Thoughts on Creation: Part 3 - Science and the Bible

 

Continuing with the write up I did in response to a conversation I had in the past with several skeptics.  This is part 3.

NOTE: Some of the tables and links I provided come from a website called godandscience.org.  It contained a great deal of excellent data, but is no longer online, sadly.  Still, I am providing the data below which initially was drawn from that site.  The table specifically came from an article by Rich Deem entitled Science Contradicts the Bible?  Accurate Biblical Description of Scientific Principles.

Though this is not specifically a discussion of the creation story, I thought it fit with the theme of the scientific reliability of the Bible.  Thus, I am including it.

Much discussion has taken place recently about how the Bible offers no scientific insights.  And yet, as it turns out, this is not entirely true.  For this discussion, another table from Dr. Hugh Ross’ website seems appropriate.   

One of the components below, which is of particular interest, is in the areas of cleanliness and hygiene.  The verses below are only a very small subset of the rules on washing, hygiene and cleanliness given to the Israelites in the Mosaic Law.  Experts agree that these laws were instrumental in helping to promote the health of the Israelite nation, including preventing the spreading of disease.  While modern germ theory is not specifically mentioned, it is very interesting that the principles of washing, dealing with dead bodies, hygiene, etc. are all the sorts of things we do today after learning about germ theory.  If anyone is interested in this specific area of focus, I am happy to produce many more verses that discuss these practices.

 

The Bible and Science
Scientific Principle	Biblical Reference
Cosmology/Astronomy
Time had a beginning	2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2, 1 Corinthians 2:7
The universe had a beginning	Genesis 1:1, 2:4, Isaiah 42:5, etc.
The universe was created from the invisible	Hebrews 11:3
The dimensions of the universe were created	Romans 8:38-39
The universe is expanding	Job 9:8, Psalms 104:2, Isaiah 40:22, Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 45:12, Isaiah 48:13, Isaiah 51:13, Jeremiah 10:12, Jeremiah 51:15, Zechariah 12:1
Creation of matter and energy has ended in the universe (refutes steady-state theory)	Genesis 2:3-4
The universe is winding down and will "wear out" (second law of thermodynamics ensures that the universe will run down due to "heat death"-maximum entropy)	Psalms 102:25-27
Describes the correct order of creation	Genesis 1
Number of stars exceeds a billion	Genesis 22:17, Jeremiah 33:22
Every star is different	1 Corinthians 15:41
Pleiades and Orion as gravitationally bound star groups	Job 38:31
Light is in motion	Job 38:19-20
The earth is controlled by the heavens	Job 38:33
Earth is a sphere	Isaiah 40:22, Job 26:10
At any time, there is day and night on the Earth	Luke 17:34-35
Earth is suspended in space	Job 26:7
Earth Sciences
Earth began as a waterworld. Formation of continents by tectonic activity described	Genesis 1:2-9, Psalms 104:6-9, Proverbs 3:19, Proverbs 8:27-29, Job 38:4-8, 2 Peter 3:5
Water cycle described	Ecclesiastes 1:7; Isaiah 55:10, Job 36:27-28
Valleys exist on the bottom of the sea	2 Samuel 22:16
Vents exist on the bottom of the sea	Job 38:16
Ocean currents in the sea	Psalms 8:8
Air has weight	Job 28:25
Winds blow in circular paths	Ecclesiastes 1:6
Biology
The chemical nature of human life	Genesis 2:7, 3:19
Life of creatures are in the blood	Leviticus 17:11
The nature of infectious diseases	Leviticus 13:46
Importance of sanitation to health	Numbers 19, Deuteronomy 23:12-13, Leviticus 7-9