In fourteen hundred ninety-two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
Legend has it that people thought Columbus’ voyage was doomed, destined to sail right off the edge of the flat earth. That popular notion isn’t quite true; for centuries before 1492 people had largely accepted the spherical shape of the earth.
Many religious leaders of Columbus’ day (and earlier) not only believed the earth to be flat, but that everything in the universe (or at the very least our solar system) revolved around the earth. Based on their view of God’s obvious interest in the earth, this planet was certainly the center of the universe.
Quaint, but incorrect. And unfortunately for the Bible, it is still being adversely judged by the erroneous statements of people who claim to represent it. Many an evolutionist will laugh – and rightly so – at the claims of creationists who cite the Bible as their proof that earth is 6,000 years old. There is ample evidence against that belief, starting in the Bible itself. Its first sentence famously reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The universe, including our earth, according to Genesis has existed for untold millenia. The creation of earth’s flora and fauna came along much later, long after the original creation of the universe, not 6,000 years ago.
Do the misguided beliefs of self-proclaimed champions of the Bible prove the Bible is inaccurate? No more than the claims of people in the days of Columbus proved the universe revolved around the earth. People believe all kinds of things. They still must meet a reasonable burden of proof to be true.
Measuring the Bible, it must be said that it does not advertise itself as a science book. But it does make the claim that it is a book both about God and from God. So if it touches on scientific matters, one would expect it to be scrupulously accurate. Is it? Here are a few examples. Keep in mind, these were written at a time when mythological superstitions were the accepted wisdom of the day. It was many long centuries later before these simple statements were accepted by science (and mainstream religion).
• “There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth.” (Isaiah 40:22)
Centuries before it became an accepted fact, the Bible correctly described the earth’s shape.
• “He [God] …is hanging the earth upon nothing.” (Job 26:7)
At a time when there were still those believing the earth was supported on the backs of huge beasts, the Bible accurately described something that at the time seemed to defy the known laws and principles of science.
• “All the streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.” (Ecclesiastes 1:7)
In a few simple, poetic words, the Bible elegantly describes the water cycle.
There are many more examples of the Bible’s accuracy when it happens to touch on what might be called scientific matters. Is all this conclusive proof that the creation supporters are right and the evolution supporters are wrong?
Not even close. It’s merely food for thought. The message today is hopefully two-fold:
1.) It’s not an either/or choice between modern science and some ancient book full of myth, legend, and scientific inaccuracy.
2.) Don’t believe everything that Bible supporters claim it says. The Bible is an amazing book; religion often leaves a lot to be desired. More about that dichotomy next week.
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