Part 9 in the examination of Eternal Prodcuctions’ 101 Scientific Facts. So far, none of these “facts” have withstood examination..
81. Olive oil and wine useful on wounds (Luke 10:34). Jesus told of a Samaritan man, who when he came upon a wounded traveler, he bandaged him – pouring upon his wounds olive oil and wine. Today we know that wine contains ethyl alcohol and traces of methyl alcohol. Both are good disinfectants. Olive oil is also a good disinfectant, as well as a skin moisturizer, protector, and soothing lotion. This is common knowledge to us today. However, did you know that during the Middle Ages and right up till the early 20th century, millions died because they did not know to treat and protect open wounds?
In other words, modern science – not the Bible – has explained why olive oil and wine may be useful in the treatment of wounds. The application of modern science continues to provide treatments that would certainly seem miraculous to the incredulous people two thousand years ago. Nevertheless, medicine even in the middle ages was more effective in the treatment of wounds and broken bones we give usually give credit for – but modern science explains why the various herbal remedies and other home-spun techniques work. It’s safe to say that, to date, no medical technology has been derived from any holy scripture – only through the application of modern science.
In the verse cited, no scientific claim (distinct from traditional practice) has been advanced.
82. Man is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). We are only beginning to probe the complexity of the DNA molecule, the eye, the brain, and all the intricate components of life. No human invention compares to the marvelous wonders of God’s creation.
No scientific claim has been advanced.
83.Beauty understood (Genesis 1:31; 2:9; Job 40:10; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Matthew 6:28-30). Beauty surrounds us: radiant sunsets, majestic mountains, brightly colored flowers, glowing gems, soothing foliage, brilliantly adorned birds, etc. Beauty is a mystery to the evolutionist. However, Scripture reveals that God creates beautiful things for our benefit and His glory.
Beauty is largely a subjective notion – it is, in the oft-repeated phrase – in the eye of the beholder. Evolution explains sexual attraction within animal species, but accounts for the processes behind naturally occurring variance; not beauty per se. Are vultures “brillianty adorned birds”? Is there beauty in cancer, or in the nematode worm that causes filariasis, a feature of which is this parasitic worm crawling over the human eyeball? (The adult parasite lives in no other animal: one is tempted to say that it has been designed to cause humans discomfort.)
No science is being presented in “Fact” 83.
84.Strong and weak nuclear force explained (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). Physicists do not understand what binds the atom’s nucleus together. Yet, the Bible states that “all things consist” – or are held together by the Creator – Jesus Christ.
This claim is false – scientists are well aware of both strong and weak nuclear forces: and neither of these are in any way divine forces, but rather fairly explicable using the theories we currently have. Again, however, no scientific claim is being tested here.
85. Atomic fission anticipated (2 Peter 3:10-12). Scripture states that “the elements will melt with fervent heat” when the earth and the heavens are “dissolved” by fire. Today we understand that if the elements of the atom are loosed, there would be an enormous release of heat and energy (radiation).
The verses are taken out of context – the author of the letter is talking about the coming of the Lord, and is describing the destruction that usually accompanies such Biblical events. There is nothing to indicate that specifically atomic fission is indeed taking place. Indeed, it is factually incorrect to say that elements “melt” in nuclear fission. Verse12 ends “[b]ut in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” Which is nice.
There is no science contained within these verses, so the claim is simply false.
86. The Pleiades and Orion star clusters described (Job 38:31). The Pleiades star cluster is gravitationally bound, while the Orion star cluster is loose and disintegrating because the gravity of the cluster is not enough to bind the group together. 4,000 years ago God asked Job, “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?” Yet, it is only recently that we realized that the Pleiades is gravitationally bound, but Orion’s stars are flying apart.
To begin with, this verse is not describing anything, but asking a question of Job – the implication being that only the power of God could loosen the belt of Orion or bind the stars of the Pleiades. As it happens, it’s gravity, not God – a fact not mentioned in the verse.
The Pleiades is a cluster of stars; Orion on the other hand, is a constellation – not a cluster – of stars, and as such only appear to be in relation with each other, from the point of view of earthbound observers. In fact no relationship exists, but this fundamental difference is not mentioned in the verse. This suggests that is was not known, as it makes comparison pretty pointless.
Further, current estimates are that, 250 million years time, the stars of the Pleiades cluster will have in fact dispersed: they are not “bound” together, as implied in the verse.
The claims here are false.
87. Safe drinking water (Leviticus 11:33-36). God forbade drinking from vessels or stagnant water that had been contaminated by coming into contact with a dead animal. It is only in the last 100 years that medical science has learned that contaminated water can cause typhoid and cholera.
Modern science discovered the causes of typhoid and cholera – their causes are not revealed in Levicitus; the diseases are not mentioned at all, in fact. Rather, some rather basic hygiene rules seem to have been arrived at, in common with many other societies, based upon observation. To think anything less is to not credit Bronze Age societies with any intelligence at all.
Scientific understanding would come a lot later with, er, science, and not the Bible. No scientific claim can be found in these verses; only a straightforward divine injunction.
88. Pest control (Leviticus 25:1-24). Farmers are plagued today with insects. Yet God gave a sure-fire remedy to control pests centuries ago. Moses commanded Israel to set aside one year in seven when no crops were raised. Insects winter in the stalks of last year’s harvest, hatch in the spring, and are perpetuated by laying eggs in the new crop. If the crop is denied one year in seven, the pests have nothing to subsist upon, and are thereby controlled.
Not only is modern agriculture, thanks to modern science, not “plagued” with insects, but that the above prescription would not control pests during the six years of harvests. In fairness, the aim was not pest control: this is a misreading of the text.
Anyhow, the claims are false.
89. Soil conservation (Leviticus 23:22). Not only was the land to lay fallow every seventh year, but God also instructed farmers to leave the gleanings when reaping their fields, and not to reap the corners (sides) of their fields. This served several purposes: 1) Vital soil minerals would be maintained. 2) The hedge row would limit wind erosion. 3) The poor could eat the gleanings. Today, approximately four billion metric tons of soil are lost from U.S. crop lands each year. Much of this soil depletion could be avoided if God’s commands were followed.
This verse in fact says nothing about soil conservation, or hedgerows (unknown in Bronze Age farming communities) – the injunction clearly relates to leaving the edges and any gleanings left in the field for the poor, as was the custom. It parallels other verses, to make the point clear (if further clarity were needed):
Deuteronomy 24:19: If you forget to bring in a stack of harvested grain, don’t go back in the field to get it. Leave it for the poor, including foreigners, orphans, and widows
Lev. 19:10: Don’t strip your grapevines clean or gather the grapes that fall off the vines. Leave them for the poor and for those foreigners who live among you.
The claim is false.
90. Animal instincts understood (Job 39; Proverbs 30:24-28; Jeremiah 8:7). A newly hatched spider weaves an intricate web without being taught. A recently emerged butterfly somehow knows to navigate a 2,500-mile migration route without a guide. God explains that He has endowed each creature with specific knowledge. Scripture, not evolution, explains animal instincts.
No scientific claim is being made here – merely anti-evolution rhetoric.
That raps up the penultimate ten. At the end of that, we’ve crossed off another six “facts” off our list of 101. 51 in total have been dismissed in such a manner – well over half. The remaining 39 have been shown to be false – either the science is wrong, or the verse that purports to show an unambiguous scientific fact does not clearly do so.
In the next part, I shall examine the remaining 11 “facts”.
The final part in this series will try to come to some conclusions on the exercise.
