THE HOME LIFE OF THE BEAVER
Ecclesiastes 3:20-21
"All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"
Frequent excursions into the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument bring me regularly into areas populated by beavers. Many of the ponds around the Hummocks show signs of beaver activity. One notable dam, which I often see on the trail, is over four feet high, and is easily over 50 feet long. When I show this to people on the excursions, I sometimes joke that the accompanying lodge might be inhabited by Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy! These were the four heroes of C.S. Lewis’s masterpiece, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and there is a familiar scene, recognized by most of my guests, where the four children are entertained, on entering Narnia, by Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.
Lewis was right to allude to the marvelous construction abilities of these animals. A previous Creation Moment described their building techniques, and reported that dams even bigger than the one that I know about are possible. As one approaches the beaver pond, we often see trails of flattened grass running down the slope to the banks of the pond. Beavers do not drag the logs that they cut straight to the dam. They drag them the shortest distance possible to the pond—hence the little trails—then float them to their construction site.
God has made these creatures. But in His word, He emphasizes that He considers us so much higher than these charming and intelligent creatures. It is only mankind, who has been made in the image of God.
Thank You, Father, for making animals, like beavers. But thank You that You count us as so much higher, made in Your image. Help us to remember the ways, in which we differ from the animals, and help us to praise You as we ought. Amen.
Ecclesiastes 3:20-21
"All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?"
Frequent excursions into the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument bring me regularly into areas populated by beavers. Many of the ponds around the Hummocks show signs of beaver activity. One notable dam, which I often see on the trail, is over four feet high, and is easily over 50 feet long. When I show this to people on the excursions, I sometimes joke that the accompanying lodge might be inhabited by Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy! These were the four heroes of C.S. Lewis’s masterpiece, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and there is a familiar scene, recognized by most of my guests, where the four children are entertained, on entering Narnia, by Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.
Lewis was right to allude to the marvelous construction abilities of these animals. A previous Creation Moment described their building techniques, and reported that dams even bigger than the one that I know about are possible. As one approaches the beaver pond, we often see trails of flattened grass running down the slope to the banks of the pond. Beavers do not drag the logs that they cut straight to the dam. They drag them the shortest distance possible to the pond—hence the little trails—then float them to their construction site.
God has made these creatures. But in His word, He emphasizes that He considers us so much higher than these charming and intelligent creatures. It is only mankind, who has been made in the image of God.
Thank You, Father, for making animals, like beavers. But thank You that You count us as so much higher, made in Your image. Help us to remember the ways, in which we differ from the animals, and help us to praise You as we ought. Amen.
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY BELONG TO GOD
Genesis 1:27-28
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
When I was a high school science teacher, I taught both Physics and Chemistry. However, Chemistry was my main subject. Because of my background in education, I really enjoy taking groups of families and young people on the excursions to Mount St Helens, which I lead two or three times a week during the Summer. One of the questions I ask of the young people is about the color of some of the rocks that can be seen in the National Volcanic Monument Area. The rocks that I am particularly talking about are sort of blue-green color.
Last week, as I write this, I asked one group of teenagers why the rock was blue-green.
One boy answered “Because the rock absorbs red light, but reflects blue and green”.
Of course, the way I had phrased the question meant that he had given a correct answer. So I said “That is a correct Physics answer. But what is the Chemistry answer?”
One of the girls correctly answered that the rock looked as if it contained malachite, which is hydrated copper carbonate. Hence, the rock is an ore for the metal copper.
It is interesting that I got a correct Physics answer and a correct Chemistry answer to my question. God has provided humanity with resources in the world, for which we are responsible, and over which we have dominion. He has also made the physical laws, which govern why colors appear the way they do. We apply our Physics and Chemistry knowledge for the extraction of such resources, and to understand their properties.
Thank You, Lord, that You have provided the resources that we need in this planet, on which You have placed us. We marvel at the grace of Your provision for us. Help us collectively, and individually, to be good stewards of what you have given to us. Amen.
Image: Jonathan Zander, released under Creative Commons Attribution, 3.0.
Genesis 1:27-28
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
When I was a high school science teacher, I taught both Physics and Chemistry. However, Chemistry was my main subject. Because of my background in education, I really enjoy taking groups of families and young people on the excursions to Mount St Helens, which I lead two or three times a week during the Summer. One of the questions I ask of the young people is about the color of some of the rocks that can be seen in the National Volcanic Monument Area. The rocks that I am particularly talking about are sort of blue-green color.
Last week, as I write this, I asked one group of teenagers why the rock was blue-green.
One boy answered “Because the rock absorbs red light, but reflects blue and green”.
Of course, the way I had phrased the question meant that he had given a correct answer. So I said “That is a correct Physics answer. But what is the Chemistry answer?”
