Science in Christian Perspective

Catastrophism as God's Direct Action
Terry Chin 
10837 Sandpiper Drive 
Houston, Texas 77035

From: JASA 26 (June 1974): 87

It is with great interest that I read the various views the writers expressed in Journal ASA, December, 1973, 00 Velikovsky's planetary-induced catastrophes. While I admire the efforts of some of the writers to explain naturalistically the global catastrophes which have occurred, it appears that the writers have neglected one point: the specific role of God Himself. One can hold to the general position that He knew of everything and thus oversaw the entire process of Venus creation and the passes of Mars, This would be the most extreme position of Divine noninvolvement, but God still was there! One can further say with respect to Dr. Newman's probability calculations that the most improbable events actually did with God's help occur. Finally, the whole scheme of worlds in collision could be drastically modified or scrapped. As Newman concluded that efforts to understand such "spectacular physical phenomena" should be continued, I concur but suggest that investigators keep in mind the seemingly naive possibility that God stopped the earth right then, without applying any physical laws on the mechanisms of such a phenomenon (i.e., a "miracle"). Did not He himself create these laws under which this universe operates? Why must there he an opposing force on the earth if God Himself decided to "stop" it? In addition, it appears that God's role should he conceived as being a more personal one. He reacts specifically to a particular need or prayer of His children. Thus, the latter two possibilities of God's involvement listed above seem more feasible. The reader is encouraged to further examine and consider other possibilities and facets of God's role.