http://www.icr.org/article/374/

by T. V. Varughese, Ph.D

Evidence for Creation › Evidence for God › Design and Purpose › God Caused Wisdom

Without question, “technology” has now become the new magic word in place of the word “science.” Since technology represents the practical applications of science, it is clearly consumer-oriented. Herein is bright economic promise to all who can provide technology.

In terms of technology, our present world can be divided into at least three groups: countries that are strong providers of technology, both original and improved; countries that are mass producers because of cheaper labor; and countries that are mostly consumers. Without a doubt, being in the position of “originating” superior technology should be a goal for any major country. The difficult question, however, is “how.”

An obvious place to start suggests itself. Why not begin with the countries that have established themselves as strong originators of technology and see if there is a common thread between them? The western nations, after the Renaissance and the Reformation of the 16th century, offer a ready example. Any book on the history of inventions, such as the Guinness Book of Answers, will reveal that the vast majority of scientific inventions have originated in Europe (including Britain) and the USA since the dawn of the 17th century. What led to the fast technological advances in the European countries and North America around that time?

The answer is that something happened which set the stage for science and technology to emerge with full force. Strange as it may seem, that event was the return to Biblical Christianity in these countries.

The Epistemological Foundation of Technology

According to Alfred North Whitehead and J. Robert Oppenheimer, both renowned philosophers and scientists of our era (but not Christians themselves), modern science was born out of the Christian world view. Whitehead said that Christianity is the “mother of science” because of the insistence on the rationality of God.[1] Entomologist Stanley Beck,though not a Christian himself, acknowledged the corner-stone premises of science which the Judeo-Christian world view offers: “The first of the unprovable premises on which science has been based is the belief that the world is real and the human mind is capable of knowing its real nature. The second and best-known postulate underlying the structure of scientific knowledge is that of cause and effect. The third basic scientific premise is that nature is unified.”[2] In other words, the epistemological foundation of technology has been the Judeo-Christian world view presented in the Bible.

This may sound incredible to some because of the popular feeling that science and religion don’t mix. Didn’t Christianity vehemently oppose Galileo and Copernicus when they proposed the modern models for the solar system?

The truth, however, is that the real conflict was not between Christianity, as presented in the Bible, and science. In fact, the true conflict was not between science and religion at all, but between the existing scientific view and a new scientific view. The geocentric world view held at that time was not based on the Bible but on the Ptolemaic system which was rooted in the views of Plato and Aristotle.

Historians have observed that the foundations for modern science were laid as early as the thirteenth century when scholars like Roger Bacon showed that Aristotle made certain mistakes about natural phenomena. Medieval science was based on authority — primarily of Aristotle — rather than observation. It developed through logic, rather than experimentation.[3] Both Copernicus and Galileo challenged Aristotle’s authority, using experimentation in the spirit of modern science. The Biblical emphasis of the Reformation, just prior to this, had already paved the way for dropping Aristotle’s authority; it also encouraged the rational investigation of our world.

Perhaps the most obvious affirmation that Biblical Christianity and science are friends and not foes comes from the fact that most of the early scientists after the Renaissance were also strong believers in the Bible as the authoritative source of knowledge concerning the origin of the universe and man’s place in it.[4] The book of Genesis, the opening book of the Bible, presents the distinctly Judeo-Christian world view of a personal Creator God behind the origin and sustenance of the universe (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:17; etc.).

Among the early scientists of note who held the Biblical creationist world view are Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), and Samuel Morse (1791-1872) – what motivated them was a confidence in the “rationality” behind the universe and the “goodness” of the material world. The creation account in Genesis presents an intelligent, purposeful Creator, who, after completing the creation work, declared it to be very good (Genesis 1:31). That assures us that the physical universe operates under reliable laws which may be discovered by the intelligent mind and used in practical applications. The confidence in the divinely pronounced goodness of the material world removed any reluctance concerning the development of material things for the betterment of life in this world. The spiritual world and the material world can work together in harmony.

Genesis also gives another important motivation for the investigation of the laws of nature and application of it to technology. That is the divine mandate given to man to subdue the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). Obviously, the discovery of the laws of nature is the key to harnessing the powers of nature for man’s use and control. Herein is the key to the motivation for developing technology. Genesis 4 records the earliest technological developments by man (4:21-22).

