence and characteristics of the Creator. The Scriptures are shown to be completely reliable, predating scientific discoveries by thousands of years, the error-free work of a divine Author. Included are answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions Dr. Ross has encountered in his lectures around the world. Paperback book, $11.

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AUDIOTAPES

End Times Prophecy
tape album

This eight-tape album looks at Old and New Testament prophecies regarding end times. Dr. Ross documents from current events the fulfillment of many of these ancient predictions and uses his scientific expertise to develop a consistent interpretation of how the yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies may unfold. $36

God's Mercy in Death

Dr. Ross gives Biblical insights into the purpose of death and the value of what we consider "tragic"Ña life of suffering. He considers how God's mercy is expressed even in the long life of a wicked person and in the short life of a godly one. 60-minute audiotape, $5.

This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1992 by Reasons To Believe.