One of the girls correctly answered that the rock looked as if it contained malachite, which is hydrated copper carbonate. Hence, the rock is an ore for the metal copper.
It is interesting that I got a correct Physics answer and a correct Chemistry answer to my question. God has provided humanity with resources in the world, for which we are responsible, and over which we have dominion. He has also made the physical laws, which govern why colors appear the way they do. We apply our Physics and Chemistry knowledge for the extraction of such resources, and to understand their properties.
Thank You, Lord, that You have provided the resources that we need in this planet, on which You have placed us. We marvel at the grace of Your provision for us. Help us collectively, and individually, to be good stewards of what you have given to us. Amen.
Image: Jonathan Zander, released under Creative Commons Attribution, 3.0.
CAN WE TEST EVOLUTION?
Psalms 119:89-9
"Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth."
There are those that claim that Evolution is a scientific theory. Scientific theories can be subject to the scientific method. If the same test or experiment is carried out under the same conditions, on different days or locations, the results should still be the same.
The existence of scientific methodology suggests that ideas, referred to as science, actually divide under two headings. The first of these would be the testable, repeatable scientific ideas, which refer to situations here and now. These can be referred to as Observable or Operational Science. This is, in fact, the real science. Not only is there nothing unbiblical about Operational Science, we can insist that such science would not be possible without a rational, biblical worldview.
The other scientific heading would be Historical Science. This is the type of science that refers to one-time, single events that allegedly happened in the past. Because these events are one-time events, they are not repeatable, nor are they falsifiable, because we do not have a time machine to go back and test things. Evolution must fall into this second category. Therefore, the alleged event, when non-living molecules got together to form a living cell, cannot be repeated. Evolution is not testable, and is therefore not Operational Science.
Some might point out that biblical creation is similarly untestable, and must be Historical Science. Although this is true, it merely serves to remind us that science is not the ultimate test of truth. The revelation of God�s word in the Bible is that ultimate truth.
Father God, we thank You that You have created this universe in an understandable way. We thank You for the talents of scientific men and women, who push forward the boundaries of research�they are thinking Your thoughts after them. Amen.
Psalms 119:89-9
"Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth."
There are those that claim that Evolution is a scientific theory. Scientific theories can be subject to the scientific method. If the same test or experiment is carried out under the same conditions, on different days or locations, the results should still be the same.
The existence of scientific methodology suggests that ideas, referred to as science, actually divide under two headings. The first of these would be the testable, repeatable scientific ideas, which refer to situations here and now. These can be referred to as Observable or Operational Science. This is, in fact, the real science. Not only is there nothing unbiblical about Operational Science, we can insist that such science would not be possible without a rational, biblical worldview.
The other scientific heading would be Historical Science. This is the type of science that refers to one-time, single events that allegedly happened in the past. Because these events are one-time events, they are not repeatable, nor are they falsifiable, because we do not have a time machine to go back and test things. Evolution must fall into this second category. Therefore, the alleged event, when non-living molecules got together to form a living cell, cannot be repeated. Evolution is not testable, and is therefore not Operational Science.
Some might point out that biblical creation is similarly untestable, and must be Historical Science. Although this is true, it merely serves to remind us that science is not the ultimate test of truth. The revelation of God�s word in the Bible is that ultimate truth.
Father God, we thank You that You have created this universe in an understandable way. We thank You for the talents of scientific men and women, who push forward the boundaries of research�they are thinking Your thoughts after them. Amen.
METHOD IN OUR SCIENCE
1 Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
Science has an elevated position in Western society. There are those who would try to put Christians down, by saying �You have faith, but I have science�. Science, in the abstract, is therefore assumed to be the ultimate truth, and the universal standard, against which everything must be tested.
This, it is suggested, is because science is tested. As a high school science teacher, I would suggest to my students that scientific processes could develop as follows: The problem to be investigated is stated. A hypothesis is then developed, which seems to explain this problem, and accompanying observations. After this, an investigation�often by experiment�is designed to test the hypothesis. For this to occur, the hypothesis must be testable, and, indeed, falsifiable. To say that a hypothesis is falsifiable does not imply that it is, or even could be, false. It simply means that it is theoretically possible that an investigative result might disprove the hypothesis. For example, our hypothesis that hot water hurts is falsifiable, given that you could plunge your hand into boiling water, to see if it feels comfortable. In practice, we know that this would indeed hurt, supporting your hypothesis. Finally, you would carry out your investigation or experiment, record the results, and from them draw a conclusion, that your investigation either supports or disproves your hypothesis.
This important concept of scientific methodology is only possible, because we expect a rational universe, with scientific laws that make sense, and that do not change. Such a rational universe is only possible within a biblical worldview, where random chance events do not take place.