The world view held in many cultures, however, is different from the Biblical creationist view. Religions influenced by dualistic philosophies view the material world with suspicion and hostility. The material world is considered evil, while the spiritual world is considered good and noble. Renouncing this world became the mark of holiness. Equally detrimental to the development of science were world views that did not have a concept of a supreme personal Creator God. Some of the ancient civilizations, for example, which did develop some mathematics and technologies, did not develop general scientific theories, because of the absence of a creationist perspective that gives confidence in the existence of rational laws in nature. This clearly explains the lack of interest on the part of these cultures in scientific research and technology. It also shows how the Reformation, with its return to Biblical Christianity, spurred a phenomenal interest in fundamental research and technology. The great scientific advances and the industrial revolution that followed bear this out.

The Ethical Foundation of Technology

The rise of North America to dominance in technology is related to the Judeo-Christian foundation with which it started. The founding fathers of the United States of America were theists who believed in a Creator who gave moral rules by which to live. The work ethic they practiced also contributed to the rapid progress of the country. In this ethic, all honest work was regarded as dignified, not just the “white collar” jobs. This also has Christian roots. Jesus, the founder of Christianity, Himself chose the profession of a carpenter prior to His ministry. Along with this work ethic, there was also the right climate for initiating research. The free-enterprise system allowed individuals and private groups to carry on research and to develop technology.

There is no question that technology has given us untold blessings. But technology has also been used for monstrous destruction and human misery. This should alert us to the fact that technology, by itself, is not the means of salvation. Releasing the technology genie has caused our world to go out of control. The apocalyptic vision of some superdictator controlling humanity, using the incredible power of the computer or the atom, is no longer a laughing matter. The potential for deception through technology, coupled with the illegal use of technology, has also become a serious concern.

How can we hold in check the wrong use of technology? Here again, Christianity offers its powerful contribution. Jesus summed up the right law to live by in human relationships thus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” a powerful principle, indeed. It allows no justification for using technology to bring harm to others. On the positive side, this law encourages us to develop that which serves humanity. The ethical standards of Biblical Christianity also include the practice of honesty and integrity. The need for these in the handling of technology is being increasingly recognized.

The rise of evolutionist philosophy in the 19th century has led to the erosion of the epistemological and ethical foundations of sound technological advance. The collapse of moral absolutes resulting from it sets the stage for selfish and harmful use of technology. This poses a threat to the economic welfare of countries where easy credit is available and the appetite for more and more technological gadgets is insatiable.

There are hopeful signs, however. Evolution theory itself has now collapsed under scientific scrutiny. Further, the foundations have not been totally abandoned by scientists. They have been carrying on their research as usual, as if they believe in the design and orderly laws of the universe — a belief that has its roots in the Judeo-Christian world view. The gospel of Christ cannot only hold in check the destructive use of technology by its emphasis on loving others as ourselves, but also provides the antidote for selfish greed, which is behind our runaway buying habits. Jesus emphasized that the abundance of things does not produce happiness.

Back in 1832, Darwin, during his famous trip on the “Beagle,” visited Tierra del Fuego, the southern coastal region of South America inhabited by savage barbarians and observed man at his worst. Their depravity was shocking to him. Darwin swore that the Fuegian savages were untamable. Within a few years, however, the Fuegian savages were converted, through the efforts of a missionary sent by the South American Missionary Society who brought the gospel to these people. They were radically transformed into a rational and civilized people. Darwin was very impressed by the success of the Missionary Society. Keen to spread the blessings of civilization, Darwin sent donations to the mission for several years. Thirty-five years after his visit to Tierra del Fuego, he proudly accepted the invitation from the South American Missionary Society to become its honorary member.[5]

That power to transform individuals and nations is still available. The “Good News” Jesus brought is that the power to love others as ourselves is available to all, from the Creator. When we have that love, technology will be a blessing to all.

— References —
1. Francis A. Schaeffer: How Should We Then Live (Revell, 1976), p. 132.
2. Henry M. Morris, Biblical Basis for Modern Science (Baker, 1991), p. 30.
3. Schaeffer, p. 131.
4. Henry M. Morris, Men of Science, Men of God (Master Books, CA, 1988), 107 pp.
5. Adrian Desmond & James Moore, Darwin (Warner Books, 1991), pp. 574,575.

* At time of publication, Dr. Varughese was Associate Professor of Computer Science in the School of Management and Technology, National University, Irvine, California, and adjunct professor of Physics at ICR.

Cite this article: Varughese, T. V. 1993. Christianity and Technological Advance – The Astonishing Connection. Acts & Facts. 22 (11).

