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The Word's Eye View is a newspaper column written by
Comfort of Science A large segment of the American public claims to believe the Bible: some subscribe to it completely while others have a pick and choose theology. People of these persuasions are categorized as fundamentalists, evangelicals, neo-evangelicals, etc. Believers in all of these groups are frequently characterized by the more “intellectually advanced” as individuals who utilize their faith as an emotional crutch to assist them in navigating life. Occasionally, one’s confidence in the Scriptures can actually be bolstered by considering some alternatives. A competing religion is found at the altar of science which embraces a naturalist view of creation with no tolerance for divine intervention. God is not opposed to science but does have a problem with what Paul called “science falsely so called.” (I Timothy 6:20) Lawrence Joseph has recently published a book titled “Apocalypse 2012.” Mr. Joseph is an investigative journalist who travels the world interviewing scientists, often attending scientific seminars to capture the latest theories. Joseph’s book is one of a multitude that have recently been marketed centered upon the 2012 theme. The concept that the countdown to an incredible upheaval in nature has begun is based upon the Mayan calendar. Evidently, the Mayans were particularly adept at observing all of the solar movements which produced an extremely accurate calendar; problem… it all ends in 2012. Mr. Joseph then presents a variety of apocalyptic scenarios that could accommodate the 2012 deadline. Some are more plausible than others, but according to science they are all in the realm of possibility. Through international effort a large hadron collider (LHC), a 27 kilometer circle on the border between France and Switzerland, has been constructed. Theoretically, this machine has the capacity of smashing protons into 10,000 pieces or more. According to physicist Michio Kaku, the LHC’s incredible focusing power will create “an entire zoo of subatomic particles not seen since the Big Bang” including black holes. The difficulty with black holes is that they suck everything into them compressing the atomic structure of matter into its densest form. The hypothesis is that if the LHC got “whacked out,” it could create a black hole that would reduce the earth to the size of a Home Depot. Please pass the Prozac! There’s always a risk of unanticipated outcomes with new inventions; for example, Mr Joseph elaborates on “the gray goo scenario that they try not to talk about at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.” Los Alamos is a leader in nanotechnology which seeks to create nanoscale machines designed to behave like the ribosomes in the cells of our bodies, assembling complex structures, such as proteins, out of simpler compounds. Gray goo is a hypothetical nanosubstance that keeps reproducing itself until it devours all the carbon, hydrogen, and whatever other elements it lusts for and has gooed over the face of the earth. According to Eric Drexler, a nanotechnology pioneer, rapidly self-replicating nanomachines could outweigh the earth in less than two days. Think happy thoughts! Harvard and NASA scientists are reporting that California sized cracks have inexplicably opened up in the earth’s magnetic field, our essential shield against solar radiation and the deadly cancers and climatic disturbances that come with it. In close conjunction astrophysicists harbor a great concern for irregular sunspots. It seems the sun has been throwing a tantrum which has resulted in behavior outside its normal eleven year cycles of highs and lows. In September of 2005 the sun went from perfectly calm, not a blemish, to being covered with sunspots and spitting out record setting mouthfuls of radiation, right at the height of the hurricane season that produced Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Stan and so many others. The Max Planck Institute, Germany’s equivalent of MIT, has conducted a number of studies confirming that the sun hasn’t been this turbulent for thousands of years and in particular since 2003. Their conclusion: “We could be zapped at any moment.” How is your 401K doing? All of this good news is compounded by fears of asteroids, meteorites and, oh yes, let’s not forget Yellowstone which is said to be the largest super volcano in the world. According to experts, its eruption is a matter of when, not if. Robert B. Smith, a geologist and geophysicist at the University of Utah, projects that the explosive force of a Yellowstone eruption would range up to the equivalent of 1000 Hiroshima-style atomic bombs, per second. The results would be a nuclear winter lasting for years and near total annihilation. How about those Broncos? To be sure, the Bible predicts some end time catastrophes that parallel fears of science and in some cases may even work in tandem to find their final fulfillment. The difference between the two is quite simple: the Word of God offers light and hope at the end of the tunnel—science only adds to a melancholy spirit. No wonder so many are searching for anti-depressants, booze or drugs to escape what is thought to be the inevitable. Interestingly, after writing critically of several passages in the Bible, Mr. Joseph’s first line of defense in his conclusion in bold headline letters is PRAY! (pg.224) And to whom, sir, should we pray? If you don’t mind, sir, I will keep my crutch for it provides me security I find in no other source.
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