We know, Lord God, that we can only make sense of this universe, because You made it. Thank You that You gave us reasoning and wisdom, sufficient to practice science, to understand the universe better. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
Science has an elevated position in Western society. There are those who would try to put Christians down, by saying �You have faith, but I have science�. Science, in the abstract, is therefore assumed to be the ultimate truth, and the universal standard, against which everything must be tested.
This, it is suggested, is because science is tested. As a high school science teacher, I would suggest to my students that scientific processes could develop as follows: The problem to be investigated is stated. A hypothesis is then developed, which seems to explain this problem, and accompanying observations. After this, an investigation�often by experiment�is designed to test the hypothesis. For this to occur, the hypothesis must be testable, and, indeed, falsifiable. To say that a hypothesis is falsifiable does not imply that it is, or even could be, false. It simply means that it is theoretically possible that an investigative result might disprove the hypothesis. For example, our hypothesis that hot water hurts is falsifiable, given that you could plunge your hand into boiling water, to see if it feels comfortable. In practice, we know that this would indeed hurt, supporting your hypothesis. Finally, you would carry out your investigation or experiment, record the results, and from them draw a conclusion, that your investigation either supports or disproves your hypothesis.
This important concept of scientific methodology is only possible, because we expect a rational universe, with scientific laws that make sense, and that do not change. Such a rational universe is only possible within a biblical worldview, where random chance events do not take place.
We know, Lord God, that we can only make sense of this universe, because You made it. Thank You that You gave us reasoning and wisdom, sufficient to practice science, to understand the universe better. Amen.
IS THE EARTH FLAT?
Psalm 113:3
"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised."
Since starting these broadcasts, I have received a number of surprising emails, from people who claim to believe that the Earth is flat, instead of spherical. Is the idea of a spherical earth a lie fed to us as if it were true, along with evolution and deep time? No. Evolution and deep time can be shown to be within the realm of historical science, referring to alleged one-time unrepeatable events. The flat earth concept, however, has a number of consequences which ought to have an effect in the here and now. Therefore, current hypotheses can be developed from the flat earth model, which are testable and falsifiable. We have also seen that the scientific method, which we will now apply, is only realistically possible in a biblical worldview.
The creationist astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner has shown that, in a flat earth model, the apparent angular diameter of the sun should get smaller, as the sun gets lower in the sky, because it would be further away. He shows that the increase in angular diameter of the sun is proportional to the ratio of sines of the angle of altitude. Real numbers can be used in this formula, he shows that the sun at 1:45 pm should have a diameter 6.4 times bigger than at 7:30 am. In fact, Faulkner shows that there is no change at all in the size of the sun, given legitimate experimental error.
In fact, there is no reason from Scripture to believe in a flat earth. But then the flat earth idea did not originate with biblical Christians. It originated as a modern myth, to give something for evolutionists to lampoon creationists with.
Thank You, Lord, for making everything according to You plan. Nothing took You by surprise, Lord, and every word You gave us in the Bible is true. Amen.
Ref: Faulkner, D (2016), A Flat-Earth Prediction Falls Flat, accessed 05/26/2017. Image: Orlando Ferguson, Public Domain.
Psalm 113:3
"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised."
Since starting these broadcasts, I have received a number of surprising emails, from people who claim to believe that the Earth is flat, instead of spherical. Is the idea of a spherical earth a lie fed to us as if it were true, along with evolution and deep time? No. Evolution and deep time can be shown to be within the realm of historical science, referring to alleged one-time unrepeatable events. The flat earth concept, however, has a number of consequences which ought to have an effect in the here and now. Therefore, current hypotheses can be developed from the flat earth model, which are testable and falsifiable. We have also seen that the scientific method, which we will now apply, is only realistically possible in a biblical worldview.
The creationist astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner has shown that, in a flat earth model, the apparent angular diameter of the sun should get smaller, as the sun gets lower in the sky, because it would be further away. He shows that the increase in angular diameter of the sun is proportional to the ratio of sines of the angle of altitude. Real numbers can be used in this formula, he shows that the sun at 1:45 pm should have a diameter 6.4 times bigger than at 7:30 am. In fact, Faulkner shows that there is no change at all in the size of the sun, given legitimate experimental error.
In fact, there is no reason from Scripture to believe in a flat earth. But then the flat earth idea did not originate with biblical Christians. It originated as a modern myth, to give something for evolutionists to lampoon creationists with.
Thank You, Lord, for making everything according to You plan. Nothing took You by surprise, Lord, and every word You gave us in the Bible is true. Amen.
Ref: Faulkner, D (2016), A Flat-Earth Prediction Falls Flat, accessed 05/26/2017. Image: Orlando Ferguson, Public Domain.
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