Contradictions – Science and Religion

The organized church has taken one of two different tacks. On one hand they have denied scripture and embraced the theories. I for one cannot do this. I cannot deny the Word of God. On the other hand zealots over the years have taken it to stamp out scientific study if the results gore their holy bovine. (I once said sacred cows but people said that was unsophisticated.) In the dark ages the church hanged people and threatened others that thought the world was round or that the earth was not the center of the universe. After all we know that the earth has four corners.

Rev 7:1

1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

(KJV)

But are we sure of what John saw? If the varied interpretations and associated arguing over the remainder of his Revelation are indication, we have no clue. What about this verse in Isaiah?

Isa 40:22

22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

(KJV)

And the excesses of the church going beyond the Word of God are with us to this day. The one I just mentioned is thrown up every time the church says something in science is wrong. And then we have the Scopes monkey trial.

I look at the zealots today trying to justify the theories that carbon dating is wrong. If Jesus doesn’t come soon, we will be dealing with those as they are proved wrong. Carbon dating is inexact, anyone who works with it will tell you that. But most of the “gross errors” that are cited are false. Please don’t write me that some ir-reverend told it from the pulpit. I have personally heard more than a couple urban legends from the pulpit. I no more believe in the infallibility of the pulpit than I do the infallibility of the Pope. I rejected that 50 years ago when I heard about it. Sure, there is a margin for error in carbon dating. And some of the error can be increased by contamination of the samples, some of which could have happened before the sample was secured. But these errors are small percentages.

Let me summarize.

• I know that the age of the world is more than 6000 years.
• I know that there are many theologians that will stake their reputations (which isn’t much) on it being that.
• I know that God created it, how I don’t know.
• But I know the Word of God is true.
• Everything I have said hangs on that one thing.

Other Articles by Ralph Brandt

Churches That Get Government Money

Financial Help in These Trying Times

Anonymous and Irresponsible: the Radical Left

The Comparison of the Assassinations of Kennedy and Lincoln

Relationship of Church and State

An End to Complacency

I’m Going on
Compromise in the Church
Come Away My Beloved
Communion
Contradictions – Science and Religion