Evidence for Creation › Evidence for God › Design and Purpose › God Caused Wisdom

https://youtu.be/UpIiIaC4kRA

The Scriptures Speak of an Invisible Structure. Only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of things that we cannot see—invisible atoms. In Hebrews 11:3, written 2,000 years ago, Scripture tells us that the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

The Scriptures tell us that the earth is round: “It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). The word translated “circle” here is the Hebrew word chuwg, which is also translated “circuit” or “compass” (depending on the context). That is, it indicates something spherical, rounded, or arched—not something that is flat or square. The book of Isaiah was written sometime between 740 and 680 B.C. This is at least 300 years before Aristotle suggested, in his book On the Heavens, that the earth might be a sphere. It was another 2,000 years later (at a time when science believed that the earth was flat) that the Scriptures inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world.

1. We have entered into a time in human history that demands that will we be able to follow the command of 1 Peter 3:15, and it is my passion to equip Christians to know how we can have faith in our belief in God, and His Son our Savior Jesus Christ.
   1. Fifty Years ago
      1. Abortion was illegal, rightfully considered murder.
      2. Sodomy was illegal and would carry a prison sentence if caught (rarely enforced) as it was, and is against the law of God, same as theft, and murder
   2. Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution have led more people from faith in Christ Jesus than any other person on earth.   He didn’t use threats or war orthe persecution of Christians, no, he used the power of the pen.
      1. Elimination of the need for a creator through evolution
         1. Pride is the greatest evil, and evolution has been taught that it is the thinking person that believes and trusts in evolution
         2. Through this pride people have been taught that only fools believe in this fairy tale called the bible
         3. It cast doubt on the historical reliability of Scripture.
2. The need to study apologetics
   1. Earlier years only needed to share gospel
      1. In America: Most people were already acclimated to the existence of God, and Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and our Savior
      2. Most Americans had at least limited knowledge of scripture, and if we go back to the beginning years of America, all had a very solid understanding of Scripture, because the Bible was the main text book in Education.
   2. Now we not only need to share the gospel, but also be ready to prove its historical reliability
      1. Modern America for many years has been taught evolution to the point most people are acclimated to the formation of earth, and the existence of life as a long process of evolution over a long period of time.
      2. Many Modern Americans have been taught the bible is simply a fairytale to help early (and considered ignorant) man understand (mistakenly) where man came from.
      3. Most American’s including many Christians do not have a working knowledge of scripture because itwas taken out of modern education, and replaced with concepts of evolution
         1. Too busy with modern life to take time to study the word
3. There are many subjects we will be covering in the future to provethe reliability of scripture.
   1. In the last lessons we learned of the reliability of Scripture, in the existence of Christ, and how we could know that Christ is arise from the grave.
   2. Step back and study creation itself, and see that evolution is impossible.
   3. There arenumerous areas of study
      1. Biology
      2. Geology
      3. Astronomy
      4. Physics
      5. Mathematics
      6. Archaeology
      7. Anthropology
      8. Commonly Cited “Proofs” of Evolution
      9. Scientists who believe in Biblical Creationism
      10. Biblical Considerations
4. We will look at two areas
   1. First we will have a little fun with mathematics
   2. Secondly a brief look at population Growth
5. Mathematics
   1. Mathematics is an absolute truth, without the absolute truth of mathematics,
      1. Space travel would be impossible
      2. Even buying clothing or shoes and expect them to fit would be impossible
      3. Math is an exact science,
      4. Is evolution mathematically possible?
   2. Evolution only works if there is a longperiod of time for all of this to come into place,
      1. Time for accidental formations of non-living, and living things
         1. First Example:
            1. Evolutionist way of thinking is that if a monkey was set in front of a typewriter, long enough he would eventually type, by pure chance, a perfect unabridged dictionary. Of course this idea is completely ridiculous, however let’s illustrate this. It is calculated that the probability of a monkey arranging the word evolution by randomly selecting letters from the alphabet is only 1 chance in 26 to the ninth power, in other words, 1 chance in 5,429,503,679,000.The odds of this monkey writing the first verse of the bible by accident is 1 in 1.81,479,392 X 10 to the 62nd power; in plain language 1 chance in 181, 497,392 with 54 zeros past it.
