Science in Christian Perspective

Letter to the Editor

Comments on Symposium on the Bible and Science
Everett H. Peterson 
918 Hummingbird Drive 
San Jose, Calif. 95125

From: JASA 22 (June 1970): 75

Recently, my Pastor gave me the December (1969) issue of your publication. He asked me to read it because he felt I was more scientifically inclined than he. I am a layman in scientific matters but for many years have read with interest all I could find on the subject of the relation between the Bible and Science.

I read your publication from cover to cover. The reason for this letter is that the reading produced several questions.

The cover states that, "The American Scientific Affiliation is an association of men and women who have made a personal commitment of themselves and their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour."

Jesus stated in John 18:37, ". . . for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." In Matt. 19:4,5, he refers to the creation of male and female, even quoting from Genesis 2. In Matt. 24:37 he refers to the flood as spoken of in Genesis.

One of my questions is: How can a believer in Jesus ignore His witness to the truth of Genesis? And, not only Genesis, but Exodus 20:11, which says that Cod made everything in six days. Jesus testified to the truth of the law in Matt. 5:18. If Jesus allowed us to believe an untruth then he surely didn't fulfill his purpose of being a witness unto the truth.

Another question: If it is scientific for today's scientists to say the world is over 4 billion years old, then why isn't the Bible scientific when it states that creation took six days? And if the Bible is correct, then how can it be said that there are no answers in Genesis to evolutionary questions?