         2. 2^nd example: For a simple object of 200 components toaccidently form Let’s take this science ofprobability a step further. Considerthe chance of accidental development of a very simple system composed of only 200 integrated parts (simple compared with living systems)the probability of forming such an ordered system is 1 in 200 factorial, or 1 chance in 788,657,867,364,790,503,552,363,213,932,185,062,295,138,977,687,263,294,742,533,244,359,449,963,403,342,920,304,284,011,984,623,904,177,212,138,919,638,830,257,642,790,242,637,105,061,926,624,952,829,931,113,462,857,270,763,317,237,396,988,943,922,445,621,451,664,240,254,033,291,864,131,227,428,294,853,277,524,242,407,573,903,240,321,257,405,579,568,660,226,031,904,170,324,062,351,700,858,796,178,922,222,789,623,703,897,374,720,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
            1. This colossal number can be written more simply as 1 chance out of 10 to the 375th power of selecting the proper arrangement for a 200-part integrated system on the first trial.
            2. But what if we keep on trying different combinations over and over again? Won’t we eventuallyachieve the desired result?
               1. If we could try various combinations attempting to get the right number for this 200-part integrated system at 1 billion per second, in other words, every second of the day we could try one billion combinations of the parts it would take scientists longer than the 30 billion years that some scientists say is the age of the earth, If we choose a reasonable time for these attempts can we really expect a billion chances a second?
         3. Third Example: Amino Acids
            1. Modern research by NASA has demonstrated that the most basic type of protein molecule that could be classified living is composed of at least 400 linked amino acids. Each amino acid, in turn, is made up of a specific arrangement of four or five chemical elements, and each chemical element is itself a unique combination of protons, neutrons and electrons. Golay has demonstrated that the chance formation of even the simplest replicating protein molecule is 1 in 10 to the 450th power.
         4. Fourth Example: DNA
            1. Wysong has calculatedthe probability of forming the proteins and DNA for the smallest self-replicating entityto be 1 in 10 to the 167,626 power, even when granting astronomically generous amounts of time and trials per second, who can imagine what the chance formation of a more complex structure or organ such as the cerebral cortex in the human brain would be? Itcontains over 10,000,000,000 (10 billion) cells each of which is carefully arranged according to a specific design, and each of which is fantastically complex in itself!
               1. Schutzenberger of the University of Paris at a conference on “Mathematical Challenges to the Neo-Darwinian Interpretation of Evolution, “ concluded that the probability of evolution by mutation and natural selection is inconceivable
         5. Fifth Example: The Human Body
            1. The human body is made up of 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7 octillion) atoms, which make up 37.2 trillion cells in your body, According to an estimate made by engineers at Washington University; there are around 10 to the 14 power atoms in a typical human cell. Another way of looking at it is that this is 100,000,000,000,000 or 100 trillion
            2. Interestingly, the number of cells in the human body is estimated to be about the same as the number of atoms in a human cell.
            3. To count to 100 trillion would take 3,170,900 years (app) that is to just count to that number, now think of the number of years it would take trying to make that right combination at 1 billion attempts a second for a human body to accidently, or through evolution to develop.
   3. Evolution, according to scientist evolve as in building, one thing on top of another, which actually takes longer than a group of the exact right elements to come together all at once, which means mankind has to be literally millions of years old, which is what the fake scientists try to pass off on us
      1. Some numbers I do not understand, but you might, for a 200 part component to come to gather one step at a time is this, again, whatever it means, it is much larger than spontaneous, and it is illustrated as a series of numbers: 2! + 3! +4! …. + 200! I tried to google this, and still don’t understand it, it truly takes a mathematician to understand it.
6. Population Growth
   1. In 1922 the Earth’s populationwas estimated at 1,804,187,000.
      1. It has increased exponentially since this time, and tripled this number in just 90 years. So because the growth rate has changed since then, we are going to use the 1922 figure to work with.
      2. Do you remember me talking in the past about the Chinese rice board, how you can take a penny on the first square and double it for each following square and by the time we hit the 64 square, we would have more money than we could count.
      3. To arrive at a population of 1,804,187,000. The population starting with 2 people would have to double itself between 30 to 31 times, in fact 30.75, in other words, we are at the 30 square on the rice board, and starting to move to the 31^st (actually we did this about 40 years ago)
   2. Let’s use some time numbers at this point and give two reference points as evidence
      1. According to the chronology of Hales, based on the Septuagint text, 5077 years have elapsed since the flood, and 5177 years since the ancestors of mankind numbered only two, Noah and his wife. By dividing 5177 by 30.75, we find it requires an average of 168.3 years for the human race to double its numbers, in order to make the present population. This is a reasonable average length of time.
      2. How can this be verified as an accurate estimate of time and growth
         1. By comparing it to factors than have been observed, and making the comparison. In other words, we can take certain groups of people, check their population growth for the same time period and find the numbers correspond very closely.
         2. Abraham is the father of twopeoples
            1. Jews: the decedents of Israel
            2. Decedents of Ismael
         3. According to Hales, 3850 years have passed since the marriage of Jacob. By the same method of calculation as above, the Jews, who, according to the Jewish yearbook for 1922, number 15,393, 815, must have doubled their numbers 23.8758 times, (this is very close to our Chinese rice board calculations, just a square or two off) or once every 161.251 years. ( an number twice as high as the original number of 168.3 would have been acceptable as a comparison)
         4. The decedents of Ismael: Also, the 25,000,000 descendants of Abraham must have doubled their numbers every 162.275 years, during the 3,988 years since the birth of his son Ishmael.
         5. Mathematics is an exact science, even though we have variations due to diseases wars, and etc., we are looking at averages, and when you have three sources to average, and they come out almost identical, we can trust the validity of their results. And based upon these three results I feel we can trust the age of humanity after the flood as stated by Hales. And, if we can trust this part of scripture, why would we have any reason to not trust all of it.
         6. Evolution according these figures is impossible.
   3. Negative Evidence:
      1. If the human race is 2,000,000 years old, the period of doubling would be 65,040 years, or 402 times that of the Jews, which, of course, is unthinkable.
         1. In other words, to move from one square to the next on our Chinese Rice Board, it would takeapproximately 65,000 years
            1. Using this rate, humanity would have been impossible, the first 2 people would have two children and then wait another 65,000 years in order to have two more, and the first two children having two, and we though Methuselah was old at 900 + years.
         2. Evolutionists claim that the human race is 2,000,000 years old.
            1. But let us generously suppose that these remote ancestors, beginning with one pair, doubled their numbers in 1612.51 years one-tenth as rapidly as the Jews, or 1240 times in 2,000,000 years.
            2. If we raise 2 to the 1240th power, (moving from one square to the next on the Chinese Rice board every 1240 years) the result is 18,932,139,737,991 with 360 figures following. The population of the world, therefore, would have been 18,932,139,737,991 decillion, decillion, decillion. decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion, decillion
            3. Or, let us suppose that man, the dominant species, originated from a single pair, only 100,000 years ago, the shortest period suggested by any evolutionist (and much too short for evolution) and that the population doubled in 1612.51 years, one-tenth the Jewish rate of net increase, a most generous estimate. The present population of the globe should be 4,660,210,253,138,204,300 or 2,527,570,733 for every man, woman and child! In these calculations, we have made greater allowances than any self-respecting evolutionist could ask without blushing. And yet withal, it is as clear as the light of day that the ancestors of man could not possibly have lived 2,000,000 or 1,000,000 or 100,000 years ago
            4. If the population had increased at the Jewish rate for 10,000 years, it would be more than two billion times as great as it is. No guess that ever was made, or ever can be made, much in excess of 5177 years, can possibly stand as the age of man. The evolutionist cannot sidestep this argument by a new guess.
7. Now, if there had been no flood to destroy the human race, then the descendants of Adam, in the 7333 years would have been 16,384 times the 1,804,187,000, or 29,559,799,808,000; or computed at the Jewish rate of net increase for 7333 years since Adam, the population would have been still greater, or 35,184,372,088,832. These calculations are imperfect accord with the Scripture story of the special creation of man, and the destruction of the race by a flood. Had it not been for the flood, the earth could not have sustained the descendants of Adam.
8. Is not this a demonstration, decisive and final?

One last final thought, we have tripled in poplation in the last 90 years, from under 2 billion to over 7 billion, and we are in line to double and triple again as these numbers are now increasing expodentially, in other words at a faster and faster rate.

Scientist, claim the earth can only feed about 10 billion people ( I doubt this) then we are running out of time, even if it can feed that many people, just think of how over populated we will be…Are you ready for the return of Christ? Have you attempted, and maybe successfully led anyone else to Christ so they will not suffer eternal damnation?

Apologetics is best seen as either pre-evangelism or as part of the process of evangelism.

It removes barriers to belief and prepares the ground for the seed of the gospel to be sown.

One more time, just to make sure we get this:

It removes barriers to belief and prepares the ground for the seed of the gospel to be sown.

You could compare it to the farmer who is plowing his field preparing it for seed. This is apologtices.

Then you see the same farmer planting the seed, after the field has been prepared. This is evangelism.

What comes next is the harvest: New Christians, looking forward to eternal life without pain, without tears, never growing old. It will be one of those Christians who do not fall away as almost 80 to 85 % do.

This is the ground Christ spoke about in his parable: Matthew 13: 3

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Will you have a better harvest if you plow the ground before you attempt to plant the seed…..or not?

Designed by God